{"head":{"title":"Software Development Cost Calculator | OceanLab","description":"Estimate what your software or app will cost from its features, platform and team rates. Every hour range and rate is shown and editable. Free.","canonical":"https://oceanlab.in/tools/software-development-cost"},"tool":{"slug":"software-development-cost","path":"/tools/software-development-cost","name":"Software development cost","h1":"Software development cost calculator","lede":"Pick the features and platform, check the rates, and get a cost and timeline range you can take to any vendor.","category":"costs","categoryTitle":"Cost calculators","method":["Each feature has a low and a high hour estimate for development. The hours are multiplied by the platform (a web app is 1x, native iOS and Android is 1.9x) and the design level, then a contingency is added.","Design, QA and project management are added as a share of development hours. Each role's hours are multiplied by its hourly rate, and the roles are summed into the cost range.","Weeks come from total hours divided by team size and productive hours per person per week.","The hour ranges are OceanLab planning assumptions, not market benchmarks. Edit any of them in the assumptions panel to match your own quote."],"sources":[{"label":"ECB euro reference exchange rates (22 Oct 2026)","url":"https://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/policy_and_exchange_rates/euro_reference_exchange_rates/html/index.en.html","checkedAt":"2026-10-23"}],"faq":[{"question":"Why is the result a range and not one number?","answer":"Each feature has a low and a high estimate. Before requirements are written down, the honest answer is a range; it narrows as scope gets specific."},{"question":"Which hourly rates does it use?","answer":"Default rates are OceanLab's own: $50 an hour for engineering, $45 for design, $40 for project management and $30 for QA. Change any of them to the rates you have been quoted."},{"question":"Where do the feature hours come from?","answer":"They are OceanLab planning assumptions for a typical version of each feature, not survey data. Each one is editable, so you can replace it with a number from your own team or quote."},{"question":"Is anything I enter sent anywhere?","answer":"No. The tool runs in your browser and there is no sign-up. Nothing leaves the page unless you choose to email your result to OceanLab."}],"updatedAt":"2026-10-25"},"related":[{"href":"/tools/mvp-cost","label":"MVP cost","detail":"Start from a lean MVP feature set, then see what each feature adds and what cutting it would save."},{"href":"/tools/software-maintenance-cost","label":"Software maintenance cost","detail":"See what a product costs to keep running each year after launch, and which line grows fastest."},{"href":"/tools/software-rfp-template","label":"Software RFP template","detail":"Answer a short guided form and copy or download a requirements document you can send to any vendor."}],"studies":[{"meta":{"slug":"pylon","industry":"insurance","projectType":"Insurance operations console","featured":true,"country":"us","tags":["insurtech","ai","saas","enterprise"],"compliances":["SOC 2 Type II","HIPAA-aligned","GDPR","ISO 27001"],"cover":{"src":"/pylon-1.png","width":1440,"height":1207}},"text":{"en":{"title":"Building Pylon - AI-Native Insurance Operations from Prototype to Production","description":"Replaced fragmented policy spreadsheets and disconnected claims tools with a unified AI-driven workspace, designed and shipped in 8 weeks via clickable AI prototype.","category":"InsurTech","client":"Pylon"}}},{"meta":{"slug":"helio","industry":"energy","projectType":"Solar, battery & smart-home app","featured":true,"country":"ch","tags":["energy","iot","mobile","ai"],"compliances":["GDPR","Swiss FADP","IEC 62443","ISO 27001"],"cover":{"src":"/helio-1.png","width":2400,"height":1797}},"text":{"en":{"title":"Helio - Smart Solar & Storage App with IoT Sensor Network from Prototype to Production","description":"Built a consumer iOS and Android app for solar generation, battery storage, EV charging and smart-home device control - backed by an IoT sensor network and AI optimisation engine. Shipped from clickable AI prototype to App Store in 16 weeks.","category":"Energy / IoT","client":"Helio"}}},{"meta":{"slug":"clinica","industry":"clinics","projectType":"Clinic operations platform","featured":true,"country":"sg","tags":["healthcare","ai","saas","enterprise"],"compliances":["PDPA Singapore","MOH-IM8","HIPAA-aligned","ISO 27001"],"cover":{"src":"/clinica-1.png","width":1440,"height":1524}},"text":{"en":{"title":"Clinica - Multi-Department Clinic Operations Console with AI Assistant","description":"Built a multi-department clinic operations console with appointment management, department load tracking, staff performance, resource utilisation and an AI assistant for staff queries - shipped from clickable AI prototype to production in 14 weeks.","category":"Healthcare / Clinic Operations","client":"Clinica"}}},{"meta":{"slug":"qafila","industry":"ecom","projectType":"Order management system","country":"jo","tags":["enterprise"],"compliances":["Jordan PDPL","Saudi PDPL","UAE PDPL","JoFotara e-invoicing","Jordan sales tax and GCC VAT","JFDA and SFDA cosmetics clearance"],"cover":{"src":"/case-studies/qafila/01-home.png","width":1440,"height":1000}},"text":{"en":{"title":"Qafila - Order Management System for Omnichannel Beauty Retail","description":"Designed and built a clickable order management system for an Amman beauty retailer selling through 60 stores, two distribution centres, its own website and app, and Amazon, Noon and a fashion marketplace across Jordan and the GCC: every order in one place, sourcing that explains itself, and one dashboard for every stuck order.","category":"E-commerce & D2C / Order Management","client":"Dar Zanbaq Beauty"}}},{"meta":{"slug":"setback","industry":"govtech","projectType":"Permits & licences","country":"us","tags":["enterprise"],"compliances":["IBC and IRC","IFC","IECC","NEC (NFPA 70)","ADA Title II","WCAG 2.1 AA","Section 508","Title VI language access","PCI DSS"],"cover":{"src":"/case-studies/setback/01-home.png","width":1440,"height":1000}},"text":{"en":{"title":"Setback - Permitting and Licensing Platform with Parallel Plan Review","description":"Designed and built a clickable permitting and licensing platform for a US city's development services department: completeness checks before the review clock starts, building, zoning, fire and public works reviews running in parallel against city targets, an inspection board that checks certifications, and one record for every permit with its parcel, parties, holds, fees and inspections.","category":"GovTech / Permits & Licences","client":"City of Wrenfield Falls Development Services Department"}}}],"more":[{"href":"/case-studies","label":"All case studies","detail":"Every OceanLab product build."},{"href":"/embedded-engineers","label":"Embedded engineers","detail":"OceanLab engineers inside your team on a monthly retainer."}],"today":"2026-10-25"}