2025-08-17
When a destination decides to go digital, one of the first questions is:
Should we build our own solution — or license something ready-made?
At first glance, building a custom system might seem like the right way to get exactly what you want.
But when you look at the numbers — especially in Switzerland, where software development rates are among the highest in Europe — licensing a flexible and adaptable cloud platform isn’t just cheaper. It’s smarter.
Let’s break down the real costs — and why destinations like the City of Zug are choosing to license, not build.
To build a custom mobile guest app and CMS from scratch — with features like POI management, thematic tours, event calendar, and AI-powered recommendations — you’re not just paying for code. You’re paying for:
Let’s estimate based on Swiss market rates in 2025:
Role | Averaged Hourly Rate (CHF) | Estimated Hours | Total Cost (CHF) |
---|---|---|---|
Project Manager | 150 | 120 | 18,000 |
UX/UI Designer | 150 | 160 | 24,000 |
Frontend Developer | 150 | 300 | 45,000 |
Backend Developer | 150 | 400 | 60,000 |
DevOps / Cloud | 150 | 100 | 15,000 |
QA & Testing | 150 | 80 | 12,000 |
Initial Development (Total) | 1,160 | 174,000 |
💡 This is just the initial development cost — before any content is added or marketing begins.
And that’s for a minimum viable product (MVP). Add AI features, real-time updates, or integrations with other systems like a public transport ticketing system, and you could easily exceed CHF 250,000.
A custom app isn’t a one-time investment. It’s an ongoing expense.
Annual maintenance (bug fixes, updates, security patches, compatibility) typically costs 15–20% of the initial development cost per year:
CHF 174,000 × 15% = ~CHF 26,100 per year
Compare that to licensing CityBot, where:
👉 For most destinations, CityBot costs less than one year of maintenance on a custom app — let alone the initial build.
Let’s compare two Swiss towns of similar medium size:
Cost Factor | Custom-Built App | CityBot (Licensed) |
---|---|---|
Initial Development | CHF 174,000 | CHF 0 |
Year 1 Maintenance | CHF 26,100 | CHF 12,000 |
Year 2 | CHF 26,100 | CHF 12,000 |
Year 3 | CHF 26,100 | CHF 12,000 |
Total over 3 years | CHF 252,300 | CHF 36,000 |
Savings with CityBot: CHF 216,300 over 3 years
That’s enough to fund a full marketing campaign, improve visitor infrastructure, and support local cultural events.
Smaller towns and regions often don’t have:
With CityBot, you get:
No risk. No surprises. Just results.
So far, we’ve looked at savings for a single destination. But what if we zoom out?
Imagine this:
Instead of 200+ Swiss destinations each building or maintaining their own isolated app, CMS, and digital infrastructure, they all used a shared digital platform like CityBot.
Let’s do the math.
Nr Product | Initial Cost | 10-Year Maintenance | Total |
---|---|---|---|
150 Custom Builds | 150 × CHF 174,000 = CHF 26.2M | 150 × CHF 26,100 × 10 = CHF 39.15M | CHF 63.35M |
Now, consider the alternative: What if all 150 destinations had licensed a shared platform?
150 × CHF 15,000 × 10 = CHF 22.5 million total
A shared platform isn’t just cheaper — it’s smarter for all stakeholders as a whole:
The goal isn’t to build software — it’s to enhance the visitor experience in the most cost-efficient way. Because let's be honest: budgets are never unlimited.
With CityBot, you’re not just saving money — you’re launching faster and focusing on what matters: your destination’s content, brand, and offers — without having to deal with technical IT complexities.
We’ll help you calculate the true cost of building vs. licensing — tailored to your size, visitor volume, and goals.
Switch from cost to value.