Software Development Cost Calculator

What each input means

What are you building?

The product type sets the base range: an internal tool for your own staff, a customer-facing web app, an iPhone and Android app, a B2B SaaS platform that other companies subscribe to, or an AI system such as a chatbot, agent or document search (RAG).

Scope

MVP is the smallest version real users can rely on. A v1 product adds the features that usually follow launch (1.3x the MVP). A full platform has several modules and user types (1.8x).

Third-party integrations

Each outside system the software must talk to: payments (Stripe), your CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce), accounting (QuickBooks), a point-of-sale or booking system, email or SMS. Count each one you need at launch.

Complexity

Tick the items that apply: enterprise single sign-on for business customers, multi-tenant (many customer companies sharing one product with their data kept apart), compliance work such as SOC 2 or HIPAA, and AI features inside a product that is not itself an AI system.

How the estimate is calculated

Most cost content quotes a build number and stops. The build is only the entry price: the total cost of owning software includes maintenance, hosting and, for AI systems, model usage. The calculator applies Eltherion's own pricing in four steps (for ranges by project type, see our guide to custom software development cost):

1. Start from Eltherion's base range for the product type (table below), which prices an MVP.
2. Multiply by scope: MVP 1x, v1 product 1.3x, full platform 1.8x.
3. Add complexity: $2k to $5k per integration, SSO $5k to $10k, multi-tenant $5k to $15k, compliance $10k to $25k, AI features $10k to $30k.
4. Project ownership: maintenance at 18% of the build per year (a planning assumption) plus a hosting estimate for that product type (1.6x when AI models are involved), summed into year-1, 3-year and 5-year totals.

These are Eltherion's estimate ranges, not fixed quotes: your price is fixed after a free scoping call, and small, tightly scoped work starts as low as $1,000. When you compare quotes from anyone, check 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.

Worked examples

Three common projects run through the same model the calculator uses. Figures are Eltherion's estimate ranges, rounded to the nearest thousand.

Cost guides by app type

Each guide prices one kind of project with this model and sets it next to the real, published prices of the off-the-shelf tools you could rent instead. For a product you already know, see what it costs to build an app like Uber, Airbnb, Slack and 29 more.

• How much it costs to build an app
• Custom software development cost
• Restaurant app development cost
• Med spa app development cost
• Creator platform development cost
• Insurance agency automation cost
• AI chatbot development cost
• AI automation cost
• RAG implementation cost
• SaaS MVP development cost
• Multi-tenant SaaS platform cost
• Custom dashboard development cost

Common questions

How much does custom software development cost in 2026?

With Eltherion, an MVP starts from $20k to $50k for an internal tool or dashboard, $25k to $75k for a customer-facing web app, $30k to $90k for a mobile app, $35k to $95k for a B2B SaaS platform and $20k to $70k for an AI system such as a chatbot, agent or RAG search, before integrations and complexity. Most app builds land between $25,000 and $100,000. Small, tightly scoped work, like a single automation or integration, starts as low as $1,000, and every project is priced up front.

How accurate is a software development cost calculator?

A calculator gives you a planning range, not a price. It cannot see your screens, your data or how your business rules work, which is why the ranges are wide. Use it to set a budget, to phase your idea into a smaller first release, and to spot a quote that is missing scope. For a fixed number you need a scoped estimate.

Why do software cost estimates vary so much between vendors?

Mostly because quotes include different scope: maintenance, hosting, integrations, admin screens and testing are often left out of the cheapest number. Comparing quotes without comparing what each one includes is how projects end up costing double. Compare the 3-year total, not just the build quote.

What does software maintenance cost per year?

This calculator uses 18% of the original build per year for maintenance and small improvements: dependency and security updates, platform changes, bug fixes and the small features that keep a product useful. That is a planning assumption, not a measured industry figure; simple tools often need less. Software that gets no maintenance budget gets slower, less secure and more expensive to repair.

How much do AI features add to the cost of an app?

The model adds $10k to $30k for AI features inside a product that is not itself an AI system, and raises yearly running costs by 1.6x for model usage. A focused feature, such as summarizing documents with a hosted model, sits at the low end; anything that acts on its own or needs strict permissions sits higher.

Is this calculator a quote?

No. It shows Eltherion's estimate range for the scope you pick, so you can plan a budget. The fixed price for your project comes after a free scoping call, and small, tightly scoped work starts as low as $1,000.

Related: custom software development · SaaS development · mobile app development · AI agent development · custom calculator development