How much does a custom app cost?
Most of our projects cost between $8,000 and $80,000. Discovery, which sets the fixed price, is $1,500.
Here is how the price is put together, what makes it go up or down, and how it compares with the subscriptions you may be paying for now. For your own numbers, try the custom app cost estimator.
Short answer. A custom app from Sarasoris usually costs $8,000 to $80,000, fixed in writing at the end of a $1,500 Discovery. Hosting is usually $50 to $200 a month, paid directly to the provider, and there are no per-user fees.
How is the price built?
| Stage | What you pay |
|---|---|
| Discovery | $1,500, fixed |
| The build | Most projects $8,000 to $80,000, fixed in writing at the end of Discovery |
| Later additions | Priced the same way, when you are ready |
| Hosting | Usually $50 to $200 a month, paid directly to the provider |
| Support after launch | Optional, monthly, priced with the build; cancel any time |
You get a fixed price in writing at the end of Discovery, before you commit to the build. Each project is paid half when you approve the plan and half at launch. During the build you usually see working software every week.
What does a small first project cost?
A nonprofit wants volunteers to stop signing up on paper. Discovery ($1,500) maps how shifts, roles and check-in really work and ends with a fixed price for a first version: shifts and reminders on volunteers’ phones. Starting this small costs less than a whole app, and check-in, hours and board reports can follow when the budget or a grant allows. The cost estimator gives a range for a start like this.
What does a whole app cost?
A field-service company wants dispatch, the crew’s phone app, inventory on the trucks and an owner’s dashboard in one place, connected to QuickBooks. That is several modules and an integration, built in one project or in phases. Projects like this usually land inside the $8,000 to $80,000 range most of our work falls in, and Discovery pins down exactly where.
What makes a custom app cost more?
- More kinds of users, each with their own screens and permissions
- Connections to other systems: donor systems, accounting, an ERP, a supplier portal
- Working offline in the field
- Moving years of data out of old spreadsheets or an old database
- A separate App Store and Google Play app as well as the web version
How do you keep the cost down?
- Starting with the one problem that hurts most
- Using the products that already work, and building only the missing piece
- One person on your side who can make decisions
- Clear examples of the spreadsheets and forms you use today
How does it compare with subscriptions?
Off-the-shelf tools cost less up front. A custom app has no per-user or per-volunteer fee from Sarasoris, so it compares best when several subscriptions, a large team or hours of retyping are in the picture. Our comparisons put real numbers side by side: SignUpGenius, VolunteerHub and Bloomerang Volunteer, Airtable, Jobber and Housecall Pro.
Questions
What is the least we can spend to get started?
Discovery at $1,500. It ends with a written plan and a fixed price, and you can stop there and keep the plan.
Why is Discovery separate?
Because the price of the build depends on what Discovery finds. Paying for it separately means the build price is fixed and honest, not padded for unknowns.
Are there ongoing costs?
Hosting, usually $50 to $200 a month paid directly to the provider, and optional support after launch.
Can a nonprofit pay for it with a grant?
Often. Many foundations fund technology and operations upgrades. We can phase the work to fit a grant cycle. See for nonprofits.
Do you charge by the hour?
Modules have a fixed price, agreed in writing. Ongoing changes and agency work can be billed by the hour, at a rate agreed in writing.