On this page
- 01A worked example: how scope moves the price of a client portal
- 02What moves the cost of custom software?
- 03The three costs: build, running and support
- 04When off-the-shelf software is the cheaper and better choice
- 05How to get from a range to a fixed price
- 06Two builds that show the drivers at work
- 07Frequently asked questions
A worked example: how scope moves the price of a client portal
"Custom software" covers too much for one number to mean anything. A client portal is the one type of build where we publish bands, so it shows how the same kind of product changes price as the scope grows.
| Portal scope | Price band | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| One client type: login, onboarding, files, messages and progress | £4,500 to £10,000 | The starting point. One kind of user and no outside systems. |
| Several roles, approvals, payments or integrations | £10,000 to £20,000 | More kinds of user, money moving through it, and other systems to connect. |
| Multi-role or white-label platform, complex workflows, AI, data migration | £20,000 to £30,000+ | The business runs on it. This band is beyond a scoped build and is priced as a larger project. |
The screens look similar in all three. What differs is the number of roles, connections and rules behind them. The full breakdown is on our client portal pricing page.
What moves the cost of custom software?
These six drivers apply to an internal tool, a web app or a customer-facing product alike. Count how many apply to you.
| Cost driver | What it means | Effect on price |
|---|---|---|
| User roles | Each type of user, such as staff, managers, customers or partners, needs its own screens and its own rules about what it can see and do. | Lower: one or two roles. Higher: each role added. |
| Integrations | Every outside system the software talks to needs its data mapped, its errors handled and the link tested with real records. | Lower: none, or reading from one system. Higher: keeping two systems in step in both directions. |
| Data migration | Moving existing records in from spreadsheets or an older system. Duplicates, blanks and mixed formats are cleaned before the new software can rely on them. | Lower: starting empty, or one tidy source. Higher: several sources or years of untidy data. |
| Payments | Taking money means handling failed payments, refunds, receipts and the record of who paid for what. | Lower: no payments. Higher: one-off payments, then subscriptions. |
| Permissions | Rules such as "a manager sees their own team only" or "a customer sees their own orders only". Each rule is built and then tested from every role. | Lower: everyone sees everything. Higher: rules by team, client or record. |
| Audit history | A record of who changed what and when, which matters where money, approvals or regulated decisions are involved. | Lower: none needed. Higher: a full history, with approvals at sensitive steps. |
How to keep it down: build for the one process that costs you the most time today. Leave every role and integration that process does not need for a second phase.
The three costs: build, running and support
The build
A one-off price fixed in the written scope, paid 50% upfront and 50% on launch. The software is built in your own accounts. You own the code and the data.
Running costs
Hosting, any third-party software and any AI usage are billed to you by the providers. They are not part of our price and we do not quote the providers' rates. The amount depends on how many people use the software and how much it stores, and the scope sets out what to expect.
Ongoing support
Run & Improve is an optional monthly retainer at £1,000, £2,000 or £4,000, with a three-month minimum and 30 days notice after that. It suits software that will keep changing. Stable software can be run by your own team from the handover documentation.
When off-the-shelf software is the cheaper and better choice
Custom software is slower to start and costs more upfront than a subscription. Do not commission it when:
- an existing product already fits. If your process is standard and a subscription tool handles it without workarounds, buy the tool;
- the process is still changing. Software built around a process that moves every month is rebuilt every month. Settle it on a spreadsheet first;
- few people will use it. A per-user subscription for three people is hard to beat on cost;
- you cannot name the problem. "We need a system" is not a scope. Start with the audit, or with the brief below.
Custom earns its price when you are paying for several tools that do not talk to each other, working around one that will not bend, or when owning the code and data matters to you. The comparison is in custom software vs SaaS.
How to get from a range to a fixed price
- Write a one-page brief. Who uses it, what they do in it, what it connects to and what success looks like. Our guide on how to write a software brief gives the headings.
- Get a range. On a discovery call we place the brief against the drivers above. Before the audit, a range is all an honest supplier can give.
- Commission the audit. We map how the business runs, the tools it uses and where work gets stuck. The written report is delivered within 10 working days.
- Agree the written scope. Systems, integrations, permissions, success measures and the timeline, with a fixed price. We never promise a delivery date before the scope is signed.
- Build, test, launch. We keep what already works, test real cases and failure paths, then launch in stages and train your team.
If the software is for your own team, see internal tools. If you plan to sell it to customers, see web apps and SaaS builds.
Two builds that show the drivers at work
TMMB Academy: roles
TMMB Academy, a TikTok Shop academy, came to us with fragmented processes, rising software subscriptions and no single system. We built one portal with role-specific workspaces for admins, coaches, creators, sales, assistants and brands.
Six roles, plus subscriptions and payments, is the kind of scope that moves a portal's price up. Read the TMMB Academy case study.
MRM Group: permissions and audit history
For MRM Group, a UK property development and investment company, we built an authenticated internal command centre for clients, deals and tasks. It includes agreement-before-payment flows, document handling, audit history and human approval at sensitive decision points. Read the MRM Group case study.
Frequently asked questions
How much does custom software cost for a small business in the UK?
With us, a scoped build sits in a fixed range and the exact figure depends on roles, integrations, data, payments and permissions. A tool for one team with no integrations sits at the lower end.
What happens if our project is bigger than the scoped build range?
It is priced separately as a larger custom project. Often the better answer is to split it into phases, so the first phase is in use before you commit to the next.
Will you quote a fixed price or bill by the day?
A fixed price against a written scope. You know what the budget covers and what it does not before any work starts.
Who owns the code?
You do, along with the data. It is built in your accounts, so another developer can take it over if you ever want that.
Are US projects priced the same way?
Yes, in dollars. Scoped builds are $10,000 to $30,000 and the audit is $5,000. Currency and tax treatment are confirmed in writing.
How long will the build take?
The timeline is agreed in the written scope, once we know the roles, integrations and data involved. We do not estimate it before then.
Can AI features be added to custom software?
Yes. Each AI feature is limited to approved information and has a person reviewing its output where money, legal commitments or complaints are involved. That testing adds to the scope.