Software and app development pricing, in plain numbers.
Indicative 2026 ranges for every stage from MVP to enterprise platform, our developer rates, and four ways to work together. Your exact price comes in a written estimate within 48 hours.
Rate card, 2026
USD, indicative
- Clickable prototype
- $1.5k–4k
- MVP
- $4k–20k
- Growth product
- $20k–55k
- Enterprise platform
- $50k to $105k+
- Dedicated developer
- $2.5k–5k/mo
- Time & material
- $18–35/hr
- Maintenance
- 15-20%/yr
Ranges, not quotes. Hosting and third-party fees are extra. Your exact price comes in a written estimate.
Engagement models
Four ways to work with us.
Pick by how settled your scope is and how long you need us. Most products move from one model to the next as they grow.
- 01
Fixed scope project
Milestone billing
From $4k
per project, fixed before work starts
A defined feature list, timeline and price. You approve each milestone against clear acceptance criteria before it is billed.
- Price agreed before work starts
- Clear acceptance criteria per milestone
- Free warranty period after launch
Best for: MVPs, websites and well-specified products
Estimate a project - 02
Dedicated team
Monthly per seat
$2.5k–5k
per full-time developer per month
Developers, designers and QA who work only on your product, in your tools and rituals. Nexzem handles hiring, payroll, equipment and replacement.
- Short trial period first
- Scale seats up or down monthly
- Full-time or part-time seats
Best for: Products with a roadmap of six months or more
Hire developers - 03
Time & material
Hours worked
$18–35
per hour, by seniority
You pay for the hours worked and reprioritise freely. A monthly or phase budget cap keeps spend predictable.
- Weekly timesheets
- Change priorities any sprint
- Full backlog transparency
Best for: Evolving products where scope changes sprint to sprint
Fixed price vs T&M - 04
Maintenance & support
Monthly plan
15-20% a year
of the original build cost, as a typical budget
After the launch support window, a plan covering OS and library updates, monitoring, security patches and new features.
- Updates and security patches
- Monitoring and bug fixes
- A backlog for small enhancements
Best for: Live apps that need updates, fixes and small features
Maintenance & support
Model chooser
Not sure which model? Answer three questions.
Each answer scores the four models the way our consultants would. It takes about twenty seconds and nothing is sent until you choose to.
0 of 3 answered
Which model fits?
Answer the three questions. The bars below move with every answer, and the leader becomes your recommendation.
- Fixed scope project0
- Dedicated team0
- Time & material0
- Maintenance & support0
Prefer a number for a specific app? Try the app cost calculator.
What a project typically costs, by stage.
The same bands as our app cost calculator, from our 2026 pricing guide, converted at about ₹97 to the dollar and rounded.
- Prove the idea01
MVP
$4k–20k
₹4–18 lakh
Typically 8-16 weeks
- One platform or one cross-platform app
- A handful of core features
- Login, notifications and a lean backend
Typical teamDesigner, one or two developers, QA
- Launch to real customers02
Growth product
$20k–55k
₹20–55 lakh
Typically 3-6 months
- Android and iOS, often plus web
- Payments, admin panel and notifications
- Integrations with the tools you already use
Typical teamDesigner, mobile and backend developers, QA, project manager
- Run a business on it03
Enterprise platform
$50k to $105k+
₹50 lakh to ₹1 crore+
Phased releases, usually 6 months and beyond
- Marketplace, fintech or healthcare scale
- Real-time features and many integrations
- Access control, audit logs and compliance work
Typical teamCross-functional team with DevOps and a delivery lead
Just need to test an idea? A clickable prototype runs $1.5k–4k (₹1.5–4 lakh), with no production code, ideal for investor pitches and user tests.
After launch, plan roughly 15-20% of the build cost per year for updates, fixes and small changes, plus hosting and third-party fees.
What moves the number
Most of the price is engineering time.
Anything that adds hours adds cost. The idea itself is rarely the driver: two founders with the same idea can spend very different amounts.
Features and screens
Every login method, filter, chat window or report is design, code and test time.
