The first question everyone asks when getting involved in a software development project is “How much does it cost?”, and even when everyone would like a simple and straight answer, the truth is, that question is really hard to answer just like that.
You see, developing a software is a very intricate, complicated process that takes up a lot of resources, time and hard work, so calculating such cost isn’t as easy as clients think it is.
If you have ever been in a situation when you ask you software development team or provider “how much would a software cost?” and they don’t give you an answer right away, it is for a good reason. Like we said, calculating the real cost of a project like this one depends on taking a lot of factors into consideration.
What affects a software development project cost
For calculating how much does a software development process really costs you have to take into consideration the scope of the project and every little detail that goes into the specifications.
Let’s put it out this way, if you were to ask how much does a car cost, you’d realize the price could vary depending on the type and model of the car you want to get. For example, a Ferrari cost a lot more than an old school volkswagen.
Same goes if you want the newest sporty car available or if you're just want to buy a 2013 Hyundai car… What we mean is, how much a car would cost you will ultimately depend on what you want.
This same analogy applies to software development. Do you want a really simple software with just one feature or function? Or do you want something way bigger with more things to offer?
Like we just say, the price of a software development process can vary depending on the things you want or need. The more simple the software is, the cheaper the whole process would be.
Keep in mind factors such as time and resources invested aslo affect the final cost of a software development process, but again, this goes hand to hand with what we just explained. The more complicated your software requirements are, the pricier it will be.
What’s the real cost of a software development process
Since we know you still want a clear answer on how much does this costs, we will give it to you. Keep in mind, however, these are just average price points to give you an accurate example of what to expect.
The prices and numbers are based off on the general costs of such projects, these are not guidelines and you shouldn’t expect your project to fall into one of these exactly categories since chances are your own software development project is a lot bigger and involves more things than you might think.
Lower and medium price range
Really simple software applications or websites will cost you anywhere from $10.000 up to $100.000, of course if you go for a software that’s extremely simple and has just one feature, you can expect to be paying anywhere from $10.000 to $25.000.
Now, if you want a software with a couple more features, something more custom made and that looks actually good, you should expect to be paying anywhere from $25.000 to $100.00
Avarage price range
This is where most software development process fall at. Keep in mind, if you want your process to cost anything from $100.000 an $250.000 you have to go for a very common, normal type of software. Don’t expect anything too technological or new to fall into this category since those projects usually cost way, way more since they involve way more time and resources.
Please, keep in mind these are just relatively accurate examples based on previous projects from different provider, this is not a guideline you should be taken too seriously since the final cost of a software development process can and will vary depending on your specifications, the team you are working with and the type of software you want.
However, it is important to be mindful about how much does thing so complicated as this one really cost, and even more important, recognize the hard work that goes behind creating a software.
