How much does web development cost in Poland?

 

Web development is strongly related to web applications and websites. Web development is also the service that allows to create these applications and websites, from scratch. It is also known that web development is traditionally divided into backend and frontend, which represent the foundation and the interface of the website. 

The cost of these services usually depends on several factors such as location, team number, and project complexity. For example, if for a web application, two different teams from different countries were hired  - it is very likely that the cost would be different. The longer the distance between the hired teams, the higher would be the price differences. If we add to this differences between the number of developers that handle the project in each of these locations, the differences would be even bigger. The same idea is followed by project complexity. 

Getting back to our topic about the cost of web development in Poland, there are several important things to take into consideration: 

• Poland is one of the main web development service providers in the CEE (Central and Eastern Europe) region with more than 585 firms specializing in this service as of February 2024
• Poland is also versatile when it comes to outsourcing web development services, as Polish companies provide both inside and outside Poland the same quality of web development
• According to the OECD report in 2011, the ICT value added in Poland is 4.1% which is below the OECD average. Yet the report is 13 years old, and ICT is about the entire sector, and not only about web development services.
• Also, according to Polish Statistical Bureau in the year 2022, the number of enterprises hiring 10 or more persons in the ICT sector amounted to 2712 among which 91.9% offered ICT services
• Out of 585 companies providing web development services in Poland, only 481 have their headquarters there.

Based on these statistics, we can further break down where most web development companies are located in Poland. Therefore, most companies providing web development services in Poland are located in Warsaw (199 companies), Krakow (106 companies), Wroclaw (92 companies) and Poznan (54 companies). The rest of 134 companies providing web development services in Poland are unevenly distributed across the country. 

However, using data sampling we will identify the hourly rate of specialized companies in these 4 large locations where providers are located.

 

Web Development costs in Warsaw

Warsaw, the largest city and the capital of Poland, sums up 199 specialized companies, or 34% of the total web development providers in Poland. The city also serves as a tech hub, administrative center, and business destination for companies across the world, including tech companies.  Giants such as Google,  JP Morgan, and IBM have offices in the Polish capital. This as well as other above mentioned factors inspired local companies to transform and evolve Warsaw in the largest tech hub in Poland.

In regards to prices, we used the TechBehemoths data, to break down Polish web development companies on hourly rate and identify the pricing structure: 

 

With the majority of companies, about 55.8%, setting their rates between $30 and $70 per hour, we can say that this range represents the standard market rate. It's a substantial segment that indicates a balanced mix of affordability and professional expertise, likely appealing to a broad client base with varied but standard web development needs.

The second most popular range, with around 41.9% of companies charging between $70 and $150 per hour, suggests the presence of a more specialized market segment. These rates are higher compared to the previous ones, and it may mean that companies offer advanced services, possess specialized skills, or have established a strong market reputation. 

On the other end of the spectrum, less than 1% of companies charge over $150 per hour, pointing to a niche market. Such high rates are less common and represent premium services, possibly targeting large, complex projects or clients that seek exclusive or highly specialized skills.  Yes, reaching the top 1% in pricing in Warsaw could mean that also the top 1% provides web development services for the other 1% of companies in other niches that can afford these services.

Lastly, the range below $30 per hour is almost negligible, with fewer than 1.6% of companies. This might reflect the economic realities of operating in Warsaw, where lower rates may not be sustainable due to the cost of living or business operations. Alternatively, it could suggest a market with minimum quality expectations, where services priced below this limit may be perceived as below standard or are simply too rare to affect the market significantly.

In the end, the Warsaw web development market is described by a strong concentration of mid-range service providers, a significant proportion of higher-priced, likely more specialized companies, and a minimal presence of low-cost and premium-priced services. This distribution indicates a market that values expertise and quality, offering clear choices to clients based on their project complexity and budget.

Web Development costs in Krakow

Krakow is the second most populated city by web development companies in Poland, and it also serves as one of Europe’s cultural landmarks. Besides culture, Krakow has been working on it’s digitalization process, and now, in 2024, it’s a mix between Medieval architecture and technological development. 

After analyzing the prices for web development services in Krakow, the results show three different price ranges, with the lowest range being at almost 1%, while the second and the third range are sharing the entire market

 

Entry-Level Pricing: With only 0.98% of companies charging less than $30/hour, this segment is almost negligible. It's reasonable to infer that the market for extremely low-cost web development is either very small or that companies operating in this space are rare due to economic non-viability. This rate may not sustain the operational costs in Krakow or may be associated with a level of service that is not in high demand.

Mid-Range Market Dominance: The majority of companies, precisely 50.98%, price their services in the $30 - $70/hour range. This suggests that over half of the web development providers in Krakow are competing in what appears to be the most accepted pricing tier. This range is possibly the 'sweet spot' for many clients, balancing budget constraints with the need for quality web development services.

High-End Market Saturation: Interestingly, the percentage of companies charging $70 - $150/hour is nearly as large as the mid-range, at 49.02%. This indicates a substantial portion of the market is confident in offering more premium-priced services. This could reflect a specialization in more complex, high-value projects or a reflection of higher operational costs associated with a skilled workforce.

However, compared to Warsaw, there are no companies that are charging more than $150 per hour for web development services, and this makes Krakow a more affordable destination in these regards.

Web Development Prices in Wroclaw

Wroclaw, known as the meeting place, is the fourth-largest city in Poland and the capital of Lower Silesia. This historic city, which dates back over a thousand years, is situated on the Oder River and is renowned for its vibrant university scene, with a significant student population that contributes to its youthful atmosphere. Wroclaw is also recognized for its beautiful architecture and numerous bridges, with the central square, the Rynek, being a colorful and popular destination for both locals and visitors

In terms of web development prices, Wroclaw is fairly cheaper compared to Warsaw, and similar to Krakow in some regards. 

 

Based on TechBehemoths data, we can notice that the prices for web development are also breaking down into three categories, with a missing fourth category, or price range, and more exactly, companies that charge above $150/hour for these services. 

A small slice, 3.7%, charge less than $30 per hour. It's pretty rare and might be too low for most companies to offer. The second largest segment, 38.3%, have their rates set between $30 to $70 per hour. This seems to be a common rate that a lot of companies go for. The biggest piece of the pie, 58%, ask for $70 to $150 per hour. This is more than half of the companies and shows that many of them likely offer more advanced services that cost more.

Web Development prices in Polad - End results

Besides these three cities analyzed, just as we mentioned in the first half of this study, there are many more places and cities where Polish web developers are located. The prices are aproximately the same overall, however, the price structure per city might differ from city to city. 

After aggregating all data, here is the web development price distribution across the country: 

 

Looking at the chart of what web developers in Poland charge, we can see how things generally break down.

Only a tiny bit, 2.4%, charge under $30 an hour. This tells us that very cheap web development isn't common in Poland, maybe because you get what you pay for, or not many people want something that basic.

Most companies, 60.7% of them, set their prices in the middle, between $30 and $70 an hour. This big group is like the heart of the market, probably offering good work for a fair price. It's likely the go-to for most customers.

Then, we have almost half the companies, 48.3%, who charge more—between $70 and $150 an hour. This shows there's also a lot of demand for fancier, more complex web work that costs more.

Finally, the very top prices, $150 to $250 an hour, are super rare—just 0.2% of companies. These are probably the high-end experts doing really specialized stuff.

In plain words, in Poland, most web developers charge somewhere in the middle, with a good number going for higher rates, showing that businesses are willing to pay more for quality. Very few companies are super cheap or super expensive.