Custom HR software quotes vary by a factor of 40. A simple time tracking tool might cost €8,000. A full HR platform with payroll integration and multi-country compliance can reach €120,000. Both answers can be correct depending on scope.

Five factors drive the number.

Feature scope is the biggest lever. A tool that tracks time and exports a CSV sits at one end. A platform managing scheduling, leave requests, payroll sync, document storage, onboarding checklists, and compliance reporting sits at the other. Every additional module adds 3 to 8 weeks of development.

Platform count doubles or triples cost. Web-only builds cost significantly less than web plus native iOS and Android. A cross-platform mobile app using React Native or Flutter adds €8,000 to €20,000 to most projects.

Integrations are where budgets surprise clients. Connecting to a payroll system like DATEV, Sage, or QuickBooks requires API negotiation, edge case handling, and ongoing maintenance. Each integration adds €3,000 to €12,000 depending on the provider's documentation quality and access model. POS and ERP connections carry similar ranges.

Compliance requirements vary by market. GDPR data handling, Works Council notification requirements in Germany, or Fair Work record-keeping obligations in Australia each add scope that developers must account for explicitly.

Typical price ranges for 2026 projects:

  • Simple internal time tracking (web, basic reports): €5,000 - €12,000
  • Time tracking + scheduling + leave management (web + mobile): €20,000 - €45,000
  • Full HR platform with payroll integration: €60,000 - €120,000
  • Enterprise build with multiple integrations: €100,000 and up

The costs clients miss

Hosting and infrastructure run €100 to €500 per month depending on load and redundancy requirements. A €30,000 build carries €4,800 to €18,000 in three-year hosting costs on top of the build fee. Future feature requests are not free - a small change to an existing module typically costs €800 to €3,000. Security review and penetration testing for tools handling employee data adds €2,000 to €6,000 per audit cycle.

Build vs. buy: the three-year calculation

Take the monthly SaaS fee for a comparable product and multiply by 36. A €149/month SaaS tool costs €5,364 over three years. A custom build at €25,000 costs more. A custom build at €12,000 costs less - and covers your exact workflow rather than a generic one.

The decision is worth making deliberately. Custom builds win when the workflow is genuinely unusual, when integration requirements eliminate off-the-shelf options, or when three-year cost clearly favors ownership.

Rezano builds custom HR and workforce management tools for teams with specific requirements. See the options at rezano.lv/en/services.