SaaS · Market-ready MVP
- Budget
- Market$40,000 – $80,000With AI$29,000 – $71,500
- Timeline
- Market3 to 5 monthsWith AI2 to 4.5 months
Source · ModallMaison GR AI rule →Gap −11% to −28%
How much doessoftware cost in Quebec?
The ranges the market publishes, with sources. These are not our prices: they are an honest baseline for budgeting before you ask for quotes.
01Calculator
Estimate your projectin two choices.
Range published by the market
Typical timeline
- Estimated yearly maintenance
- $6,000 – $16,000
- 15 to 20% of the initial cost per year, per Bolle and Modall.
- What this budget represents
- 160 – 640 hours
- at a Quebec agency rate ($125 to $250/h, per Bolle)
Source : Modall — SaaS Development Cost Canada (2026) (2025-12-13)
These are ranges published by third parties, not a Maison GR quote. Your real project depends on its scope: a 30-minute call is enough to pin it down.
Get an estimate for my project02With or without AI
AI speeds up the code.Not the whole project.
Coding assistants save time on writing code. Framing, design, review, testing and launch still take theirs. Here is what the research measures, and the rule we draw from it.
Our planning rule
21 to 56%
faster at writing code, in the controlled trials run by Google and GitHub Copilot
≈ 50%
of a project's effort is the build: our planning assumption
−11% to −28%
on budget and timeline
The top of the range applies to a new, well-scoped product; the bottom, to work inside a large existing system, where the gain can disappear.
What the studies measure
Measured effect on the task
55.8% faster
Controlled trial: developers with GitHub Copilot built an HTTP server 55.8% faster than the control group. A new, well-bounded task.
Peng, Kalliamvakou, Cihon, Demirer · 2023+26% tasks completed
Three field experiments at Microsoft, Accenture and a Fortune 100 company, 4,867 developers: 26% more completed tasks with a coding assistant.
Cui, Demirer, Jaffe, Musolff, Peng, Salz — Management Science · 2025≈ 21% faster
Randomized trial at Google, 96 engineers, a complex enterprise-grade task: about 21% less time with the AI features.
Paradis et al., Google · 202419% slower
Randomized trial, 16 experienced developers on their own mature repositories: 19% slower with AI — while believing they were 20% faster.
METR · 2025
DORA 2025 report — Nearly 5,000 professionals surveyed: AI goes with higher throughput, but also more instability — more failed changes and rework. AI amplifies the team it finds.
Figures read on each source page on 2026-10-23.
When it costs more
Without review, AI can slow a project down.
Code written fast but poorly reviewed is paid for later, in rework and maintenance. That is exactly what METR and DORA measure when AI is used without discipline.
At Maison GR, AI agents write, senior engineers review and decide, and automated tests check every change — about 1,350 on Signum. That is what keeps the saving in your budget instead of moving it to maintenance.
Our case — not a promise
5 months
to build Signum: the equivalent of 12 to 24 months of conventional engineering.
Both, as you need
Traditional or AI-assisted:you choose.
Traditional
Market rangesEvery line written by our engineers, without a coding assistant. For organizations whose policy keeps AI out of their code, for sensitive or regulated data, and for teams who prefer that pace.
AI-assisted
Per our rule · −11% to −28%Agents write, senior engineers review and decide, tests check. For new products, MVPs and prototypes, where time matters most.
The choice is made at framing, project by project. The quality bar does not change.
03Ranges
What the marketpublishes.
