Custom software development costs anywhere from $15,000 to $500,000+. That range is unhelpfully wide, so let us break it down with real numbers.
MVP / Proof of Concept, $15K-$40K
A functional prototype with core features, basic UI, and one platform (web or mobile). Timeline: 4-8 weeks. This gets you something real to test with users and show investors. Our MVP guide covers how to scope this properly.
What you get: 3-5 core features, authentication, basic database, deployment, and documentation.
What you do not get: polish, scalability engineering, multi platform support, or advanced integrations.
Standard Product, $30K-$100K
A production ready application with polished UI, multiple user roles, integrations, and deployment infrastructure. Timeline: 8-16 weeks.
This covers most SaaS products, marketplace MVPs, internal tools, and consumer apps. You get proper architecture, automated testing, CI/CD, monitoring, and a codebase your team can maintain.
Complex Platform, $100K-$300K+
Multi platform applications, real time systems, AI integrations, complex business logic, and enterprise requirements (compliance, audit trails, SSO). Timeline: 16-32 weeks.
Think: a cross platform marketplace with real time features and payments (like Traderly), an AI powered analytics platform, or a multi tenant SaaS with enterprise features.
What Actually Drives Cost
Complexity, not lines of code. A simple CRUD app with 50 screens costs less than a real time trading platform with 10 screens. The hard parts are: real time features, payment processing, third party integrations, multi platform support, compliance requirements, and migration from legacy systems.
Team structure matters. A solo freelancer at $50/hr is cheaper per hour but often more expensive per outcome. An experienced team ships faster, makes fewer architectural mistakes, and builds systems that do not need a rewrite in 18 months.
How Veld Systems Prices Projects
We quote fixed prices for defined scopes. No hourly billing surprises. Every project starts with a free discovery call where we scope the work, then we provide a detailed proposal with milestones and deliverables.
Our typical projects range from $20K-$150K. We take on a handful of projects at a time so every one gets our full attention.
We take on a handful of projects at a time,tell us about yours →