The verdict in three sentences
Custom software in 2026 costs between 30,000 EUR (MVP) and 200,000+ EUR (full platform), with price driven by functional scope, integrations and security requirements. You must add application maintenance of 12 to 20% of the build cost per year. The real lever for budget control is not the day rate but breaking the work into shippable increments that let you stop or adjust at each milestone.
What actually moves the price
Software cost is not linear: three projects with the same number of screens can differ threefold. The decisive factors are the number of user roles, integrations with third-party systems (ERP, payment, e-signature), the level of security and compliance, and algorithmic complexity (calculation engines, AI, real time).
| Price factor | Budget impact | Concrete example |
|---|---|---|
| Number of roles / profiles | +10 to 30% | Admin, manager, operator, client |
| Third-party integrations | +5,000 to 40,000 EUR | ERP, Wave, Stripe, e-signature |
| Security & compliance | +15 to 25% | GDPR, audit, encryption, logging |
| Business complexity | +20 to 50% | Calculation engine, AI, real time |
| Custom design | +8,000 to 25,000 EUR | Dedicated design system, animation |
| Data migration | +5,000 to 30,000 EUR | Migration from a legacy system |
Realistic ranges by project type
These 2026 orders of magnitude cover design, development, testing and deployment, excluding maintenance. They assume a competent team and serious upfront scoping.
| Project type | 2026 range (EUR) | Indicative timeline | Maintenance / yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| MVP / proof of value | 30,000 – 60,000 | 8 – 16 weeks | 4,000 – 10,000 |
| Internal business tool | 50,000 – 110,000 | 3 – 5 months | 7,000 – 20,000 |
| Client app (B2B/B2C) | 80,000 – 160,000 | 4 – 7 months | 12,000 – 28,000 |
| Full / multi-module platform | 160,000 – 300,000+ | 6 – 12 months | 25,000 – 55,000 |
| Multi-tenant SaaS | 120,000 – 250,000+ | 5 – 10 months | 20,000 – 45,000 |
Mini case study
Claire, CFO of an industrial SME in Lyon, wants to replace a production-tracking spreadsheet with a business tool. Scope: 3 roles, one ERP integration, real-time dashboards. Chosen quote: 95,000 EUR over 4 months, plus maintenance of 15,000 EUR/yr (≈ 16%). Over 5 years, the TCO comes to 95,000 + (5 × 15,000) = 170,000 EUR. By eliminating 12 hours of manual re-keying per week (2 part-time FTEs at 45 EUR/h), she saves about 28,000 EUR/yr, a payback of just over 3 years, maintenance included.
FAQ
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Why can a quote vary threefold?
Because the real functional scope, integrations and security requirements are not yet stabilized. Precise upfront scoping cuts the estimate spread from ±50% to ±15%.
Is the day rate the right indicator?
No. A 550 EUR day rate with an efficient team often beats a poorly scoped 350 EUR rate. Look at total delivered cost and velocity, not the daily price.
Can we launch on a small budget?
Yes, via an MVP at 30,000 – 50,000 EUR targeting a single high-value function. You validate usage before investing in the next modules.
Is maintenance really mandatory?
In practice, yes: budget 12 to 20% of the build per year for fixes, security, dependency updates and hosting. Without it, technical debt explodes within 18 months.
How do we avoid budget overruns?
Break the work into shippable increments every 2 to 3 weeks, set a budget per milestone and prioritize by business value. You keep control to stop or redirect at each stage.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your scope (roles, integrations, security), your indicative budget and target timeline, and we will propose a costed range with an incremental breakdown. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
