How Much Does CRM Software Development Cost?

When businesses ask us at KanhaSoft “How much will a CRM cost?” we do not reach for a crystal ball (we leave that to magicians). We reach for spreadsheets, whiteboards, caffeine, and a lot of honest questions. Because the truth is: building a CRM is more like raising a plant than ordering pizza—you have to nurture, you have to adjust, and sometimes you’ll realize mid-way you added features you didn’t need (but hey, hindsight is 20/20).

Here’s what drives the cost of developing CRM software—and why partnering with a  crm software development company in india can change the numbers significantly (for better).

What influences CRM software development cost

We group the cost drivers into buckets—so you (and we) can see where the money goes (and why sometimes it feels like it evaporates).

Scope & Features.
Simple CRM = contact management, maybe lead tracking, basic reports. More complex = workflow automation, integrations (email, phone, messaging), analytics, dashboards, mobile apps. Every new module adds complexity. Our experience has seen clients say “we only want basic” and then six months later insist on predictive lead scoring, AI suggestions, etc. Scope creep is real.

UI/UX & Design polish.
A CRM that works but looks clunky will frustrate users. If you want clean dashboards, intuitive flows, responsive design, maybe even a dark mode—each of these adds design time, more iterations, more testing.

Integration requirements.
Does your CRM need to talk to your email system, call center, accounting software, ERP, third-party APIs? Integration can be smooth or a nightmare depending on how open the other systems are. Unexpected costs often hide here.

Data migration & security / compliance.
Bringing old data into a new system isn’t just “export & import.” There’s cleaning, mapping, deduplication, sometimes compliance (GDPR, HIPAA, etc.), encryption, permissions. All of which cost.

Infrastructure & hosting.
Cloud servers, databases, backups, scaling, uptime—these are recurring costs. Even if development is done, hosting & maintenance keep the lights on (literally & figuratively).

QA, Testing, User Feedback.
You don’t want a CRM that breaks when five salespeople login, or that produces wrong reports. Testing, bug-fixes, user acceptance, performance tuning—all take time. More mature companies often want more polish, which means more cycles.

Team makeup & location.
Here’s where crm software developers in india shine: cost per hour tends to be lower than many Western markets, yet many Indian teams have excellent skill, process maturity, and experience. But even among India-based devs, rates vary depending on seniority, tech stack, and company size.

Maintenance & Upgrades.
Launching is just beginning. Over time, users want new features, mobile apps, integrations, UI improvements. Also, technologies used might become obsolete. Security patches, server upgrades, scaling issues—all recurring cost.

So—ballpark numbers. What does a CRM actually cost?

We at KanhaSoft have built many CRMs (yes, more than the number of coffees we’ve had this week, and that’s saying something). Based on past projects, here are rough cost ranges (very rough) depending on complexity, when built via a competent team in India, or using crm software development

These numbers don’t include ongoing costs (hosting, maintenance, etc.), which often run 15-25% of initial dev cost per year (sometimes more, depending on how active your roadmap is).

Why choosing a crm software development company in india can shift cost

Because we are KanhaSoft, and we’ve worked with many international clients, we’ve observed that hiring crm software developers in india or working with an India-based CRM software development company delivers certain cost advantages (and a few trade-offs).

Advantages:

• Lower hourly rates vs many Western markets. When you compare value delivered vs cost, India often gives more bang per buck.

• Large talent pool. It’s easier to find teams with relevant experience (CRM, integrations, SaaS etc.).

• Time zone overlap can work (depending on your timezone), enabling continuous work.

• Good process maturity (if the company is well-established): agile methodologies, documentation, etc.

Trade-offs / Risks:

• Communication gaps can exist (cultural, language, expectations) unless both sides set clear processes.

• If the company is small or inexperienced, quality might suffer in subtle ways (e.g. maintainability, poorly documented code).

• Sometimes hidden costs (e.g. travel, timezone coordination, re-work) if requirements were not detailed.

Personal Anecdote: When we underestimated

We once built a mid-sized CRM for a client (not naming names, because discretion). We agreed on scope: lead tracking, email integration, simple dashboards. Client was based in UK; we used a team in India. Early on, client said “Also, can you add a mobile version so sales reps can use on the road?” We said “Sure”, but didn’t account for offline capability, syncing, mobile‐specific UI constraints. That added ~25% more dev hours. (Yes, the cost went up; no, we didn’t charge a fortune; yes, we learned.)

That taught us: always account for unexpected feature requests, especially when users are mobile / field-based. Always build buffer. Always communicate.

Hidden costs most people forget

Because inevitably someone will ask “why is this pricier than I thought?” so here are the sneaky ones:

• User training & onboarding

• Change management (if switching from old CRM or legacy systems)

• Licensing (for third-party tools, libraries)

• Compliance & security audits

• Ongoing support / bug fixes

• Infrastructure scaling (if user growth or data volume grows)

• UX redesigns or reworks (users rejecting early design)

How to get accurate estimates

To avoid surprises, here’s what we advise (from lessons learned, with maybe a few scars):

• Define the scope clearly: features, modules, integrations. Make “must-have” vs “nice-to-have” lists.

• Create user stories / workflows. For whom, what they’ll do, and how the CRM should respond.

• Choose technology stack early (and ensure your dev team has experience).

• Get multiple estimates, ideally from crm software development company in india and elsewhere for comparison.

• Include buffer (~15-30%) for unexpected changes.

• Plan for maintenance / support cost from Day 1.

Final thought

When clients ask “So, what will my CRM cost?”, we don’t give a single number. We give a range, describe the levers you can pull (simplify features, reduce integrations, delay mobile or AI stuff etc.), and show how choosing strong crm software developers can optimize value. Because yes, the cost can be daunting—but done right, the ROI is real: improved efficiency, happier teams, better customer experience.

Conclusion

We believe building a CRM is not about finding the cheapest quote—it’s about finding the smartest partner. A partner who understands your users, your workflows, and perhaps your budget constraints (because we’ve been there). If you harness experienced crm software developers in india, define scope well, plan for maintenance, you can build a CRM that delights instead of one that drains.

FAQs

What is the typical timeline to develop a CRM?
Depends heavily on scope. A basic CRM might take 8-12 weeks; a mid-level one perhaps 4-6 months; enterprise-grade CRMs (with many integrations, mobile apps, strict compliance) could take 8-12 months or more.

How much do crm software developers in india charge per hour?
Rates vary: junior or mid-level developers may charge anywhere from US$15-$40/hour; senior or specialty ones (AI, complex integrations) more. A reputable CRM software development company in india may package team rates that are more efficient overall than hiring individually.

Is offshore CRM development riskier?
It can be if expectations, communication, and contracts are vague. But if you choose a good crm software development company in india, set clear milestones, maintain transparency, get regular updates—risks fall dramatically.

Can I start with a minimal CRM and scale over time?
Yes—and that’s often the wisest path. Start with core features, get user feedback, then add enhancements. This staged development helps spread cost and manage risk.

What are maintenance costs like?
Generally 15-25% of the initial development cost per year, depending on usage, feature changes, updates, hosting, etc. If you have frequent updates or high data volume, maintenance can be higher.

What tools or tech stacks are commonly used in CRM development in India?
Varies. Often you’ll see React, Angular, Vue for frontend; Node.js, .NET, Java, Python for backend; MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB for data; cloud providers like AWS, Azure, GCP. Also tools for CI/CD, testing, monitoring.