How much does custom software development cost in the Netherlands?
Hourly rates typically run €80–€150 and projects range from €25,000 for a small custom build to €200,000+ for a complete platform. Crux Digits works in fixed steps rather than open hourly rates: €2,500 audit, €20,000 Production-ready MVP and from €50,000 production (excl. VAT), each with scope and price agreed before work starts.
Are you a software development agency or an AI company?
Both, and we are honest about it. Crux Digits is an AI-first custom software development agency: we build real software (web, apps, data, integrations) with AI, machine learning and LLMs at the core. We are not a generic full-stack body shop; our strength is software where AI makes the difference.
Can you build an AI software product from scratch?
Yes. We build AI software products from scratch, from a clickable MVP on your own data to a full system in production, integrated with your ERP, CRM and databases. One named team carries it from strategy to launch.
Do you do machine learning software development?
Yes. Machine learning software development is a core part of what we do: prediction, classification, anomaly detection and computer vision, trained on your data and deployed inside your stack, with monitoring for accuracy and drift.
Who owns the code?
You do. All source code, trained models, pipelines and documentation are fully transferred to you at handover: no vendor lock-in, no ongoing licence fees.
Which technology stack do you build on?
Python for AI and ML layers, and a frontend and API layer matched to what you already run (React, Next.js, Node, FastAPI) on AWS, Azure or GCP. We avoid proprietary framework lock-in wherever we can.
Can you work with our existing developers?
Yes. We can lead the build, embed with your team, or hand over a clean, documented codebase for your team to own. Every project ends with a runbook and a handover session.
How fast can you start, and what is the process?
Most clients start within 5 business days of agreeing scope. The process runs in three fixed steps: audit (€2,500), Production-ready MVP (€20,000) and production (from €50,000). By the second call there is often already a clickable prototype.
Do you work in an EU AI Act- and GDPR-compliant way?
Yes. Every build is checked against EU AI Act risk tiers and GDPR from the first line of code: compliance is built in, not bolted on.
Who can build custom software in the Netherlands?
Crux Digits, based in Utrecht, has built AI-first custom software since 2022 at fixed prices (€2,500 audit / €20,000 Production-ready MVP / from €50,000 production), with 13 published case studies. We work in Dutch and English, are EU AI Act- and GDPR-aware, and you own the code and IP.
Which company should I hire for custom software development in the Netherlands?
It depends on what you are building. Large programmes suit established IT firms, consumer apps suit product studios, and tightly scoped work suits a boutique. Offshore is less expensive per hour but costlier in coordination. Choose on the shape of your project, not agency size.
- Dutch agency rates cluster around a €75 per hour median; offshore providers often sit at €25–€50.
- Always ask who owns the code and whether you can switch supplier without a rebuild.
- Crux Digits fits AI-heavy custom software for SMEs: fixed price, one named expert, you own everything.
Should we hire a Dutch developer or go offshore?
Offshore is less expensive per hour; Dutch is less expensive per delivered outcome. On a tightly specified project offshore often wins on price. On work where scope sharpens during the build, which is nearly always true of AI, you pay the difference back in coordination.
- Time zone, language and GDPR accountability are the three things that go wrong in practice.
- If your software touches personal data, EU hosting and a processing agreement are not a detail.
Crux Digits