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How to Estimate Custom Software Development Cost for Your Project?

The preceding can be considered as one of the most frequently asked questions to software developers. Yet, we never have a fixed answer for the same. The most we can say is “It depends”. And surprisingly this will be the answer by any website development company that you talk to.

The cost of custom software development depends on the project’s scope and what the entrepreneur has imagined it to be. From the watch you wear to the plane we fly in, everything runs on software. Therefore it becomes increasingly difficult to pinpoint an exact price for the software that you want to build. 

Ergo we decided to write this blog that can clear your perception of how a custom software development company goes about creating its application. Read this blog till the end to learn the cost of custom software development.

What is Custom Software Development?

Every software is created with a specific userbase in mind. But some are general-purpose software such as Microsoft Office, that caters to a generalized user base. Custome software is different from other off-the-shelf software and is designed for a user-specific product. For example, the online banking website provided by your bank can be considered as custom software. 

Creating custom software has these four primary requirements i.e. understanding the business idea, software development, quality checks, and launching. You can offer an experience customized specially for your users. And your software will be more scalable as compared to other readymade software.

Factors that Affect Custom Software Development Cost

To gain a complete understanding of how this process works, you must understand the factors that account for the development cost. For example, food vendors calculate their costs based on raw material, packaging, co-worker’s salary, and more.

Well, this is no different. You have various areas that need to be worked up and this requires collaboration from many teams. Here’s a list of some critical app development areas you need to be considerate about. 

• Platforms you target
• App development methodology
• Marketing time
• App’s complexity
• MVP creation
• Design
• Integrating APIs
• Database migration

Platforms you Target

There are many platforms that you can launch an app for. Here’s a list of the most prominent platforms:

• Android
• iOS
• Windows
• Mac
• Web
• Linux

The cost of your custom software highly depends on the platforms you choose to make your app for. For instance, one of the most preferred markets in today’s day and age is Android. Its extensive connectivity with wearable, smart appliances, other tools and devices, and more have given it an edge over its competitors. 

Yet, while you choose a platform like Android the stakes are very high. You will have to develop a robust and scalable project. To create an Android project you will need more programmers. In brief, you can develop an Android platform, observe the response, and then opt for app creation for Windows or iOS. 

This is a long process. But eventually, you will have to hire software developers for different native platforms. Hiring multiple teams will always cost you more than a single dedicated team. 

This is not the case with cross-platform app development though. Cross-platform apps offer you native functionality using a single code base. Using the same one can create native apps at a rapid pace. 

The additional techs you use affect also affect your overall costing. Say you want to offer your eCommerce consumers an immersive sunglass buying experience, that can add to your budget too. 

App Development Methodology

To develop your custom software you would have to choose an app development methodology and a framework to create your app on. Using a methodology will help paint a clearer picture of how this process is going to be and help you plan your budget well. To build a quicker app you would require a development methodology that is transparent and result-oriented. Agile methodology is one such approach that creates your app using an iterative process. 

Agile makes use of Sprints that can last from a few days to a few weeks. The daily scrum meeting allows the team members to discuss updates and pending tasks. This accounts for a transparent and cost-effective strategy. Here is a brief insight into the process. 

• You can create a roadmap for creating tasks, allocating them, and reducing team effort for the longer run.
• Prototyping allows the client to observe the product so that they can offer corrections before creating the final product.
• The iterative development process allows developers to seek feedback and decreases the bugs and development time.

Marketing Time

Any software needs ample marketing time. Your consumers will first have to learn what service you’re trying to offer. There are many areas of app development that can affect your marketing timeline. For instance, you start your marketing expecting the app to be ready in 6 months but if the testing isn’t completed by end of the 5th month, it can affect your reputation. Or in the worse case, you decide to market after 6 months but some features take more time to develop. 

Here are the three most prominent reasons that can affect your time-to-market. 

1. If you’re trying to create a fully functional app.
2. Some of the features that you want to inculcate are too complex.
3. Your app has a few features but possesses a high level of complexity.

Time to market is an important feat for startups. One can never predict when your idea becomes less worthy to consumers or a competitor takes over the larger piece of the pie. Therefore you must hit the market early. 

App’s Complexity

You can try your most complex features first and offer them with later updates. But what if your app needs a higher computation or processing power. If you want a robust back end you might have to pay more than the average cost. 

