"How much will a custom app cost?" is the first question any client asks, and they almost never get a concrete answer. The usual response is "it depends," which is true, but it's also an easy way out. In this article, we're going to give you something more useful: realistic price ranges by project type, the factors that truly matter , and the pitfalls we see repeated when someone chooses a provider without knowing what questions to ask.
Before we begin, a word of caution: this article assumes you've already decided that custom development makes sense for your situation. If you're still in the "SaaS or custom?" phase, we recommend reading this other guide first.
1 Actual ranges by project type
We're talking about budgets in Spain/EU for 2026, with a professional team (not a Fiverr freelancer at €5/hour, but also not a multinational consulting firm). These are indicative ranges—a specific project may cost more or less depending on its complexity.
1.1 Landing page + forms + simple customer area — €4,000-9,000
A decent corporate website with a CMS for you to edit content, validated forms, and a private area where your clients can view their invoices/files. Timeframe: 4-8 weeks. A well-executed website lasts 3-5 years without needing to be redone.
1.2 Custom ecommerce (not a Shopify store) — €10,000-25,000
Catalog with its own logic (customer pricing, volume discounts, configurable products, ERP integrations), multi-gateway checkout, order management. Timeframe: 3-5 months. This makes sense when your catalog is complex or you have enough volume that Shopify isn't a good fit.
1.3 SaaS platform / customer portal — €15,000-€45,000
A system with multi-user authentication, roles, specific dashboards, and its own business logic. This is the most common range for companies that want to digitize their internal operations or launch a digital product. Timeframe: 4-8 months.
1.4 Custom ERP / CRM — €25,000-80,000
When you need to replace multiple systems (CRM + invoicing + production + logistics) with a single, integrated system specific to your industry. Timeframe: 6-12 months, often implemented in phases.
1.5 Native (iOS + Android) or hybrid mobile app — €12,000-40,000
It largely depends on whether you need specific device features (camera, continuous GPS, push notifications, Bluetooth) and how much data it shares with the web. Timeframe: 3-6 months.
2 The 5 factors that weigh MOST heavily on the budget
2.1 1. Integrations with external systems
Connecting to a proprietary ERP, a non-standard payment gateway, a logistics provider with an outdated API… each integration easily adds between €1,000 and €5,000. If your project needs to connect to five systems, add another €10,000 to €20,000 to the base price.
2.2 2. Complex business rules
"Calculate VAT at 21%" is not the same as "calculate VAT based on the buyer's country, tax identification number, product type, and seller's tax regime, including equivalence surcharge clauses." The real complexity lies in the rules, not the interface.
2.3 3. Multi-user, roles and permissions
A single-user app is simple. A platform with five roles, granular permissions, organizational hierarchies, and comprehensive auditing multiplies the workload. If planned well from the start, it's not a problem. If planned poorly, it becomes a nightmare after six months.
2.4 4. Custom UX/UI design vs template
A user interface adapted from a template can cost €1,500-€3,000 in design. A custom UX/UI design, including user research, wireframes, and a complete design system, will cost €6,000-€15,000. The difference is especially noticeable in products where the end user is the customer.
2.5 5. Maintenance, hosting and evolution
The project does NOT end with delivery. Considerations include:
- Hosting + monitoring: €40-200/month depending on size.
- Technical maintenance (patches, security updates): €200-800/month.
- Functional evolution (new features, adjustments): by the hour or by the bag, typically €50-80/hour.
Include the cost of the first 12 months of maintenance in your budget, not just the initial development.
3 The "cheap MVP" trap
"Let's create an MVP for €3,000 to validate it, and then we'll scale it." If you're clear that it's a disposable experiment, perfect. But in 80% of the cases we see, that cheap MVP:
- It works "fairly well". There are bugs that aren't fixed, a lack of validations, and errors when the user does something unexpected.
- It's not scalable. The code is designed to be a temporary fix, so after three months, when you want to add a feature, the developer tells you, "This requires rewriting half the app."
- It lacks serious security and compliance. No CSRF protection, no rate limit, poorly stored passwords, and GDPR compliance is nonexistent. If you're subjected to an audit or an incident, it's extremely expensive.
- You end up paying twice. First the €3,000 for the MVP, then €15,000 to redo it "properly".
A serious MVP card can cost €6,000-€12,000. It's not the full version, but it's well-built and ready to be upgraded.
4 What you SHOULD demand in any serious budget
When you receive a quote, look for something that includes:
- Breakdown by phases or modules , not a global number without decomposition.
- Deadlines by phase , not just "X months".
- Specific technologies that will be used (language, framework, database).
- Who owns the code in the end (it must be yours, without proprietary licenses from the provider).
- Post-delivery maintenance policy and price.
- Basic SLAs (response time to critical errors).
- Payment method based on milestones , not 100% upfront or 100% at the end.
If a quote simply states "€20,000 for a custom app, 6-month timeframe, pay 50% now and 50% upon delivery," be wary. It lacks the detail for you to assess whether what you'll receive is worth the price.
5 How we budget at Medel Platforms
To be transparent about how we do it:
- Discovery call (free, 30-45 min). We understand your business, your current problem, and what you're looking for. At the end, we'll tell you if we're a good fit.
- Technical proposal (free, 1-2 weeks). Document with functional scope, technical stack, phases and budget range with a price range.
- If it fits, we move to a phased, fixed-budget approach . The first phase is usually a functional MVP (not the "cheap MVP"—a well-built MVP to build upon).
- Payment by milestone. You validate each phase before the next, and you never pay upfront beyond the immediate milestone.
- The code is 100% yours from day one. We provide you with the repo, documentation, and tools. If you decide to switch providers tomorrow, you'll have everything you need.
6 The next step
If you have a project in mind and want a realistic estimate before committing to anyone, we invite you to a discovery conversation. It's free, lasts less than an hour, and will leave you with an investment range and an honest phased plan.
Request your free estimate → We'll respond within 24 business hours and are available to call you back.
