Software development cost calculator
Six questions about what you want built. The result is a price range for the UK with a breakdown by phase, worked out in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent to us.
Estimated cost
About days of work, excluding VAT.
A guide to market cost, not a quotation.
How the figure is worked out
The whole calculation is on this page, so you can judge it for yourself.
Each answer adds days of work. The kind of project sets a starting figure, which is multiplied by the size. Roles, integrations, existing data and the extras each add a fixed number of days.
We then add 25% for testing, project management and release work, and multiply the total by the day rate. The range runs from 80% to 130% of that figure, because projects overrun more often than they come in early.
The cost is split across the phases in these proportions: discovery and scope 10%, design 10%, build 55%, testing 15%, launch and handover 10%.
The model leaves out hosting, licences, content and ongoing support. For how the main cost drivers work, with worked examples, see how much it costs to develop an app in the UK.
Questions we are asked
How accurate is this calculator?
It gives a sensible range for the kind and size of project you describe, which is enough to set a budget or sense-check a quotation. A real quote needs a conversation about what the software must do, the state of any existing data and the systems it connects to.
What day rate should I use?
Use the rate in the quotes you are comparing. The calculator starts at £600 a day as a middle figure for a UK software company. Freelancers and offshore teams are often lower, and large consultancies higher.
Why is the result a range?
Because the details are not known yet. The low end assumes the work goes smoothly and the scope is tight. The high end allows for the things that usually surface once the detail is examined.
Does the estimate include hosting and support?
No. It covers the work to design, build, test and launch the software. Hosting and ongoing support are separate monthly costs.
Can I get a fixed price for the project I have described?
Yes, if the scope can be agreed. We investigate anything that could change the amount of work and then quote a single fixed figure.
Want a real figure?
Tell us what the software needs to do. If the scope can be agreed, we will quote a single fixed price for it.