How to Build a Custom Web Application (And Why It Costs What It Costs)

"Why does an app cost $10,000 if it's just a little screen?"

If you've ever thought this, this article is for you.

I'm going to show you exactly what's behind custom web application development: the stages, technical decisions, real costs, and why some agencies charge $2,000 and others $50,000 for "the same thing".

Spoiler: it's not the same thing.

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What is a Custom Web Application?

A custom web application is software developed specifically to solve YOUR company's problems.

It's not:

• A modified WordPress template
• A plugin that "sort of" does what you need
• A generic solution adapted

It is:

• Code written specifically for your case
• Architecture designed for YOUR needs
• Scalability according to YOUR growth

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The 6 Stages of Development (Real Version)

Stage 1: Discovery (1-2 weeks)

What happens: We understand your business, problems, and objectives.

• Stakeholder meetings
• Current process mapping
• Scope definition
• User identification

Output: Requirements document

Stage 2: UX/UI Design (2-4 weeks)

What happens: We design how it will look and function.

• Wireframes (skeletons)
• Interactive prototypes
• Final visual design
• User testing

Output: Designs ready for development

Stage 3: Technical Architecture (1-2 weeks)

What happens: We define how it will be built.

• Technology selection
• Database design
• API definition
• Infrastructure plan

Output: Technical document + refined estimate

Stage 4: Development (6-16 weeks)

What happens: Code is written.

• Frontend (what the user sees)
• Backend (business logic)
• Database
• Integrations (payments, emails, external APIs)

Output: Application working in test environment

Stage 5: Testing and QA (2-4 weeks)

What happens: We test that everything works.

• Automated tests
• Manual testing
• Bug fixes
• Performance testing

Output: Stable application ready for production

Stage 6: Deploy and Launch (1 week)

What happens: We put the app live.

• Server configuration
• Data migration (if applicable)
• Initial monitoring
• User training

Output: Application in production

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How Much Does It Really Cost?

Factors That Affect Price:

Price Ranges (Argentina/LATAM):

Why the Price Difference?

App at $3,000:

• Small team or freelancer
• Basic stack
• Minimal documentation
• Limited support

App at $30,000:

• Complete team (designer, frontend, backend, QA)
• Scalable architecture
• Complete documentation
• Support and maintenance included

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Architecture: The Decisions That Matter

Monolith vs Microservices

Monolith: All code together

• ✅ Faster to develop
• ✅ Easier to maintain at first
• ❌ Hard to scale

Microservices: Code separated by functionality

• ✅ Scales independently
• ✅ Teams can work in parallel
• ❌ More complex to implement
• ❌ Higher initial cost

Recommendation: Start with monolith, migrate to microservices when you need to.

Database

SQL (PostgreSQL, MySQL):

• Structured data
• Complex relationships
• ACID transactions

NoSQL (MongoDB, Firebase):

• Flexible data
• High read speed
• Horizontal scalability

Frontend

React/Next.js: Industry standard, great ecosystem Vue.js: Gentler learning curve Angular: Large enterprise applications

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Red Flags: When to Distrust a Provider

🚩 "We'll do it in 2 weeks for $1,000" Impossible to do something quality in that time/price.

🚩 "We use our proprietary platform" You'll be tied to them forever.

🚩 "Documentation isn't necessary" When they leave, nobody will understand the code.

🚩 "Final price, we'll see later" Always ends up costing 3x more.

🚩 "We don't need to meet, send me a brief" They don't care about understanding your business.

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What to Ask Before Hiring

• What technologies do you use and why?
• Can I see similar projects you've done?
• Who will be my point of contact?
• What happens if I need changes later?
• Is the code mine at the end?
• How do you handle post-launch bugs?
• Do you have a QA process?

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Your Application: Template or Custom?

Use a Template/SaaS If:

• Your need is generic (blog, simple e-commerce)
• You don't have budget for development
• You need something NOW
• You won't scale significantly

Develop Custom If:

• Your business process is unique
• You need specific integrations
• You'll scale and need control
• Data security is critical
• A template doesn't cover even 70% of what you need

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Your Next Step

Developing a custom application is a significant investment. But when done right, it transforms businesses.

The key is:

• Understanding well what you need
• Choosing the right team
• Planning to scale

Have an app idea? At Soluciones Web we develop custom software for companies that need more than a template.

Tell us about your project and we'll give you a real estimate, no commitment.