Guide

    How much does custom software cost in the UAE and Europe?

    Real numbers from a software house that publishes its prices. What a build costs, what moves the price, and how to compare quotes that look nothing alike.

    By Greg Fruba, founder of Chassis · Updated 19 October 2026

    The short answer

    Most custom builds for growing companies land between AED 40,000 and 120,000 (about EUR 10,000 to 30,000). A focused first version can be lower; a platform with many roles, integrations or native apps can be higher.

    At Chassis every build starts with a Sprint: AED 7,500 (EUR 1,900), one to two weeks, ending with one fixed price for your scope. That price holds.

    What moves the price

    Integrations: every system the software talks to, such as payments, accounting, calendars or messaging. Each one is designed, built, tested and monitored.

    Users and roles: customers, staff, managers, admins. Each role needs its own screens, permissions and tests.

    Platforms: a web app reaches every phone. Native iOS and Android apps add store work and device testing.

    AI in the product: what the agent may do, the data it reads, the guardrails, and the running cost.

    Data and rules: moving old data in, languages, regulated data such as health or payments, and reporting.

    Three real-world examples

    One holiday home taking direct bookings in two languages: around AED 25,000.

    A trading company in two countries, with customers, orders, stock and margins in one app: around AED 70,000.

    A service group with three branches, online booking, deposits and an AI concierge on the website: around AED 85,000.

    These are illustrations, not quotes. Your price is fixed in the Sprint.

    Why quotes look nothing alike

    A low quote often covers the screens and leaves out what makes software work in production: roles and permissions, integrations, testing, security, hosting and support. The difference turns up later as change requests.

    Ask every supplier the same questions: Is the price fixed? What exactly is in scope, and what is out? Who owns the code and the idea? What does it cost to run every month after launch?

    After launch

    Software that runs a business needs hosting, monitoring, backups, security updates and small changes. At Chassis that is a Run plan, from AED 1,500 a month, with hosting included.

    Get your own fixed number

    The Sprint turns your idea into a written scope and one fixed price in one to two weeks.