Jędrzej Siewierski
TL;DR · 30 SECONDS
- 30,000–50,000 PLN for a typical initial custom MVP quote in 2026 (Level 2 Standard). Lower (15-30k Level 1 Lite) is idea validation with minimal scope. Higher (50-90k Level 3 Pro) is a project with multi-tenant architecture and 5+ integrations.
- Total cost for the first year For Level 2, the budget is PLN 70,000–80,000: MVP development plus iterations to adapt to the market, plus hosting and maintenance. Marketing and sales are NOT included in this budget.
- Developer rates vary by a factor of 2 to 3 across different markets (Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2025): Polish senior developers: 170–220 PLN/hour; German mid-level developers: 200–260 PLN/hour; American senior developers: 340–360 PLN/hour.
- A rate of 400 PLN/hour from a Polish agency is NOT a red flag. This is standard practice for agencies that work with international clients. Real red flags include: “an app starting at 5k,” “an MVP in 4 weeks,” and “a flat rate of 100k with no defined scope.”
MVP tailored to your budget: A web application with 1–3 user flows, a dedicated backend, and 2–5 integrations, delivered in 6–8 weeks. NOT a WordPress template (5–10k), NOT an enterprise platform (200k+), but somewhere in the middle—where most real-world B2B projects fall.
The founder sits down at 10:00 p.m. and Googles “how much does an app cost.” He opens five pages. The first says “starting at 5,000 PLN.” The second says “30,000–90,000.” The third says “150,000–300,000 plus VAT.” The fourth says “it depends on the scope.” The fifth simply displays a contact form with no figures.
After 30 minutes, he knows just as much as he did before opening the browser. Plus, he’s even more stressed out, because every article suggests that the budget he had in mind is “too small for anything serious.”
We’re familiar with this scenario because we get emails from founders like this every week. They’ve fallen into a disinformation trap because every software company sells something different. A WordPress template for $5,000 isn’t an “application.” A corporate platform for $200,000 isn’t a “product launch.” And the middle ground—what founders really need—is something few people are willing to price directly.
What you'll find in this article
This text puts an end to the confusion over pricing. We are providing 3 price tiers with a realistic range, context of the developer's rates in Poland, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States (public sources, easily verifiable), the logic of the agency commission in other words, why the same developer costs the client different amounts depending on the type of agency, and 5 Red Flags in Pricing which means that the provider will either rip you off or deliver a template instead of an app.
The main point of the article in a nutshell: 30,000–50,000 PLN for a functional first version of the app in 2026. Anything above that for an initial proposal is an inflated estimate; anything below is just a mockup; most actual projects fall somewhere in between.
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Why do different sources estimate the cost of an app to range from 5k to 200k?
Everyone is talking about a different type of product and a different market size.
“An app starting at 5,000 PLN” is typically a WordPress template with some fields added or a no-code project built on Bubble. It works, but any expansion of its scope requires a complete overhaul. The client gets a website with a form, not an app with business logic. On the other hand, an “app for 200k+ PLN” is a corporate implementation with multi-tenant architecture, dedicated integrations with an ERP system, a compliance audit, and 6–12 months of development work.
Most founders who Google "how much does an app cost" are looking for something in between: A custom application with 1–2 user flows, a dedicated backend, and 3–5 integrations, delivered in 8 weeks. This version is hard to find in price lists because software development agencies don't advertise it (clients look for the cheapest option, so agencies have hidden their actual pricing).
The second reason for the differences: the supplier market
The Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2025 and Index.dev 2025 show that Senior developer salaries vary by a factor of 2 to 3 between Poland and the U.S.. A local Polish software development agency charges 100–180 PLN per hour. A German agency charges 250–400 PLN. An American agency charges PLN 400–1,100, depending on whether it’s NYC/SF or a Tier 2 city. So the same scope of work costs PLN 60,000 with a local agency in Poland and PLN 180,000 with a German one. This isn’t a rip-off; it’s just market math.
