Tools
Software development cost calculator
Use this software development cost calculator for a rough US dollar range and timeline. It runs on published agency rates and the worked examples in our cost guides, with every assumption shown below. It is an estimate, not a quote.
How the estimate works
The formula and every assumption
Hours = base hours for the project type × complexity × user roles × platforms, plus hours for each integration. Cost = hours × an hourly rate. The low end of each range uses the low hours and the low rate; the high end uses the high hours and the high rate. Results are rounded to the nearest $500 or $1,000.
| Project type | Base hours | Where the figure comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Website | 80 to 200 | Our assumption for a 5 to 15 page site with a content editor, contact forms and basic SEO. |
| Web application | 400 to 900 | Our assumption for a portal or dashboard with sign-in, a handful of core screens, reports and an admin area. At the rates below it sits inside Clutch's typical project range of $10,000 to $49,999. |
| Mobile app | 800 to 1,200 | Around the worked example in our React Native guide: 1,000 hours for iOS and Android apps, the back end and a manager web dashboard. |
| ERP system | 950 to 1,400 | Around the worked example in our ERP guide: 1,160 hours for inventory, purchasing, sales, double-entry accounts, an online store integration and data migration. |
| CRM | 600 to 950 | Around the worked example in our CRM guide: 760 hours for contacts, pipeline, quotes, automations, email and accounting integration. |
| SaaS MVP | 500 to 900 | Our assumption for a first version with sign-up, tenants, one core workflow, billing and an admin area. |
| Answer | Effect on hours |
|---|---|
| Simple complexity | × 0.6. Standard screens, few rules, clean data. |
| Standard complexity | × 1. What the base hours describe. |
| Complex complexity | × 1.7. Many business rules, approvals, heavy reporting or messy data to migrate. |
| User roles | The base hours include two user roles (for example staff and admin). Each extra role adds 5% for its screens, permissions and tests. |
| Integrations | Each integration (accounting, payments, a device, a courier, email) adds 40 to 90 hours: the range of the integration lines in our CRM, ERP, POS and Shopify cost guides. |
| Platforms | For web projects, an iOS or Android app adds 30%, both add 40% (one React Native code base). For a mobile app, one platform instead of two saves 10%, and a customer-facing web app adds 25%. |
| Timeline | A team of two to three people working 60 to 100 hours a week, plus one to two weeks for discovery and launch. |
| Rates | $25 to $49 an hour for most development companies, $50 to $99 an hour for US-based agencies: Clutch, Software Development Company Pricing Guide (October 2026). Our software developer hourly rates page compares regions. |
It also works as an app development cost calculator: choose Mobile app and the platforms you need. Like any software cost estimator, it cannot see your rules, your data or your deadlines, so treat the range as a starting point for a conversation, not a budget.
Read the cost guides behind it
Before you ask
Cost calculator, answered.
How accurate is this software development cost calculator?
It gives a range, not a price. The hours behind it come from the worked examples in our cost guides and the rates from Clutch’s published pricing guide. A real quote needs a written brief: the screens, the rules, the data to move and the systems to connect.
Why does the calculator show two price ranges?
Hourly rates depend on where the team is. Clutch puts most development companies at $25 to $49 an hour and US-based agencies at $50 to $99, so the same hours cost about twice as much from a US agency.
Is the estimate a Treevoxa quote?
No. It is arithmetic on published figures, shown in full below. We quote in writing, in US dollars, once we understand the scope; send us your brief for an exact figure.
Does the calculator store what I enter?
No. It runs in your browser and asks for nothing personal. We count, anonymously, which project type and complexity people choose, so we know which guides to write next.
What does the estimate leave out?
Hosting, third-party licences and usage fees, content writing, custom illustration, and support after launch. Our custom software development cost guide lists the running costs to budget for.