Contents
- Industry benchmarks from FullStack Labs (2025 Price Guide), Keyhole Software (2026 Benchmarks), and Qubit Labs (2026) place custom CRM development in well-defined cost bands depending on who builds it:
- PRJ-01 -- a production CRM platform that replaced six SaaS vendors -- was built for $16,800 in direct contractor costs plus $3,184 in AI tooling.
- The cost did not collapse because the work was done cheaply.
At traditional development rates, a custom CRM with affiliate tracking, lead management, analytics, and multi-tenant access costs between $780,000 and $1,560,000 through a US mid-market development firm, with a 12-18 month timeline and a team of 4-6 people. However, a solo operator using AI-assisted development built an equivalent system for $16,800 in direct build costs over 74 active days -- a 46x-93x cost difference.
What the market charges
Industry benchmarks from FullStack Labs (2025 Price Guide), Keyhole Software (2026 Benchmarks), and Qubit Labs (2026) place custom CRM development in well-defined cost bands depending on who builds it:
| Approach | Cost Range | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| US Premium Development Firm | $1,500,000-$3,000,000+ | 12-24 months |
| US Mid-Market Firm | $780,000-$1,560,000 | 12-18 months |
| Eastern European Firm | $400,000-$800,000 | 12-18 months |
| Offshore (India/Southeast Asia) | $200,000-$500,000 | 12-24 months |
| Internal Team (5 people) | $960,000-$1,440,000 | 12-18 months |
These are not theoretical. They are published rates for the scope of work involved: 135 database tables, 20 external integrations, multi-role access (admin, partner, affiliate, business), lead processing at scale, and analytics dashboards.
What it actually cost in a documented build
PRJ-01 -- a production CRM platform that replaced six SaaS vendors -- was built for $16,800 in direct contractor costs plus $3,184 in AI tooling. The system processes 616,543 leads, manages 75,125 transactions, and runs 135 database tables across 194,954 lines of code (CS01, CS08, QB-verified January 2026).
The total build investment for the entire 10-system portfolio (including the CRM) was $65,054 in contractor costs. The CRM alone accounted for $16,800 of that. The market replacement value of just the CRM: $780,000 to $1,560,000 (CS08, benchmarked against FullStack, Keyhole Software, Qubit Labs, and COCOMO II model estimates).
Why the gap exists
The cost did not collapse because the work was done cheaply. It collapsed because every pattern, service, and component built for the CRM was reused across subsequent systems. By the ninth product in the portfolio, the marginal build cost was $0. The first project was an investment; everything after it compounded on that foundation (CS08, audited).
The operator retained 100% equity. No investors. No co-founders. No dilution.
Related: When should a business replace SaaS with custom-built software? | How long does it take to build a SaaS replacement?
References
- FullStack Labs (2025). "Custom Software Development Price Guide." CRM development cost benchmarks by region and team size.
- Keyhole Software (2026). "Software Development Benchmarks." Mid-market development cost and timeline estimates.
- Qubit Labs (2026). "Software Development Market Rates." Offshore and nearshore development pricing comparison.
- Boehm, B. et al. "COCOMO II Model Definition Manual." Constructive cost estimation model for software projects.
- Keating, M.G. (2026). "Case Study: The Flagship Build." Stealth Labz. Read case study
- Keating, M.G. (2026). "Case Study: The Cost Inversion." Stealth Labz. Read case study