In this article, we show realistic price range for the Polish market plus rate context by country (public industry reports). A specific quote for your project requires a 30-minute discussion about the scope, so the figures here are a rough guide, not a detailed cost estimate.
Three pricing tiers for the first app: Lite, Standard, and Pro
Every first custom application in 2026 falls into one of three price segments. The boundaries aren't strict, but the differences in range are clear.
Level 1. Lite (15,000–30,000 PLN, 4–6 weeks)
What you get: 1 user flow, basic login, 1–2 pre-built integrations (Stripe-style payments, transactional email, calendar). Frontend built with React/Next.js, minimal backend (Firebase, Supabase, or a lightweight Node.js setup with Postgres). Design based on a template or a very basic custom design. No custom role system, no AI features, no native mobile app.
When it makes sense: validating a business hypothesis in the first 2–3 months, a founder’s side project outside of their day job, or a first version for a pitch deck ahead of the first funding round. Realistically, it’s enough to validate whether customers will buy the product. It’s not enough to scale.
What you'll avoid: discussions about a role-based system for 5 user groups, integration with 8 client systems, and a custom design system. All of this is beyond Level 1.
Level 2. Standard (30,000–50,000 PLN, 6–8 weeks)
This is where most of the actual initial proposals for B2B founders in Poland fall. Scope: 2–3 user flows, a roles and permissions system, 3–5 integrations (payments, email, calendar, CRM, analytics). Custom design in Figma, responsive website (optional PWA for a mobile-first approach). Dedicated backend (Node.js with Nest.js or Python with Django, Postgres, basic queues), admin panel.
There are two reasons why Standard doesn’t cost 80,000 or 100,000 in the initial offer. First, B2B clients in Poland psychologically view 80,000+ as “half of their annual marketing budget” and 30,000–50,000 as “an investment in the first project.” This is a behavioral threshold, independent of how much the work actually costs. Second, it is realistically possible to build a scope that fits within this budget in 6–8 weeks, provided the scope is controlled. Keeping the scope in check (rather than adding more features along the way) is key.
When the Standard gains an advantage: a B2B product with its first customers, an initial version for the first round of funding, a project with a plan for expansion in Phase 2 that we will launch after validation. The customer has a clear use case, not just a hypothesis.
Level 3. Pro / Advanced (50,000–90,000 PLN, 8–12 weeks)
Multi-tenant architecture, advanced role-based access control, 5+ integrations (ERP, CRM, IoT device data, AI/LLM features). Custom design plus responsiveness plus an optional native mobile app built with React Native or Flutter. Dedicated backend with microservices, analytics dashboards, and basic DevOps with monitoring.
When "Pro" makes sense: a project with strong product-market fit following initial validation, a major corporate contract with a specific client awaiting implementation, or an application that replaces an existing suite of 5+ tools.
Anything over 90,000 PLN for an initial proposal starts to smell like an inflated scope or a corporate-level quote. For a first collaboration with a vendor, this rarely pays off; it’s better to go with Level 2 plus Phase 2 as a separate contract. If you’re considering a Product configurator instead of a general-purpose application, we have a separate article on this: How much will a quote configurator cost in 2026?.
| Dimensions | Level 1. Lite | Level 2. Standard | Level 3. Pro / Advanced |
| Price (PL, 2026) | 15,000–30,000 PLN | 30,000–50,000 PLN | 50,000–90,000 PLN |
| Timeline | 4–6 weeks | 6–8 weeks | 8–12 weeks |
| User flows | 1 | 2-3 | 3+ |
| Integrations | 1-2 ready | 3–5 (payments, email, CRM, analytics) | 5+ (ERP, IoT, AI/LLM) |
| Role and Permission System | Basic login | 3–5 roles with permissions | Advanced, multi-tenant |
| Design | A template or a very simple custom design | Custom design created in Figma, responsive | Full-scale design plus a native mobile app |
| When to choose | Hypothesis validation, side project | A B2B product with its first customers | Market fit achieved, major contract secured |
How much does your project cost?
