At SIMPLY CODE SOLUTIONS, a web app costs CHF 9'000 – 13'500 for a simple tool, CHF 28'000 – 42'000 for a customer portal or CHF 70'000 – 105'000 for a SaaS product, depending on the package. Login and a database are included in these amounts, and add-ons such as integrations come on top. These are guide prices. You receive the binding quote after we talk.
The packages are far apart because very different projects go by the name web app. A small report for three people and a customer portal with billing have little in common except that both run in a browser. Unlike a simple website, a web app is not built on a template. Concept, testing, security and operations drive the work here. All amounts are on our page software prices and guide ranges.
How the price of a web app is built up
You first choose the package that fits your project. It sets the scope of the application and the timeframe. Login and a database are included. After that, only the add-ons you really need come on top. Most of them have a fixed amount.
- Additional roles and permissions: CHF 2'500 – 3'800
- Reports and export: CHF 2'500 – 3'800
- Live data in real time: CHF 8'000 – 12'000
- Online payment by card and TWINT: CHF 500 – 800
- Simple integration, for example accounting or shipping: CHF 1'500 – 2'300
- Integration with ERP or industry software: CHF 9'000 – 13'500
- Migration of existing data: CHF 2'500 – 3'800
Custom design and additional languages are a share of the package price, because the work grows with the size of the application. What a package already includes is not charged twice. In the SaaS product, for example, payment and roles are already part of it. The shares and the extra weeks per feature are on the pricing page.
Three model cases
These are model cases using the figures above. None of them is a client project. The project assistant works out the total for your own selection.
Example 1: internal tool with login and database
A team records orders in a spreadsheet today and wants to keep them in one place in the browser. Staff sign in, and the data sits in a database.
- Package: simple tool, CHF 9'000 – 13'500
- Included: login and database for one team
- Add-ons: none needed
Example 2: customer portal with a simple integration
Customers see their orders online and receive notifications through an email service. That service is well documented, so connecting it counts as a simple integration. Because outsiders use the portal, the demands on usability, help text and error messages rise. That is why the customer portal package applies here and not the simple tool.
- Package: customer portal, CHF 28'000 – 42'000
- Included: login, roles and separate data per customer
- Add-on: simple integration, CHF 1'500 – 2'300
Example 3: portal connected to an older ERP system
The same portal now has to read prices and stock levels directly from the ERP system, the central software for orders, stock and invoices. The documentation has gaps and the data is inconsistent. A simple integration is no longer enough.
- Package: customer portal, CHF 28'000 – 42'000
- Included: login, roles and separate data per customer
- Add-on: integration with ERP or industry software, CHF 9'000 – 13'500
Examples 2 and 3 differ in one integration only. Instead of CHF 1'500 – 2'300 it costs CHF 9'000 – 13'500, and the timeframe gets longer. So check early which systems really have to be connected.
What moves the amount within the price range
Four things mainly decide where a project sits within the price range.
- Who uses the application. An internal tool for ten staff can look plainer than a customer portal.
- How fine-grained the permissions are. Accounts bring password resets, roles and often a log of who changed what.
- How many exceptions the process has. The standard case is usually quick to build. Special discounts, partial invoices, cancellations and delegation rules are what cost money.
- How clean existing data is. Migration is an add-on, but old data often needs cleaning up, and that work is easy to overlook at the start.
The more clearly these points are described before you start, the firmer the price.
How to lower costs sensibly
- Start with the smallest scope that brings real value. The article Scoping your first version shows how.
- Check which exceptions can be handled manually for now.
- Use existing services for payments or email rather than building them.
- Check whether you need a web app at all. The comparison website or web app helps you decide. The article How much does a website cost in Switzerland? shows the website packages.
- Do not save on tests and documentation. You pay for that with every later change.
Fixed price or time and materials?
For a clearly defined scope we work at a fixed price. You know the price before we start, and we discuss any changes together. Where questions are still open we bill time and materials, and you always see what the hours were spent on. You will find more answers in our frequently asked questions on process and pricing.
Do not forget running costs
Beyond development there are costs for hosting, monitoring, updates and further development. Application care costs CHF 400 – 650 per month, small changes included. Plan for these costs from the start so the product does not stall after launch. What we take on is described on the page software operations and support. What looking after a website involves is explained in the article Website maintenance: what it covers and costs.
How to get your own figure
In the project assistant for your request you choose a package and add-ons. You see a price range and timeframe straight away, calculated with the same figures as this article. We then talk through scope, exceptions and integrations, and you receive the binding quote after that conversation. What we build and how we work is on the page web app development.