Platforms
Two native apps cost more than one Flutter or React Native codebase, by roughly a third.
Backend and admin
Servers, APIs and a dashboard for your team are often a large share of the work.
Integrations
Payments, maps, SMS, WhatsApp or an ERP each need setup, error handling and testing.
Design depth
Standard components cost less than a custom identity with heavy animation.
Security and compliance
Health, financial or children's data needs access control, encryption and audit logs.
Developer rates
Indicative, USD
For dedicated teams and time and material work. Rates depend on seniority, stack and whether the seat is full-time or part-time.
Mid-level developer
Features, integrations and tests on an established codebase
- Monthly
- $2.5k–3.5k
- Hourly
- $18–25
Senior developer
Architecture decisions, complex integrations, code review
- Monthly
- $3.5k–5k
- Hourly
- $25–35
Lead, architect or AI specialist
Priced on the exact skills and hours the work needs
- Monthly
- Quoted per brief
- Hourly
- Quoted per brief
Side by side
The four models, compared.
The trade-off is always the same: certainty of cost against freedom to change course. Scroll the table sideways on a phone.
| Criterion | Fixed scope project | Dedicated team | Time & material | Maintenance & support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | MVPs, websites, defined products | Long roadmaps, scaling teams | Evolving scope | Live apps |
| How you pay | Per milestone | Monthly per seat | Hours worked, weekly timesheets | Monthly plan |
| Indicative price | $4k–20k for a lean MVP | $2.5k–5k per developer a month | $18–35 an hour | 15-20% of build cost a year |
| Budget certainty | High: price agreed up front | High: fixed monthly cost | Medium: budget cap per phase | High: fixed monthly plan |
| Changing scope | Through a change request | Any time, in your backlog | Any sprint | Within the plan's backlog |
| Who manages the work | Nexzem, you approve milestones | You, with our support | Shared sprint planning | Nexzem, against your priorities |
| Your effort | Low | Highest | Medium | Low |
Deeper reading: fixed price vs time and material, staff augmentation vs dedicated team and in-house vs outsourcing.
In every project
What the price includes.
The work behind every estimate, from discovery to post-launch support. Hosting, store accounts and third-party fees such as payments, SMS or maps are extra and paid to those providers.
Discovery
Workshops to map goals, users, constraints and success metrics before any code.
Design
Wireframes, clickable prototypes and a design system your team can extend.
Two-week sprints
A demo every sprint, code reviews and automated tests on every merge.
Quality assurance
Functional, performance and security testing across real devices and browsers.
Launch
Zero-downtime release, app store submission, monitoring and analytics from day one.
Post-launch support
Every project includes a support window, with a free warranty period on fixed-scope work.
How we estimate
From a few lines to a priced plan in about two days.
We write down the assumptions behind the estimate, so you can see what changes the price before you sign anything.
- 01
Free consultation
Share a few lines. A solutions consultant replies within one business day with questions, not a sales script.
- 02
Scope and assumptions
We list features, platforms, integrations and what is out of scope, so every number has a reason.
- 03
Estimate within 48 hours
A fixed quote or a team-based estimate, broken down by milestone, usually within 48 hours of the call.
- 04
NDA, agreement, kickoff
A mutual NDA before details, milestone billing in the agreement, then a kickoff and the first sprint.
Get a number yourself first
Proof from clients, not promises.
250+ clients across 15+ industries. Here are four of them in their own words, with what the project changed.
Manufacturing“They understood my needs and created a user-friendly site. I highly recommend Nexzem Technologies for top-notch website development.”
Rewati, Founder & CEO, Rewati Hitech
Read the case studyWhat changedProspective partners can understand the white labeling offer before getting in touch.
Healthcare“Nexzem Technologies did an excellent job on our hospital's website. They understood our needs and created a visually appealing, user-friendly site.”
Shubham, Founder & CEO, Alien Hospital
Read the case studyWhat changedPatients can find departments and contact details from any phone.
