What Does Custom Software Actually Cost in 2026?
Real pricing ranges for custom apps and software. No fluff - transparent cost breakdowns and how to budget smartly.
What Does Custom Software Actually Cost in 2026?
Real numbers from someone who builds it
A note on these numbers: I've spent nearly a decade building custom software for US-based businesses - 100+ projects across industries you wouldn't expect: logistics companies, meat processors, real estate firms, auto dealerships, fencing contractors, marketing agencies. The figures in this post come from that work. They assume US-based senior developers, current widely-supported technology (easy to hire for, easy to maintain), and an engaged client with clear decision-making authority. Change any of those variables and the numbers shift.
The Quick Answer (For Skimmers)
If you're here for numbers and don't want the full breakdown, here you go:
Quick Reference: 2026 Pricing Ranges
Industry-standard ranges for custom software development in the US market
| Project Type | Price Range | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Landing Page | $3K - $15K | 2-4 weeks |
| Business Website | $10K - $40K | 4-8 weeks |
| Web App (MVP) | $25K - $75K | 2-4 months |
| Mobile App (Single Platform) | $40K - $100K | 3-5 months |
| Mobile App (Cross-Platform) | $60K - $150K | 4-6 months |
| E-commerce Platform | $30K - $120K | 3-6 months |
| Enterprise Software | $150K - $500K+ | 6-12+ months |
Note: These ranges assume US-based development. Offshore rates may be 40-70% lower, but factor in communication overhead and quality variance.
What these prices assume:
- US-based senior developers ($150-250/hr loaded rate — total cost including salary, benefits, tools, and overhead)
- Current, widely-supported technology (easy to hire for, easy to maintain)
- Client available for feedback 2-3x per week
- Scope discipline (changes happen through a defined process)
- No regulatory compliance beyond standard data protection
Offshore teams, legacy system constraints, or heavy compliance needs shift these ranges significantly.
Still here? Good. Let me explain why that table exists and how to use it.
Why "It Depends" Is Actually True
When developers say "it depends," they're not dodging the question. They're acknowledging that software projects have an iceberg problem.
The Software Iceberg
Why 'simple' projects cost more than expected
Clients see the tip. Developers see the mass. Good quotes account for both.
That login button you sketched on a napkin? Here's what's underneath:
The "simple login" iceberg: User database with encrypted passwords • Password reset flows • Session management • Brute force protection • Data compliance • OAuth integration
Each "simple" feature carries this submerged mass. Good quotes account for the whole iceberg. Bad quotes only price the tip.
Real Price Ranges by Project Type
Let me break this down by complexity tier, with concrete examples of what fits in each category.
Project Complexity Tiers
How complexity maps to cost and timeline
A Few Observations
MVPs aren't cheap. That $25K-$75K range for web app MVPs surprises people. But "minimum viable" still requires authentication, a database, business logic, error handling, deployment, and monitoring. You're building real software, just with a focused feature set.
Mobile multiplies. Adding native mobile typically adds 40-70% to a web-only budget. Cross-platform frameworks (React Native, Flutter) bring that to 25-40%.
Enterprise is a different game. Once you're integrating with existing systems, navigating security reviews, and building for scale, you're in a different pricing universe. These projects also have longer sales cycles and more stakeholders.
What Drives Price Up or Down
Understanding these factors helps you control costs and communicate with developers more effectively.
What Drives Price Up or Down
Factors that significantly impact your final quote
Increases Price
Decreases Price
Pro tip: The most expensive factor is usually unclear requirements. We've seen vague specs add 40-100% to project cost.
We've seen unclear requirements add 40-100% to project cost. A $75K project with well-defined specs becomes a $120K project with "we'll figure it out as we go."
How AI Changes the Math in 2026
AI is the single biggest shift in software economics since cloud computing. It affects custom software in three distinct ways — and most pricing guides ignore all of them.
How AI Changes Software Economics
Three ways AI reshapes what custom software costs in 2026
AI as Dev Accelerator
AI as Feature Cost
AI as Alternative
We use AI tooling across our development process. This means certain tasks ship faster. But it doesn't mean software is suddenly cheap — the hard problems (architecture, business logic, edge cases) still require senior engineers. AI accelerates the rote work and lets us focus more time on the decisions that matter.
