1 Azumo
Best for buyers who want a price list before the first conversation
Azumo is first because it is the only firm in our fact base that publishes prices. Project work is billed per Delivery Unit, with a published unit price on the Starter, Growth and Platform tiers that falls from one tier to the next, and a Custom tier that needs a conversation. The site says price and timeline are shared before work begins. A finance team can start modeling a project from that page, which no other firm here allows.
Watch for. You still need the number of Delivery Units for your project, and that comes from scoping. Ask how a unit is defined and measured.
- Based in
- San Francisco, California, USA
- How it charges
- Per Delivery Unit, by tier, with a Custom tier
- Main limit
- Nearshore developers, mainly in South America, billed in Delivery Units
2 Markovate
Best for buyers who want a written estimate and a bounded pilot
Markovate ranks second. It publishes no rates, but it states the order of events, which is a discovery call followed by a written scope and estimate. It also offers a focused pilot in 4 to 6 weeks, which bounds the first commitment. For a buyer worried about an open-ended AI bill, a bounded first step with a written estimate is the closest substitute for a price list.
Watch for. Ask whether the estimate is a fixed price or a forecast, and what happens to the price if the pilot becomes a full build.
- Based in
- Not stated on its site
- How it charges
- Scoped per project after a discovery call
- Main limit
- Specialist in AI work, with no head office or headcount on its site
3 Black Badger Software Solutions
Best for buyers who want the whole price fixed in a written scope
Black Badger publishes this guide and publishes no price, so we rank ourselves third on a list about price clarity. What we offer is certainty at a later point. After discovery you receive a written scope that names what will be built and what it will cost, and the build does not start until you accept it. There are no licenses and no per-seat fee afterward, only running costs such as hosting.
Watch for. You will not get a number from us before discovery. If you need a figure for a budget meeting first, start with a firm that publishes one.
- Based in
- Clearwater, Florida, United States
- How it charges
- One-time build scoped in writing, then running costs such as hosting
- Main limit
- Works mainly with companies of 50 or more employees
What a custom build involves, and how to ask about one
4 Vention
Best for buyers who want a cost range from a calculator
Vention is fourth. It offers a project cost calculator on its site, which gives a buyer a range without a sales call, and it says every project is scoped individually. It ranks behind the top three because a calculator range is neither a published rate nor a written estimate for your project.
Watch for. Treat the calculator as a first check. Ask for a written quote tied to a scope before you compare it with other bids.
- Based in
- New York, USA
- How it charges
- Scoped individually for each project
- Main limit
- Teams of over 3,000 engineers, and no rates published
5 ScienceSoft
Best for buyers who want the pricing model explained in detail
ScienceSoft ranks fifth. It has a pricing models page that explains time and materials with a cap and fixed price, and it publishes sample cost ranges through calculators and a pricing page. A buyer can learn how the bill will work before a call. It is fifth on this AI list because our facts on it cover general software development, and because most of its projects run on time and materials.
Watch for. A cap limits a time and materials bill but does not fix it. Ask about its AI work and what cap it would set.
- Based in
- McKinney, Texas, USA
- How it charges
- Time and materials with a cap, or fixed price
- Main limit
- Time and materials is the usual model, and the site publishes no project rates
6 LeewayHertz
Best for buyers who want a project-based price from an AI specialist
LeewayHertz is sixth. It publishes no rates, but it names a project-based model next to its dedicated team and team extension models, so a priced project is available on request. For AI work in particular it is a specialist on this list. Its rank on this page reflects only the question, which is how much a buyer can learn about price from the site alone.
Watch for. Ask for a project-based quote with a written scope, and ask which entity you would contract with now that it is part of The Hackett Group.
- Based in
- Not stated on its site, with an India office in Gurugram
- How it charges
- Rates not published
- Main limit
- Now part of The Hackett Group, and no rates published
7 10Pearls
Best for buyers happy to learn the price in a discovery call
10Pearls ranks seventh. No pricing page is linked from its site and its process starts with a discovery call, so the price arrives after a conversation. That is normal for a firm of over 1,400 people selling nearshore, offshore and managed services, where each engagement is different. It is last here only because this list ranks by what is stated up front.
Watch for. Go to the discovery call with a written description of the project, so the estimates you collect from different firms can be compared.
- Based in
- Not stated on its site, offices include Washington DC, USA
- How it charges
- Quoted per project
- Main limit
- Nearshore and offshore delivery from Latin America and Pakistan