"How much will this cost" is the first question every founder asks and the hardest one to answer honestly, because the range genuinely is wide. Here's what drives that range and how to estimate your own project.
What actually moves the price
- Team location and seniority mix, not just headline hourly rate.
- Number of integrations with third-party systems — this is consistently underestimated.
- How defined the requirements are before development starts.
- Compliance requirements (healthcare, finance, government) that add review and audit overhead.
Rough starting points
A focused MVP with a handful of core flows typically lands in the low-to-mid five figures. A production-grade platform with multiple user roles, integrations, and compliance needs usually runs into six figures. Anything quoted far outside these ranges deserves a closer look at what's actually included.
Why the cheapest quote is rarely the cheapest project
Rework from under-scoped estimates routinely costs more than paying for proper discovery up front. Use our vendor comparison pages to check whether a quote includes discovery, QA, and a warranty period — not just development hours.