The Costs Nobody Talks About
Plan for 20-30% of development cost annually in ongoing operations. Here's where that goes:
Development cost is the number everyone focuses on. But it's just the beginning.
The Costs Nobody Mentions
Development cost is just the beginning. Budget for these ongoing expenses.
Rule of thumb: Budget 20-30% of your development cost annually for maintenance, hosting, and ongoing services.
I've seen projects where the first-year operational costs exceeded the development budget. Don't let that surprise you.
A Quick Reality Check
3-Year Total Cost of Ownership
Development is just the beginning — plan for the full picture
| $30K Build | $75K Build | $150K Build | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Development | $30,000 | $75,000 | $150,000 |
| Year 1 Ops | $6K - $10K | $15K - $22K | $30K - $45K |
| Year 2 Ops | $5K - $8K | $12K - $18K | $24K - $36K |
| Year 3 Ops | $4K - $7K | $10K - $15K | $20K - $30K |
| 3-Year TCO | $45K - $55K | $112K - $130K | $224K - $261K |
$30K Build
$75K Build
$150K Build
Key insight: A $75K build becomes a $112K-$130K investment over 3 years. Budget for the full lifecycle, not just development.
These are ballpark figures. Complex apps with heavy traffic or strict compliance needs will be higher.
Build vs. Buy: The Real Decision Framework
Here's something most agencies won't tell you: sometimes the right answer is "don't hire us."
Not every problem needs custom software. Part of our job is figuring out which category yours falls into — even if that means pointing you toward an off-the-shelf solution and an $8K integration instead of a $120K build.
Build vs. Buy vs. Low-Code vs. AI: Decision Framework
Four paths to solving your software problem — pick the right one
Build Custom When...
Buy SaaS When...
Low-Code / No-Code When...
AI-Augmented When...
The Smart Approach: Mix and Match
When Custom Makes Sense: A Real Example
A logistics company was paying $4,000/month for a SaaS that handled 70% of their needs. The other 30% required workarounds that cost them 20+ hours per week in manual processes.
Custom solution cost: $85,000 over 4 months. At their fully-loaded labor cost, they recovered the investment in 14 months, then saved $60K+ annually after that.
When Off-the-Shelf Wins
A startup wanted a custom CRM because "Salesforce doesn't fit our process." After discovery, we mapped their actual needs. Turns out HubSpot's free tier covered 90% of it. We helped with the remaining integration work for $8K instead of the $120K custom build they initially requested.
The right answer isn't always the bigger project.
Choosing the Right Partner
The code can be fixed. A bad partner relationship rarely can. We've written a detailed guide on evaluating development partners — including the 7 red flags and 7 green flags we look for. The short version: good partners ask questions before quoting, think beyond launch, and use standard technology you can hire others to maintain.
Getting an Accurate Quote
Start with outcomes ("I need to connect service providers with customers"), not features ("I need user profiles and messaging"). Expect a paid discovery phase ($2K-$10K) that prevents the far more expensive mistake of building the wrong thing. For the full process, including how to compare quotes and choose between fixed-price and time-and-materials, read our guide to getting accurate software quotes.
The Bottom Line
Custom software costs $5K-$500K+ depending on complexity. Most business applications fall in the $25K-$150K range. Budget 20-30% of development cost annually for ongoing operations.
The expensive mistakes aren't in choosing the wrong vendor. They're in:
- Building before understanding requirements
- Underestimating ongoing costs
- Choosing partners based on price alone
- Not investing in discovery
Good software is expensive. Bad software is more expensive.
Want to Know What Your Project Would Actually Cost?
Here's what a discovery call with us looks like:
- 30 minutes, no commitment
- We'll ask about your business problem, not just your feature list
- You'll leave with a realistic budget range and timeline - even if we're not the right fit
- If custom software isn't the answer, we'll tell you
No pitch deck. No pressure. Just an honest assessment from someone who's seen a lot of projects.
Get a Realistic Estimate
Tell us what you're trying to solve. We'll tell you what it would take.
Book a 30-Min Discovery CallQuestions about software costs or project planning? Reach out on GitHub or LinkedIn.
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