You need custom software. You know what you want. So you reach out to a few development shops for quotes.

Developer A says: “Probably $30k-$50k, takes about 3-4 months.”
Developer B says: “Closer to $75k-$100k, 4-6 months.”
Developer C says: “Realistically? $120k+, could be 6-9 months.”

Wait, what?

Same project. Same requirements. Wildly different numbers.

How is this even possible? And more importantly—how are you supposed to make a decision?

Why Software Pricing Is So Confusing

The dirty secret of software development is that most quotes are educated guesses wrapped in confidence.

Here’s what’s really happening:

1. No One Actually Knows How Long It Will Take

Traditional developers estimate in “story points” or “developer hours.” But those are guesses.

  • Will you need 3 revisions or 10?
  • Will that integration be simple or a nightmare?
  • Will the client change their mind halfway through?

Since no one really knows, they pad the estimate—or worse, lowball it to win the deal and hope for the best.

2. Everyone Prices Risk Differently

Developer A is hungry for work, so they quote low and hope it doesn’t blow up.
Developer B has been burned before, so they quote high to cover contingencies.
Developer C only works with enterprises, so they price for slow decision-making and endless revisions.

None of them are wrong. They’re just pricing their risk tolerance—not your actual project.

3. There’s No Standard Unit of Measurement

When you buy a house, you pay per square foot. When you hire a lawyer, you pay per hour. When you buy ads, you pay per click.

But software? There’s no standard.

  • Some charge hourly (but won’t tell you total hours upfront)
  • Some charge per “feature” (but won’t define what a feature is)
  • Some charge a lump sum (but reserve the right to renegotiate if scope changes)

You’re not comparing apples to apples. You’re comparing three different languages.

What Transparent, Unit-Based Pricing Looks Like

At Trijazel, we got tired of the guessing game. So we built a pricing model that actually makes sense.

Step 1: Break the Project Into Clear Units

Before we quote anything, we map out exactly what we’re building:

  • 12 screens (login, dashboard, client list, invoice creator, etc.)
  • 4 workflows (user onboarding, invoice generation, payment processing, reporting)
  • 2 integrations (Stripe for payments, SendGrid for email)
  • 3 user roles (admin, manager, client)
  • 1 reporting dashboard (5 key metrics)

No vague “features.” Specific, countable pieces.

Step 2: Price Each Unit

Each screen, workflow, integration, and role has a known cost because we’ve built them dozens of times.

We know:

  • A simple CRUD screen costs ~$X
  • A complex workflow with conditional logic costs ~$Y
  • A third-party API integration costs ~$Z

So instead of guessing, we calculate:

12 screens × $A

  • 4 workflows × $B
  • 2 integrations × $C
  • roles/permissions × $D
  • reporting × $E
    = $22,000 total

Not “$20k-$40k maybe.” Not “we’ll see how it goes.”

$22,000. Fixed.

Step 3: Show You the Breakdown

You get a spec document that shows exactly what you’re paying for:

12 screens ................... $8,400
4 workflows .................. $6,000
2 integrations ............... $4,500
Roles & permissions .......... $1,800
Reporting dashboard .......... $1,300
-----------------------------------
Total ....................... $22,000
Delivery .................... April 15

Now you can make informed decisions:

  • “Do we need all 12 screens or can we start with 8?” (-$1,400)
  • “Can we skip the advanced reporting for now?” (-$1,300)
  • “Can we add a mobile app version?” (+$6,500)

Every change is transparent. No hidden costs. No “we’ll figure it out later.”

Why This Matters for Your Business

Here’s the thing: you’re not buying code. You’re buying predictability.

You need to know:

  • What you’re getting (clear scope)
  • What it costs (fixed price)
  • When it’s done (real delivery date)

Traditional software quotes can’t give you that because they’re built on guesswork.

Unit-based pricing can—because it’s built on experience.

We’ve built enough client portals, field service apps, and inventory systems to know exactly what each piece costs and how long it takes.

So when we say “$22,000” and “April 15th,” we mean it.

How to Evaluate Any Software Quote

If you’re shopping for developers, here’s what to look for:

✅ Detailed scope document (not vague features)
✅ Fixed price (not a 2x range)
✅ Specific delivery date (not “3-6 months”)
✅ Clear change process (so you know how scope changes affect cost)

If a vendor can’t give you those four things, they’re asking you to gamble—not make an informed business decision.

The Bottom Line

You shouldn’t need a PhD in software to understand what you’re paying for.

Good vendors make pricing simple:

  • Clear scope
  • Fixed price
  • Real timeline

Bad vendors keep it fuzzy because they don’t actually know—and they’re hoping you won’t ask.

Want a quote you can actually understand?

Describe your workflow and get a transparent, unit-based quote →