Stop guessing. Here is what we charge for 50+ web apps. Feature-by-feature pricing with real numbers.
By David Friedman, Founder of AppBrewers
I have quoted 200+ web apps in the last five years. Founders always ask the same question first: how much will this cost? The honest answer: it depends on what you build. Here is our exact pricing framework, feature by feature, so you can estimate your project before talking to any agency.
The Formula
Total Cost = Base Platform + Features + Design + Integrations + Timeline
| Component | Range | What Drives Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Base platform | 3,000-8,000 Euro | Auth, database, hosting, basic UI |
| Features | 500-5,000 Euro each | Complexity, real-time, AI |
| Design | 1,000-4,000 Euro | Custom vs template, animations |
| Integrations | 500-3,000 Euro each | Stripe, WhatsApp, OpenAI |
| Rush fee | +20-50% | Under 4 weeks |
Base Platform Cost
Every web app needs these. Skip any and you will rebuild later.
| Feature | DIY Cost | Agency Cost | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Authentication | 0 (Firebase free) | Included | Email, Google, Apple sign-in |
| Database | 0-25/month | Included | Firestore or Supabase |
| Hosting | 0-50/month | Included for 60 days | Firebase or Vercel |
| Basic UI framework | 0 (open source) | Included | Next.js, Tailwind, shadcn |
| Error tracking | 0 (Sentry free) | Included | Catch bugs before users do |
| Analytics | 0 (GA4 free) | Included | Track user behavior |
Base platform total: 3,000-8,000 Euro with an agency.
Feature Pricing
User Management
| Feature | Complexity | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| User profiles | Low | 500-1,000 Euro |
| Role-based access | Medium | 1,000-2,000 Euro |
| Team/organization accounts | High | 2,000-4,000 Euro |
| Invite system | Medium | 1,000-2,000 Euro |
Content Management
| Feature | Complexity | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Rich text editor | Low | 500-1,000 Euro |
| File upload | Medium | 1,000-2,000 Euro |
| Image gallery | Low | 500-1,000 Euro |
| Search | Medium | 1,000-2,000 Euro |
| Content versioning | High | 2,000-4,000 Euro |
Communication
| Feature | Complexity | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| In-app messaging | Medium | 1,500-3,000 Euro |
| Email notifications | Low | 500-1,000 Euro |
| Push notifications | Medium | 1,000-2,000 Euro |
| Real-time chat | High | 2,000-5,000 Euro |
| SMS alerts | Low | 500-1,000 Euro |
AI Features
| Feature | Complexity | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| AI text generation | Low | 500-1,500 Euro |
| AI chatbot | Medium | 2,000-4,000 Euro |
| AI image generation | Medium | 1,500-3,000 Euro |
| Document analysis | High | 3,000-6,000 Euro |
| Voice/ speech | High | 3,000-6,000 Euro |
Billing & Payments
| Feature | Complexity | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| One-time payments | Low | 500-1,000 Euro |
| Subscriptions | Medium | 1,500-3,000 Euro |
| Usage-based billing | High | 2,000-5,000 Euro |
| Invoicing | Medium | 1,000-2,000 Euro |
| Tax handling | Medium | 1,000-2,000 Euro |
Booking & Scheduling
| Feature | Complexity | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Simple booking form | Low | 500-1,000 Euro |
| Calendar sync | Medium | 1,500-3,000 Euro |
| Recurring bookings | Medium | 1,500-3,000 Euro |
| Multi-timezone | Medium | 1,000-2,000 Euro |
| Resource scheduling | High | 2,000-4,000 Euro |
Real Project Examples
Example 1: Simple Landing Page with Contact Form
| Component | Cost |
|---|---|
| Base platform | 3,000 Euro |
| Contact form | 500 Euro |
| Design | 1,000 Euro |
| Total | 4,500 Euro |
| Timeline | 1-2 weeks |
Example 2: SaaS MVP with Auth and Billing
| Component | Cost |
|---|---|
| Base platform | 5,000 Euro |
| User profiles | 1,000 Euro |
| Subscription billing | 2,500 Euro |
| Admin dashboard | 2,000 Euro |
| Design | 2,000 Euro |
| Total | 12,500 Euro |
| Timeline | 4-6 weeks |
Example 3: AI Receptionist Platform
| Component | Cost |
|---|---|
| Base platform | 6,000 Euro |
| AI chatbot | 3,500 Euro |
| WhatsApp integration | 2,000 Euro |
| Calendar sync | 2,000 Euro |
| Multi-location | 2,000 Euro |
| Admin dashboard | 2,500 Euro |
| Design | 3,000 Euro |
| Total | 21,000 Euro |
| Timeline | 8-10 weeks |
Example 4: E-commerce Platform
| Component | Cost |
|---|---|
| Base platform | 5,000 Euro |
| Product catalog | 2,000 Euro |
| Shopping cart | 1,500 Euro |
| Stripe payments | 1,500 Euro |
| Order management | 2,000 Euro |
| Admin dashboard | 2,500 Euro |
| Design | 2,500 Euro |
| Total | 17,000 Euro |
| Timeline | 6-8 weeks |
Hidden Costs to Budget For
| Cost | Amount | When |
|---|---|---|
| Domain | 10-50 Euro/year | Ongoing |
| Hosting | 20-200 Euro/month | After launch |
| Database | 0-100 Euro/month | After launch |
| AI API | 20-500 Euro/month | After launch |
| Email service | 0-50 Euro/month | After launch |
| Maintenance | 500-2,000 Euro/month | Optional |
| App Store fees | 99 Euro/year | iOS apps only |
DIY vs Agency Pricing
| Approach | Timeline | Total Cost | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| No-code (Webflow, Bubble) | 2-4 weeks | 500-3,000 Euro | Hit ceiling at scale |
| DIY code | 2-6 months | 3,000-10,000 Euro | Slow, buggy, no support |
| Freelancer | 1-3 months | 5,000-15,000 Euro | Inconsistent quality |
| Agency (AppBrewers) | 2-8 weeks | 8,000-25,000 Euro | Done right, supported |
How to Reduce Cost
- Start with a landing page -- Validate demand before building the app (saves 50-80%)
- Use a starter template -- Next.js SaaS starters save 2-3 weeks of dev time
- Limit features in v1 -- 3 screens max for MVP
- Use existing APIs -- Firebase, Stripe, Twilio instead of building from scratch
- Skip native apps -- Build a PWA first, iOS/Android later if needed
Get an Exact Quote
Use our free calculator for a precise estimate based on your features:
Originally published on the AppBrewers Blog.
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