One of the most common questions we hear from business owners in Thailand: "How much does it cost to build software?"
It's a fair question — and the honest answer is: it depends. But that's not a useful answer when you're trying to plan a budget. So here's a practical breakdown with real numbers from the Thai market in 2026.
What Determines Software Development Cost
Three main factors control the price:
- Feature complexity — A simple CRUD system vs. one with AI, payment processing, and third-party integrations can differ by 10x in cost
- Who you hire — Freelancer, offshore team, or a local Thailand software house all have different price points and risk profiles
- Timeline — Rush projects typically cost 20–30% more
Web Application Cost
A web app is anything you access through a browser: order management systems, admin dashboards, customer portals, booking systems.
| Web App Type | Estimated Cost (THB) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Landing page + basic admin | 80,000 – 200,000 | 1–2 months |
| Small web app (MVP) | 200,000 – 600,000 | 2–3 months |
| Mid-size web app | 600,000 – 2,000,000 | 3–6 months |
| Complex / enterprise web app | 2,000,000+ | 6+ months |
What drives cost up:
- Role-based access control with multiple permission levels
- Integration with external APIs (banking, shipping, ERP, third-party services)
- Real-time features (live chat, push notifications)
- Complex reporting dashboards with custom charts
- Multi-language and multi-currency support
Mobile Application Cost
Mobile apps are more expensive than web apps because you're building for two platforms — iOS and Android — unless you use a cross-platform framework.
| Mobile App Type | Estimated Cost (THB) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Simple app (1 platform) | 200,000 – 500,000 | 2–3 months |
| Mid-size cross-platform app | 500,000 – 1,500,000 | 3–5 months |
| Complex native iOS + Android | 1,500,000 – 5,000,000 | 5–9 months |
Cross-platform vs Native:
- Flutter / React Native: 30–40% cheaper since one codebase serves both platforms. Suitable for most business apps
- Native (Swift + Kotlin): Higher cost but better performance for apps heavily using camera, AR, Bluetooth, or complex payment flows
ERP System Cost
ERP is the most complex category because it unifies your entire business — accounting, inventory, HR, CRM, and more.
| ERP Type | Estimated Cost (THB) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Odoo Community (implement + customize) | 200,000 – 800,000 | 2–4 months |
| Odoo Enterprise | 500,000 – 3,000,000 | 3–8 months |
| Custom ERP (small business) | 1,000,000 – 5,000,000 | 6–12 months |
| Custom ERP (enterprise) | 5,000,000+ | 12+ months |
Odoo vs Custom ERP:
- Odoo is faster and cheaper when your processes are relatively standard. Ideal for most Thai SMEs
- Custom ERP makes sense only when your operations are unique enough that adapting Odoo would cost as much as building from scratch — or when Odoo's limitations would create long-term technical debt
AI & Automation Cost
| Type | Estimated Cost (THB) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Rule-based chatbot | 100,000 – 300,000 | 1–2 months |
| LLM-based AI chatbot | 300,000 – 1,000,000 | 2–4 months |
| RPA (Robotic Process Automation) | 150,000 – 500,000 | 1–3 months |
| Document processing / OCR | 200,000 – 800,000 | 2–4 months |
Ongoing Monthly Costs People Forget
The initial development cost is only part of the picture. Plan for these recurring expenses:
Infrastructure:
- Cloud server (AWS, GCP, Azure): 2,000 – 50,000 THB/month depending on traffic
- Database: usually bundled with server, or 1,000 – 10,000 THB/month separately
Maintenance & Support:
- Bug fixes + security updates: 10,000 – 50,000 THB/month
- New feature development: priced per scope
Third-party Services:
- SMS OTP: ~0.50–1.00 THB/message
- Payment gateway: 2–3% per transaction or flat monthly fee
- Email service: free to a few thousand THB/month
Freelancer vs Software House — Price Comparison
| Factor | Freelancer | Software House |
|---|---|---|
| Starting cost | 30–50% lower | Higher |
| Accountability | Individual | Team + contract |
| Continuity | Risk if freelancer leaves | Structured handover |
| Code quality | Varies by person | Code review process |
| Scalability | Limited | Supports large projects |
| After-sales | Uncertain | Defined SLA |
Our take: For small, straightforward projects with tight budgets, a freelancer can be cost-effective. For systems your business depends on long-term, a software house provides stability, continuity, and defined support terms that protect your investment.
How to Reduce Software Development Costs
1. Start with an MVP
Don't build every feature at once. Launch a Minimum Viable Product with only core features first, then iterate based on real user feedback. This approach typically saves 40–60% of the initial budget.
2. Write clear requirements before development starts
Vague scope leads to change requests during development, which typically add 20–40% to the final bill. Investing time upfront in clear requirements is the most cost-effective thing you can do.
3. Use proven open-source components
Authentication, payments, notifications, PDF export — these don't need to be built from scratch. Stable, well-maintained libraries exist for all of them. Insisting on custom implementation where standard solutions exist wastes budget.
4. Start with cloud infrastructure
Cloud hosting (pay-as-you-go) dramatically reduces upfront infrastructure costs. Don't buy servers before you know your traffic needs.
Questions to Ask Before Signing
- Does the quote include UAT (User Acceptance Testing)?
- Are bug fixes after go-live covered? For how long?
- What's the change request process if scope changes mid-project?
- Who owns the source code after full payment?
- Are there separate ongoing hosting or maintenance fees?
Summary
| System Type | Starting Cost (THB) |
|---|---|
| Web App (MVP) | 200,000 |
| Mobile App | 200,000 |
| ERP (Odoo) | 200,000 |
| AI / Automation | 100,000 |
Software development costs in Thailand vary widely — there's no fixed price without reviewing your specific requirements. The most important first step is a scoping conversation with a software house to get an estimate that actually matches what you need.
The Adowbig team is happy to review your requirements and provide an initial cost estimate at no charge — so you have a real number to work with before making any decisions.