Guide / Budget
How much does custom software cost?
Cost is driven by scope, integrations, data quality and the number of user roles. The fastest way to cut it: ship one workflow first. DeltaV quotes a fixed price after a free 30-minute scoping call.
01
What drives cost
| Driver | Pushes cost up when |
|---|---|
| Scope | Many workflows go into the first release. |
| Integrations | Many systems, no APIs, unreliable sources. |
| Data | Records are messy, duplicated or scattered. |
| Roles | Many user types, permissions and approval paths. |
| Compliance | Audit trails, retention or regulated data. |
| AI | Evaluation, human review and monitoring are required. |
02
What drives timeline
Scope and decision speed. Most delay comes from waiting on access, data and answers, not from code. One owner with authority to decide keeps the build moving.
03
How to cut cost
- Ship one workflow first.
- Integrate before replacing.
- Clean only the data the first release needs.
- Keep commodity features in products you already pay for.
- Demand weekly demos. Catch wrong turns in days, not months.
04
Fixed quote vs hourly
Hourly billing puts scope risk on you. A fixed quote forces scope to be defined up front. DeltaV scopes first, then quotes one price, with weekly demos until handover.