SaaS development costs vary widely. This guide breaks down pricing tiers, what's included, and how to calculate ROI for your SaaS project.
SaaS Development Cost Breakdown
Foundation Tier ($50K): Basic SaaS application with 5-8 features, AWS/GCP infrastructure setup, authentication and user management, basic admin dashboard, mobile-responsive design, and 60-day delivery guarantee.
Growth Tier ($85K): Full-featured SaaS platform with 15-20 features, enterprise-grade infrastructure, advanced user management and permissions, analytics and reporting dashboard, API integrations (3-5 services), performance optimization, and 90-day post-launch support.
Scale Tier ($125K+): Complex multi-tenant platform, custom infrastructure requirements, advanced integrations (10+ services), compliance requirements (GDPR, HIPAA), high-availability architecture, custom performance requirements, and 6-month managed support.
What's Included in SaaS Development
Infrastructure: Cloud hosting (AWS/GCP), database setup and optimization, CDN configuration, monitoring and logging, backup and disaster recovery.
Security: Authentication and authorization, encryption at rest and in transit, security headers, rate limiting, SOC 2 compliance (Scale tier).
Features: User management, admin dashboard, API integrations, analytics and reporting, payment processing, email notifications.
ROI Calculation
Example: Monthly costs $50,000, SaaS development $85,000 (Growth tier), monthly savings $35,000 (70% efficiency), payback period 2.1 months, 5-year ROI 1,733%.
Hidden Costs to Consider
Infrastructure: $500-$5,000/month depending on scale. Third-party services: $200-$2,000/month (payment processing, email, analytics). Maintenance: 10-20% of development cost annually. Security audits: $5K-$15K annually for SOC 2.
Cost Comparison
DIY Development: $20K-$50K initial, but requires rebuild ($150K-$300K). Agency Development: $50K-$150K, variable quality. Professional Development: $50K-$125K, enterprise foundations, no rebuild needed.
Long-term savings with professional development: $100K-$175K by avoiding rebuilds.
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