Select a project type to see the real range for the Polish market.
Orientation forks. Pricing requires a conversation about the scope. Data: Stack Overflow Dev Survey 2025.
What is NOT included in the MVP price?
This question is what kills the most projects. The founder sees “40,000 PLN for the MVP,” signs the contract, and six months later is surprised to find that the total cost was closer to 80,000. The reason: most cost estimates cover just the programming itself.
Typically, four categories are missing.
The assessment phase (initial interview) and user research They cost 5,000–15,000 PLN and take 1–2 weeks. Some providers include this in the MVP price (Level 2–3 usually does), while others treat it as a separate phase. Be sure to ask directly before signing.
Hosting and Infrastructure That’s 200–2,000 PLN per month, depending on the scale. For a medium-scale application, it’s 500–1,000 PLN per month, or 6,000–12,000 PLN per year. Add maintenance and modifications after production begins 15–25 percent of the project’s annual value. For Level 2 MVPs, this amounts to several thousand to over ten thousand dollars a year in living expenses.
Iterations to adapt the product to the market This typically involves 2–3 cycles of 20,000–30,000 PLN each in the first 12 months after the production launch. In 70 percent of cases, founders who think “an MVP is enough” end up disappointed. An MVP is sufficient for validation, but a product that scales requires 2–3 iterations after the initial production launch.
Marketing and Sales are outside the MVP budget. Even the best code in the world won't make money if it doesn't get any traffic. The acquisition funnel requires a separate budget.
5,000–15,000
Initial interview + UX research (1–2 weeks; sometimes included in the MVP, sometimes separate).
12,000–15,000 per year
Hosting + Maintenance (15–25% of the project’s annual value).
40,000–90,000
2–3 iterations of market testing during the first 12 months after the start of production.
Total cost in the first year
The actual total cost for the first year of a typical Level 2 application breaks down as follows: the development cost (from the upper part of Level 2) plus 12,000–15,000 iterations plus 12,000 for hosting and maintenance. Total 70,000–80,000 PLN for the first year, with the construction being a one-time investment, while the iterations and operations are spread out over several months.
Rates in the context of the market. Why does the same developer cost 100 vs. 400 PLN/hour?
The most common mistake made by founders who Google rates: they compare a small Polish agency’s rate of 200 PLN/hour with a large export-focused agency’s rate of 400 PLN/hour and conclude that “the latter is overcharging.” This is a misunderstanding. The rate is NOT a function of competence, but rather of the market to which the agency sells and its overhead margin.
Dev rates 2025: base rates, excluding agency commission
Data from Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2025 and Index.dev Eastern Europe 2025:
| Country / Region | Junior | Mid | Senior |
| Poland, Warsaw | 70–100 PLN/hour | 105–150 PLN/hour | 170–220 PLN/hour |
| Poland, Wrocław | 40–70 PLN/hour | 65–100 PLN/hour | 155–195 PLN/hour |
| Germany | 120–180 PLN/hour | 200–260 PLN/hour | 280–360 PLN/hour |
| United States, Los Angeles | 200–250 PLN/hour | 270–350 PLN/hour | 340–360 PLN/hour |
| United States, state average | 160–200 PLN/hour | 170–225 PLN/hour | 215–280 PLN/hour |
| Western EU architects | n/a | n/a | 350–440 PLN/hour |
A conclusion that surprises most founders: A Polish senior developer earning 200 PLN/hour is roughly equivalent to a mid-level German developer earning 200–260 PLN/hour, or a junior developer in the U.S. outside of coastal cities. Different markets, the same price point, the same level of technical expertise.
