Software development pricing
Real numbers, before the first call.
Acasa Labs is a small software team in Surat, India. We price work in four ways: fixed scope for a defined build, a dedicated developer by the month, a half-time developer, and a monthly retainer for maintenance and support. The ranges below are our actual rate card in US dollars. The minimum project is $1,500.
Engagement models
Four ways to work with us, in US dollars.
Fixed scope
From $1,500
per project
A website, an MVP, or an AI pilot with a clear finish line.
We write down what will be built, agree a price, and build it. You know the number before work starts.
Dedicated developer
$1,500 to $2,000 a month
full time, about 160 hours
An ongoing roadmap and a backlog that will not run out.
One developer works on your product every working day, in your repository and your tracker, with a senior reviewing every pull request. Hire engagements start with a risk-free first week.
Half-time developer
$750 to $1,000 a month
half time, about 80 hours
A live product that needs steady work, not a full team.
The same arrangement at half the hours. Useful after launch, when the work is a steady list of features and fixes rather than a build.
Retainer
$100 to $300 a month
maintenance and support
Software that runs part of your business and should not break.
Updates, security fixes, monitoring, hosting upkeep, and the small changes that come up month to month, handled by people who know the code.
Fixed scope
Fixed-scope projects
| Project | Price (USD) | Timeline | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website or B2B catalogue site | $1,500 to $3,000 | 1 to 2 weeks | A marketing site or a product catalogue with enquiry forms, a CMS your team edits, and search basics done properly. |
| Mobile app MVP (iOS + Android) | $2,000 to $5,000 | 3 to 5 weeks | One Expo codebase for both stores, the screens for one core flow, sign-in, a backend, and release to the App Store and Google Play. |
| Web app or SaaS MVP | $4,000 to $8,000 | 3 to 5 weeks | Accounts and roles, the core workflow, a database, an admin view, and payments or plans if the product sells. |
| AI pilot (RAG search or chatbot) | $5,000 to $10,000 | Agreed in the scope | Search or chat over one document set, answers with sources, and an evaluation set that measures whether the answers are right. |
The AI pilot has no fixed timeline on our rate card because it depends on the documents: how many, what format, and how clean they are. We agree the timeline in the written scope.
01
What moves the price
How many people use it, and in how many roles
One kind of user is simpler than five. Every role (owner, staff, customer, admin) adds screens, permissions, and tests. GymFast has six role levels, and each one is work.
How many platforms
A web app, an iOS app, and an Android app are three surfaces. We build iOS and Android from one Expo codebase, which keeps the mobile cost close to one app, but a web dashboard on top is a second build.
Integrations
Payments, SMS, WhatsApp, an ERP, a marketplace API, or a language model. Each one adds setup, error handling, and testing against a system we do not control.
Data you already have
Moving records out of spreadsheets or an old system takes time, and messy data takes more. For AI work the documents are the product, so their size and quality move the price most.
How sure you are about the scope
A clear, written scope can be priced as fixed. A product still being figured out is better on a monthly developer, so you pay for the weeks you use and change direction without a change request.
02
A risk-free first week
When you hire a developer from us, the first week is a trial. One developer works on one defined task that you choose, in your repository. If you continue, that week is billed at the normal rate. If you stop within the week, you pay nothing.
The point is that you judge the work, not a sales call. You see how the developer reads your code, asks questions, writes the pull request, and handles review before you commit to a month.
03
You own everything from day one
The code lives in your repository from the first commit. Cloud accounts, app store accounts, domains, and analytics are created in your name, and we work in them as team members. If you ever move on, nothing has to be handed back or transferred.
Third-party costs, such as hosting, app store developer fees, and language model usage, are billed by those providers to your accounts. They are not part of our price, and you can see every one of them.
Indian clients are invoiced in INR by Acasa Labs (OPC) Private Limited.
Cost guides
What a specific build costs, in detail.
01
Mobile app development cost in India
An iOS and Android MVP from us costs $2,000 to $5,000.
02
Web application development cost
A web app MVP from us costs $4,000 to $8,000.
03
How much does a SaaS MVP cost?
With us, $4,000 to $8,000, live in 3 to 5 weeks.
04
Website development cost in India and Surat
A business website or B2B catalogue from us costs $1,500 to $3,000.
05
AI chatbot development cost
A chatbot pilot over your documents costs $5,000 to $10,000.
06
RAG implementation cost
A RAG pilot costs $5,000 to $10,000. Production is scoped from the pilot.
07
Gym app development cost
A gym app MVP costs $2,000 to $5,000. Or use the one we already built.
08
FastAPI and Django developer hourly rate in India
$1,500 to $2,000 a month. About $9.40 to $12.50 an hour, if you divide.
09
App maintenance cost
Maintenance with us costs $100 to $300 a month.
Questions
Pricing, asked often.
What is the smallest project you take on?
$1,500. That covers a website or B2B catalogue site, or a small, clearly defined piece of work. Below that, a freelancer or a no-code tool is usually the better fit.
Do you charge by the hour?
Our rates are monthly or per project. If you need an hourly figure to compare quotes, a dedicated developer at $1,500 to $2,000 a month for about 160 hours works out to about $9.40 to $12.50 an hour.
How does the trial week work?
One developer, one defined task, in your repository. If you continue, the week is billed at the normal rate. If you stop within the week, you pay nothing.
Can Indian clients pay in rupees?
Yes. Indian clients are invoiced in INR by Acasa Labs (OPC) Private Limited.
Why is there a range and not one number?
Because two apps with the same name can be very different builds. The range is what our fixed-scope projects of that type cost. Your number comes from a written scope: what is in, what is out, and how long it takes.
Is hosting included?
No. Hosting, app store fees, and AI model usage are billed by those providers to accounts in your name. We set them up so the costs are visible to you.
What happens after an MVP launches?
The usual next step is a half-time or dedicated developer for the next features, or to a maintenance retainer at $100 to $300 a month if the product is stable.
Pricing
Get a fixed estimate for your build.
No call needed to start. Tell us what you want built and who will use it, and we reply with a scope and a number.