How much does custom system development cost? There's no single number, but Taiwan's small-to-mid projects mostly fall between NT$300,000 and NT$2,000,000. That range isn't vendors pricing randomly — a handful of variables behind the quote determine the final figure, and you can estimate a budget tier yourself with one formula before a quote ever lands in your inbox.
Why Can Two Quotes for the Same Request Differ by Two or Three Times?
Quote gaps usually don't come from "who's more expensive" — they come from differences in scope:
| Variable | Effect on the quote |
|---|---|
| Number of feature modules and permission tiers | More screens and logic means work hours scale up linearly |
| Whether it integrates with existing systems (ERP, payments, IoT) | Most easily underestimated — testing and debugging costs run high |
| Expected scale of use (concurrent users, data volume) | Affects architecture decisions, which drives upfront investment |
| Whether the quote includes post-launch maintenance | If it doesn't, that cost will surface later |
Before comparing two quotes' totals, confirm the four items above are apples-to-apples — otherwise, no matter how close the numbers look, the comparison is meaningless. This is also why Taiwan's Government Software Procurement Platform directs agencies procuring information services under Article 22(1)(9) of the Government Procurement Act to use fixed service fees or rates — define scope and pricing basis first, then compare totals, a principle worth borrowing for private vendor comparisons too.
A Simple Formula to Estimate Your Own Budget Tier
You don't need to wait for a vendor's quote to get a budget tier in mind: Estimated budget = number of core feature modules × average hours per module × team hourly rate, plus a 10-30% buffer. For example, a project with 5 core modules, roughly 60 hours per module, and an hourly rate around NT$1,000 lands in the ballpark of NT$1,000,000 — enough to walk into a vendor conversation mentally prepared, instead of seeing a number for the first time right before signing.
A 50-Person Company's Decision (Illustrative Scenario)
Imagine a 50-person trading company that originally just wanted the lowest-quoted team to build a quotation system. They later discovered maintenance costs weren't included in the quote, and the add-on fees six months after launch ended up exceeding what they thought they'd saved. After re-comparing quotes using the module breakdown above, they realized the real comparison point was "scope covered," not "total number" — and ultimately chose the team with a slightly higher quote but the clearest scope. This scenario comes up repeatedly in our discovery interviews; only the company size and system name change.
Where Does Noise & Signal Sit in This Pricing Spectrum?
Noise & Signal (諾訊科技) is a Taipei-based custom system development company that also builds AI agents. Typical SME project quotes range from NT$300,000 to NT$2,000,000; an MVP usually launches in 6-12 weeks, and a full system in roughly 3-6 months. We quote in phases after a requirements interview, with maintenance billed separately. If your project has already reached the scale of needing multi-country teams delivering in sync, this tier isn't the right starting point — you'll want a vendor with large-scale global delivery experience instead.
If you'd like a quick price and timeline range for your own project, try our online tool: Project Cost Estimator.
References
- Information Service Procurement Regulations — Government Software Procurement Platform, Administration for Digital Industries, Taiwan