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What does a web application cost?

From €2,950 for a first working module, up to €20,000 for a complete portal. Below you see what that amount consists of, what pushes the price up or down, and how to calculate whether it works out.

THE BREAKDOWN

What the amount consists of

Building a web application is mainly thinking and custom work: translating your process into screens, roles and integrations. The technology itself is rarely the most expensive item.

COST BREAKDOWN OF A WEB APPLICATION
Component Share What it covers
Analysis and process design10–15%Which steps, which roles, which exceptions
Screens and interaction25–35%Portal, dashboard or tool, designed around your process
Integrations with your packages15–20%Accounting, CRM or webshop join in via API
Permissions, security and testing15–20%Who can see what, with everything tested before launch
Data migration and adoption10–15%Moving existing data over and guiding the first users
Documentation and handover5–10%So you know what is there and who can work on it

THREE SCENARIOS

What you pay in practice

Indications based on comparable projects. You always get a fixed price up front — these amounts give direction, not obligation.

FIRST MODULE

€2,950 – €4,500

One process, one environment that works. For example a client portal where customers see their job, planning and documents. Four to six weeks.

PORTAL

€8,000 – €20,000

Multiple roles and integrations. For example a portal for customers and mechanics, connected to accounting and planning. Built up in sprints.

PLATFORM

€20,000 and up

The core of your business operations: multiple user groups, automation and reporting. Always delivered in phases, each phase at a fixed price.

ALL AMOUNTS EXCLUDING VAT · FIXED PRICE UP FRONT · PAYMENT 50% AT START, 50% ON DELIVERY

RUNNING COSTS

The running costs of an application

A web application consumes virtually nothing: no licences per user, no transaction fees. What remains is hosting, maintenance and further development.

We fix hosting and updates in a maintenance package. Further development happens in sprints at a fixed price per sprint — you set the pace.

Why we do not charge a licence per user. Because the code is yours. A portal with ten or with a thousand users costs the same to run — growth never becomes a cost item.
  • Hosting — from €19 per month, Dutch servers with backups and monitoring.
  • Maintenance and updates — from €49 per month, security updates and small fixes.
  • Further development in sprints — from €1,500 per sprint, at a fixed price agreed up front.
  • No licence per user — ten or a thousand users, the price stays the same.
  • No lock-in — code, data and accounts are yours; switching costs nothing.

PAYBACK

When does such an application pay for itself?

The question that really matters. Three examples based on €35 per hour for administrative work that largely disappears.

PAYBACK EXAMPLES
Situation Saved p/m Build price Paid back in
5 hours of admin per week≈ €750€4,500± 6 months
10 hours of admin per week≈ €1,500€8,000± 6 months
20 hours of admin per week≈ €3,000€20,000± 7 months

CALCULATION EXAMPLES, NOT A GUARANTEE · EXCLUDING RUNNING COSTS · BASED ON 4.3 WEEKS PER MONTH

Our rule of thumb. Under twelve months payback, a web application is almost always sensible — it keeps running for years. Above that we check whether a smaller first module does tip the balance, and if not, we say so honestly: do not build.
Have it calculated on your process What exactly do we build?

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

About web application costs

Why is €2,950 the lower limit?

Below that amount there is no room for analysis, design and integrations — precisely the parts that make custom work custom. For simple tasks without a process of your own, cheaper off-the-shelf tools exist, and we will tell you so honestly.

What pushes the price up most?

Integrations and exceptions. Every connection to an existing package costs analysis and testing, and every ‘except when’ case in your process needs its own logic. A portal with standard roles and one integration is therefore much cheaper than a tool with ten exceptions.

Can I build and pay in phases?

Building in phases is our standard: every sprint delivers something that works, at a fixed price up front. Payment is 50% at start and 50% at delivery; a spread schedule is possible on request.

Is custom work not much more expensive than an off-the-shelf package?

To buy, often yes; to use, rarely. An off-the-shelf package charges per user per month and forces your process into its mould. After two to three years of licences — plus the hours for work the package just cannot do — custom is often the cheaper option.

What if the application does not deliver what we hoped?

That is why we start with one module instead of the whole platform. If it does not work as intended, we adjust within the same sprint. And if the payback calculation is truly unfavourable up front, we advise against building.

Ready to calculate with real numbers?

In a free 30-minute consultation you get a payback calculation on your process — including a fixed price for the first module.

Book a free consultation info@agentslabs.net