Find your exact rate
Typical project work, moderate complexity.
Factor in AI tool subscriptions
Your Rate
Day Rate
$450
Project Est.
$2,200
Retainer
$8,350/mo
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Community Data
What do you actually charge?
Anonymous. Helps improve market benchmarks.
How Much Should You Charge for Full-Stack Development?
Full-stack developers typically charge $75–$175 per hour, or $5,000–$60,000+ per project. The wide range reflects the variety of project types — from simple web apps to complex SaaS platforms.
Floor
$75
per hour
Typical
$110
per hour
Premium
$175
per hour
Find your exact rate
Typical project work, moderate complexity.
Factor in AI tool subscriptions
Your Rate
Day Rate
$450
Project Est.
$2,200
Retainer
$8,350/mo
Was this helpful?
Community Data
What do you actually charge?
Anonymous. Helps improve market benchmarks.
What changes the price
- Frontend framework (React, Vue, Angular)
- Backend stack (Node.js, Python, Ruby, Go)
- Database design complexity
- Authentication and user management requirements
- Third-party API integrations
- Deployment and DevOps setup included
- Scalability and performance requirements
- Test coverage expected
Real quote breakdowns
Small Business Web App
A booking system for a fitness studio with user accounts, scheduling, and payment processing.
Breakdown
75 hours at $120/hr: user auth, booking engine, Stripe integration, admin dashboard, basic CI/CD pipeline, and UAT.
SaaS MVP
A B2B project management tool MVP with team workspaces, task boards, and email notifications.
Breakdown
230 hours at $120/hr: full-stack architecture, multi-tenant data model, real-time updates, Stripe subscriptions, and deployment on AWS.
Enterprise Platform Migration
Migrating a legacy PHP monolith to a Node.js/React microservices architecture for a 50-person company.
Breakdown
Project leadership + development: architecture design, phased migration, data migration, QA, documentation, and 3-month stabilization support.
Frequently asked questions
Are full-stack developers worth more than specialists?
Full-stack developers command a premium for small teams and startups because they reduce coordination overhead. For large teams, specialists often deliver higher quality in their domain at comparable cost.
How do I price a complex full-stack project I've never built before?
Break it into components, research unknowns before estimating, and add a 30–40% discovery buffer. Consider a paid discovery phase ($1,500–$3,000) to scope the project properly before committing to a fixed price.
Should I charge differently for maintenance vs. new feature development?
Many developers charge a slightly lower rate for predictable maintenance work and a higher rate for new feature development that requires design thinking and problem solving.
How do I handle technology stack decisions the client makes that increase my work?
Address stack decisions in the discovery phase. If the client mandates a stack you're less familiar with, be transparent about the learning curve and either factor it into your estimate or charge your standard rate with an honest caveat.