Having a SaaS built in the Netherlands: what does it cost and how do you approach it?

You have a great idea for a software product. Maybe you want to automate an internal process, or you see a gap in the market you want to fill with a subscription product. But how do you turn that idea into working software — and what should you expect to pay?

In this article, we explain what SaaS development entails, what the real costs are, how to find a reliable development partner, and which mistakes entrepreneurs make most often with their first software project.

What is SaaS, and why do entrepreneurs choose it?

SaaS stands for Software as a Service: software you offer via the internet on a subscription basis. Think of tools like Exact Online, Moneybird, or Teamleader — but built for your specific market or internal use.

The appeal is clear:

• Recurring revenue instead of one-time sales
• Scalable — a thousand customers cost barely more than ten
• Low barrier for users (no installation, no maintenance)
• Valuable business you can sell or continue developing

But building SaaS is not an off-the-shelf product. It's custom software — and that has implications for budget, planning, and approach.

What does it cost to have SaaS built?

This is the question most entrepreneurs ask first, and simultaneously the hardest to answer honestly. Costs vary enormously depending on scope, complexity, and who you hire.

General price ranges

Note: these amounts are for Dutch developers or small teams. Offshoring to Eastern Europe or Asia can be cheaper but brings its own challenges regarding communication, quality, and continuity.

The starter tier: who is it for?

Not every idea needs a full product right away. For freelancers and small entrepreneurs, there's a smarter first step: a professional landing page with intake or waitlist functionality.

What do you get?

• A fast, mobile-friendly page that clearly presents your idea
• A form or sign-up flow to collect initial interest
• Integrations with email tools, analytics, and your own domain
• Ready in 1 to 3 weeks

This doesn't cost €10,000 — but it does give you the data to decide if and how you continue building. It's exactly the approach smart founders use to validate the market without a large upfront investment.

What drives costs up?

A few factors that make projects more expensive than expected:

• Unclear requirements — if scope changes midway, you pay double
• Integrations with external systems (accounting, CRM, payment providers)
• User management and roles — sounds simple, rarely is
• Mobile support alongside web
• GDPR compliance and security
• Scalability — infrastructure that scales costs more upfront but saves later

One-time, monthly, or a combination?

Not everyone wants or can put down a large amount upfront. That's why at SaaSMasters we also work with flexible arrangements:

• One-time — you pay for the project, including delivery. Suitable if your budget is clear and you want to continue independently afterward.
• Monthly fee — you agree on a fixed monthly amount, within which we build, maintain, and continue developing. No large initial investment, but continuity.
• Combination — a limited starting contribution followed by a monthly rate. Ideal for starters who want to spread cash flow without compromising on quality.

Which model fits best, we discuss in an initial conversation. There's no standard formula — but always an honest proposal.

Don't forget recurring costs

After the build, you pay monthly for hosting, databases, external services, and maintenance. For an average SaaS product, expect €100–€500 per month in infrastructure costs, depending on usage.

MVP or build the full product right away?

The biggest mistake entrepreneurs make: building too much before knowing if there's demand.

An MVP (Minimum Viable Product) is the most stripped-down version of your product that you can show to real users. The goal isn't a half product — the goal is learning as quickly as possible whether your assumption is correct.

Why start with an MVP?

• You validate the market before investing €50,000
• Early users give you feedback that makes your product ten times better
• Investors or partners are easier to convince with something working
• You avoid the trap of "just one more feature" until the project stalls

A good MVP contains exactly one core value proposition, works reliably, and looks polished. Everything that distracts from that core, you cut.

How do you find a good development partner?

The software development market is large and overwhelming. From freelancers to large agencies, from nearshore teams to production houses — how do you choose?

What to look for

1. Do they show previous work? Always ask for references or live products. A developer who can't show a single example is a risk.

2. Do they understand your business? A good development partner asks questions about your users, your revenue model, and your growth strategy — not just technical specs.

3. Do they work iteratively? Waterfall projects (designing everything on paper, then building) fail more often than agile approaches with short sprints and regular delivery.

4. Who actually builds it? With agencies, there's a risk you close a deal with a sales manager, but the work gets outsourced to juniors or an offshore team. Ask who will work on your project.

5. What happens after launch? SaaS is never "done." Bugs, updates, new features — who handles that? Make agreements about this before you sign.

Red flags

• Quotes without asking questions or a discovery phase
• No clarity on who owns the code after delivery
• Promises of fixed price AND fixed scope (that doesn't exist in practice)
• No experience with the tech stack you need

What technology is used?

You don't need to be a developer to have an opinion here. A few questions you should be able to ask:

• Is it scalable? Can the product handle thousands of users without a complete rebuild?
• Is it maintainable? Can another developer take over the code if needed?
• Does it use modern, mainstream technology? Niche stacks make you dependent on one person.

For modern SaaS products, the Netherlands commonly works with Next.js (frontend), Node.js or .NET (backend), and cloud databases like PostgreSQL. Hosting on platforms like Vercel or AWS is now standard.

The most common mistakes

After dozens of software projects, we see the same pitfalls every time:

1. Building without validation Investing months in something the market doesn't want. Start with conversations, mockups, and an MVP.

2. Too many features in v1 "We also need..." is the death sentence of every project. Cut everything that isn't essential for the first version.

3. Choosing the wrong partner based on price The cheapest quote is rarely the cheapest choice. Bad code costs more to fix than good work costs to build.

4. No ownership of the code Make sure you own the source code, the domains, and the infrastructure. Never be dependent on one party for access to your own product.

5. Underestimating time-to-market Software always takes longer than planned. Build in buffer and communicate that to your stakeholders.

What does SaaSMasters do differently?

Most agencies talk about building SaaS. We do it — including for ourselves. Our own products run in production, have real users, and are developed further every day. That makes a difference: we don't build from theory, but from experience with the things that go wrong in practice.

No agency layer. You talk directly with the people who build. No account manager passing things along, no junior executing what a senior promised. Small team, short lines, clear responsibility.

No project-and-gone. Software is never finished. We're there after launch too — for bugs, continued development, or just a good conversation about the next step.

No financial barrier as an excuse. Whether you choose a one-time amount, a monthly fee, or a combination of both — we find a setup that fits your situation. No standard formula, but always an honest proposal.

In short: you get a partner who understands what's at stake, because we take the same risk ourselves.

Ready to get started?

Whether you have a concrete idea or are still exploring — a no-obligation conversation costs nothing and always yields insights.

SaaSMasters is a Dutch software company specialized in SaaS development for SMEs and entrepreneurs. We build products that work.