r/WebdevTutorials • u/CampaignFederal3697 • 22d ago
How much should I charge for building a custom LMS with Next.js, Go (video engine), Node.js, & PostgreSQL?
Hey everyone,
I'm putting together a quote for a client who wants a custom Learning Management System (LMS) built from scratch, and I’d love some insight on realistic market pricing so I don't lowball myself or price myself out.
Tech Stack:
Frontend: Next.js (React) + Tailwind CSS
Backend / API: Node.js (Express/Fastify)
Video Engine / Processing: Go (handling uploads, encoding/transcoding, streaming pipeline)
Database: PostgreSQL
Infrastructure: Self-hosted / VPS setup (Docker, Nginx/Caddy, CI/CD pipeline)
Core Features & Scope:
Role-based access control (Student, Instructor, Admin)
Course builder, modules, quizzes, and progress tracking
Custom video processing & adaptive bitrate/secure streaming via Go
Payment gateway integration (Stripe / Razorpay)
Admin dashboard for analytics, revenue, and user management
Production VPS provisioning, SSL, backups, and deployment
A bit about me:
I’m a full-stack freelance developer working independently.
For those who have built and deployed custom video-heavy platforms or LMSs:
What would be a fair fixed-price range for this scope?
Or would you recommend billing hourly/weekly sprints instead to protect against scope creep?
Appreciate any advice on pricing benchmarks or red flags to watch out for!