Pricing Models at ScienceSoft
Our Basis for Fair and Flexible Charging
Navigate to your preferred service option and explore possible pricing models to understand our cost estimation logic.
You're welcome to use our free cost calculators to quickly learn the budget for your IT initiative.
Software development
- Time and Materials model. Applied in Agile development projects with changing scope. We bind the development cost to the agreed rates and our experts' efforts to achieve the established result, so the client only pays for the actual work done. More than 90% of ScienceSoft's development projects are priced under this model.
- Time and Materials with a cap model. We establish a cap (a maximal charge amount per iteration or task scope) to bring more predictability to the cost of each iteration.
- Fixed-price model. Applicable to Waterfall projects and isolated development tasks with a defined scope (e.g., PoC development, building a particular feature or software component). We estimate the final cost in advance by determining the exact efforts necessary to complete the task.
Consulting
- Fixed-price model. We estimate the fixed cost upfront for one-time consultations with a clearly defined scope. The model applies to activities like feasibility study, architecture design, tech stack selection, creating a risk mitigation plan for cloud migration, advisory on app and infrastructure security.
- Time and Materials model. We use this model to price continuous consulting during Agile software projects where the development scope is subject to changes.
Digital transformation
Mixed model. Large-scale, long-term transformation projects usually involve versatile consulting and development services (app and infrastructure audit, redesign, cloud migration, building new software, etc.). We mix several pricing approaches depending on the situation to ensure optimal service pricing.
Managed IT services and support
- Subscription-based model. We calculate a flat monthly fee based on the agreed scope of work, which usually depends on the number of infrastructure components, users, tickets, etc. The model is applied in IT infrastructure management for activities like data center and network management, cloud resource optimization and managed security services for continuous security monitoring and notification.
- Time and Materials model. We use this model for modernization projects with high scope uncertainty, e.g., large-scale infrastructure revamp, iterative software evolution, and bug fixing.
- Fixed-price model. We use this model to price app and infrastructure changes with a defined scope (setting up a small network, adding minor app functionality, etc.).
Help desk services
- Subscription-based model. We charge a fixed monthly fee for resolving a pre-agreed number of tickets per month. This model gives our clients maximum cost control over their help desk budget.
- Per-ticket model. We calculate the cost based on the number of tickets processed and resolved within a specific period. This model best fits companies with varying monthly ticket volumes.
Quality assurance
- Fixed-price model. We use this model for the fixed-scoped quality assurance tasks that can't be divided into smaller time-framed portions. The model applies to single-round tests, QA consulting activities, and quality assessment tasks like code review.
- Time and Materials model. We charge for continuous testing during software development or revamping based on the actual efforts.
Security testing
- Fixed-price model. We charge a pre-agreed fixed amount for one-time checkups of IT environment and application security. The model applies to single-round penetration tests and vulnerability assessments, as well as to independent IT security audit tasks like asset security revision or compliance pre-audit.
- Time and Materials model. We employ this model to price complex security testing services like manual code review throughout the software development life cycle. This model also applies to iterative vulnerability fixing activities.