Lab: cost guides that calculate instead of selling

Development costs, rates by region and our own study of AI code quality. No email gate, and the answer to the question in the title sits in the first paragraph.

Lab

Guides that calculate instead of selling

No email gate, no "contact us for pricing", and the answer to the question in the title sits in the first paragraph.

Why these exist

Every number in this section is either from our own price list or marked as a market observation with a date. If we cannot source a figure, it does not go on the page.

If you find something out of date, tell us — these guides are updated rather than abandoned, and a stale cost guide is worse than none.

Guides

What is published so far

Five guides, updated as the market moves.

App development cost in 2026

Where every dollar goes, by role and stage, with worked examples and our published rates.

Read the guide →

MVP development cost

What each price tier includes, and how to cut scope without killing the experiment.

Read the guide →

Development rates by region

Rates by role and region for 2026, and why the rate is not the cost.

Read the guide →

Offshore vs nearshore

The comparison with numbers in it, including the hidden costs nobody quotes.

Read the guide →

State of AI code quality

Our own study of AI-generated codebases: method first, findings second, limitations stated.

Read the guide →

Industries

Software and AI for every kind of business

From fintech and e-commerce to manufacturing and property development — the stack follows the domain, not an off-the-shelf product that fits none of them.

18 sectors

  • IT companies and digital agencies
  • Insurers and brokers
  • Lenders and microfinance
  • E-commerce
  • Wholesale and distribution
  • Manufacturing
  • Freight and forwarding
  • Clinics and medical centres
  • Dental
  • Car dealers and service centres
  • EdTech
  • Legal and consulting firms
  • Equipment rental
  • Real estate agencies
  • Property developers
  • Travel and events
  • Beauty and wellness
  • Construction and renovation
2–4×
faster on the code-writing share
in 3 weeks
from idea to MVP
230+
projects delivered
17 years
of engineering experience
Work

Work we can show you

Want your own project costed?

The guides give you the method; a scoping week gives you the number, fixed, with the hours behind it.

Or send a brief and get a clickable prototype of the core flow within 48 hours.