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How Much Does Custom Software Cost in Australia?

The honest answer is that custom software costs whatever the smallest useful version of it costs, and most quotes are large because the scope is large, not because the rate is high.

Our published starting point is A$1,500 for a single tool, A$15,000 and up for a multi-module suite, and enterprise systems are quoted individually. A single tool typically takes four to twelve weeks. Anything over A$10,000 is paid in milestones rather than up front.

What actually drives the price

How to make it cost less

The single biggest lever is scope, and the second is sequencing. Build the process that hurts most, use it for a month, then decide what is next from evidence rather than from the wish list written before anything existed.

Keeping the first release to one user role and no integrations routinely halves a first quote, and it gets something in front of your team weeks earlier.

What you own

You own the code and the data. Ongoing support is optional at A$250 a month for updates and fixes, not a licence you have to keep paying to keep using what you paid for.

Common questions

Is custom software cheaper than a subscription tool?

Not at first, and often not for years. It wins when the subscription does not fit your process, when per-seat pricing scales badly for your headcount, or when the workaround around the tool is costing more than the tool.

Can you quote from a one-page brief?

We can give a range. A fixed number needs a scoping conversation, because the questions that move the price - roles, integrations, migration - are rarely in the brief.

What is the smallest sensible project?

Around A$1,500 for a single focused tool. Below that you are usually better served by configuring something off the shelf, and we will say so.

Talk it through first

Tell us what you are trying to do. If something off the shelf already does it, or the job is smaller than you think, we will say so.

Get in touch

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