Agency markup: why a developer who charges 200 PLN/hour ends up costing the client 400 PLN/hour
The agency adds overhead costs (sales, marketing, project management, QA, office expenses, social security contributions plus VAT, vacation pay, and bench time between projects) plus a markup. The standard markup in the industry is 1.8 to 2.5 times the developer's rate.
| Type of agency | Developer's base rate | Markup | Rate for the customer |
| Freelancer PL | 150 PLN/hour | 1.0× (as he himself writes) | 150 PLN/hour |
| A small Polish agency, local market | 180 PLN/hour | 1.5–2× | 180–360 PLN/hour |
| Average Polish agency for exports to the EU/US | 200 PLN/hour | 2–2.5× | 400–500 PLN/hour |
| DE Agency, Berlin | 280 PLN/hour | 2× | 560 PLN/hour |
| US Agency, NYC/SF | 360 PLN/hour | 2–3 times | 720–1,080 PLN/hour |
Implications for the founder: A rate of 400 PLN/hour from a Polish agency serving international clients is standard, not inflated. The same skills as a freelancer charging 150 PLN/hour, but with a project manager, a quality assurance specialist, guarantees, and a steady stream of Western projects (meaning less risk of the team being idle between projects and higher-quality work).
So the choice isn't simply a matter of "cheap versus expensive." It comes down to "You manage it yourself vs. an agency manages it for you". A freelancer charging 100–180 PLN/hour means that you’re responsible for managing the project, quality, and deadlines. An agency charging 250–450 PLN/hour means they handle all that for you.
How much does the same app cost in other countries (Germany, the UK, the US)?
Pricing for an international client isn’t simply “the Polish rate multiplied by the exchange rate.” It’s about positioning in the local market, where the client compares us to local agencies. Actual prices charged by local agencies for a similar scope of work (from public reports):
| Market | The scope of a local agency for a similar range of applications | Data source |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | 30,000–50,000 PLN | TwojSoftware 2026, GeCode 2025 |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 25-50 thousand EUR | Index.dev 2026, Stack Overflow 2025 |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | £25,000–£40,000 | Index.dev 2026 |
| 🇺🇸 United States | $30,000–$80,000 (smaller cities) or $50,000–$150,000 (NYC/SF) | Stack Overflow 2025, GEOR 2026 |
The market logic is simple: a local German agency charging €35,000 offers the same scope of services as a local Polish agency charging PLN 40,000. The price difference stems from the costs of maintaining the team, not from the amount of work involved.
For a founder comparing offers from different countries, this means: A Polish agency serving foreign clients typically charges a rate that falls somewhere between the Polish rate and that of a local agency in the client's country. The specific price range depends on the provider, so there is no single price list that can be made public. Each project involves negotiations based on the scope, context, and local market rates.
What is important for a Polish founder purchasing from a Polish agency: If your agency also sells to Germany, the UK, or the US, its Polish pricing may be higher than the local market average (because fixed costs are incurred to maintain sales operations in four languages and four time zones). This doesn’t mean the agency is “more expensive,” just “better organized.” The choice is yours.
Five red flags in pricing
Regardless of the tier, there are red flags that indicate the vendor either doesn't know its market or plans to rip you off during the project.
- First banner: “App starting at 5,000 PLN.” This is a template, not a custom-built application. You can buy it, but don’t call it a custom build. Any expansion of its scope will require a redesign.
- Second slogan: “An app in 4 weeks.” They skip the requirements gathering and design phases. Going from the brief to finished code in four weeks means they’re either using a template or will be making corrections two months after the launch.
- Third flag: “Fixed price of 100,000 PLN with no defined scope.” A buffer for the expanded range that you won't be able to clear in 8 weeks. Either the supplier plans to charge you thousands more for each change, or they'll accept the loss and deliver the minimum.
- Fourth flag: “Rate: 50 PLN/hour.” A junior developer without a senior developer to supervise them. Quality risks, security risks, and the risk that the product will have to be rewritten from scratch after a year.
- Fifth flag: "MVP in a single 2-week sprint." This isn't the final version of the product; it's a quick proof of concept. The code will be discarded after validation. The provider isn't planning for long-term use, so they aren't investing in the tools and processes needed to make the product scalable.
