After more than a decade developing mobile applications and custom software at Thirdbridge, we've often heard comments like:

“I don’t need testing or maintenance—I just want the app!”

Or the classic:

“I want an app just like Uber’s—it shouldn’t be that complicated!”

Over time, we've realized there’s a real need for education around the actual costs of designing and developing a digital product.

Yes, no-code solutions exist, and they can help quickly build applications without custom development. However, they come with limitations—especially when it comes to customization, adaptability, and integration with complex systems. These tools can be great for simple projects, but once your product needs to be high-performing, secure, and scalable, a more significant investment becomes unavoidable.

So, when it comes to custom software development, a price that seems too good to be true should raise questions about the ethics, quality, performance, and security of the final product. As with any major purchase, it’s essential to shop smart and carefully evaluate the pricing and offering of any potential partner.

Here are five key elements that impact the cost of building software—and that you should pay close attention to when reviewing a partner’s quote.

1. The Cost of Customization

No-code platforms let you build functional apps quickly without custom development. But they’re limited when it comes to flexibility and integrating with complex systems like ERPs or custom APIs.

For more specific needs, custom development is often required, which involves a greater investment in time and resources. Take e-commerce as an example: platforms like Shopify offer robust templates that help you quickly build solid web experiences. However, creating a unique and sophisticated mobile experience usually requires custom code—especially to fully leverage Shopify’s headless features. And if you're aiming for advanced integrations, AI-powered recommendation systems, or custom payment processes, custom development becomes essential.

2. The Cost of Strategy and Design

Whether you’re using a no-code platform or going custom, strategy and design are critical.

A poorly thought-out app, even if quick to build, can hurt the user experience and limit adoption. Skipping the strategy and design phase is a common mistake that can undermine your app’s success.

Before writing a single line of code, it’s crucial to understand user needs and design features that deliver real value. A polished design backed by a strong strategy isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s a performance and adoption lever. These steps require time, expertise, and resources, all of which impact the project budget.

3. The Cost of Content Management (CMS)

An app isn’t static—it evolves and depends on dynamic content. Banners, product descriptions, blog posts, user reviews—all need to be updated and delivered regularly, often without redeploying the app. That’s where a Content Management System (CMS) becomes essential.

But integrating a CMS into a mobile app comes with significant costs:

• Choosing the right CMS: Traditional CMSs (like WordPress or Drupal), headless CMSs (like Contentful or Sanity.io), and visual low-code CMSs (like Builder.io or Webflow) each have different strengths. Picking the right one depends on technical needs and how often content changes.
• Modern architecture: In a Composable DXP (Digital Experience Platform) approach, the CMS is only one part of a broader architecture. It must integrate smoothly with analytics, personalization, and search tools—requiring advanced technical skills.
• Middleware implementation: To handle API request limits, consolidate data from multiple sources, and reduce complexity within the mobile app, a middleware layer is often needed. This adds another cost—but also improves performance and stability.

If your goal is to allow non-developers to publish content while maintaining a seamless user experience, investing in the right CMS and integration is crucial. It comes at a cost, but it ensures your product remains agile and relevant over time.

4. The Cost of the Underlying System

A mobile app isn’t just a pretty interface—it’s a gateway to a much broader system.

Modern apps often rely on headless CMSs like Contentstack or Contentful to serve content dynamically. These solutions offer flexibility without full-blown custom development. Still, their flexibility has limits—complex business needs often require custom APIs.

Beyond app development, you’ll need to budget time and money for cloud infrastructure setup and ongoing maintenance.

Ultimately, the real complexity (and cost) of your mobile project may not lie in the app itself, but in the system that powers it.

5. The Cost of IoT Integration

Adding Internet of Things (IoT) features to your app involves more than just connecting a device.

It requires secure communication protocols, compatibility across different systems, and real-time data processing. Each device comes with its own technical specifics, often requiring custom development.

For example, a smartwatch that tracks athletic performance must sync accurate data, maintain optimized battery life, and work seamlessly even with limited connectivity. These demands require rigorous testing and deep technical expertise, all of which drive up development time—and cost.

6. The Cost of Security

Security breaches can cost far more than preventing them.

This isn’t a technical add-on—it’s a set of rigorous engineering practices embedded from day one.

Securing an app means protecting sensitive data, managing authentication protocols, encrypting communications, detecting intrusions, and ensuring compliance with regulations. These requirements go beyond technical or legal—they safeguard user trust, brand reputation, and even your business’s future.

Companies handling health, financial, or personal data—or those integrating complex systems—should anticipate a significant investment in security.

7. The Cost of Testing and Maintenance

Ensuring quality doesn’t end when development does.

Before launch, thorough testing is needed to validate every feature, ensure a smooth experience, and confirm data security. Post-launch, the app must be regularly updated to stay compatible with operating system updates, new devices, and security patches. Ongoing maintenance is vital for long-term performance—and requires continuous budget allocation.

8. The Cost of Human and Technical Resources

Custom app development requires a team of experts: back-end and front-end developers, QA testers, designers, project managers, strategists, and more. These are skilled professionals, and their time is valuable. In Québec, specialized software development firms typically charge between $100 and $200/hour, depending on project complexity and expertise level.

Don’t forget the technical infrastructure that powers your app over time.

A secure, scalable cloud-based infrastructure—including servers, databases, hosting services, analytics, monitoring tools, and security certificates—comes with ongoing monthly costs. These vary based on user volume, data complexity, performance, and redundancy needs.

In short: Every project is unique. The price reflects the complexity and resources required to build a solution that truly meets your users’ and business’s needs.

To better understand how to budget effectively for custom software projects, check out our guide on how to wisely allocate financial resources when building custom software.