Question 1

What are the payment terms for an AltStack build?

Accepted Answer

We require 50% upfront to begin development and 50% upon delivery and your approval. For Enterprise engagements over $50,000, we offer milestone-based billing, typically split into thirds. We accept wire transfer, ACH, and all major credit cards.

Question 2

What's included in the price?

Accepted Answer

Every tier includes discovery and workflow mapping, UI/UX design, full-stack development, testing, deployment to your infrastructure, complete source code handover, and post-launch support (duration varies by tier). You receive a production-ready application, not a prototype or MVP. Hosting infrastructure costs are separate and typically run $20–$200/month depending on scale.

Question 3

How does custom software development cost compare to building in-house?

Accepted Answer

Hiring a full-stack developer costs $120,000–$180,000/year in salary alone, plus benefits, tooling, and management overhead. A typical in-house build takes 3–6 months and costs $60,000–$150,000 in developer time. AltStack delivers the same result in 7 days for $5,000–$30,000 because our AI-powered development process and pre-built component libraries compress months of work into days.

Question 4

Is there a cost for the initial consultation?

Accepted Answer

No. The 30-minute discovery call is completely free. We'll map your current SaaS stack, identify which tools to replace, estimate your savings, and recommend the right tier, with zero obligation. If we don't think AltStack is the right fit, we'll tell you.

Question 5

Can I start with Starter and upgrade to Growth later?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Many clients start with a Starter build to replace their most painful SaaS tool, see the ROI, and then upgrade to Growth to consolidate more of their stack. When you upgrade, we build on top of your existing codebase, so you're not paying for a rebuild. We credit 25% of your Starter investment toward the Growth tier.

Question 6

How does your revision policy work?

Accepted Answer

Starter includes one round of revisions, Growth includes two rounds, and Enterprise includes unlimited revisions during the build phase. A "round" means a consolidated batch of feedback. We implement all changes in one cycle. After the included rounds, additional revisions are billed at $150/hour. During the post-launch support window, bug fixes are always free.

Question 7

What if my project is bigger than Enterprise?

Accepted Answer

We handle projects of any scale. For builds exceeding $50,000, we assign a dedicated team and create a custom statement of work with milestone-based delivery. Contact us for a free scoping session. We'll map your requirements and provide a fixed-price quote within 24 hours.

Question 8

Who handles hosting and where does my app run?

Accepted Answer

You choose. We can deploy to your existing AWS, GCP, Azure, or Vercel account, or we can set up hosting for you. Most clients host on Vercel or AWS, with monthly infrastructure costs between $20 and $200. You own the infrastructure account. We never hold your deployment hostage.

Question 9

What are the ongoing maintenance costs after launch?

Accepted Answer

Maintenance is entirely optional. Plans range from $500/month (monitoring, security patches, minor updates) to $2,000/month (active feature development, priority support, performance optimization). Most clients choose a plan for the first 6–12 months, then transition to self-management.

Question 10

Do you offer refunds?

Accepted Answer

We offer a satisfaction guarantee: if we fail to deliver a working application within the agreed timeline, you receive a full refund of your deposit. After delivery, if the application doesn't meet the requirements outlined in the discovery phase, we'll rebuild at no additional cost. We've never had to issue a refund.

Question 11

Do I own the source code and intellectual property?

Accepted Answer

Yes, 100%. Upon final payment you receive the complete source code repository, database schemas, documentation, and full IP assignment. There are no licensing fees, no proprietary runtimes, and no lock-in of any kind. Any developer can pick up and maintain the codebase.

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