Education“Their team comprehensively understood our needs and delivered a website that is both visually impressive and user-friendly.”
Prem Kumar, Founder & CEO, MIN Patna
Read the case studyWhat changedStudents and parents can review courses and admission details in one place.
Retail & eCommerce“Their team's expertise and dedication resulted in a high-quality, user-friendly app that perfectly meets our needs.”
Abhilash Maithani, Founder & CEO, Garhwal Mobile
Read the case studyWhat changedCustomers can browse and order from Garhwal Mobile on their phones at any time.
Mutual NDA first
Signed before any detailed discussion of your idea.
You own the code
100% of the source code and IP is yours on delivery.
Reply in one business day
From a solutions consultant, Mon to Sat, 09:30 to 18:30 IST.
Estimate in 48 hours
A fixed quote or team estimate, broken down by milestone.
Pricing questions, answered
Something else on your mind? Ask a consultant and get a reply within one business day.
How much does app development cost in 2026?
Indicative ranges are $1.5k–4k for a clickable prototype, $4k–20k for a lean MVP, $20k–55k for a growth product on Android and iOS with payments and an admin panel, and $50k to $105k+ for enterprise platforms such as marketplaces, fintech or healthcare apps. These are the bands in our app cost guide, converted from rupees and rounded.
How much does it cost to hire a dedicated developer?
As an indicative range, a full-time dedicated developer costs about $2.5k–5k a month depending on seniority and stack, billed monthly after a short trial. Leads, architects and AI specialists are quoted per brief. See hire developers for the roles we place.
What are your hourly rates?
Time and material work is billed at roughly $18–35 an hour depending on seniority, with weekly timesheets. Most clients set a monthly or phase budget cap so spend stays predictable.
Fixed price or time and material: which should I choose?
Fixed price suits a stable, written scope: you know the cost before work starts. Time and material suits products whose scope will change, because you can reprioritise every sprint without renegotiating. Read the full fixed price vs time and material comparison.
Why are your prices lower than agencies in the US or UK?
Our team is based in Dehradun, India, where engineering salaries and office costs are usually lower than in those markets. The process is the same: discovery, design, two-week sprints with demos, testing on real devices and a support window after launch.
What is included in a fixed-scope quote?
Discovery, design, development, quality assurance, deployment and app store submission, plus a free warranty period after launch. Hosting, third-party fees such as payment gateway, SMS or maps charges, and store accounts are not included: you pay those providers directly.
How do you estimate a project?
After a free consultation we list features, platforms, integrations and assumptions, then send a fixed quote or a team-based estimate broken down by milestone, usually within 48 hours. For a quick range first, try the app cost calculator.
How do payments work?
Fixed-scope projects are billed by milestone as set out in the agreement. Dedicated teams are billed monthly per seat and time and material work against timesheets. Clients outside India usually pay by international wire in USD. See our refund and cancellation policy for the details.
Do I own the code and IP?
Yes. You own 100% of the source code and IP on delivery, and we sign a mutual NDA before any detailed discussion.
How much does maintenance cost after launch?
Many teams budget roughly 15-20% of the original build cost per year for OS updates, library upgrades, fixes and small changes. Every project includes a support window first; after that you can choose a maintenance plan.
Can we start small and switch models later?
Yes. A common path is a fixed-scope MVP, then a dedicated team or time and material once the product has users and the roadmap is driven by feedback. The same people can stay on the product when the billing model changes.
Can I hire part-time developers?
Yes. Dedicated seats can be full-time or part-time, and you can scale the team up or down monthly. Compare options in staff augmentation vs dedicated team.
Want your exact number?
Share a few lines about the product. A consultant replies within one business day and sends a milestone-by-milestone estimate, usually within 48 hours of a free consultation.
- 01
Share the brief
Use the form, call, or message us on WhatsApp. A few lines is enough.
- 02
Reply within one business day
A solutions consultant answers, Mon to Sat, 09:30 to 18:30 IST.
- 03
Next steps, estimate and team
A rough estimate and a suggested team, before you commit to anything.