How much does custom development cost?

Cost depends on project complexity. Simple web app — from $2000, complex system with mobile app and integrations — from $5000. We provide an exact estimate after analyzing your task.

How long does development take?

From 3 weeks for simple solutions to 3-4 months for complex systems. We work in iterations — first working prototype is shown within 2-3 weeks.

What tasks have you solved before?

Audio management systems for shopping malls, pilot apps, equipment monitoring dashboards, specialized accounting systems and much more. If a task has a technical solution — we'll find it.

Do you work with the defense sector?

Yes, we have experience developing specialized apps for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. We understand the specifics: offline work, maps, data protection, rapid deployment.

How does post-launch support work?

We provide technical support, fix bugs, add new features. We can work on a subscription basis or per individual tasks.

Custom Development

Custom Software Development

Have a task with no ready-made software? We build solutions from scratch — tailored to your unique processes, requirements and business specifics. Any complexity, any platform.

No ready-made solution on the market — we'll build from scratch for your processes
Any platform: web, mobile app, IoT, desktop
From idea and prototype to a working product with support

Audio Management System for Shopping Mall

Problem: Shopping mall couldn't properly manage music, announcements and sound zones. Existing solutions were inconvenient and lacked flexibility.

Solution: Built a web system with audio zone management, playback scheduling, emergency announcements and real-time equipment monitoring.

Web App IoT REST API Real-time

Problem: A system was needed to coordinate duty officers and FPV strike drone pilots — position management, EW analytics, mission tracking, drone and component inventory.

Solution: Built a real-time PWA system with role-based access (duty officers, pilots, commanders), performance analytics, inventory management and Ukrainian-language interface.

PWA Socket.io Real-time Role-based Access

Defense & Security

Military apps, logistics systems, unit coordination, equipment tracking. Offline work, maps, data protection.

IoT & Equipment Control

Web panels for managing audio, lighting, climate, screens. Sensor monitoring, alerts, automation.

Industry & Manufacturing

Quality control systems, production line monitoring, raw material tracking, equipment control panels.

Logistics & Transport

Vehicle tracking, dispatcher panels, route planning, cargo and delivery management.

Healthcare & Rehabilitation

Specialized apps for doctors, patient monitoring, booking systems, telemedicine.

Internal Business Tools

Digital queues, booking systems, analytics dashboards, document flow — whatever you specifically need.

Task Analysis

We dig into your process. What exactly doesn't work, what's missing, what the result should be. We don't start without this step.

Prototype & Architecture

We design the solution, choose technologies, create a prototype. You see how it will look before development starts.

Iterative Development

Every 1-2 weeks we show results. You test, give feedback, we adjust. No surprises at the end.

Testing

We test everything: functionality, load, security, edge cases. Especially thorough for critical systems.

Launch & Training

We deploy the system, train your team, hand over documentation. Ensure a smooth transition.

Support & Evolution

We don't disappear after launch. We fix bugs, add features, scale the solution as you grow.

We choose technologies for the task, not the other way around. From proven classics to modern — the key is that the solution works reliably.

PHPNode.jsPython ReactVue.jsReact Native PostgreSQLMongoDBRedis REST APIWebSocketDocker IoTMQTTMaps API

Also

Other Services

Landing Page

A page to attract clients and collect leads

from $550

Corporate Website

Multi-page website to represent your business

from $1200

E-commerce

Online store with catalog, cart and payments

from $2500

CRM System

Customer, sales and communication management

from $3000

Cost Calculator

Updated: Apr 04, 2026

Most businesses start with off-the-shelf solutions — and that makes sense. But there comes a point when Bitrix24, Salesforce, or Excel become limitations, not tools: lacking functionality, rising subscription costs, data not integrating across systems. Custom development means building software for your specific task: from web applications and PWAs to IoT systems and real-time platforms. At Artbrain, we build solutions from scratch — for business, manufacturing, defense, and logistics.

