The key takeaway
As a broad market orientation, an initial phase or lean MVP typically ranges between 5,000 and 15,000 EUR, a mid-sized business platform between 15,000 and 50,000 EUR, and an enterprise multi-system platform can exceed 50,000 EUR. These are industry editorial benchmarks, not official Majotek quotes: actual cost depends on scope, integrations, roles, security, and maintenance.
In this guide
Quick answer: What custom software costs
A meaningful software quote is rarely a rigid flat rate. The professional approach utilizes complexity brackets to define an actionable first release.
These figures are general market reference points to guide business planning.
| Project Category | Market Benchmark | Typical Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Lean MVP or Phase 1 | 5,000 - 15,000 EUR | Single core workflow, small user base, core validation, and clean architecture. |
| Mid-tier Business Platform | 15,000 - 50,000 EUR | Multiple workflows, role permissions, analytics, API integrations, and production use. |
| Complex Enterprise Platform | 50,000+ EUR | Modular architecture, advanced security, multi-system ERP sync, rigorous QA, and SLAs. |
What you are actually paying for
A business does not pay merely for lines of code. It pays for discovery, system architecture, functional UX/UI, edge-case handling, automated testing, deployment, and future maintainability.
Two visually similar systems carry vastly different costs if one demands complex permissions, data migrations from Excel, or two-way ERP synchronization.
- Discovery and scoping
- System architecture
- Code implementation
- QA and deployment
- Maintenance and scaling
What drives development costs higher
Functional complexity outweighs screen counts. Granular user roles, external API dependencies, automated document processing, real-time analytics, and mobile companion apps substantially increase engineering hours.
Migrating legacy data from fragmented spreadsheets also requires careful validation.
- Roles and permissions
- ERP/CRM/API integrations
- Executive reporting engines
- Companion mobile apps
- AI/OCR pipelines
- Infrastructure and security compliance
Frequently overlooked post-launch costs
Incomplete estimates only calculate development and forget operational support, hosting infrastructure, monitoring, backups, and user feedback iterations.
A sensible budget separates initial build from production launch and maintenance.
- Ongoing maintenance
- Cloud hosting
- Post-launch support
- Operator documentation
- Monitoring and alerts
How to de-risk investment without sacrificing quality
The healthiest way to contain cost is not cutting engineering corners, but rigorously narrowing phase one: fewer modules, fewer edge-case exceptions, and clear architectural foundations.
A brief discovery phase isolates must-haves from nice-to-haves.
- Define phase one strictly
- Prioritize the core workflow
- Defer secondary modules
- Validate with live users
- Keep architecture clean
When SaaS is cheaper vs when custom software pays off
Standard SaaS is cheaper when workflows are generic and your team can adapt without losing competitive advantage. Building custom software pays off when workflows are proprietary or difficult to integrate with canned tools.
Compare total cost of ownership including operational friction, staff workarounds, and vendor lock-in.
- SaaS: standard tasks
- Custom: strategic differentiator
- Hybrid: SaaS + proprietary layer
- Decision based on ROI
How to request an actionable estimate
Describe the core problem, current manual workflows, existing tools, data sources, user roles, and phase one objectives.
The clearer the workflow, the tighter the estimate. If requirements are still nebulous, start with a discovery engagement.
- Describe the workflow
- List current software tools
- Define user roles
- Highlight priorities
- Note required integrations
