Almost a decade ago, AI (Artificial Intelligence) was considered a threat and perceived as cyborgs taking over as the dominant species on the planet. However, AI has become a necessity, and we interact with it for a task as mundane as searching the internet for something.
AI has become part of mainstream things like Google, Netflix, Amazon, Facebook, etc. All these ideas were realized as custom software and required custom software development services; now, their revenue stream amounts to billions.
Suppose you’re a technology consumer/entrepreneur looking to market an idea to your target audience. In that case, custom software is the way to go when it comes to getting ahead of your competition.
1) How Much Does Custom Software Cost?
There is no set cost for building custom software. Instead, these factors affect the cost of the final product. Although if a rough estimate is to be made, custom software can cost between $25,000 to as much as $150,000.
Here are some factors that have the most impact when calculating costs for building an innovative product that will let you get the edge you need:
- Software Size
- Level of Complexity
- Creative Design
- Integration With Other Systems
- Migration of Data
- Budgeting
2) Software Size
The software size depends on the number of screens your app contains: the more screens, usually the more significant the height, and vice versa.
A screen is a unique page filled with relevant information the user sees when navigating through your custom software application, including button clicks, calculations, form submissions, menu clicks, and link clicks.
Small custom software applications usually contain 10-25 screen pages, medium ones contain 25-40, and software applications that have more than 40 are generally classified as large apps.
3) Level of Complexity
The level of complexity also plays a part in how much the custom software will cost. The more complex the software, the more attention, and effort it would need for software development, which will mean more coding and testing, hence more time consumed by the custom software development company.
4) Creative Design
The User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) will decide whether a potential customer stops browsing through your app/software or finds your competitor’s software/website UI more user-friendly and straightforward to use.
So, it will need to be simple and attractive. Sometimes, less is more. Make sure you allocate a decent budget for your custom software/app’s UI design. If custom fonts, animations, images, and illustrations are involved, the cost will increase naturally.
5) Integration with Other Systems
Integration with other systems usually comes into play when payments need to be made, third-party APIs need to be integrated, or any different system integrations. At times, integrating your software application with other systems is easy. However, it takes only a few lines to code, while sometimes complex integrations can be challenging for the developers, thus increasing the cost.
6) Migration of Data
You might have data on your legacy/existing software that needs to be migrated to your newly custom-developed software. Unfortunately, developers will have to write custom scripts that will migrate this data and adjust it into the new software, resulting in increased costs for your software.
7) Budgeting
This factor depends more on the experience of the team developing your project. You can give them a budget, and they can come up with an initial design and cost analysis. Additional features can be added to fit the target budget if there is room. Make sure you have a target budget when assigning a project.
You need to write down your ideas so they can be communicated effectively with the development team.
Should you need assistance with starting a custom software development project, contact My Web Programmer and we’ll be on hand to support you! Request a Free Consultation.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, the cost of custom software development varies based on several key factors. There is no fixed cost for building custom software, but a rough estimate places it between $18,000 to $150,000.
The factors that influence the final cost include the software size, level of complexity, creative design, integration with other systems, migration of data, and budgeting. The more screens your software has, the bigger the job. If it’s more complex, it’ll take more time and effort. A simple, clean design matters a lot, it’s what makes people actually want to use it.
Moving old data or connecting to other systems can raise the cost. That’s why it helps to plan ahead and stay in close contact with your developer. To get started, just reach out to My Web Programmer for a free consultation.
