FREE TOOL
Custom Software Development Cost Calculator
Build cost, yearly maintenance, and 3–5 year total cost of ownership — the number most estimates leave out. Transparent assumptions. No email gate.
Your project
Estimate
Build (one-time)
$166k – $630k
- Maintenance / evolution (per year)
- $30k – $113k
- Infrastructure & ops (per year)
- ~$23k
- Year-1 total
- $219k – $766k
- 3-year TCO
- $324k – $1.04M
- 5-year TCO
- $429k – $1.31M
Want a real number instead of a range? Tell us what you're building — a senior engineer will scope it with you.
Get a real estimateHow this calculator works
Most cost content quotes a build number and stops. The build is only the entry price: real total cost of ownership includes maintenance and evolution (15–20% of the build per year), infrastructure and operations, and — for AI systems — model inference. This calculator starts from base ranges by product type with a senior US team, multiplies by scope, adds the complexity items that actually move budgets (integrations, enterprise auth, multi-tenancy, compliance, AI features), applies a team-composition factor, and projects the 1-, 3-, and 5-year totals.
Every assumption is visible in the tool. If a vendor's quote is far below the low end of your range, the difference is usually missing scope — ask what happens to maintenance, integrations, and admin tooling before you sign. For the make-or-buy version of this decision, use the build vs. buy calculator.
Common questions
- How much does custom software development cost in 2026?
- With a senior US team, an internal tool runs $60k–$150k, a customer-facing web app $120k–$300k, a mobile app $120k–$450k, a B2B SaaS platform $150k–$600k, and a production AI system $60k–$300k for a first release. Scope, integrations, compliance, and team seniority move those ranges — that's exactly what this calculator models.
- Why do software cost estimates vary so much between vendors?
- Because cheap quotes usually exclude scope: maintenance, infrastructure, integrations, admin tooling, and the rework that junior teams generate. Comparing quotes without comparing what's included is how projects end up costing double. Always compare 3-year TCO, not the build quote.
- What does software maintenance cost per year?
- Plan on 15–20% of the original build cost per year for maintenance and evolution — dependency updates, platform changes, bug fixes, and the small features that keep the product competitive. Software that gets zero maintenance budget degrades into legacy within two to three years.
- Is this calculator a quote?
- No — it's a planning range built from real engagement economics so your budget conversation starts honest. A real quote requires scoping: what you're building, what exists today, and what done means. That conversation with a senior engineer is free.
Related: custom software development · SaaS development · mobile app development