Custom Web App Development

You've got a few main options for building your web app.

You could go with an agency - they're the complete package. You get project managers, designers, developers, the whole crew. Downside? They're not cheap. $50 - 150/hour, depending on where they're based. But if your project's complex or you don't want to manage everything yourself, that structure can be worth it.

Freelancers are the budget-friendly route. You're looking at $25 - 100/hour, sometimes less. They're great for smaller projects or if you've got an evident vision of what you want. Just know that you're the project manager here, so it works best when you know exactly what needs to be done.

Then there's hiring your own team. That's the "we're serious about this" option. You get total control and people dedicated to your product, but you're talking $80k+ per developer, plus benefits, equipment, and all that. It only makes sense if this is going to be an ongoing thing.

Whatever direction you go, don't skip the vetting process. Look at their past work - specifically, stuff similar to what you need. Talk to them about how they communicate (this is huge, trust me). And make sure there aren't going to be surprise costs halfway through.

We are happy to examine your specific project to determine which route makes the most sense for you. Let's Book a Meeting!

You're looking at anywhere from $10k to $250k+, maybe more. We know that's a huge range, but it really does depend on what you're building.

If you need something simple - think basic CRUD operations, a few pages, standard login stuff - you can probably get away with $10 - 25k. Once you add more complexity (third-party integrations, custom workflows, more sophisticated design), you're creeping into the $25 - 80k territory. And if you're building something enterprise-level with all the bells and whistles? Yeah, you're easily over $100k.

What drives the cost up? The usual suspects: the number of features you're packing in, how custom the design needs to be, whether you can use off-the-shelf solutions or need everything built from scratch, where your developers are located, and how fast you need it done.

A straightforward customer portal with logins and some basic dashboards might cost you $20 - 40k. But suppose you want something like Airbnb (even a stripped-down version). In that case, you know, two-sided marketplace, booking system, payments, messaging between users, reviews, admin moderation tools - you're in the $150k+ range.

Here's what we recommend: don't build everything at once. Start with an MVP - just the core features that prove your concept works. Get it in front of real users, see what they actually use, and then build from there. This will save you from spending six figures on features nobody ends up wanting.

Let's discuss your specific idea of giving yourself a ballpark.

Plan on spending 15 - 20% of what you paid to build the app every year just to keep it running smoothly.

Have you built a $50k app? You're looking at roughly $5,500 - $10,000 annually. That's not exactly what you want to hear, but it's reality.

What does that money actually go toward? Well, you've got your basic hosting - $70/month for something simple or $300+ if you're handling serious traffic. Then there's the unglamorous stuff that has to happen: security patches (because hackers never sleep), bug fixes when things inevitably break, updates when Chrome or Safari decides to change how they handle things, and tweaks based on what your users are actually doing with the app.

And don't forget the smaller recurring charges - SSL certificates so your site shows that little padlock, domain renewal, database maintenance, monitoring tools to catch problems before your users do.

Now, if your app processes payments, handles sensitive data like health records, or deals with European users (hello GDPR), maintenance gets pricier. The same goes for tons of traffic or a bunch of third-party integrations that need babysitting.

Most companies use a monthly maintenance plan - usually between $200 and $4,000/month, depending on the app's complexity. This makes budgeting easier than getting surprise bills every time something needs fixing.

What would maintenance look like for your specific app? Let's Discuss!

Most projects take 3-9 months, but that's a useless range, right?

Simple app? 3-4 months. Something complex? 6-9 months, maybe longer.

It usually takes a few weeks to plan, a month-ish for design, 2-5 months to actually build it, a couple of weeks of testing, and then launch. The coding part is where all the time goes.

Like a booking system with payments and calendar stuff - that's 3 - 4 months. Complete SaaS platform with different user roles, real-time features, and third-party integrations? You're looking at 5 - 9 months.

Want to go faster? Start with just core features, and know exactly what you want before you start. The biggest timeline killer is changing your mind halfway through.

Please tell us what you're building, and we'll give you a realistic timeline for your project.

A custom web app is software that runs in your browser and does something specific for your business. Think Airbnb for booking rentals, Slack for team chat, and Trello for managing projects - all web apps.

The big difference from a regular website is that websites mostly just show information. Web apps actually do stuff. You click buttons, submit forms, see things update in real time, and manage data.

So, what does that look like for actual businesses? It could be a customer portal where people log in to check their orders or update their info, an internal dashboard where your team tracks sales and KPIs, a booking system that handles appointments and sends confirmations automatically, an inventory tool that keeps everything synced across your locations, or an online training platform where employees take courses and you track their progress.

What is the point of going custom instead of buying something off the shelf? It works exactly how you work. It plugs into the tools you already use. And when your business grows or changes, it grows with you instead of boxing you in.

Check out some of the custom web apps we've built for other businesses - they might spark some ideas for what's possible.