The rate of 400 PLN per hour, which many founders fear, it is not a red flag. A Polish software development agency serving clients in Germany, the UK, or the US needs to charge a rate that allows it to maintain its team. This is the market rate, not a rip-off. If you’ve already chosen the wrong agency, we have a separate article on that How to Choose a Software Development Agency After a Bad Experience.
How much does a web application for a company (not a startup) cost?
Most articles about app costs assume that you're reading them as a startup founder validating an idea. But a large portion of companies googling „how much does a web application cost” is companies that want to replace Excel, old software or manual work with a bespoke system. This is a different type of project.
There are three differences from startup MVP.
The scope of integration is wider. The internal B2B system must be compatible with the company's existing tools: ERP (Optima, SAP, Subiekt), CRM, HR system, contractor database. This is 2-4 weeks of additional integration work, which increases the cost by PLN 10,000-30,000. PLN vs. MVP.
Security and authorization requirements are higher. A startup has 2-3 types of users. The company has departments, roles, history of activities, audit. An advanced role system in a B2B application means 1-2 weeks of additional work, plus penetration tests if the data is sensitive.
Implementation time is longer. Just run the MVP and see if it works. The internal system must undergo employee onboarding, historical data import and acceptance tests with the IT department. Add 2-4 weeks for the implementation and training phase.
MVP/Startup
15-90 thousand PLN
New product, validation, 1‑3 user paths, 3‑5 ready integrations
B2B system for the company
40-150 thousand PLN
ERP/CRM integration, advanced roles and permissions, implementation with data migration
Where does this apply in practice jsoncrew: we are building B2B customer panels (order history, execution statuses, documents), offer configurators (pricing rules engines integrated with ERP) i IoT dashboards for manufacturing and energy companies. Each of these projects is an internal or semi-internal system, not a startup. Appraisals for this range start at PLN 40,000. PLN.
What We DON'T Do at JSON Crew (and Why It's Good for You)
After four years in business, we’ve seen that generalist agencies that “do it all” are either lacking in every area, or expensive in every area—or both. We’ve chosen a different path: niche specialization in the digital transformation of B2B sales.
What we do
- Product configurators (Three.js, custom rule engines)
- Customer dashboards and listing portals
- IoT Dashboards (energy, manufacturing, smart home)
- Sales automation (CRM, quoting, ERP integrations)
- We are expanding our services for existing customers JSON Hub (our SaaS product that combines CRM, quoting, project management, and a configurator into a single ecosystem)
What we DON'T do
- Social media
- Games and gaming software
- General-purpose SaaS platforms without a clear use case
- E-commerce storefronts (such as Shopify or WooCommerce stores)
- Blockchain and crypto projects
- AI startups without a defined business problem
Each of these areas requires specialized expertise that we do not possess in-depth. We refer projects that we realistically cannot execute better than a specialized competitor.
For a founder looking for a provider, it’s simple: if you’re building a B2B Product configurator, a client portal, an IoT dashboard, or sales automation, we’re right in our element. If you’re building a Tinder for dogs, go to another agency. And if you’re generally wondering whether to choose a custom solution or an off-the-shelf one, we have a separate article on that: Custom vs. CPQ vs. Template.
What's next? Start with a conversation, not a price list
The pricing guide in this article is a reference, not a detailed cost estimate. Your project has its own scope, context, constraints, and goals.
A realistic quote requires a 30-minute conversation about the sales process (if sales are at the heart of the product), the product’s actual fit with the market (if you’re still in the validation phase), and the existing systems the application needs to integrate with. Without this, any figure released publicly is just an average drawn from a very broad distribution, and your project is a specific point within that distribution.
The diagnostic consultation is free and does not involve any slides. You’ll walk away with three things: a specific price range for your project (not a general 30–90k, but a figure plus or minus 10,000), a list of questions for other vendors so you can compare offers at the same level of detail, plus a Phase 1 vs. Phase 2 map so you know what you’re getting in the first version and what’s left for later.
