What does it cost to have a web application built?

The question everyone asks but nobody dares to google. Because you are afraid of the answer. Or you are afraid you will not be able to do anything with it because "it depends". Let me try to give you an honest answer anyway.

First: what do we mean by a web application?

A website displays information. A web application does something.

Think of:

• A portal where customers log in and manage their details
• A dashboard where your team views real-time figures
• A system where dealers place orders
• An asset library where partners download files

There is a database behind it. There is user management. Something happens with the data that comes in.

That is fundamentally different from a website with five pages and a contact form.

The traditional route

If you go to a development agency for a custom application, you can expect:

• Discovery and specifications: a significant budget in itself
• Design: often an even larger item
• Development: by far the largest share of the investment
• Testing and delivery: another considerable item

In total? A serious investment. Lead time? Three to twelve months. And that is before you factor in maintenance, hosting or further development. This is not an exaggeration. This is what companies pay for serious applications. Rightly so, because a lot of work goes into them. But it puts them out of reach for many organisations.

The no-code route

This is where it gets interesting. With tools such as Webflow, Wized and Xano, we build the same functionality. But faster. And therefore at lower cost. As an indication:

• Simple portal (logging in, viewing content, basic user management): the most accessible option
• Mid-sized application (multiple user roles, forms, dashboard, integrations): a moderate budget
• Complex application (advanced search, workflows, analytics, extensive permissions management): a larger budget, still well below the traditional route

Lead time? Four to twelve weeks.

Why the difference?

Three reasons.

No code to write. The tools we use are visual. What takes hours in traditional development, we do in minutes. That saves an enormous amount of time.

No infrastructure to set up. Servers, databases, deployment pipelines. In traditional development, all of that has to be built and managed. With us, it is built into the tools.

Reusable patterns. We do not build a login system from the ground up every time. We have patterns that we adapt to your situation. Faster than starting from scratch.

What affects the price?

The honest "it depends" factors:

Number of user roles. A portal where everyone sees the same thing is simpler than a system with admins, managers and end users who all have different permissions.

Integrations. Does the application need to talk to your CRM? Your accounting? Your inventory system? Every connection takes time.

Complexity of the data. A flat list of products is simple. Products with variants, tiered pricing, stock levels and supplier information are complex.

Design. A functional design based on existing components is faster than a fully custom design with animations and micro-interactions.

Search functionality. Simple filtering is different from advanced search with Algolia across thousands of items.

What do you get for that money?

With us, you get a working application that:

• Looks professional and is pleasant to use
• Loads quickly and scales well
• Is secure (data in Europe, SSL, user authentication)
• Can be managed by your team after delivery
• Is easy to extend as your needs grow

Plus documentation, training and support during and after the project.

How do I know what I need?

Often you do not. And that is fine. We start every project with a conversation. What do you want to achieve? What problem are you solving? Who is going to use it? From there, we put together a proposal. Not a thirty-page quote you will never read. A clear document setting out what we will build, what it costs and how long it takes. Sometimes the answer is: this can be simpler than you think. Sometimes the answer is: this is more complex than you hoped. But you know where you stand before you commit to anything.

Shall we look at what your application would cost?

Send us a message with a short description of what you have in mind. Within a few days, you will hear from us whether it is realistic, what the rough budget range is, and whether it makes sense to talk further. No obligations. No surprises.