What Is Custom Development and How It Differs from Off-the-Shelf

Custom development is designing and building software to meet specific client requirements. Unlike SaaS products where you adapt your processes to the software, here the software is built around your processes. You get exactly the functionality you need — no unnecessary modules, no monthly fees, no vendor lock-in. The code and data are entirely yours.

When Off-the-Shelf Solutions Don't Fit

Ready-made products work for 80% of typical scenarios. But if your business falls into the other 20% — you spend more time "patching" the existing software than it saves. Common situations: unique pricing logic, non-standard logistics routes, specific manufacturing accounting, data security requirements (defense, healthcare, finance). In each case, custom development costs less over 2-3 years than SaaS subscriptions with constant workarounds.

Types of Solutions We Build

We're not limited to one stack or platform. Here are the project categories we work with:

Web applications & internal platforms — control panels, analytics dashboards, custom CRM/ERP, SaaS products. From simple CRUD interfaces to complex systems with roles, workflows, and integrations
PWA (Progressive Web Apps) — web apps that work like mobile: offline mode, push notifications, home screen installation. Ideal for teams working "in the field" without stable internet
IoT & equipment management — connecting physical devices to web panels: audio systems, temperature sensors, lighting, manufacturing equipment. MQTT, WebSocket, REST API protocols
Real-time systems — chats, coordination systems, live monitoring. Socket.io, WebSocket, Server-Sent Events
Integration solutions — connecting multiple services (accounting, banks, shipping, messengers, telephony) into a unified ecosystem via API

If you need a standard automation system — we do that too. But if standard doesn't fit — custom is exactly for that.

Technology Stack

We choose the stack based on the task, not the other way around. Here are the tools we work with daily:

Backend: PHP (Laravel, Symfony), Node.js (Express, NestJS), Python (Django, FastAPI) — depending on load and specifics. For high-load systems — Go or Rust.

Frontend: React, Vue.js, Next.js — for interactive interfaces. TypeScript by default.

Mobile: PWA for most tasks (one codebase — all platforms), React Native for native experience.

Databases: PostgreSQL (primary), MongoDB (documents, flexible schema), Redis (cache, queues, real-time).

Infrastructure: Docker, CI/CD, VPS or cloud (AWS, DigitalOcean). Monitoring, logging, automated backups.

Development Process: From Idea to Production

Our process is built on risk minimization. You see results at every stage, not after 6 months:

Discovery (1-2 weeks) — we analyze your task, business process, pain points. Fill out a brief for a quick start — we'll form technical vision and estimate budget
Prototyping (3-5 days) — interactive UI prototype in Figma. You see the product before the first line of code is written
MVP (2-4 weeks) — first working version with key functionality. Ready for testing with real users
Iterative development — we add features in 1-2 week sprints. After each sprint — demo and feedback
Launch — production deployment, monitoring setup, team training
Support & growth — bug fixes, new features, scaling for growing load

Custom Development Cost

Price depends on complexity, number of integrations, and platforms. Benchmarks:

Simple web app (control panel, dashboard, 1-2 roles) — from $2,000
Medium complexity system (custom CRM/ERP, analytics, 3-5 integrations) — from $5,000
Comprehensive product (web + mobile app + API + real-time) — from $10,000

For comparison: Salesforce Enterprise subscription — from $165/user/month. A team of 20 over 2 years spends $79,200 — and the software still won't fully match your processes. Custom solutions pay for themselves significantly faster.

Calculate preliminary cost via our calculator — we'll provide an accurate estimate within 24 hours.

Who Needs Custom Development: Checklist

Searched for a ready-made solution — couldn't find one, or it covers less than 70% of needs
Using 5+ different tools that aren't integrated with each other
Team spends time on routine manual work that could be automated
SaaS subscription exceeds $500/month and keeps growing
Data is sensitive (defense, healthcare, finance) and cannot be stored on third-party servers
Have an idea for a product or internal tool that doesn't exist yet

If you recognized at least 2 points — contact us for a free consultation or request a free audit of your existing processes.