A user won’t use two apps to access the same services. So, it becomes difficult to create unique solutions that your consumers can adapt quickly to. However, if you want to reduce the cost you should develop an app that offers high functionality and an easy architecture. To achieve the preceding you must concentrate less on the aesthetics and more on its functional value. This will help you concentrate more on developing important features and saving your budget. Developers can also create simple apps with ease and offer updates across different versions. 

MVP Creation

Many business owners like to gather workable feedback from users before launching their app. To do this you would have to create an MVP i.e. Minimal Viable Product for your app. 

It doesn’t matter which app that you want to create, it has no relation to developing an MVP. You can always think that you’ve been enlightened with a fantastic business idea but maybe the users just don’t want what you want to sell. So, you create a beta version and release it. 

Developing an MVP can indeed consume 20-40% of your total budget but your users can give feedback after actually using the services that you want to offer. You will also get additional time to create your most complex features. You can also work on the feedbacks and hit two birds with one stone. 

Design

Steve Jobs once said, “Design is not about how it looks and feels, it about how it works”. The design of your app is extremely essential to offer your users an intuitive and engaging app. Yet, creating a custom design for your app can also prove to be a bit costly.

Being a custom software development company, we would recommend that visually appealing user interfaces work wonders with consumers. Having said that it’s also important for your design to be simple. In a nutshell, your design should be such that it resonates best with your user and navigates efficiently between different pages. 

Integrating APIs 

Your software development team cannot code and use everything their way. To make your app more efficient you would have to use APIs i.e. Application Programming Interfaces. APIs can be considered as bridges between different systems. Third-party apps are difficult to integrate and can also require maintenance in the long run.

For instance, if your app sells products, you will have to integrate payment gateways for secure payments. Depending on the business industry you’re in, your app can require help from several third-party applications.

Database Migration

Database migration can be a difficult task if not done following the right practices. You would need the expertise of a custom software development service to get this right from the first go. As you risk losing vital data this process has to carry out with utmost precision. 

Here’s where assistance from a web development company can come in handy. As they’ve worked on numerous such projects they can figure out easy ways to do the same.

Steps Determining the Cost of Software Development

Here’s a list of factors that can directly affect your custom software development cost.

• Type of software you choose to develop
• Hiring an expert development team
• Choosing the right features for your MVP
• Future developments
• Funding

Type of Software you Choose to Develop

Do you want to develop custom software or off-the-shelf software? Many startups face the challenge of deciding between the two. What makes this a  difficult choice are the factors such as time, cost, resources, and efforts.

It’s not easy to create a product that matches your exact needs. So, you can choose a boxed software that serves you closest to the specifications you need. 

Hiring an Expert Development Team

Hiring a development team can prove to be a costly affair. Hence, you must choose the one that is experienced enough and falls under your budget range. You might be someone who has saved a lot to invest in the same. So, it’s imperative for you to choose a team that knows what they’re doing. You can study the case studies posted by companies on their websites to learn the prior work these companies have done. 

Choosing the Right Features for your MVP

Your features are going to be the major attraction of your app. Especially if you opt for an MVP. You will offer fewer features but your aim should be to offer the right ones. If your features are going to be your primary source of monetization you must make this choice wisely. 

Future Developments

You can plan your app’s future in terms of features and functionalities while creating it. If you invest in the same from the start you will have something to offer to your consumers within months of your release. You also won’t have to worry about the budget as your investment will be gradual. 

Funding

Funding is the backbone of this process. To create an engaging app you would need help software development solutions company. Before you start your app development process, you should have funds to support your app for the following six months or until it hits the play store. 

Estimated Custom Software Development Cost

The estimated cost of different custom software is difficult to predict as many variables can create a difference in your final cost. The change in the scope of the project can increase your budget too. Here’s a tentative price range for different platforms.

Custom Mobile App (Android): 10,000 USD – 70,000 USD

Custom Mobile App (iOS): 8,000 USD – 60,000 USD

Custom Web App: 10,000 USD – 50,000 USD

Cross-Platorm Custom App: 7,000 USD – 55,000 USD

The price mentioned above is a tentative range and may differ with changes in features.

Afterword

Custom software development is the perfect way to create your unique brand value and increase your reach. If you’re not confident that you can take on this challenge by yourself, you should hire web designers or hire web developers without hesitating. 

Any business app would work best if developed and sold to its consumers in the right manner. Therefore, entrepreneurs tend to seek assistance from a custom web design company. One can seek expert advice and develop the best business version of their app. To know more about the custom app development process get in touch with us today. Thank you for reading.