Cost guide · 2026
How much does it cost to develop software?
Updated July 2026
It is the hardest question to ask and the hardest to answer: it depends. But “it depends” doesn’t help anyone who has to decide. Whether you need a website, an online shop, a mobile app, custom business software or a system for your company, here are the real price ranges on the Italian market, what freelance developers charge, what pushes a quote up, and how to describe your project so the proposals you get are genuinely comparable — instead of ranging from €3,000 to €60,000 for the same request.
The figures below are indicative market ranges meant for orientation: they help you judge whether a quote is reasonable, they don’t replace one. The real price always depends on your specific case.
Price ranges by project type
| Project type | Indicative range | Typical timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Brochure site / landing page | €1,500 – €5,000 | 2 – 6 weeks |
| E-commerce | €4,000 – €20,000 | 1 – 4 months |
| Custom business software | €8,000 – €50,000+ | 2 – 8 months |
| Mobile app (first version) | €10,000 – €40,000 | 2 – 6 months |
| Industrial automation / integrations | €5,000 – €30,000 | 1 – 5 months |
| AI / machine learning | €10,000 – €60,000+ | 2 – 8 months |
| Maintenance and small changes | €300 – €2,000 / month | ongoing |
How much does a website cost?
€1,500 – €5,000 · 2 – 6 weeks
A brochure site of a few pages, with content you supply and no complex logic, usually lands between €1,500 and €5,000. The price climbs with bespoke design and animation, extra languages, a blog, a members area, or integration with your CRM or back office. Below €1,000 you are almost always buying a quickly assembled template — a fair choice, as long as you know that is what it is.
How much does an online shop cost?
€4,000 – €20,000 · 1 – 4 months
An online shop built on an existing platform (Shopify, WooCommerce, PrestaShop) starts around €4,000. What pushes the quote up is the product catalogue, stock handling, shipping and returns, payment methods and, above all, integration with the systems you already run. A fully bespoke shop passes €20,000 without difficulty.
How much does custom business software cost?
€8,000 – €50,000+ · 2 – 8 months
This is the most variable item of all. Software covering a single process — collecting job sheets, handling orders — starts around €8,000. Once it spans several departments, needs per-role permissions and has to talk to systems already in use, it passes €50,000 quickly. What drives the price is the number of processes and integrations, not how it looks.
How much does it cost to build an app?
€10,000 – €40,000 · 2 – 6 months
A first working version, with only the screens that genuinely matter, falls between €10,000 and €40,000. Building iOS and Android on shared technology (React Native, Flutter) costs considerably less than two separate native apps. Accounts, push notifications, in-app payments, maps or camera access and store publishing all add to the total.
How much does industrial automation software cost?
€5,000 – €30,000 · 1 – 5 months
In automation and machine integration the software is often the smaller part of the job: on-site commissioning, the constraints of existing machinery, safety requirements and production downtime weigh more. Supervisory interfaces, line data collection and links to the back office typically sit between €5,000 and €30,000.
How much does it cost to add AI?
€10,000 – €60,000+ · 2 – 8 months
Plugging in existing models — an assistant answering over your own documents, automatic classification — is relatively cheap and measured in weeks. Training a model on your own data, with measurable quality and a dependable path to production, is a different job: it starts around €10,000 and passes €60,000 once data collection and labelling are involved.
How much does it cost to maintain existing software?
€300 – €2,000 / month · ongoing
Fixes, library security updates, compliance changes and small improvements generally run between €300 and €2,000 a month, often quoted as a yearly percentage of the original build (roughly 15–20%). Budget for it from the start: software that stops being maintained ages fast and turns into a security liability.
What actually drives the price up
Given the same description, two quotes can differ threefold. Almost always the difference sits in these points — worth settling before asking for a number.
How clear the requirement is
A vague project always costs more: whoever quotes it has to price the uncertainty. Every hour spent writing down what you need is worth many euros off the quote.
Integrations with what you already run
Connecting to an existing ERP, CRM or machine is often longer than the development itself, especially when the system is old or poorly documented.
How many users and how much data
A tool for ten colleagues and a service for ten thousand customers are written differently. Stating the expected numbers avoids paying for scale you don’t need.
