Every software quote starts with the same question: what will this cost? The honest answer is that the price comes from the size of the problem, not the number of screens. This piece explains what moves that number, shows the ranges we work with, and describes how a project is broken into stages.
What sets the price
Four things push the cost up or down.
Scope
Scope is the number of decisions the team has to make. A form with five fields and a list is quick. A system with access levels, approvals, history and reports is a different project. Every business rule turns into code, tests and documentation.
The biggest cost driver is not what you ask for at the start. It is what shows up in the middle. That is why we close scope one stage at a time, not one year at a time.
Integrations
Connecting to an ERP, a payment gateway, an invoicing system or an internal spreadsheet costs more than it looks. The work is not in calling the API. It is in handling errors, retries, dirty data and the other side going down. A good integration spends more time in tests than in implementation.
If the other system has no API, the cost rises again: somebody has to build the bridge.
Artificial intelligence
AI changes the math in two ways. First, the output is probabilistic: a chatbot gets most answers right and some wrong. Defining what counts as good enough, measuring it and tuning it takes time. Second, there is a running cost per use, which traditional software does not have.
In exchange, AI solves problems no fixed rule would: reading documents with no standard layout, sorting requests written in free text, answering customers after hours.
Team seniority
A senior team writes less code and gets more architecture decisions right. The hourly rate is higher and the project is usually cheaper, because an architecture mistake is expensive to undo. What you pay for is judgement, not typing.
Investment ranges
These are the ranges we work with today:
- Simple automations: R$ 15.000 - R$ 30.000
- Intelligent chatbots: R$ 30.000 - R$ 60.000
- Mid-sized systems: R$ 50.000 - R$ 150.000
- Complex systems: R$ 150.000 - R$ 300.000+
A range is not a price list. It is the band projects of that kind land in after the analysis. Where your project lands inside the band depends on the four points above.
Timelines follow the same pattern: simple automations take 2 to 4 weeks, chatbots 4 to 8 weeks, mid-sized systems 2 to 4 months, complex systems 4 to 6 months.
How a project is staged
No project starts with a closed price. It starts with a conversation.
1. First call
A 30 to 60 minute call, free. The goal is to understand the problem and say whether software is worth building for it. Sometimes the answer is no.
2. Analysis and proposal
Three to five days. We gather requirements, set scope and technology, and hand over a technical and commercial proposal with the final number.
3. Development in sprints
Two-week sprints, each ending in a delivery and a demo. You see the system running early and change course while it is still cheap. An MVP is usually ready in 4 to 6 weeks.
4. Rollout
Integration with the systems you already run, testing, team training and documentation.
5. Support
Maintenance, monitoring and security updates. Bugs carry a 90-day warranty.
How to spend less
Three decisions cut the price without cutting quality:
- Start with the process that hurts most. A system that solves a real problem pays for the next module.
- Postpone integrations nobody uses yet. They can land in the second stage.
- Accept an MVP. Fewer screens, same value, half the time.
If you want to see how we run development, read about our software factory.
Let's talk
If you have a process costing you money and want to know what it would take to automate it, message us on WhatsApp. The first call is free and you leave it with a price range and a timeline.