What a SaaS actually includes
A SaaS (software as a service) is an application people use in their browser or on their phone, usually with an account and a subscription. When you ask “how much does it cost to build a SaaS?”, you are really asking about a list of building blocks, each with its own cost.
- Accounts and authentication: sign-up, login, password reset, sometimes login by text message code.
- Roles and permissions: who sees what. A clinic, a distributor and a customer do not see the same data.
- The core features: what users come for, such as planning, tracking, ordering or scanning.
- Dashboards: lists, filters, statistics, exports.
- Database and security rules: where the data lives and who is allowed to read or write each piece.
- Billing: plans, trials, promo codes, invoices, failed payments, cancellations.
- Emails and notifications: welcome, confirmations, reminders, alerts.
- Admin back office: to manage accounts, help users and see what is happening.
- Public website and legal pages: presentation, pricing, terms of use and sale, privacy policy.
Each block can be simple or sophisticated. That is where the budget is decided.
What drives the development cost
| Factor | Why it adds cost |
|---|---|
| Number of user types | Each role needs its own screens, permissions and tests |
| Complexity of the business rules | Calculations, exceptions and edge cases take time to get right |
| Integrations | Accounting tools, external APIs, payment providers, AI services |
| Billing model | Per-seat or per-usage pricing is harder than a single monthly plan |
| Mobile apps | Store publication, device testing, in-app purchase rules |
| Offline use | Data must sync correctly when the connection returns |
| Languages | Interface, emails and legal pages in each language |
| Compliance | Privacy, consent, data location, audit of who accessed what |
The most expensive factor is rarely technical: it is an unclear scope. A feature that changes three times during development costs three times.
Market orders of magnitude
Market prices for SaaS development vary widely and are best read as orders of magnitude. A clickable mock-up to test an idea can cost a few thousand dollars. A first working version, often called an MVP (minimum viable product), focused on one main user journey, is commonly budgeted in the tens of thousands of dollars. A mature product with several roles, integrations and mobile apps is an ongoing investment rather than a one-off cost.
Two quotes can differ a lot for the same idea, because they do not describe the same product. Before comparing prices, compare the list of features, the number of roles, what happens after launch and the technology used.
At Ecosystem Annexe, platforms are quoted on request after a free conversation about your project. A first version of a platform typically takes us about four weeks.
Running costs once the SaaS is live
A SaaS has monthly costs that a website does not have. Plan for them from the start, because they grow with your number of users.
- Cloud hosting and database: usually billed on usage (storage, reads and writes, bandwidth). Low at launch, it grows with activity.
- Payment fees: a payment provider such as Stripe charges a fee on each transaction. Check its current Canadian pricing.
- Email sending: a transactional email service, often with a free tier then a monthly fee.
- Text messages: if users log in with a code by SMS, each message has a cost.
- AI services: if a feature calls an AI model, each call is billed, so quotas per plan protect your margin.
- Maintenance and support: fixes, updates of libraries, small improvements and answering users.
- Domain, email accounts and legal: smaller items that add up.
How to keep a first version within budget
- 01Pick one main user and one main journey
Build what that person needs to get value on day one. The rest goes on a list for later.
- 02Use proven building blocks
A hosted checkout and customer portal for payments, managed authentication, a cloud database. Do not rebuild what already works.
- 03Start on the web
A web app runs on every phone and computer. The same code can later be packaged as Android and iOS apps.
- 04Keep the admin simple
A basic back office is enough at the start. It grows with what you actually need to manage.
- 05Launch, measure, then extend
Real users will tell you which feature matters. Version two is built on facts, not guesses.
Our own platforms followed this path. GORIFIT, Fidelivet and Gwadadrop all started with a focused first version and grew with their users.
Questions to answer before asking for a quote
The more precise your answers, the more precise the quote. You do not need a full specification; a few pages answering these questions are enough to start a useful conversation.
- Who are the users, and how many types of users are there (customers, staff, partners, administrators)?
- What is the one thing a user must be able to do on day one?
- How will you charge: a monthly plan, several plans, per user, per usage, or free for some users?
- Which tools must the platform connect to: accounting, email, payment, an existing database?
- Will people use it mostly on a phone, a computer, or both? In the field, at a desk, offline?
- Which languages and which countries are you targeting at launch?
- What personal information will you collect, and who should be able to see it?
- Who will answer users' questions and manage accounts once the platform is live?
Compliance points for a SaaS used in Canada
If your users are in Québec, Law 25 applies to the personal information you collect. Among other things, it calls for a designated person in charge of personal information, a privacy policy in clear terms, and a privacy impact assessment for projects to acquire, develop or redesign an information system involving personal information. It also requires informing people when a decision about them is based solely on automated processing. Our Law 25 guide summarizes these points; a lawyer can confirm what applies to your product.
If you sell subscriptions, sales tax rules also apply: see our guide to sales tax for online sales in Canada. And if Québec consumers use your app, plan a French version, as explained in our Bill 96 guide.
How we build SaaS platforms
We use the same stack for every platform: React for the interface, Firebase (Google Cloud) for hosting, database and authentication, and Stripe for payments and subscriptions. Mobile apps for Android and iOS can be built from the same code base with Capacitor. Every interface is designed for the phone first. Learn more on our SaaS development page or contact us to describe your idea (page in French; we reply in English).
Updated November 13, 2026