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What custom software costs

The most common question and the hardest one to find an answer to. Supplier websites usually stop at “price on request”. Here are the figures the Czech market actually works with — and, more importantly, what moves them.

Custom software development in Czechia starts at roughly 60,000 CZK (about €2,400) for a simple application and around 400,000 CZK (about €16,000) for a company information system. A senior developer's hourly rate starts around 1,200 CZK (about €48) excluding VAT, higher at agencies.

Every figure below is a lower bound that scales upward — the price is driven by the number of roles, the complexity of the rules and above all the number of systems it has to talk to.

Starting prices by type of solution

The figures come from what suppliers on the Czech market quote for custom development. Each is a floor — the price moves up from there with scope. Treat it as a basis for a first conversation, not as an offer. Euro amounts are indicative at roughly 25 CZK to the euro.

What it isFromWhat usually sits behind it
One feature in an existing system15,000 CZK +
~ €600
An export, a new field, one interface hooked up
Simple application60,000 CZK +
~ €2,400
One role, a few screens, no complex calculations
Internal system150,000 CZK +
~ €6,000
Several roles and permissions, reports, accounting integration
Company information system400,000 CZK +
~ €16,000
Warehouse, orders, invoicing, multiple integrations
Ongoing work and maintenance5,000 CZK + / month
~ €200
Running it, small changes, security updates

Careful when comparing against off-the-shelf. A custom ERP normally starts making financial sense at around twenty users, or where a licensed system would need heavy modification anyway.

The five things that drive the price most

  1. Number of roles and permissions. A system where everyone sees everything is many times cheaper than one where the warehouse, sales and accounting each get a different view and different rights.
  2. Number of integrations. Every additional system you have to talk to adds work: the interface, mapping the data, handling outages. It is usually the largest hidden item.
  3. Complexity of the rules. “Calculate the margin” is one thing. “Calculate the margin, but differently for consignment stock and differently again for seasonal discounts” is another thing entirely.
  4. Data migration. Moving off a spreadsheet or an old system is almost never just an import. The data is usually inconsistent and cleaning it takes longer than the transfer.
  5. Who will run it. Deployment, backups, monitoring and updates are work that starts after delivery and is often missing from quotes.

Where you can genuinely save

Not by cutting the budget, but through decisions made before the work starts.

  • Do not rebuild what already works. If your accounting or e-shop suits you, leave them alone and just connect them. It is usually an order of magnitude cheaper than replacing everything.
  • Start with what hurts most. One annoyance solved delivers more than half of a large system.
  • Deliver in pieces. You use the first piece while the second is being built — and adjust the brief based on what real use reveals.
  • Budget for running it. A cheaper delivery without maintenance usually costs more within two years.

Why nobody wants to quote a number up front

Because without knowing the scope it is guesswork — and a supplier who throws out a blind number then either has to raise it or loses money on the job. Neither is a good start.

The sensible way round is the opposite: say what slows you down most, then have it broken into pieces with an estimate against each. You will see where the money sits and can start with the part that pays back soonest.

Grants worth knowing about

Small and medium companies registered in Czechia can draw on the OP TAK — Digital Enterprise programme in 2026, covering roughly 30–60% of eligible digitisation costs. Terms change with each call, so always check the current wording with Agentura API, which administers it. It is worth sorting before you sign anything — once a project is under way it is usually too late.

Frequently asked questions

A simple application with one role and a few screens starts at roughly 60,000 CZK, about €2,400, and moves up from there. The price is driven mainly by the number of roles, the complexity of the rules and integration with other systems.

A senior developer starts around 1,200 CZK, about €48, excluding VAT per hour. Agencies charge more because their rate carries team overheads. Junior rates start around 400 CZK, but on complex logic the difference comes back in the number of hours worked.

It is worth it where a ready-made system would need heavy modification anyway, or where per-user licences grow faster than a one-off investment. For ERP the tipping point is usually around twenty users. If an off-the-shelf tool suits you, it is cheaper to keep it and connect it to the rest of the company.

Because two projects with the same name can differ tenfold in scope. A published price would either be needlessly high or impossible to hold to. A range can be given, though — which is why this page exists.

Yes. Small and medium companies registered in Czechia can use the OP TAK — Digital Enterprise programme in 2026, which covers roughly 30 to 60% of eligible costs. Terms differ per call and have to be arranged before the project starts.

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