It depends on who works with it, what it needs to do and which systems it talks to. Answer a few questions and you'll get an estimate you can check, not a figure from a pricing model.
Built for clients including Tata Steel, M&G Investments, Digistore24, Toppers in Concert, Bar-le-Duc and Loogman
Cost check
Work out what your web application costs
A few questions, then a request for an estimate you can check. No obligation.
Step 1 of 8Takes about two minutes
What drives the price
What drives the cost of a web application
A customer portal can be a simple, clear environment or a system your whole operation runs on. These are the six things that make the difference.
User groups and permissions
One type of user is simpler than customers, staff and partners who may each see something different. The permissions model accounts for a lot of the work, and is hard to add afterwards.
The data model
We design the model first and the screens second: what data there is, how it fits together and what happens when a new type of customer comes along later. That takes time up front and saves a rebuild later.
Integrations with what's already running
A portal that shows orders from your ERP or pulls customers from your CRM is only as good as that integration. How many systems there are and how good their APIs are determines a large part of the work.
Number of screens and features
Every screen has to be designed, built and tested. Signing documents, payments or an AI feature weigh more than a form or an overview.
Login and security
Logging in with a work account, two-factor authentication and recording who has seen what: with sensitive data that comes with the territory, and it takes extra work.
Maintenance after go-live
A web application runs on hosting that has to stay up, uses components that get updates and integrations that change along with other systems. That belongs in the budget, not as a surprise afterwards.
From question to quote
How we arrive at a price
1
Your answers
The cost check tells us what you want built, who it is for and which parts it needs.
2
A short call
We call you back, ask what it needs to achieve and what is already in place, and tell you if an off-the-shelf package would suit you better.
3
A quote you can check
Scope, timeline and price on paper before anything is built. If the budget doesn't fit, we show you what to build first.
What a web application costs, and what it depends on
The questions we hear most often before someone has a web application built, with the answers we also give in a first conversation.
1
How much does it cost to build a web application?
The honest answer: it depends on the scope. A dashboard that shows figures from a few systems in one place is a different project from a customer portal where customers submit requests, sign documents and track their status, connected to your ERP. And that is different again from a system where several organisations each have their own environment.
That is why we don't quote a figure on this page. A price from a pricing model is almost never right for custom work, and a wrong number sends you in the wrong direction. With your answers from the cost check we give you an estimate you can check, and in the quote we fix scope, timeline and price before anything is built.
2
Off-the-shelf package or custom software
If your process runs fine in an existing package, buy that package. It's quicker to get going, the vendor handles maintenance and you pay a subscription instead of a build project. We'll say so when we see it.
Custom software pays off in two places: the process that sets you apart, and the connection between systems that don't talk to each other. Often the most cost-effective route is a combination: the package stays, and a web application around it does what the package can't.
3
Why quotes for a web application vary so much
The difference is usually not in the hourly rate but in what is and isn't included. Is the permissions model worked out, or just the screens? Are the integrations included, with error handling for when a system is briefly unavailable? And what happens after go-live?
Ask what falls outside the quote, not just what's in it
Ask how the integrations deal with outages
Ask who gets the source code and where the application is hosted
4
Start small without throwing work away
A first version with just the core is often the best start: your own people click through it with real data and tell you what's missing. That is when changing direction is still cheap.
The risk is a first version put together so quickly that it has to be rebuilt afterwards. We build narrow, but on foundations that last: the data model, the permissions and the integrations are right from the start.
5
What does a web application cost after go-live?
A web application isn't finished at handover. There is hosting and monitoring, components get security updates and the systems it talks to change too. Add the requests from users, which you only hear once they're working with it.
How much that costs depends on the size of the application and how often you want new features. We agree it in advance, so you know where you stand.
6
How to keep costs under control
The biggest cost is work that has to be redone later. You avoid it by being clear up front about what the application needs to achieve, starting with the process that makes the most difference, and only building what a package can't do.
Start with what it needs to achieve, not a list of features
Keep an off-the-shelf package where it works well
Build in phases, with a working version after each phase
Amsterdam
Who you'll talk to
You talk to the founders
No salespeople. We read your answers and call you back. Then you build with a permanent team from our office in Amsterdam.
Frequently asked questions about web application development
How much does it cost to build a web application?
It depends on the user groups and their permissions, the number of screens and features, the integrations with your systems and what is needed after go-live. The cost check on this page lets you share that in a few minutes, and you get an estimate you can check. In the quote we fix scope, timeline and price before anything is built.
Why isn't there a price on this page?
Because a price from a pricing model is almost always wrong for custom work. We would rather give you an estimate based on your answers, from people who have read them, than a figure that sends you in the wrong direction.
How much does a customer portal cost?
A customer portal is usually as big as the integrations behind it. A portal where customers only view their documents is a manageable project. A portal where they submit requests, track their status and change details that land straight in your ERP or CRM takes more. Share it in the cost check and you'll get an estimate for your situation.
Isn't an off-the-shelf package cheaper?
Often it is, and then that's what we recommend. If your process fits an existing package, it's quicker to get going and cheaper to maintain. Custom software pays off where you set yourself apart, or where systems don't talk to each other.
What does web application maintenance cost?
That depends on the size of the application and how often you want new features. Fixed elements are hosting, monitoring, security updates and keeping integrations up to date. We agree that in advance.
How long does it take to build a web application?
That depends on the scope. We work in short cycles with a working version after each one, so you see early on what is being built. The timeline is in the quote.
Who owns the web application once it's finished?
You do. The source code lives in your own repository, the environments are in your name and there is documentation, so another team can also take it on. Your data stays yours.
What is the difference between a web application and an app?
A web application works in the browser, on any device, without an app store. An app is installed on a phone, and is needed if you want push notifications, working offline or intensive camera use. A web application is usually cheaper to build and maintain.
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