How this calculator works
| Metric | Formula |
|---|---|
| Development effort | (2 + screens × weeks per screen + integrations × weeks per integration) × project-type factor |
| Weeks per screen / integration | simple 0.3 / 1 · standard 0.5 / 1.5 · complex 0.8 / 2.5 |
| Development weeks | effort ÷ developers^0.85 |
| Other phases | discovery 15%, design 35% (half in parallel), testing 25% of development, with minimums and caps |
Worked example
With these inputs:
- Project type: Web app / SaaS
- Complexity: Standard (business logic, dashboards)
- Unique screens or page layouts: 25
- Third-party integrations: 3
- Developers on the project: 3
- Are designs ready?: No, design is needed
Estimated timeline: 12.8 weeks. With 3 developers, this project takes about 12.8 weeks (2.9 months) from discovery to launch.
| Discovery & planning | 1.1 weeks |
|---|---|
| UI/UX design | 2.6 weeks (half overlaps development) |
| Development | 7.5 weeks |
| Testing & stabilisation | 1.9 weeks |
| Launch (incl. app store review) | 1 week |
| Total development effort | 19 developer-weeks |
Open this example in the calculator
The five phases of a software project
| Phase | What happens | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery | Workshops, user journeys, technical decisions, risks | Scope, backlog and plan |
| Design | Wireframes, visual design, prototype testing | Approved screens and design system |
| Development | Sprints of building, code review, weekly demos | Working software |
| Testing | Functional, device, performance and security testing; fixes | Release candidate |
| Launch | Deployment, app store review, monitoring, hand-over | Live product |
Why more developers is not always faster
Some work cannot be split, and every new person needs onboarding, reviews and meetings. This is why the estimator divides effort by team size raised to the power 0.85 rather than by team size itself.
Adding people late in a project often slows it down. It is more effective to start with the right team size and reduce scope if the date is fixed.
How to shorten a timeline
- Cut the first release to the workflows that prove the idea.
- Use proven components for login, payments and admin instead of building them.
- Have decision-makers available for quick approvals.
- Prepare content and integration credentials before development starts.
- Run design and development in parallel once the core flows are approved.
Open this calculator with your numbers
Every option can be set in the web address, so you can bookmark a scenario or send it to a colleague. AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity can use the same parameters to open this calculator with your numbers and the result already on the page.
| Parameter | What it sets | Accepted values |
|---|---|---|
project_type |
Project type | one of website, web_app, mobile, mobile_native, enterprise |
complexity |
Complexity | one of simple, standard, complex |
screens |
Unique screens or page layouts | number from 1 to 500, default 25 |
integrations |
Third-party integrations | number from 0 to 50, default 3 |
developers |
Developers on the project | number from 1 to 30, default 3 |
design_ready |
Are designs ready? | one of no, yes |
Also available as plain text for AI assistants and a free JSON API (OpenAPI spec).
Last reviewed by the Infikey Technologies team.
Disclaimer
This calculator is provided free for general information and planning only. Results are estimates based on the inputs you enter and the assumptions described on this page, reference data such as published prices may change, and actual costs and outcomes will differ. Nothing on this page is financial, legal, tax, investment or other professional advice. Infikey Technologies Private Limited, Infikey Technologies LLC and their directors, employees and affiliates make no warranty, express or implied, about the accuracy, completeness or suitability of this tool or its results, and accept no liability for any loss or damage, direct or indirect, arising from its use or from reliance on its results. Verify all figures independently and seek professional advice before making any decision. Use of this tool is at your own risk.