Engagements & pricing
How We Scope and Price Your Project
We don't publish a rate card, because the right price depends on what your software has to do. Here's how we scope work, the ways you can work with us, and how each one is priced.
A short form. We reply within one business day, Eastern Time.
Ways to work with us
Four ways to work with us
Start with a small first step, a defined project, or ongoing help.
A fixed-fee first step
A discovery for new software, or a technical review of software you already run. It ends in a written plan and estimate.
- Best for
- An unclear or complex scope, or software someone else built
- Priced
- A fixed fee, agreed before we start
- Skip it when
- The scope is already clear: we go straight to a proposal
Project-based development
A defined build, such as a web app, a mobile app, an MVP, or a business system, delivered in milestones or phases.
- Best for
- Work with a clear goal and a finish line
- Priced
- Fixed price by milestone, fixed budget per phase, or time and materials
- Commitment
- Set in your project agreement
Dedicated or ongoing development
Development time reserved for your product each month, for a product or system that keeps growing.
- Best for
- Products and systems with a steady stream of work
- Priced
- Monthly
- Commitment
- Month to month, 30 days' notice
Maintenance and support
Updates, fixes, monitoring, and small improvements that keep your software running well.
- Best for
- Software your business relies on, after launch
- Priced
- Monthly
- Commitment
- Month to month, 30 days' notice
Pricing a build
Three ways to price a project
We pick the one that fits how clear your scope is, and agree it with you before work starts.
| Pricing | Best when | How changes work |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed price, paid by milestone | The scope is clear and stable | Changes are quoted in writing, and you approve them before work starts |
| Fixed budget per phase | The scope will change as you learn | You decide what's built within each phase's budget, and you can swap priorities |
| Time and materials | The work is open-ended or exploratory | Extra work is billed at the agreed rate, against an estimate |
Fixed price, paid by milestone
Best when: The scope is clear and stable
How changes work: Changes are quoted in writing, and you approve them before work starts
Fixed budget per phase
Best when: The scope will change as you learn
How changes work: You decide what's built within each phase's budget, and you can swap priorities
Time and materials
Best when: The work is open-ended or exploratory
How changes work: Extra work is billed at the agreed rate, against an estimate
Cost
What moves the cost
Every estimate comes down to a few things. Knowing them helps you decide what belongs in the first release.
Scope
How many features, screens, and types of users the software needs.
Integrations
How many systems it connects to, and how easy they are to connect.
Data
Whether existing data has to be cleaned up and brought across.
Design
A clean standard interface, or a fully custom design.
Platforms
Web, iOS, Android, or a combination.
Requirements
Security, privacy, or compliance needs, and fixed deadlines.
Project size
Projects of different sizes
We take on focused pieces of work, like a single integration or a technical review, as well as larger builds and long-term development. When a paid first step is needed, it's sized to match, so you only commit to what you need to decide.
Included in every build
- Working software to see and try every one to two weeks
- Code review and automated tests on every change
- Documentation and a handover session at launch
- Code repositories and accounts in your name
- Ownership as each invoice is paid
- Free fixes for defects in our work for 30 days after launch
Getting a price
How to get a price for your project
- 1Tell us about your project in a short form.
- 2We reply within one business day, Eastern Time, to arrange a 30-minute call.
- 3If we're the right fit, we recommend the next step: a fixed-fee discovery or technical review when the scope needs work, or a development proposal when it's already clear.
Pricing questions
Why don't you publish prices?
Because a fair price depends on what your software has to do. A number on a website would be too high for some projects and too low for others, so we price each project once we understand it.
Do we have to start with a paid discovery?
No. We recommend a fixed-fee discovery or technical review when the scope is unclear or complex, because you get a written plan and estimate before committing to a build. When the scope is already clear, we can go straight to a development proposal.
Is an estimate a guaranteed price?
Not on time and materials: the estimate is our best forecast, and you're billed for the time actually spent at the agreed rate. A fixed price covers the agreed scope, with any changes quoted in writing for your approval. A fixed budget per phase caps what each phase costs.
Can we start small?
Yes. We take on focused pieces of work, like a single integration or a technical review, as well as larger builds.
How do payments work on a fixed-price project?
You pay by milestone, on the schedule set out in your agreement.
What happens if the scope changes?
It depends on the pricing. On a fixed price, changes are quoted in writing and you approve them before work starts. On a fixed budget per phase, you swap priorities within the budget. On time and materials, extra work is billed at the agreed rate.
Is there a minimum contract for ongoing work?
No. Ongoing work runs month to month, and either side can end it with 30 days' notice.
Get a price for your project
Tell us where you're starting and what you need. We'll suggest the right first step and how it would be priced.
We reply within one business day, Eastern Time.