You send the same brief to three agencies and get back three numbers that don't seem related to each other. Before assuming someone's overcharging or someone's a scam, it helps to understand where the real differences come from.

Scope interpretation

As covered in our scoping guide, a thin brief gets filled in with assumptions, and different agencies assume differently. This alone accounts for a large share of quote spread before anything else is even considered.

Seniority mix

A quote built around senior developers costs more per hour but often less overall, because senior engineers make fewer expensive mistakes and need less rework. A quote staffed mostly with juniors looks cheaper hourly but can cost more in total once revisions are factored in — and takes longer.

Whether maintenance and QA are priced in

Some quotes include proper testing, code review, and a maintenance window after launch. Others price only the build and leave QA and post-launch support as a separate, later conversation. Two quotes that look comparable on the surface can be pricing genuinely different amounts of work.

Fixed price vs time and materials

Fixed-price quotes typically build in a risk buffer for the unknowns in your brief. Time-and-materials quotes don't carry that buffer up front, so they often look lower initially — but the final bill depends on how the project actually goes. See our comparison of the two models for the tradeoffs.

Offshore vs onshore rates

Day rates vary hugely by location. UK-based teams typically bill in the range of £80–£150 an hour blended (agency rate, not individual developer rate), while offshore teams can be a fraction of that. Neither is automatically the wrong choice, but you should know which one you're comparing before assuming a lower quote is simply better value.

Be candid about what a low quote usually means

A quote significantly below the others on an identical brief is rarely a bargain — it usually means excluded scope, junior-only staffing, no QA budget, or a plan to renegotiate once you're committed. It's worth asking directly what's excluded, not just what's included.

Where Sheraian sits

Sheraian is a UK-registered company, and every quote we give includes QA and a defined maintenance window rather than pricing them as a surprise add-on later — so you're comparing the full cost, not just the build.