Available for new projects Available now build Sgu50z
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Is custom development worth it?

A build that gives back a week to a team of at /hr

455% over three years — what are you waiting for.
band 238% – 609% depending how it lands

Pays for itself in 6.5 months, then throws off $83,200 a year. Every year you wait leaves $83,200 on the table.

launch ~24 weeks to build · payback 6.5 months after go-live 36 months →
Get a tailored ROI analysis →
// before you build

Bring a sharp brief, get a sharper estimate.

1-page pdf
Free Download

The Client Brief Template

A one-page PDF that helps you clarify your project before you talk to any developer. Covers goals, audience, scope, budget, and timeline. Fewer surprises, better outcomes.

No spam promise.

// questions

Custom software ROI, answered plainly.

How is custom software ROI calculated? +
Return on investment compares the value the software creates against what it costs to build. This tool measures value as the labor hours it saves each week (converted to dollars at your staff cost) plus any new or protected revenue it generates, then weighs that against the build cost to produce a payback period and a three-year ROI percentage.
What is a good payback period for custom software? +
Most healthy custom software investments pay for themselves within 6 to 18 months. Under six months is excellent; beyond three years usually means the scope is too large for the value, and it is worth tightening the build or reconsidering.
Does this calculator account for revenue, not just cost savings? +
Yes. Cost savings alone understate custom software, which often earns its keep by helping you serve more customers, open a new revenue line, or stop losing sales. Toggle on revenue impact to fold a conservative annual revenue figure into the same payback and ROI outputs.
Why does every result show a range instead of one number? +
A single hard number implies false precision. The conservative-to-optimistic band reflects that real projects land within a range, and lets you make the decision on the honest math rather than a best case.
// from estimate to build

Like the numbers? Let's pressure-test them together.

This is a planning estimate. A short conversation turns it into a real scope, a real timeline, and a build that owns its payback.

How the math works: Annual savings = hours saved per week × 52 × staff cost per hour × team size. Revenue impact, when enabled, is added on top of labor savings as new or protected revenue per year. The confidence band widens the estimate by −30% / +15% on value and +15% / −10% on cost. Project hours and build cost are two views of the same estimate — larger builds carry a gentler effective rate, so moving one slider updates the other. ROI is measured over a 36-month (three-year) horizon and does not discount future dollars. Build-time is a rough estimate for context only, not a quote. These are planning estimates. Your actual results depend on the specific build.