Pricing
Custom software development pricing
We work as a pod: one product manager and two engineers, working directly with your business team, from understanding the problem to releasing and improving the software.
30 minutes with Jai, our founder. No sales pitch.
Your team & investment
Our typical starting pod: around $15,000/month
Your team & investment
A pod to move your product forward.
We work as a pod: one product manager and two engineers, working directly with your business team—from understanding the problem to releasing and improving the software.
Our typical starting pod
Around $15,000/month
USD. This is a typical monthly budget, not a fixed price for the entire build. Final pricing depends on team allocation and scope.
Discuss your build and budget01
1 product manager — what to build, and the design
Works with your business team to decide what is worth building, and carries the user journeys, interface design, and delivery planning.
02
2 engineers — build and ship it
Build the software, connect the systems it depends on, test changes, and review each other’s work.
03
Founder architecture oversight included
Jai works with the pod during the first few months to guide architecture and key technical decisions, included at no additional charge. This is oversight, not a fourth full-time member or unlimited access.
What the pod takes responsibility for
- Decide what is worth building first.
- Design workflows people can actually use.
- Build, integrate, test, and release the software.
- Review feedback and plan the next improvements.
You remain involved in business decisions and priorities. We manage the day-to-day delivery.
We start with this pod and expand when the scope requires it. Team allocation, monthly budget, and responsibilities are agreed before kickoff.
Before work begins, you receive a scoped plan with an estimated timeline and budget for the first useful release.
For context, hiring a comparable team in the United States costs about $31,000/month in salaries alone, before recruiting, benefits, employer taxes, equipment, and ongoing people management (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 median wages: software developers and project management specialists).
How pricing is agreed
How we agree the price before work begins
We start with this pod and expand when the scope requires it.
Team allocation, monthly budget, and responsibilities are agreed before kickoff.
Before work begins, you receive a scoped plan with an estimated timeline and budget for the first useful release.
Hosting, third-party services, and other project-specific costs are identified in the proposal.
We work on a monthly basis rather than fixed-bid projects.
Compare
How a pod compares with hiring in-house
| Better Software starting pod | Comparable US in-house team | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | Around $15,000 | About $31,000 in salaries alone (BLS, May 2025 median wages) |
| Also pay for | Hosting, third-party services and other project-specific costs, identified in the proposal | Recruiting, benefits, employer taxes, equipment and ongoing people management |
| Design | Included: the product manager covers design | A separate hire |
| Architecture oversight | Founder-led in the first few months, included | A senior hire |
What drives cost
What affects the total cost of custom software
The monthly budget is the rate; the total depends on how long you need the team. That depends on the first useful release, existing systems, and technical dependencies. Where discovery is needed to estimate responsibly, we explain that first.
The first useful release, and what it must prove.
The systems it depends on, and the access available to them.
Data cleanup.
Rollout to the people who will use it.
External approvals, in regulated work.
Services
Where the pod starts
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does custom software development cost?
With us, a typical starting pod is around $15,000/month (USD): one product manager covering design and two engineers, with founder architecture oversight in the first few months. The total depends on how long you need the team, which depends on the first useful release, existing systems and technical dependencies.
Why are software development costs so high?
Most of the cost is people: the time it takes to decide what to build, build it, integrate it, test it and keep it working as the business changes. For context, hiring a comparable team in the United States costs about $31,000/month in salaries alone, before recruiting, benefits, employer taxes, equipment, and ongoing people management.
What is custom software development?
Custom software development is building software around how a specific business works. We start by checking whether the product you already have can be configured or connected to do the job. Custom work makes sense when a recurring problem remains after that, its cost is material, and someone in the business can own the process.
30 minutes with Jai, our founder. No sales pitch.
