Software Development Cost Calculator
Pick the features your app needs and how complex each one is, choose the platforms and team, and get a rough cost range and timeline. Every assumption — hours, rates and overhead — is shown and editable.
A rough, ballpark estimate for early planning. Default hours, rates and percentages are illustrative assumptions — edit them to match your project and the quotes you receive. Real costs depend heavily on scope, quality and the team.
Backend, business logic and design reused by every platform.
Estimated cost range
$36,018 – $54,027
Rough estimate · 360 hours
Timeline
~4 weeks
≈ 0.9 months with 3 people
Hours breakdown
- Feature development
- 216 h
- Design & UX
- 32 h
- QA & testing
- 43 h
- Project management
- 22 h
- Contingency
- 47 h
Data last updated:
Results are estimates for planning only. Prices, limits and real-world usage vary — always confirm against the provider's official documentation or your own measurements before making decisions.
How much does it cost to build software?
It’s the first question every founder, product manager and client asks — and the honest answer is “it depends”. The cost of a web or mobile app is driven by how many features it has, how complex each one is, how many platforms it runs on, and who builds it. This calculator turns those factors into a transparent, rough estimate so you can budget, compare options and have better conversations with development teams. Every assumption is visible and editable.
How to use the calculator
- Tick the features your product needs and set each one’s size, from S (small) to XL (very complex). Add your own features too.
- Choose how many apps or platforms you’ll build and how much work they share.
- Adjust the design, QA, project management and contingency percentages if you know your team’s ratios.
- Pick a team location to load example rates, or type the rates from quotes you’ve received.
- Set team size and productive hours per week to see a timeline, then review the hours breakdown.
How the estimate is built
Each feature size maps to development hours: S ≈ 16, M ≈ 40, L ≈ 80 and XL ≈ 160 hours. For each additional platform, the unshared share of that work is added again. Design, QA and project management are added as percentages of development time, and a contingency buffer covers the unknowns. Total hours multiplied by the low and high hourly rates give the cost range, and dividing by the team’s weekly capacity gives the timeline.
About the default numbers
The feature hours, overhead percentages and regional rates are illustrative assumptions, not measured industry data — there’s no official source for software development rates, and real figures vary enormously with experience, specialization and company size. They’re a starting point for a ballpark figure. Replace them with numbers from your own team or the proposals you receive, and treat the result as a range, not a price.
Why software estimates are uncertain
- Scope changes — requirements evolve as people see early versions.
- Hidden complexity — integrations, data migration, security and edge cases often take longer than expected.
- Quality bar — a prototype and a production-grade product with monitoring, tests and accessibility are very different amounts of work.
- Ongoing costs — hosting, maintenance, updates and support continue after launch.
Ways to reduce cost
- Launch a minimum viable product with only the features needed to test your idea.
- Use a cross-platform framework or a responsive web app instead of separate native apps.
- Buy rather than build for payments, authentication and analytics.
- Write a clear specification before development starts to limit rework.
Freelancing on the project? Work out your own rate with the Freelance Rate Calculator and bill clients with the Invoice Generator. Keep planning meetings efficient with the Meeting Cost Calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is this estimate?
It's a ballpark for early planning and budgeting, not a quote. Early software estimates are commonly off by a wide margin because requirements change. Use it to compare options, then get quotes based on a detailed specification.
Where do the hourly rates come from?
They're illustrative round-number defaults, not official figures — there's no authoritative source for developer rates by region, and real rates vary widely by experience and company. Replace them with quotes you receive.
Why is design, QA and project management added separately?
Writing code is only part of building software. Design, testing, project management and bug fixing usually add a substantial share on top of development time. The percentages are editable to match your team.
Does building for more platforms double the cost?
Not usually. The backend, business logic and design can be shared, so each extra platform costs less than the first. Set how much work is shared; cross-platform frameworks increase the shared part.
What is contingency for?
Unknowns: changing requirements, integrations that are harder than expected, and bugs. Most experienced teams add a buffer rather than assume everything goes to plan.
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