The level of design
A functional interface built from standard components costs a fraction of a visual identity created from scratch. Both are legitimate — the choice should just be deliberate.
Regulatory and security constraints
Personal data, payments, e-invoicing, regulated industries: work that never shows in the interface but takes weeks.
Urgency
Compressing the timeline means more people in parallel and more coordination. A tight deadline is one of the most expensive lines in any quote.
Rates: hourly, daily or fixed price
Three models are common in Italy, and each has its moment.
- Hourly (roughly €25 – €70/h for a freelance developer, depending on specialisation and experience): suits small or unpredictable work, such as maintenance and fixes.
- Daily (around €200 – €500/day): used for ongoing collaboration, when there is steady work but the scope shifts week to week.
- Fixed price for a defined outcome: the most reassuring formula for the buyer, since the risk of overrun stays with the developer. It does require a well-written scope — without one it becomes a source of arguments.
How to get comparable quotes
If the numbers you receive are wildly apart, it is rarely because someone is taking advantage: each person imagined a different project. Put these points in writing and the proposals become comparable.
- The problem, not the solution: “our technicians lose two hours a day retyping reports by hand” says far more than “I want an app”.
- Who will use it and how many they are: internal staff, customers, suppliers.
- The minimum it must do to be useful on day one, kept separate from what can come later.
- Which systems it must talk to, with name and version if you know them.
- The budget range you have in mind: it doesn’t make you pay more, it immediately shows whether the plan is feasible or needs resizing.
- When you need it and why that date: a real deadline changes the technical choices.
Mistakes that cost you
- Choosing on price alone: the cheapest quote is often the one written by whoever understood the problem least.
- Asking for everything at once: starting with an essential version and growing on real usage costs less and misses less.
- Not asking who owns the code: settle it in writing before starting, not after.
- Forgetting the aftermath: hosting, maintenance and updates are recurring costs, not optional extras.
- Comparing quotes written against different briefs: without a common description, the comparison is meaningless.
Frequently asked questions
How much does custom business software cost?
In Italy custom business software typically starts around €8,000 to cover a single process, and easily passes €50,000 once it spans several departments and must integrate with existing systems. The number of processes and integrations drives the price far more than the visual design.
How much does a smartphone app cost?
A first working version with a few key screens usually falls between €10,000 and €40,000. Building iOS and Android on shared technology cuts the cost significantly compared with two separate native apps.
Why do I get such different quotes for the same project?
Almost always because the request left room for interpretation: everyone quoted the project they pictured. A written description of features, users and integrations dramatically narrows the spread.
Freelancer or agency?
A freelancer has lower overheads and direct communication, and suits well-defined projects. An agency offers more continuity and cover when something goes wrong, at a higher price. For many small and mid-sized projects a good freelancer is the more efficient choice.
How do I tell whether a quote is honest?
Check whether it states what is included and what is not, whether it gives timelines and how progress will be verified, and whether the person asked you questions before writing it. A quote produced without a single question is almost always a number pulled out of thin air.
Do I have to pay to receive quotes?
No. Receiving proposals should be free. On Araknet posting a project costs credits (a small filter against non-serious requests), but the offers you receive cost nothing extra and there is no commission on the work.
What does a developer charge per hour in Italy?
A freelance developer in Italy typically charges between €25 and €70 an hour, depending on experience and specialisation: widely used technologies sit at the lower end, scarce skills such as industrial automation, security or machine learning at the top. Day rates run roughly €200 to €500.
How long does it take to develop software?
A brochure site takes 2 to 6 weeks; an online shop or a departmental system 1 to 4 months; an app or a system spanning several processes 2 to 8 months. Timelines usually slip for non-technical reasons: waiting on content, access to existing systems, and internal decisions.
Should I build from scratch or buy something ready-made?
If an existing product covers 80% of what you need, adopting and adapting it is normally the better call: it costs less and you have it now. Custom development earns its keep when the process you want to digitise is your competitive advantage, or when several subscription fees together exceed the cost of owning the solution.
Are there costs beyond development?
Yes, and they belong in the budget from day one: hosting and domains, third-party licences, payment processing fees, store accounts where relevant, and routine maintenance. Together they typically account for 15–20% of the initial build cost each year.
See also: the best freelance platforms in Italy.
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