Real market ranges, what drives the price, and why today you can build for 10-15x less than it cost 6 years ago.
Web development has become brutally cheaper. A project that cost 150,000-250,000 USD in 2018 is built today for 5,000-15,000 USD, thanks to modern stacks, AI in the workflow and serverless architectures.
Real ranges by complexity
2,000 – 4,000 USD · Essential platform
One key module: a private portal, an admin panel, a lightweight CRM or a mini-platform with auth and roles. Perfect for quickly validating a specific operation.
4,000 – 8,000 USD · Operational software
Multi-role system (admin/staff/client), dashboards with live metrics, automations, critical API integrations (Stripe, WhatsApp, Meta, Google). Replaces 5-8 SaaS tools.
8,000 – 20,000 USD · Enterprise operating system
AI agents, real-time BI, multi-tenant architecture, critical ERP integrations and sync with multiple systems. Scales to thousands of users.
What actually makes a project more expensive
- ✓Number of unique roles and permissions
- ✓Integrations with closed or legacy APIs
- ✓Compliance (GDPR, PCI, HIPAA)
- ✓Historical data migration
- ✓Custom AI models or fine-tuning
- ✓Multi-language and multi-currency with tax rules
The mistake 90% of companies make
They budget by 'pages' when what really matters is entities, business rules and integrations. A 5-screen platform can cost more than a 40-screen one if the underlying logic is complex.
Ready to stop paying for 10 apps and own your own platform?
At KMS Agency we design 100% custom software for 10 to 15 times less than it cost 6-7 years ago. We audit your operation, map areas and pain points, and build the platform your business needs — with AI baked into the core. Book a consultation and we'll tell you exactly what can be built for you.