How Much Does Custom Software Development Cost in 2026?
Realistic price ranges for web apps, mobile apps, AI features and enterprise platforms — plus the seven factors that drive cost and how to keep your budget under control.
MYN TeamMeets Your Need
"How much will it cost?" is the first question every founder and CTO asks — and the honest answer is it depends. This guide explains what it depends on, with typical international market ranges for custom software. Local projects in Egypt and the region are often lower — see our website cost guide for Egypt.
Typical price ranges
| Project type | Typical range | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Clickable prototype / proof of concept | $8k – $25k | 2–4 weeks |
| MVP web or mobile app | $25k – $80k | 8–12 weeks |
| Full SaaS platform | $80k – $250k | 4–9 months |
| AI agent or RAG system (production) | $40k – $150k | 6–16 weeks |
| Enterprise platform / modernisation | $250k+ | 6–18 months |
These ranges assume a senior team. Cheaper quotes exist, but they often hide the cost of rework, delays and technical debt.
The seven factors that drive cost
- Scope and complexity. The number of user roles, screens, workflows and business rules.
- Platforms. Web only, iOS + Android, or all three. Cross-platform frameworks like Flutter reduce cost.
- Integrations. Payments, CRMs, ERPs and legacy systems add effort — especially poorly documented ones.
- Data and AI. AI features need data preparation, evaluation and monitoring, not just an API call.
- Security and compliance. HIPAA, PCI-DSS or SOC 2 requirements add architecture and testing work.
- Scale and performance. Building for 1,000 users is different from building for 1,000,000.
- Team model. Fixed-scope projects, dedicated squads and staff augmentation are priced differently.
How to keep your budget under control
- Start with discovery. One to two weeks of discovery prevents months of building the wrong thing.
- Prioritise ruthlessly. Launch with the features that prove value; schedule the rest.
- Choose proven technology. Boring, well-supported stacks are faster and cheaper to maintain.
- Insist on automated tests and CI/CD. They cost a little more upfront and save far more later.
- Own your code. Make sure the repository, cloud accounts and IP belong to you from day one.
Fixed price or time & materials?
Fixed price works well when scope is clear, such as an MVP with a defined feature list. Time and materials — usually a dedicated squad billed per sprint — is better when you expect to learn and change direction. Many clients start fixed-price and move to a dedicated team after launch.
Get a tailored estimate
Use our project estimator to describe your idea. Our team will reply with a timeline, team shape and line-item estimate — usually within 24 hours.
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