How much does custom software cost for a small business?
There is no single price, because no two businesses need the same software. What you can know up front is what drives the cost, how each way of paying works, and what we charge.
What drives the cost
Custom software is priced by the work it takes to design, build and keep it running. These are the things that move that number the most:
- Scope. How many processes the software covers, and how many screens and features each one needs. A booking calendar is one thing; bookings plus records, billing and reports is several.
- Users and roles. Who uses it and what each person can see. An admin, a team and a client portal are three experiences, not one.
- Integrations. Payments, email, invoicing or the tools you already use. Each connection is work to build and to keep working when the other side changes.
- Your data. Moving what you have today out of spreadsheets or another system takes time, and the messier it is, the more time it takes.
- After launch. Hosting, security updates, backups, support and the changes you will want once people use it. This is the part a project quote often leaves out.
Two ways to pay for it
A fixed-price project
You agree on a scope, pay for it (usually with a deposit up front) and receive the software when it is done.
- Good for: a clearly defined tool that won't change much, when you have someone in-house to host and maintain it.
- Watch out for: a large payment before you see anything, changes that become new quotes, and the question of who keeps it running after delivery. Maintenance is usually a separate contract.
A monthly subscription
You pay a monthly fee, with no setup fee, that covers building, hosting, maintaining and improving the software.
- Good for: a business that wants the software to keep up with how it works, without paying for the whole project up front or hiring a technical team.
- Watch out for: what the fee really includes, how changes are handled, who owns the code and the data, and what happens if you cancel. Ask for all of it in writing.
Neither model is better for everyone. The right one depends on how much your process will change and who you want responsible for the software after launch.
What Ponuz costs
| Plan | Monthly subscription |
|---|---|
| EssentialsOne tool for one process. | USD $249/mo |
| GrowthSeveral connected tools. | USD $649/mo |
| ScaleLarge operations or several locations. | USD $2,500/mo |
Every plan includes hosting and maintenance, support from people first plus an AI agent for quick questions, a client panel, training at launch and a monthly bank of development hours. Hour counts are not published.
- No paying for the project upfront. There is no setup fee; you only pay the monthly fee.
- Unused hours don't roll over. Add-on plugins and builds larger than your monthly hours are quoted separately.
- You can cancel with one month's notice, and we send you your data in a ZIP file. The code belongs to Ponuz; your data belongs to you.
How to estimate your own case
- Write down the process that costs you the most time today, step by step.
- Split must-haves from later. The first version should solve the main problem; the rest can come with your monthly hours.
- List who will use it and what each person needs to see.
- Note the tools it has to talk to, such as payments, email or invoicing.
With that list, a free 30-minute call is enough for us to tell you which plan fits. We confirm the plan on that call, before you sign. If you want to see what's included first, read how custom software with Ponuz works.