UK Software Development Costs by Project Type (2025)
ClickMasters is unusual in the UK software development market: we publish our prices. Most agencies won't quote without a sales call. This guide explains what drives UK software development costs and gives you realistic ranges for common project types.
| Project Type | Description | Timeline | Starting Price (GBP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technical Discovery | Requirements, architecture, fixed-price proposal | 2–4 weeks | £3,500–£8,000 |
| Basic MVP | 5–8 core features, basic auth, simple data model | 6–12 weeks | £12,000–£35,000 |
| Full MVP | 10–15 features, payments, notifications, mobile-ready | 10–18 weeks | £35,000–£65,000 |
| SaaS Platform (basic) | Multi-tenant, billing, admin, basic integrations | 16–26 weeks | £50,000–£120,000 |
| SaaS Platform (full) | Complex workflows, multiple integrations, mobile app | 24–40 weeks | £120,000–£200,000+ |
| Custom Internal Tool | Single-purpose, limited users, simple data model | 6–14 weeks | £12,000–£50,000 |
| API Development | REST API with documentation and authentication | 4–12 weeks | £6,000–£40,000 |
| Legacy Modernisation | Replace/rebuild existing system | 16–52 weeks | £25,000–£150,000+ |
| Mobile App (React Native) | iOS + Android, one codebase | 12–24 weeks | £20,000–£80,000 |
| AI Integration | LLM/ML features added to existing product | 4–12 weeks | £15,000–£60,000 |
What Drives UK Software Development Cost?
| Cost Driver | Impact | How to Reduce |
|---|---|---|
| Number of user stories | High — direct linear relationship | Ruthless MVP scoping: what is the minimum to test the core assumption? |
| Integration complexity | High — each API integration takes 1–4 weeks | Delay non-critical integrations to phase 2 |
| UK compliance requirements | Medium — DTAC, FCA, UK GDPR add 15–25% | Cannot be reduced — compliance is non-negotiable |
| UI complexity | Medium — pixel-perfect design vs GOV.UK Design System | GOV.UK Design System or standard component libraries save significant time |
| Team size | Medium — more engineers adds overhead | Right-size: 2–3 engineers for most UK projects |
| Technology choices | Low — frameworks less important than design | Standard stack: React + Node.js/Python + PostgreSQL |
| Technical Discovery quality | Very high — poor requirements cause 30–50% rework | Always budget £3,500–£8,000 for proper Technical Discovery |
UK Day Rates by Role (2025)
| Role | Junior | Mid-Level | Senior | Principal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior Developer | £200–£300/day | £300–£450/day | £450–£650/day | £600–£900/day |
| Senior Developer | — | — | £500–£750/day | £700–£1,000/day |
| UI/UX Designer | £200–£320/day | £320–£500/day | £480–£680/day | £600–£900/day |
| QA Engineer | £180–£280/day | £280–£440/day | £400–£580/day | £500–£750/day |
| DevOps Engineer | — | £400–£580/day | £540–£740/day | £680–£950/day |