Although there are many good business systems solutions for different functions, such as ERPs, CRMs, logistical and sales systems, for example, many companies need bespoke software to carry out their day-to-day tasks.

At that time, when the need arises, an important question emerges: how much does bespoke software cost?

And this is not an easy question to answer, as many variables impact the answer. So if you need to know how to project the values of a custom system, keep reading the content we’ve prepared below.

After all, how much does bespoke software cost?

In practice, there is no ready-made answer to the question “how much does a bespoke software cost?”, as many variables can influence the final investment to be paid for the system.

Even so, it is possible to understand which variables affect the project scope and, consequently, impact the final value of the software. By the way, this is the key to contracting software on demand: the complexity is directly linked to the final price.

That said, let’s get to know the main issues that impact the cost of the custom system:

Software Size and Complexity

The first item to take into account when understanding how much bespoke software costs is the required size of the system. Bigger software takes more effort and therefore costs more, so it’s important to get an idea of this item.

In contrast, smaller systems — with limited functionality — are more affordable. So, it is important to have an idea if the system you need will have a great responsibility in the company, such as customer management, sales monitoring, issuing invoices, inventory control, etc., or will it be simpler programs, with a specific role in the day by day.

Number of active users

The number of active users can also influence the final value of the bespoke software, as it implies more responsibility for the construction and management of the system.

In practice, fault tolerance is lower on systems with more users, as any problem can affect tens or hundreds of thousands of users. Thus, the more people using the software simultaneously, the greater the responsibility of the project’s technology team.

Complexity of features

One more relevant factor when figuring out how much bespoke software costs is the inherent complexity of the system. And here the mission is simple: we can do small exercises to understand if the software will be complex or not.

Still, to make this discovery easier, let’s suggest where you need to look:

• Number of system functions;

• Number of departments covered or modules developed;

• Number of active and simultaneous users, as the need for infrastructure resources is directly proportional;

• Required security level;

Availability on major mobile devices (Mobile Phones and Tablets), mobile operating systems (Android and iOS) and browsers (Chrome and Firefox, in addition to Safari for users of the Apple ecosystem).

A mixture of these items, listed above, will indicate the possible complexity of the system and therefore give clues as to whether the price will be higher or not.

Project delivery time

The project delivery time is also a very relevant factor to know how much it costs to develop a custom software. This is because the most urgent projects will inevitably demand more labor from the service provider.

Therefore, our recommendation is that you have a well-planned scope in relation to the deadlines of the new system. And, as mentioned earlier, the longer this period, the lesser the need for investment.

Number of system integrations

The amount of integrations — typically performed through APIs — is also relevant to the cost of a software project. In this case, in addition to the quantity, the complexity of the integrations is an equally relevant factor at this time.

Therefore, know that more robust management systems, and that talk to other areas, will be more costly. Likewise, simpler, single-task systems can be cheaper.

Anyway, what matters is to understand if the number of integrations is a critical factor in the project.

Availability for platforms and operating systems

Depending on your company’s reality, you may need to make the system available for multiple devices, browsers, and mobile operating systems — which will drive up the price of the project.

Nowadays, for example, it is important that software works well on desktop computers and on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Likewise, browsers for web platforms also need to run systems without any kind of problem.

Here, we have a huge domain of Google Chrome (and other browsers based on its engine, such as Opera, Brave and even Microsoft Edge), but we must also not forget other browsers, such as Firefox, Mozilla, and Safari, from Apple. Therefore, the level of compatibility with them can matter a lot.

Lastly, we have mobile device operating systems, Android and iOS, which can be part of the requirements and, therefore, impact the final value of bespoke software.

That said, it’s important that the project scope anticipate this need — and when it will need to be realized — as adapting to each different system and platform will tend to drive up the cost of on-demand software.

System hosting service

Some cloud hosting services, such as Amazon, have more expensive prices due to the robustness of the system and the amount of features they provide. And this must be taken into account when contracting a custom system.

Therefore, you need to consider investing in this type of service — without compromising system performance — when investing in bespoke software.

Need for support and maintenance

Finally, to finish our content on the question “how much does bespoke software cost”, we have an extremely important item for systems: the amount of support and maintenance for the system after it is delivered.

Maintenance involves solving bugs and failures, as well as continuous development of the project, with the addition of new features.

Support, on the other hand, involves helping users to perform a task and, thus, extracting the best from the hired software.

So, considering these variables, you will have an idea if the software will be more accessible or not for your business reality.

And how is it possible to develop bespoke software?

Even though it’s impossible to bring real value to this content, it’s important to understand how pricing works so you don’t get scared after receiving a custom project quote.

With that in mind, it’s time to take the next step to hire your software tailored to your organization’s reality. In this sense, LogAp is the ideal partner for your project.

From the use of agile methodologies, such as Scrum and DevOps, and the latest technologies for the development of quality systems, we have a team ready to create a unique and ideal project to satisfy the business needs.

So don’t wait any longer! Contact us and bring your challenge to our team of experts in bespoke software development. Until the next one!