The Short Answer
Custom software development in the UK typically costs between £15,000 and £250,000+, depending on complexity. An MVP (minimum viable product) for a web application usually falls in the £15,000–£50,000 range. A full-featured product with multiple integrations, user roles, and a mobile app can run from £50,000 to well over £150,000.
These are broad ranges because every project is different. The real cost depends on what you're building, how complex it is, and how you structure the engagement.
What Drives the Cost
Complexity
A simple internal tool with a few screens and basic data entry will cost a fraction of a multi-tenant SaaS platform with real-time data, third-party integrations, and a mobile app. The number of features matters, but more importantly, the complexity of each feature matters.
Integrations
Every third-party system your software needs to talk to adds cost. A payment integration (Stripe) is straightforward. Connecting to a legacy ERP system with a poorly documented API is not. Budget accordingly.
Design Requirements
A functional internal tool needs less design investment than a customer-facing product where first impressions matter. If your software is your brand experience, invest in design. If it's a back-office tool, keep it clean but don't over-invest.
Data Migration
Moving data from existing systems into new software is often underestimated. Data is messy — it needs cleaning, mapping, validating, and testing. This can add 10-20% to a project's cost.
Compliance and Security
Industries with regulatory requirements (fintech, healthcare, government) require additional security measures, audit trails, and compliance testing. This is non-negotiable and adds cost, but it protects your business.
Typical Price Ranges (UK, 2026)
| Project Type | Estimated Cost | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Simple internal tool or dashboard | £15,000–£30,000 | 4–8 weeks |
| MVP web application | £25,000–£50,000 | 6–10 weeks |
| Full-featured web application | £50,000–£120,000 | 12–24 weeks |
| Mobile app (single platform) | £30,000–£60,000 | 8–14 weeks |
| Mobile app (cross-platform) | £40,000–£80,000 | 10–16 weeks |
| SaaS platform | £60,000–£200,000+ | 16–36 weeks |
| Enterprise system with integrations | £100,000–£250,000+ | 24–52 weeks |
These ranges assume a UK-based consultancy with senior developers. Offshore development can reduce costs by 40-60%, but often introduces communication overhead, quality variance, and timezone challenges that offset the savings.
Day Rates in the UK
UK software development consultancies typically charge between £500 and £1,200 per day, depending on seniority and specialism. A blended team rate (mix of senior and mid-level developers) usually works out to £600–£900 per day.
Be cautious of rates significantly below £400/day for UK-based work — it often indicates junior developers, high staff turnover, or hidden costs.
How to Get the Most From Your Budget
Start With Discovery
Invest 5-10% of your total budget in a structured discovery phase before committing to a full build. This defines the scope clearly, reduces the risk of building the wrong thing, and gives you a much more accurate cost estimate.
Build an MVP First
Don't build the full vision on day one. Identify the smallest version of your product that delivers value, build that, and iterate based on real user feedback. This reduces risk and often reveals that some planned features aren't needed.
Prioritise Ruthlessly
Every feature has a cost. Rank your requirements by business impact and build the highest-impact features first. Features that are "nice to have" can wait for a later phase.
Fix Scope, Not Budget
If your budget is constrained, work with your development partner to adjust scope rather than cutting corners on quality. A smaller, well-built product is worth more than a larger one that's buggy and unreliable.
Ongoing Costs
Custom software doesn't end at launch. Budget for ongoing costs including hosting and infrastructure (£100–£1,000/month depending on scale), maintenance and updates (15-20% of initial build cost annually), support and bug fixes, and feature development as your business evolves.
Warning Signs on Pricing
- Quotes with no discovery. If a team quotes you a fixed price without understanding your requirements in detail, they're guessing.
- Significantly cheaper than everyone else. If one quote is half the price of the others, ask why. The answer is usually junior developers, offshore subcontracting, or missing scope.
- No breakdown. You should see where your money is going — design, development, testing, project management. A single line-item quote is a red flag.
Right Advance Digital provides transparent pricing and honest scoping. We'll tell you what your project will actually cost before you commit. Get in touch for a free initial assessment.