How much does custom software cost in 2026? Real prices

The question every business owner asks

“How much will it cost?” is the first question when considering custom software for your business. And it’s the hardest to answer without knowing your specific case. But we can give you real ranges based on projects we’ve delivered and the Spanish market in 2026.

The short answer: from €3,000 for a specific automation to over €30,000 for a comprehensive system. The useful answer: it depends on what you need to solve and how much that problem costs your business.

Price ranges by project type

Automating a specific process: €3,000 - €8,000

The most common entry point. It’s about automating a particular workflow that currently consumes manual time. Examples:

• Call filtering and management: a system that automatically answers calls, collects client information, and organises callbacks. Ideal for car workshops, clinics, and businesses with high call volumes.
• WhatsApp appointment management: a chatbot that lets clients book, modify, or cancel appointments. Reduces manual work and no-shows.
• Automatic quote sending: generates and sends quotes from templates, with automatic follow-up if the client doesn’t respond.

Business web application: €8,000 - €20,000

A platform with multiple connected features. Includes interface design, admin panel, user roles, and at least one external integration. Examples:

• Client portal: where your clients check order status, invoices, and documentation. Reduces enquiry calls.
• Operational dashboard: a panel with real-time business metrics, connected to your existing tools.
• Sector-specific management system: like a management tool for physiotherapy clinics or a document management system for consultancies.

Comprehensive management system: €20,000 - €50,000+

A complete company-wide solution. Custom ERP, tailored CRM, or platform integrating multiple business areas. Includes multiple modules, complex integrations, existing data migration, and team training.

What factors influence the price

Functional complexity

Automating a form is not the same as building a complete management system. More features, screens, and interactions means more development time.

Integrations with other systems

Connecting your new software with existing tools (ERP, CRM, payment gateways, third-party APIs) adds complexity. Each integration requires understanding the other tool, managing inter-system communication, and handling errors.

Interface design

Internal software used only by your team doesn’t need the same design level as a client-facing platform. The level of visual polish directly impacts development hours.

Support and maintenance

Software is not a product you deliver and forget. Monthly maintenance (updates, bug fixes, small improvements) typically costs between €200 and €800 per month, depending on system complexity.

Provider location

Prices in Spain vary by region. A team in Madrid may have different rates than one in Murcia, although quality may be equivalent. What matters is the quality-to-price ratio, not just the price.

How to calculate your return on investment

Custom software cost isn’t an expense: it’s an investment. And like any investment, what matters is the return. Here’s a simple framework:

Step 1: Quantify the current problem

• How many hours per week does your team spend on the task you want to automate?
• How much does each work hour cost (including social charges)?
• How many clients do you lose due to current inefficiencies?
• How many errors occur that generate additional costs?

Step 2: Calculate annual savings

Real example: a car workshop misses 5 calls per day (of which 2 would have been clients). Average ticket: €300. That’s €600/day x 250 working days = €150,000 in potential lost revenue per year.

A €5,000 automation that captures 50% of those missed calls would recover €75,000 in revenue. The investment pays for itself in less than a month.

Step 3: Consider the cost of doing nothing

Every month without automating, the cost accumulates. Manual hours, errors, lost clients: everything has a price. Sometimes custom software isn’t the expensive option; it’s the cheapest when you calculate what you lose without it.

Signs that a quote isn’t serious

Be wary if:

• The price is suspiciously low: quality development in Spain rarely goes below €30/hour. If the total seems too cheap, it probably is.
• There’s no breakdown: a professional quote details phases, estimated hours per feature, and what each line item includes. “Application development: €5,000” with no further detail is a red flag.
• It doesn’t include post-launch support: if the provider doesn’t mention maintenance, or expects everything to work perfectly from day one, they lack real experience.
• They promise unrealistic timelines: a complete business web application in 2 weeks isn’t realistic. Overly tight deadlines usually mean quality cuts or later surprises.

How to reduce costs without sacrificing quality

Start small

Don’t build everything at once. Identify the highest-impact process and automate that first. A €3,000 project that works well generates confidence (and real data) for deciding next steps. This is what we call an iterative approach to custom software for SMEs.

Define requirements well

The biggest source of cost overruns is changing requirements mid-project. Spend time upfront defining exactly what you need. A good provider will help with this phase.

Prioritise features

Not everything is equally urgent. Classify features as “essential”, “important”, and “nice to have”. Build the essentials first and add the rest in later phases.

Next step: a no-obligation quote

If you want to know how much your specific project would cost, the most direct route is a conversation. Tell us which process you want to improve and in a free 30-minute consultation, we’ll give you a realistic estimate.

You can see examples of what we build in our interactive demos or review all our services. We’re based in Madrid and Murcia.