# How much does custom software cost? An honest pricing guide

> What actually drives the cost of a custom software project, why quotes differ so wildly, and how to keep your budget predictable.

_2026-08-29 · Kronn (https://kronn.gr)_

"What would a system for my business cost?" is the first question in every conversation — and the hardest to answer honestly in one sentence. Anyone who quotes you a price before understanding your operation is guessing. What *can* be explained clearly is what drives the cost — and that's where the gaps between quotes start to make sense.

![Cost drivers of a custom build: feature scope, integrations, design, data migration, maintenance](/insights/img/poso-kostizei-to-custom-logismiko-1-en.png)

## The five factors that move the number

**Feature scope** is by far the biggest. "Order management" can mean a list with a status field, or a flow with approvals, notifications, partial deliveries and an audit trail. The first is a week; the second, months. That's why two quotes for "the same" project differ by 3x — they aren't pricing the same thing.

**Integrations.** Every connection to a third-party system — ERP, courier, bank, tax platform — adds work that never shows on screen: API quirks, error handling, synchronisation.

**Design.** A tool for five expert users needs less design investment than a consumer store where every detail moves sales.

**Data migration.** If today's data lives in spreadsheets and legacy systems, cleaning and moving it is real, billable work.

**Maintenance.** Software in production needs care: updates, backups, small fixes, evolution. Budget 15–20% of the build cost annually — and treat it as insurance, not expense.

## How the budget stays predictable

Our answer is phased delivery:

![How cost stays predictable: small first phase, working deliverable, measurement, next phase](/insights/img/poso-kostizei-to-custom-logismiko-2-en.png)

Instead of one mammoth contract, a small first phase with a strict perimeter: the most valuable 20% of the functionality, in production, within 4–8 weeks. The result is measured, and the next phase is decided on real data — not six-month-old assumptions. Every phase has a known cost before it starts; total risk never exceeds the phase that's running.

This also protects you from the field's most expensive mistake: building in full something that wasn't needed in full. At the first working deliverable, half of the "essential" features turn out unnecessary — and that's money never spent.

## What about the "cheap" quote?

There is always an offer at half the price. It usually means one of three things: less scope (fine — if you know it), low-cost subcontractors (you'll meet the consequences at maintenance time), or a bait price with changes billed steeply afterwards (the most common). Ask what is *not* included — that's where the answer hides.

If you want an honest estimate for a specific need, [describe your operation to us](/en/contact) — we'll also tell you what not to build. See how we work on [custom internal tooling](/en/services/internal-tools).

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Page: https://kronn.gr/en/insights/poso-kostizei-to-custom-logismiko