At Praxium Labs we build this for Nepali businesses every month; this is the field-tested version. There are dozens of Nepali software companies competing for your project. The price range will quote 5-10x apart for the "same" work. The framework below cuts through the noise.
Pricing benchmarks 2026
- Landing page: NPR 30-80k
- Multi-page business site: NPR 75-300k
- E-commerce site: NPR 200k-1M
- Custom SaaS: NPR 500k-5M+
- Mobile app (Flutter MVP): NPR 8-30 lakh
- Enterprise integration project: NPR 15-50 lakh+
- Below these ranges: buying a freelancer with overheads. Above: agency premium that should be justified by team, process, and proven case studies
Questions to ask before signing
- Who specifically will be on the team? — Ask for CVs of the actual people, not "our talented team"
- What does their day-to-day workflow look like? — GitHub / Linear / weekly demos vs "we will email you updates"
- Where is the work hosted during build? — Their staging environment vs "we will show you when it is done"
- Show me three live sites you built that are still running 12+ months later. — Confirms long-term maintainability
- What is your post-launch support agreement? — Free for X days vs hourly vs retainer
- How do you handle scope changes? — Clear change-order process vs "we will figure it out"
Red flags
- Round-number fixed-price quote without detailed scope: they will compromise on quality or add scope-creep charges
- "50% upfront, 50% on completion": healthy projects use milestone payments (e.g., 20% / 40% / 30% / 10%)
- No portfolio links to live sites: "NDA" excuses are real but they should have SOME live work
- Vague timeline ("3-6 months"): means no real planning has happened
- "We will build it on WordPress / Webflow / Wix" for a complex app: mismatched tool selection
- "AI-first" / "next-gen" marketing without specifics: usually buzzwords replacing substance
- Pressure to sign fast / "limited capacity": reasonable scarcity vs sales pressure
The paid trial pattern
For any project above NPR 5 lakh, ask for a paid 1-2 week trial. Scope a small deliverable (a single feature, a design system, a sample API integration). Pay 5-10% of the project value. You learn more from 2 weeks of real work than any number of sales meetings — communication style, code quality, testing discipline, willingness to push back on bad ideas. For related context, see our Cost of Web Development in Nepal: Complete 2026 Pricing Guide post.
Freelancer vs small agency vs large agency
- Freelancer (1 person): 30-60% cheaper, fast for simple scope, no team backup. Reliable freelancers exist but variance is high
- Small agency (3-15 people): the right answer for most SME projects. Stable enough for accountability, lean enough for cost-effectiveness
- Mid-size agency (15-50): right for enterprise / bank-scale projects with procurement processes and SLAs
- Large agency (50+): only for enterprise-scale or when partner-tier with a specific vendor (Microsoft, AWS, Salesforce) matters
- International agency: 3-10x Nepali prices, rarely justified unless you need specific expertise unavailable in Nepal
Contract terms that protect you
- Code repository access from day one (not "we will hand over at the end")
- Source code ownership clauses — work-for-hire, vendor cannot reuse your custom code for competitors
- Specific deliverables per milestone, signed off in writing
- Hosting credentials in your name, not the vendor's
- 30+ day post-launch warranty for bug fixes (free)
- Termination clause with reasonable wind-down terms
- NDA for sensitive business information
Frequently asked questions
Should I work with a Nepali company or international?
For most Nepali projects: domestic. Time-zone alignment with your operations, lower cost, Nepali-context understanding, in-person workshops possible. International only when you specifically need expertise unavailable in Nepal.
How do I verify a vendor's claimed work?
Ask for live URLs. Run them through Wayback Machine — see when the site appeared. Look at the page source — does it credit the agency? Reach out to one or two named clients via LinkedIn for an unstructured reference call.
What if the vendor wants 100% upfront for a small project?
Under NPR 50,000: acceptable. Above: insist on milestone payments. Vendors who absolutely require 100% upfront for substantial work are signalling cash-flow problems that may affect your project.
How do I handle scope creep?
Define scope in writing at kickoff with a "change order" process. Any change goes through it — written request, vendor estimate, your approval before work starts. Most disputes come from informal verbal "while you are at it, can you also..." that becomes invoice-able work later.
What if I have a complaint after launch?
Stay professional and document everything via email (not WhatsApp). Most reasonable vendors fix issues if you raise them clearly. Severe cases: industry mediation via FNCCI or ICT chamber bodies; legal action is slow and expensive in Nepal — usually a last resort.
Who can build this in Nepal?
Praxium Labs — Nepal's AI and automation consultancy, based in Lalitpur — designs and builds the systems described in this guide for Nepali businesses and for international teams hiring from Nepal. Start a project or see all services.