Project Cost Estimator
Answer five quick questions and get an honest, itemized price range for your custom software project.
What are you building?
Pick the closest match. Each type starts from the real price ranges we publish in our pricing FAQ.
How this estimate works
Most custom software estimates are useless because they're either a single suspiciously precise number or a hand-wavy "it depends." This tool takes a different approach: it starts from the same price ranges we publish in our pricing FAQ and our in-depth guide to estimating custom software project costs, then adjusts them based on your answers. A simple internal dashboard really does run $30,000–$50,000. A customer portal really does run $50,000–$75,000. Those aren't marketing numbers, they're what these projects actually cost small and mid-size businesses. If the work is a signed-in client, partner, or ops system, start from custom web portal development and use this estimator as the budget band, not the quote.
What moves a project within (or beyond) its base range? Three things, mostly. First, integrations: every connection to your existing CRM, accounting, or e-commerce system takes time to build and test properly. Second, user types and permissions: if customers, staff, and managers each see different things, that access control has to be designed carefully. Third, real-time data: information that updates every few seconds is genuinely more complex than an overnight sync, and most businesses need it for far less than they think. The estimator prices each of these the way we price them in real proposals.
The range you get is deliberately a range. Honest early estimates carry uncertainty, and anyone who gives you a single number before understanding your business is guessing. What this gives you is a realistic budget band to plan around, and a sense of which features are driving the cost, so you can decide what's worth including in version one and what can wait for a later phase. Phasing, by the way, is the single most effective budget lever: launch something useful in 6–8 weeks, then expand as the investment proves itself.
When you're ready to turn the ballpark into a fixed-price quote, that's a conversation, and yes, fixed-price means fixed-price. If we quote a number, that's what you pay. To dig deeper into the return side of the equation, download our Custom Portal ROI Calculator (PDF) from the resources page and compare the estimate against what the problem is costing you today.
Common questions about cost
How accurate is this estimate?
It's a planning ballpark, not a quote. The ranges come from the same figures we publish in our pricing FAQ ($30K–$50K for a simple internal dashboard, $50K–$75K for a customer portal, $75K–$150K for a comprehensive platform) adjusted for the features, integrations, and timeline you select. A fixed-price quote requires a conversation about your specific requirements, but this range will be in the right territory.
Why a range instead of a single number?
Because a single number this early would be a guess dressed up as precision. The same 'customer portal' description can reasonably mean $20,000 or $200,000 depending on what it actually does. A range reflects honest uncertainty, and the itemized breakdown shows you exactly which features are pushing you toward the top of it.
What if my budget is smaller than the estimate?
Tell us anyway. Most projects can be phased: we launch the core feature set that solves your biggest problem first (often in 6–8 weeks), then add capabilities as budget allows and as the initial investment pays for itself. If your budget genuinely can't support what you need, we'll say so and suggest alternatives.
How does payment work for a real project?
Milestones, not a lump sum: 30% when we start (planning, design, early development), 40% at the midpoint when core features are working, and 30% at launch. You see progress before every payment, and the quoted price is fixed, if we underestimate, that's our problem, not yours.
What are the ongoing costs after launch?
Hosting typically runs $200–$500 per month depending on traffic and data. Ongoing support for questions, updates, and small enhancements is optional: most clients take it, and plans start around $750 per month. We factor total cost of ownership into every proposal, because the cheapest build isn't always the cheapest software.
Ready for a real number?
A ballpark is a start. A scoped, fixed-price proposal is a plan. I'll walk through your project with you, no pressure, no sales pitch.