SaaS
| Level | Typical scope | Range (CAD) | Timeline | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prototype or micro-SaaS | One core function, to test an idea. | $15,000 – $30,000 | 4 to 8 weeks | Modall |
| Market-ready MVP | Accounts, subscriptions, dashboard, first paying customers. | $40,000 – $80,000 | 3 to 5 months | Modall |
| Scaling SaaS product | Roles, integrations, advanced billing, scale. | $80,000 – $150,000 | 6 to 9 months | Modall |
| Enterprise platform | Multi-tenant, compliance, SSO, marketplace. | $150,000 – $500,000 | 9 to 12+ months | Modall |
Mobile apps
| Level | Typical scope | Range (CAD) | Timeline | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple app or MVP | Showcase, forms, push notifications. | $15,000 – $30,000 | 6 to 12 weeks | Bolle |
| Medium complexity | Accounts, sign-in, API, payments, bookings or catalogue. | $30,000 – $70,000 | 3 to 6 months | Bolle |
| Complex app | AI, real time, advanced dashboards. | $100,000+ | 6 to 12 months | Bolle |
Artificial intelligence projects
| Level | Typical scope | Range (CAD) | Timeline | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI assistant or chatbot | An assistant connected to your documents or support. | $25,000 – $60,000 | 2 to 4 months | Apptunix |
| Basic AI software | One AI feature at the heart of a product. | $30,000 – $60,000 | 3 to 4 months | Apptunix |
| Mid-level AI software | Several AI features, integrations, quality evaluation. | $60,000 – $120,000 | 4 to 8 months | Apptunix |
| Enterprise AI platform | Sensitive data, governance, high availability. | $120,000 – $300,000 | 9 to 12 months | Apptunix |
Websites and web portals
| Level | Typical scope | Range (CAD) | Timeline | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Showcase website | A professional presence of a few pages. | $1,500 – $5,000 | 4 to 12 weeksWeb Nordique | H1 Site |
| E-commerce | Store, payments, product management. | $5,000 – $25,000 | 2 to 4 monthsWeb Nordique | H1 Site |
| Client portal or web application | Accounts, business data, custom workflows. | $15,000 – $50,000 | 3 to 6+ monthsWeb Nordique | H1 Site |
05What moves the price
Six decisionsthat set the budget.
The scope of the first version
Every feature added before launch is paid twice: once to build, then in maintenance. A tight MVP costs less and learns faster.
The number of platforms
Web only, mobile only, or both. Bolle notes that a hybrid approach cuts cost by about 30 to 40% compared with two native apps.
Integrations
Payments, CRM, accounting, existing systems: each connection adds edge cases to test and monitor.
Data and compliance
Personal or health information requires a privacy impact assessment (Quebec's Law 25), encryption and access logs.
Artificial intelligence
An AI feature adds data preparation, quality evaluation, and model usage costs that grow with usage.
Team and contract model
Agency, freelancer or in-house team; fixed price or hourly. The lowest rate is not the lowest cost if the project has to be rebuilt.
06Recurring costs
What people forgetto budget.
Maintenance
15 to 20% of the initial cost per year (Bolle, Modall): updates, security, fixes.
Hosting
For a new SaaS, $50 to $100 per month for the first 1,000 users, per Modall.
App stores
Apple developer account: about US$99 per year. Google Play: about US$25, once (Bolle).
07Frequently asked questions
The questionswe get asked.
01How much does a SaaS MVP cost in Canada?
Modall publishes CA$40,000 to $80,000 for a market-ready MVP over 3 to 5 months, and $15,000 to $30,000 for a prototype or micro-SaaS over 4 to 8 weeks.
02How much does a mobile app cost in Quebec?
Per Bolle (July 2026 update): $15,000 to $30,000 for a simple app, $30,000 to $70,000 for medium complexity, and $100,000+ for a complex app. Clutch puts most Montreal agency projects between $40,000 and $150,000.
03What is an agency's hourly rate in Quebec?
Bolle reports $125 to $250 per hour for a local agency and $80 to $160 for a senior freelance developer. Clutch reports $90 to $160 for most Montreal app agencies.
04Does building with AI cost less?
Often, but less than people say. Controlled trials measure a 21 to 56% gain on writing code, and the build is only about half of a project, so we plan 11 to 28% less on budget and timeline. Without human review the effect can reverse (METR 2025, DORA 2025). And if you prefer traditional development, we do that too.
05Are these Maison GR's prices?
No. They are ranges published by third parties, cited with their dates. Maison GR gives you a written estimate after a 30-minute scoping call.
06Can part of the project be funded?
Sometimes. Some development work may qualify for the federal SR&ED program or NRC IRAP support. Our funding guide explains who qualifies and under what conditions.
Sources
- Bolle — Combien coûte une application mobile au Québec en 2026 ? (2026-07-01)
- Modall — SaaS Development Cost Canada (2026) (2025-12-13)
- Clutch — Top App Development Agencies in Montreal (2026-10-15)
- Apptunix — AI Software Development Cost in Canada (2026-08-20)
- H1 Site — Combien coûte un site web au Québec (2026-03-16)
- Web Nordique — Combien de temps pour créer un site web au Québec (2026-08-07)
Figures read on each source page on 2026-10-15.
→Maison GR
A range is a start. A written estimate is better.
Describe your project: a senior team member replies within 24 hours with a realistic scope and order of magnitude.