If it turns out that we’re a good fit for you, we’ll explain how we work. Otherwise, you’ll receive a checklist and save yourself 2–3 months of searching.
OPTION 1 · DIAGNOSTIC CONSULTATION
Let's talk about your scope, not our pricing
30 minutes. No slides, no sales pitch. You’ll walk away with a specific price range and a list of questions for other vendors.
OPTION 2 · CHOOSING A SUPPLIER
How to Choose a Software Development Agency After a Bad Experience
7 questions to ask before signing a contract, plus 7 red flags. Pillar K5 for founders after their first failed partnership.
Frequently Asked Questions About the MVP Price
General questions and ranges
How much will a custom app really cost in 2026?
30-50 thousand PLN for a typical initial quote (Level 2 Standard). Lower (15-30k Level 1 Lite) is idea validation with minimal scope. Higher (50-90k Level 3 Pro) is a project with multi-tenant architecture, an advanced role system, and 5+ integrations. Above 90k for an initial quote rarely makes sense; it's better to go with Level 2 plus Phase 2 as a separate agreement.
What exactly is included in the Level 2 MVP package?
2–3 user flows, a roles-and-permissions system, 3–5 integrations (payments, email, calendar, CRM, analytics), custom design built in Figma, a responsive website, custom backend (Node.js or Python with Postgres), and an admin panel. Delivered within 6–8 weeks of project kickoff. No multi-tenant architecture, no native mobile app, no AI features (these are add-ons in Phase 2 or Level 3).
Questions about rates and providers
What will the actual developer rate be in Poland in 2026?
Senior: PLN 170-220/h in Warsaw, PLN 155-195/h in Wrocław (net rates from the Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2025). Mid: PLN 105-150/h in Warsaw, 65-100 in Wrocław. Junior: PLN 70-100/h in Warsaw. Agencies add a 1.8-2.5× markup, so the client sees PLN 200-400/h for a senior. A rate of PLN 400/h from a Polish agency serving international clients is standard, not a rip-off.
Is it better to hire a freelancer for 150 PLN/hour or an agency for 400 PLN/hour?
It depends on how much project management you want to handle yourself. A freelancer at 150 PLN/hour means you handle project management, quality testing, security verification, and code quality control. An agency at 400 PLN/hour means they take care of everything for you. For the first version up to 30k (Level 1), a freelancer is often the better choice. However, for a 30k–50k app (Level 2) with an 8-week deadline, an agency usually wins out.
Questions about total cost and alternatives
What is the total cost of the application in the first year?
For a typical Level 2 application, the total cost for the first year is PLN 70,000–80,000. This consists of: the development cost (a one-time investment of PLN 30,000–50,000) plus PLN 12,000–15,000 for market-adjustment iterations (typically 2–3 cycles in the first 12 months) plus PLN 12,000 for hosting and maintenance (approximately 1,000 PLN per month). Marketing and sales are OUTSIDE this budget.
Is a custom-built app worth the investment compared to off-the-shelf tools (no-code, SaaS)?
It depends on the scope and unique value of the product. If your idea can be built on Bubble or Webflow in two weeks for $5,000, start there. When it requires custom business logic (a pricing engine, a custom workflow, API integrations), no-code platforms start to feel limiting after 6–12 months. A custom-built Level 2 application is more expensive upfront, but it gives you full control over the code and the ecosystem. The decision usually depends on whether your product is an additional feature within an established category (no-code is fine) or a new category with unique mechanics (custom-built).
About the author. Jędrzej Siewierski. CEO and co-founder of JSON Crew. He prices Product configurators, client portals, IoT dashboards and sales automation for B2B companies in Poland, Germany and the UK. JSON Crew's specialization: digital transformation of B2B sales (NOT a general agency, NOT social media, NOT games). More about the author · LinkedIn
