software project estimator
how much will your software project cost?
Answer 8 quick questions and get effort, timeline, a recommended tech stack, and a realistic cost range — for web, mobile, or combined projects. No email required.
about this estimator
the same model we use to scope real projects.
Whether you're scoping a SaaS product, a mobile app, a marketplace, an AI tool, or a combined web + mobile build, this calculator gives you a credible starting estimate based on the same model we use internally to scope projects at Appycodes. We've shipped software in production since 2015 across the UK, Europe, India, and the Middle East.
The calculator covers:
- Effort — total man-months, broken down by role (engineering, design, QA, PM, DevOps).
- Timeline — calendar months from kickoff to launch, factoring in parallel work streams.
- Tech stack— a primary recommendation plus alternatives, tailored to what you're building and the platforms you need.
- External costs — monthly run costs for payments, AI APIs, email, SMS, video, and maps.
- Hosting — three tiers (MVP / Growth / Scale) with realistic monthly ranges.
- Development cost range — minimum and maximum, with a clear note on what moves the number.
Combined projects (web + mobile) share a single backend, design system, and product team — so they're more efficient than building each separately, and the calculator factors that in. Estimates are shown in your local currency (auto-detected from your location). The range is intentionally tight — ±20% — because vague quotes help no one.
faq
frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to build a SaaS web app?
For a typical SaaS MVP with auth, admin dashboard, payments, and subscriptions, expect roughly 6–10 man-months of work. At our blended rate, that's a starting range — the calculator gives you a personalised number based on the features you actually need.
How long does it take to build a mobile app?
A focused MVP with 5–8 core features usually ships in 3–5 calendar months. Cross-platform (React Native, Flutter) takes about 30% less time than building separate iOS and Android apps. The calculator factors in your selected platforms and feature scope.
How much does it cost to build a web and mobile app together?
Combined builds are roughly 1.5× the cost of a web-only project — not 2× — because the backend, design system, and product team are shared. If you go cross-platform on mobile (one codebase for iOS and Android) the multiplier is the same. Native iOS and Android each adds more.
What's the difference between native and cross-platform mobile development?
Native (Swift / Kotlin) gives you the best performance and full access to platform features, but you're building twice. Cross-platform (React Native, Flutter) ships one codebase to both stores, with ~95% of native quality for most apps. We default to recommending cross-platform unless you need heavy graphics, AR, or deep OS integration.
Why is the estimate shown as a range, not a fixed number?
No agency can give you a fixed number from 8 questions — and the ones that do are either inflating to be safe or under-quoting to win the deal. We show a tight ±20% range so you have a credible starting point. The number sharpens after a 30-minute scoping conversation.
What do external services and hosting typically cost?
For a typical small-scale SaaS at MVP stage, expect ₹5,000–15,000 per month in combined hosting and run costs. This grows with users — payments, AI API usage, email volume, and database load all scale. The calculator shows three tiers (MVP / Growth / Scale) so you can plan ahead.
Do you build marketplaces, AI products, and SaaS apps?
Yes — these are our most common project types. We've shipped marketplaces with payments and escrow, AI products built on LLMs and retrieval pipelines, and multi-tenant SaaS with subscriptions and admin dashboards, in production across the UK, Europe and beyond.
What's not included in this estimate?
The estimate covers product design, engineering, QA, project management, and DevOps to launch. It does not include content writing, legal review, marketing, paid acquisition, or post-launch retainers. We can scope those separately if you need them.
rather just talk it through?
A thirty-minute scoping call with the engineer who would run the build.