Software engineering3 min read
The short answer
The cost is set by how much the app has to do on day one, not by how many screens it has. Logins, payments, connections to other tools, and rules that differ for each customer are what take the time. Agree a small first version in writing, get a fixed price for it, and add the rest once real customers are using it.
Why do quotes for the same idea vary so much?
Because each team is pricing a different app in their head. One imagines a simple form; another imagines accounts, payments, an admin area and emails for every step. Until the first version is written down, nobody is quoting the same thing.
That is why the most useful thing you can do before asking for prices is to agree what the first version does, and just as important, what it does not.
What actually drives the price?
Roughly in order of how much they add:
- Connections to other tools, like your accounts, calendar or CRM
- Payments, refunds and anything involving money
- Different kinds of users who each see different things
- Rules that change by customer, product or date
- Moving data out of an old system
- Design that has to work on every screen size
How do you keep the first version affordable?
Build the one path that makes or saves you money, and do the rest by hand for now. If customers book and pay, build booking and payment. The admin dashboard, the reports and the loyalty scheme can wait until you know people use it.
A clickable prototype helps here. It is far cheaper to change a design than a finished app, and clicking through it is the quickest way to find out what you do not need.
What costs come after launch?
Hosting, domain, email and any paid services the app uses, which for a small business are usually modest. Then looking after it: updates, fixes, and small changes as the business moves. Ask for these to be priced up front, so the first bill after launch is not a surprise.
Questions people also ask
- Is a fixed price or an hourly rate better?
- A fixed price for a clearly defined first version protects you best. Hourly work suits small changes after launch, when the scope is too small to be worth writing up.
- Is it cheaper to use a template or a no-code tool?
- To start with, often yes. The cost shows up later if your business needs something the tool cannot do. For a shop or a simple site, a good platform is usually the right call.
- How long does a first version take?
- That follows from the scope, which is why you agree the scope first. Ask to see something working every week, so you are never waiting for one big reveal.
