Methodology
Every estimate we produce is explainable, verifiable, and grounded in real market data. Here's exactly how our 9 engines work together to price your project.
Each engine runs independently, analyzing a different dimension of your project. They cross-reference each other for consistency — if one engine detects a mismatch, it flags it.
Pricing Engine
24-step pipeline: base hours per feature, design multipliers, platform modifiers, geographic rates, tier adjustments, contingency buffer, and final clamping against market bounds.
Complexity Engine
Weighted scoring across 30+ factors. Features don't just add up — they compound. An ecommerce store with subscriptions + multi-currency + API integrations is exponentially harder than one with just products.
Platform Recommendation
Weighted scoring across WordPress, Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and custom builds. Considers project scope, scalability needs, budget, and maintenance overhead.
Risk Assessment
12-factor model covering scope clarity, integration count, urgency, team experience, third-party dependencies, regulatory requirements, and revision likelihood.
Timeline Engine
Feature-based duration estimates with phase multipliers for design, development, QA, content entry, and launch buffer. Accounts for parallel vs. sequential work.
Monthly Cost Engine
13 line items per platform: hosting, SSL, domain, email, CDN, security monitoring, backups, plugin licenses, maintenance hours, analytics, and support.
ROI Projection
3 scenarios (conservative, moderate, optimistic) based on industry conversion benchmarks, average order values, and traffic growth curves. Includes break-even month.
Content Cost Engine
Separate pricing for copywriting (per page), photography (per product), video production (per minute), and content strategy. The costs everyone forgets to budget for.
Insights Engine
Condition-based smart recommendations. Catches overpriced scopes, suggests missing features, flags budget/scope mismatches, and identifies optimization opportunities.
Our numbers come from 600+ real project quotes collected from agencies, freelancers, and platform-specific pricing databases. Not surveys. Not estimates of estimates. Actual quotes for actual projects.
Rate data is sourced from 8 independent platforms and refreshed weekly via automated scrapers:
Upwork
Clutch
GoodFirms
WebFX
Index.dev
Tapflare
VOCSO
Arc.dev
Eastern Europe
$25–65/hr
Western Europe
$70–150/hr
United Kingdom
$75–160/hr
United States
$80–200/hr
Australia
$80–180/hr
South Asia
$15–45/hr
Our target accuracy is ±18% of real market quotes, validated through continuous backtesting against actual agency and freelancer proposals.
Accuracy improves with specificity. The more features you select and the more details you provide, the higher the confidence interval. A 3-feature project with a clear platform choice will be estimated more accurately than a vague “I want a website” scope.
More features selected
Higher confidence — more data points to cross-reference
Clear platform choice
Removes platform ambiguity multiplier (~15% variance)
Known geographic market
Locks rate ranges — eliminates the biggest pricing variable
Defined project type
Activates category-specific calibration data
Fewer custom integrations
Custom API work has the widest price variance (2–10x)
The same project doesn't cost the same everywhere or for everyone. Our multiplier system explains why a project priced at $8,000 in Eastern Europe becomes $22,000 from a US agency for the exact same scope.
Geographic Rate
1.0x – 4.5xDeveloper hourly rates vary dramatically by region. A senior developer in Romania charges $45/hr; the same skill level in San Francisco is $180/hr.
Agency vs. Freelancer
2.2xAgencies carry overhead: project managers, QA teams, office space, insurance. You're paying for process and accountability, not just code hours.
Urgency
1.3x – 1.8xRush jobs cost more. A 2-week deadline on a project that normally takes 8 weeks requires overtime, parallel work streams, and often higher-tier developers.
Client Type
1.0x – 1.5xEnterprise clients pay enterprise rates. Agencies price based on perceived value and client budget, not just hours. A Fortune 500 company pays more for the same work.
Honesty about limitations is part of being transparent. Our estimates do not include:
Run the calculator on your project and see exactly how each engine contributes to your estimate.