Plan your testing budget
Choose a fixed-scope package or reserve tester time for your release. Web and mobile QA starts at $10/hour for a full-time QA engineer or $12/hour for part-time support. Compare the options below, then share your requirements for a confirmed estimate.
Engagement options
Choose a one-off project or ongoing support to suit your release schedule. Compare proposals using the same scope, coverage and deliverables.
Best for a defined build and release window. Our fixed mobile, website and mobile-game packages include one full end-to-end test cycle within the agreed scope. Retesting and regression are separately planned and charged. Extra workflows, devices or builds need a revised estimate.
Best for changing priorities or investigation. Approve an hours budget and reporting cadence; ask for an alert before the cap is reached. The rate depends on product type, skills and coverage.
Reserve 20 hours/week per tester for part-time support, 40 hours/week for full-time support, or 160 hours per tester for a monthly allocation. Other hours need a custom quote. Confirm availability, holidays and unused-hour terms before starting.
Use a focused block of QA for a build, hotfix or backlog. Agree availability, minimum booking, response time and retest allowance. QA On Demand suits intermittent demand when permanent capacity is unnecessary.
Staffing examples · USD
These examples use the current web/mobile rates in our QA cost calculator. They buy agreed tester time, not guaranteed completion of every feature. Fixed-scope packages have their own prices and inclusions.
| Example | Work to prioritize | One tester · capacity and rate | Staffing budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focused website checks | A short list of priority pages, forms and agreed browser checks. We confirm what fits before work starts; this is not a complete website package. | 20 hours in one week × $12/hour (1–3 years) or $18/hour (3–5 years) | $240 or $360 for one part-time week |
| Focused mobile regression | Selected release-critical iOS/Android journeys on an agreed device matrix. Test accounts and existing coverage supplied; fix verification must fit the agreed hours or be quoted separately. | 40 hours in one week × $10/hour (1–3 years) or $15/hour (3–5 years) | $400 or $600 for one full-time week |
| Ongoing part-time QA | Prioritized functional checks, defect reporting and agreed regression or retesting within reserved hours. Coverage is planned around your release schedule. | 20 hours/week × 4 weeks = 80 hours, at $12/hour or $18/hour | $960 or $1,440 per four-week booking |
| Monthly web/mobile QA | One tester supporting your agreed web/mobile backlog. Multiple platforms, roles and integrations increase effort; a monthly allocation does not promise unlimited coverage. | 160 hours per tester/month: QA Engineer (1–3 years) or Senior QA Engineer (3–5 years) | $1,600 or $2,400 per monthly allocation |
Rates above are for one web/mobile tester. Part-time means 20 hours/week and full-time means 40 hours/week per tester; intermediate allocations need a custom quote. Game QA has a separate rate card in the calculator. Automation, API testing, new test-case creation, specialist security/load testing, additional hardware and urgent or weekend support require separate scope confirmation.
Tester time versus a fixed package: staffing budgets cover the agreed hours for manual QA, evidence-based defect reports and progress updates. A fixed-price project defines the workflows, devices, deliverables and cycle included. Our fixed mobile, website and mobile-game packages include 1 full end-to-end test cycle; retesting and regression testing are separately planned and charged. Dedicated engagements may allocate time to those activities within the agreed capacity.
Team pricing: the calculator labels multi-tester prices as a combined team rate, not a rate per person. Two web/mobile QA Engineers (1–3 years) cost $18 per combined team-hour full-time or $20 part-time: one hour of both testers working provides two tester-hours. Select the team size for 1–4 testers; 5 or more need a custom quote. Device-lab access does not mean every available device is included—your quote lists the actual coverage.
Compare your QA support options
These choices overlap: an agency may provide both dedicated testers and on-demand support. The comparison describes common arrangements; confirm each vendor’s actual staffing, devices and terms.
| Option | Cost predictability | Tester continuity | Device coverage | Scalability | Best use case |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freelancer | Defined fee or capped hours; scope changes affect total | Direct access to one person; backup must be agreed | Confirm owned hardware or separately priced access | Limited by individual capacity unless a team is arranged | Narrow scope with internal QA leadership |
| QA agency | Scoped project quote or agreed team budget | Ask for named lead, stable staffing and handover | May offer a shared lab; verify the quoted matrix | Additional skills/testers subject to availability | Multiple platforms or coordinated release support |
| Dedicated tester | Reserved weekly/monthly capacity; overages agreed | Usually retained product knowledge during the assignment | Depends on employer/vendor and allocated access | Add capacity with notice and onboarding | Regular sprints and recurring regression |
| On-demand QA | Budget per booking; frequency changes monthly spend | Request returning testers; continuity is not automatic | Agree devices for each booking | Flexible bookings, subject to lead time | Occasional launches, fixes and peak demand |
Testing packages
Find a testing package that fits your app, website or game. Compare what’s included, or share your requirements for a tailored estimate. For help planning your budget, read our mobile app, website and game testing cost guides.
Fixed-scope iOS and Android testing on agreed real devices. Retesting and regression are quoted separately.
View Mobile App Testing PackagesWebsite QA plans for browser compatibility, responsive checks, ecommerce flows, and usability.
Compare Website Testing PackagesCompare game QA options for gameplay, compatibility and crash checks. Mobile-game package retesting and regression are quoted separately.
Review Game Testing PackagesAutomation plans for framework setup, regression scripting, Cypress, Selenium, Playwright, and CI support.
Explore Automation Testing PackagesCost factors
Two products can look similar but need very different QA budgets. For example, a simple marketing website may need a short browser pass, while a SaaS product with roles, billing, APIs, dashboards, and mobile views needs deeper test planning.
Each workflow needs positive, negative and edge-case checks. Roles multiply permission paths; integrations add test-data setup, failure and recovery scenarios.
Agree an explicit platform/device/browser matrix. The same test may need execution on several configurations; hardware access and OS differences affect effort.
Case count alone is insufficient: a login check and a multi-role billing journey take different time. New case design, specialist checks and test-data preparation add effort.
Every regression cycle repeats selected coverage. Frequent releases need maintained cases and recurring retests; urgent deadlines may need concurrent testers and coordination.
Custom QA estimate
Share your product, platforms, roles, integrations, workflows, device priorities, release date and expected test cycles. Our software testing team will recommend the engagement model, effort, coverage and deliverables. For platform-specific scope, explore Mobile App Testing and Website Testing.
FAQ
Not sure which option fits? Start here, or send us your requirements for an estimate.
Software testing cost depends on product complexity, platforms, devices, testing types, test cycles, timeline, and QA team size. Small QA projects may start with a focused package, while larger products need a custom estimate.
We estimate QA cost by reviewing product type, workflows, roles, integrations, target platforms, devices, browsers, testing types, number of cycles, release urgency, and reporting needs.
Yes. Fixed package pages are available for mobile app testing, website testing, game testing, and automation testing. Custom quotes are better for complex or changing scope.
Yes. The software testing cost calculator gives an estimated QA budget range. Final pricing is confirmed after reviewing your scope and timeline.
Your proposal should specify scope and exclusions, total hours or fixed fee, platforms/devices, team availability, test and retest cycles, reporting, assumptions and any additional charges. Share a URL or build and your release priorities to start.
Get a QA Cost EstimateGet a software testing cost estimate
Tell us about your product type, platforms, key workflows, devices, testing depth, and release timeline. Our QA team will review your requirements and prepare an estimate.
