How much does custom software development cost in India? (2026 guide)
Real 2026 price ranges for custom software in India — MVPs, mobile apps, web platforms and enterprise systems — plus what drives the cost up or down.
Custom software development in India typically costs between $8,000 and $150,000+, depending on scope. A simple MVP or mobile app usually lands in the $8,000–$25,000 range; a production web platform runs $25,000–$75,000; and a large multi-role or enterprise system starts around $75,000 and can pass $150,000. For comparable senior engineering, those rates are well below the US, UK or Australia — which is why so many startups and enterprises build with Indian teams.
Below is how those numbers break down by project type, what moves the price up or down, and how we scope and price work at Aystera.
What does custom software cost in India by project type?
Every project is different, but these 2026 ranges hold for most engagements with a senior team:
- MVP / proof of concept — $8,000 – $20,000 (6–10 weeks)
- Mobile app (iOS + Android, React Native) — $15,000 – $40,000
- Custom web platform / SaaS — $25,000 – $75,000
- Multi-role or enterprise system — $75,000 – $150,000+
- Ongoing maintenance / retainer — 15–20% of build cost per year
What drives the price up or down?
Scope is the biggest lever, but a handful of factors decide where you land in the range:
- Number of user roles and permission levels
- Integrations — payments, ERPs, third-party APIs
- Real-time features, offline support and scale requirements
- Design complexity and the amount of custom UI
- Compliance needs (SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, India DPDP)
- Seniority of the team — junior-heavy shops quote less but cost more in rework
Why is India cost-effective for software development?
India pairs a deep pool of senior engineers with lower operating costs, so you get US/UK-grade engineering at a fraction of the rate. The saving is real — but only if you hire a senior team. The cheapest quote is rarely the cheapest project once you count rework, missed deadlines and the cost of maintaining code you can't read.
How Aystera prices projects
We scope every engagement in a short discovery, then quote either a fixed price (clear scope) or time-and-materials (evolving scope). You get a written proposal with milestones, the team, the stack and a payment schedule before any code is written — no junior-only teams, and the people who design your system are the ones who build and maintain it.
- Most custom software in India costs $8k–$150k+, set mainly by scope
- MVPs start around $8k; enterprise systems pass $150k
- Budget 15–20% of build cost per year for maintenance
- The cheapest quote is rarely the cheapest project — seniority matters
Have a project in mind? Send a short brief and we'll come back with an indicative range and a path forward — contact@aystera.com or +91 75758 73458.
Frequently asked questions
A minimum viable product (MVP) in India typically costs $8,000–$20,000 and takes 6–10 weeks with a senior team, depending on the number of features, user roles and integrations.
India combines a large pool of senior engineers with lower operating costs, so you get engineering quality comparable to the US or UK at a lower rate — provided you hire a senior team rather than the cheapest quote.
Budget roughly 15–20% of the original build cost per year for maintenance, hosting, security updates and small enhancements.
Fixed-price suits a well-defined scope; time-and-materials suits an evolving product. Aystera quotes fixed-price when the scope is clear and time-and-materials when it isn't, with a written proposal either way.
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