Before we start with your project, we probably need to take time to understand your needs, current problems, and success criteria. Below are costs for typical upfront consulting engagements to facilitate this process.
No gimmicks. No gotchas.
In an industry that's infamous for cost overruns and low-ball bids, we go to great lengths to make the most of your budget by de-risking projects, accelerating development, and proactively managing your software.
Consulting
Pre-Project Consulting
starts at $5,000
Team Size: 2 people
Schedule: 1 to 4 weeks
If you’re looking to get started with a new project then this engagement is for you. Learn more about our upfront consulting process.
Code Audit
starts at $7,500
Team Size: 2 people
Schedule: 1 to 2 weeks
If you are looking for a team to takeover an existing system, a project rescue, or a remodel, we’ll take a look under the hood and give you an honest assessment.
Discovery, Design & Planning
starts at $50,000
Team Size: Varies
Schedule: 4 to 16 weeks
This is where your ideas come to life. We’ll spend time with you to dive deep into the problems you’re facing.
The output is a blueprint for your project, completed with:
- Clear definition of business value
- Well-defined requirements
- Technical design and architecture
- End-to-end UI mockups
- Project roadmap
- Time and cost quote
Development
In most cases, clients have just enough budget for a “Version 1.” This is okay. After delivery of the first phase, it’s typical to spend some time (3-6 months) getting familiar with the software and integrating in their company. Almost all of our clients come back for another round of design and development with a more informed sense of where the software needs to go for “phase 2.”
PROJECTS
BUDGET
SCHEDULE
Proof of concept, prototype, or single-feature tool or stand-alone program
$25k to $125k
6 to 12 weeks
Takeover of existing software, project rescue, or software “remodel”
$75k to $350k
3 to 8 months
Simple tool – a web application or mobile app that handles just a few critical features with minimal flexibility, maybe an “MVP” or v1.0
$75k to $250k
2 to 5 months
Commercial-grade web or mobile application with a polished interface and more “complete” feature set, this is usually the first phase of a multi-phase project
$250k to $1M+
5 to 10 months
Advanced, multi-phase, cross-platform system – usually w/ third-party integrations, many different user types, lots of flexibility and configuration capabilities
$1M to $5M+
10 to 18 months
In terms of monthly costs, this varies based on how fast you want to move and what stage your project is in. In general, you will pay more for speed. This is because to move faster, you’ll need a team that has more experienced people or a team that has more people. Below is a quick summary of different teams or “modes” that we see and the monthly budgets with those teams.
Tortoise Mode
Varies widely based on needs
On-demand, ad hoc maintenance for emergency support or small bug fixes here or there. All work is typically estimated ahead of time and work does not start until approved by the client.
PERFECT FOR:
- Code Cleanup
- Regular Fixes & Minor Enhancements
Sane Mode
Starts at $39.5k per month
Dedicated team of 1-2 full-time developers working at a normal pace with support staff rolling on and off as needed to assist. Work is typically steady with high visibility for months at a time.
PERFECT FOR:
- Minimal production support
- Minor enhancements or bug fixes
- Non-urgent, but ongoing feature development
Insane Mode
Starts at $225k per month
Dedicated team of 4+ full-time developers, architect, UI/UX, QA, and project manager working on fast-paced feature development or a high volume of regular enhancements, tweaks, or bug fixes. Expectation is rapid development and testing cycles with regular releases and high involvement from the client and key stakeholders.
PERFECT FOR:
- Design to MVP: 2 to 4 months
- MVP to V1: 2 to 6 months
- Project Rescue: 3 to 8 months
- Ongoing development and supporting live users every day
Managed Cloud Hosting
Frogslayer pre-pays with AWS to receive a 30-50% discount on retail prices. Unlike other managed AWS hosting providers or partners, we pass this saving through to our clients instead of passing through the retail costs. We simply tack on a flat management fee of 25% each month to help cover our costs, which include: (1) the risk of pre-payment and (2) the labor from our dedicated DevOps and Cloud Ops staff who monitor and handle cost optimization, performance tweaking and optimization, tooling, server updates and patches, networking, security, compliance, etc.
Low
Average of $250 to $750 per month
PERFECT FOR:
- Lightweight tools and apps
- Testing and staging documents
- Small user base, minimal activity
- Simple setup and deployment
Medium
Average of $750 to $2,500 per month
PERFECT FOR:
- Basic business apps
- Production deployments
- Growing user base or high activity
- Setup and deployment doesn’t involve major complexity
High
Average of $2,500 or more per month
PERFECT FOR:
- Advanced business apps
- Production deployments
- Growing user base or high activity
- Complex setup and deployment
