How much does custom software cost in 2026

How the price is calculated

Custom software doesn’t come with a price list like website templates do. The price always comes from an estimate of the work: how many hours design, development, testing and deployment will take, multiplied by the hourly rate. That’s why an accurate estimate matters more than a low rate. A cheap hour from a vendor who underestimates the scope ends up costing more than a pricier hour from someone who estimates honestly.

At BeDigit we charge €50 per hour and split the work into stages. Each stage gets its own estimate, so you never approve the whole budget blind.

Ballpark prices by type of system

The ranges below are only indicative. They help you see the order of magnitude. The real price depends on the details of the brief.

What drives the price up the most

• Exceptions in the process. For example: “The manager approves orders, the director too above €4,000, but for regular customers the manager is enough.” Every such exception has to be designed, built and tested.
• Roles and permissions. A system where everyone sees everything is far simpler than one where each role sees and can do something different.
• Integrations. Accounting, e-shop, CRM or warehouse. Each one means working with someone else’s API and handling the moments when it doesn’t respond.
• Migrating old data. Spreadsheets are full of typos, mixed date formats and duplicates. Cleaning them up is often underestimated.
• A mobile app. If the system also needs a phone app, that’s a separate piece of development.

Costs after launch

Software isn’t a one-off purchase. Budget for hosting (usually a few dozen euros a month for smaller systems), backups, security updates and further development. Real use always shows what needs adjusting. An honest vendor tells you about these costs up front.

Compared with an off-the-shelf app

Off-the-shelf apps are usually paid monthly per user. With 20 users at €20 a month, a company pays €4,800 a year, every year, and still can’t adapt the app. Custom software costs more at the start, but running costs tend to be lower and the features match how the company works. We compare the two in more detail in a separate article.

How to keep the price under control

1. Start with the smallest useful version. Pick the one area that takes up most of your time.
2. Pay per stage and decide after each one whether to continue.
3. Don’t get talked into features “just in case”. Whatever turns out to be needed can be added later.
4. Insist that the software, data and access belong to you.