Web Application Development.
Custom web application development with Next.js, React, Laravel and Node.js: dashboards, portals and SaaS platforms built to scale, from a senior team.
Web application development is the design and engineering of software that runs in the browser: portals, dashboards, booking systems and SaaS platforms that people log in to and work in, not brochure pages. EqualPixels is a web application development company that builds these products with Next.js, React, Laravel and Node.js, and runs several of its own in production.
What is a web application, and how is it different from a website?
A website mostly publishes: pages, articles, a contact form. A web application does work: it has accounts and roles, stores data, runs business rules, sends notifications and connects to other systems. The CRM your sales team lives in, the portal your customers book through and the dashboard your operations team watches are all web applications.
The difference changes how the project is built. A marketing site can be assembled from a theme. A web application needs a data model, permissions, background jobs, tests, a deployment pipeline and someone who will still understand the code in three years.
What kinds of web applications do we build?
- SaaS platforms
- multi-tenant products with sign-up, subscriptions, roles and an admin panel, like the products we run ourselves
- Internal tools and dashboards
- the operations, finance and reporting screens that replace spreadsheets and copy-and-paste between systems
- Customer and partner portals
- self-service accounts, bookings, documents, invoices and support in one place
- Marketplaces
- multi-vendor listings, search and filters, messaging and lead routing between buyers and sellers
- Custom CRM and ERP modules
- pipelines, quoting, invoicing and workflows shaped around how your business actually runs
- AI-powered features
- search, drafting, summarising and document processing added to an existing product where they earn their place
Which technologies do we use for web development?
We pick the stack for the product, not the other way round, but most of what we ship runs on a short list we know deeply and have operated in production for years.
- Frontend
- React, Next.js and TypeScript, with Inertia.js when a Laravel back end serves the app directly, and Vue where a client already uses it
- Backend
- Laravel (PHP), Node.js and Python with Django, chosen by team, ecosystem and the shape of the work
- Data
- PostgreSQL first, Redis for queues and caching, pgvector when the product needs semantic search
- Real time
- WebSockets through Laravel Reverb or Node, for chat, live tracking and dashboards that update on their own
- Admin
- Filament or a custom React admin, so your team can run the product without a developer
- Infrastructure
- Ubuntu servers, Nginx, Docker, AWS and Vercel, with GitLab or GitHub CI and zero-downtime atomic releases
For public pages we follow Google’s Core Web Vitals guidance: fast first paint, no layout shift, quick response to input. This site is a static Next.js build and scores 96 to 98 for mobile performance in Lighthouse.
Next.js or Laravel: which should you build on?
| Next.js (React) | Laravel (PHP) | |
|---|---|---|
| Best at | Fast public pages, SEO, rich interactive front ends | Business logic, queues, admin panels, billing, integrations |
| Typical use | Marketing sites, storefronts, product front ends | SaaS back ends, CRMs, portals, internal tools |
| Rendering | Static, server or edge rendering per route | Server rendered, or a React front end through Inertia.js |
| Often paired with | A headless back end or API | A React front end in the same codebase |
Many of our products use both. Quevix, for example, is a Laravel application with a React front end and a separate Next.js marketing site that reads plans from the app over an API. The Next.js documentation and Laravel documentation are where we send clients who want to see what each one gives them out of the box.
How do we build a web application?
- DiscoveryA call, then a short workshop to map users, roles, data and the workflows that matter most. Strategy first, then code.
- Scope and fixed quoteA written scope, a timeline and a fixed price before any work starts, so there are no hourly surprises.
- DesignWireframes and a clickable prototype for the core flows, then a design system the front end is built from.
- Build in two-week sprintsA live demo every week on a staging server you can log in to, with your feedback going into the next sprint.
- Test and hardenAutomated tests for business rules, accessibility checks, load tests on the heavy screens and a security review against the OWASP Top 10.
- Launch and supportA zero-downtime release, monitoring and error tracking from day one, and a 30-day warranty before it moves to a maintenance plan.
Security is part of the build rather than a phase at the end. We check every release against the OWASP Top 10 risks: access control, injection, authentication and misconfiguration.
How much does web application development cost?
Web application projects with EqualPixels typically start at $8,000 for a focused tool or portal. A full SaaS platform with billing, multi-tenancy and an admin panel is usually a larger investment, scoped in phases.
| Scope | Typical timeline | What drives the cost |
|---|---|---|
| Internal tool or dashboard | 4 to 8 weeks | Number of screens, roles and data sources |
| Customer portal or marketplace | 8 to 16 weeks | Payments, messaging, search and integrations |
| SaaS platform, first release | 3 to 6 months | Multi-tenancy, billing, admin, onboarding |
Four things move the price most: how many systems the app must integrate with, how many user roles and permissions it has, whether it needs real-time features, and how much existing data has to be migrated. We price against those after a discovery call.
When you do not need a custom web application
We would rather tell you early. A custom build is usually the wrong call when:
- An off-the-shelf tool fits 90% of the job
- Configure it and integrate it. Build only the 10% that makes you different.
- You need a marketing site
- A well-built WordPress or static Next.js site is faster and cheaper than an application.
- The process is still changing weekly
- Run it in a spreadsheet or a no-code tool until it settles, then build it properly.
Why teams choose EqualPixels for web development
- We run our own products
- Odobase, Quevix, Agenso, Prozilio and VantixCRM are web applications we build and operate, so we know what production looks like.
- Senior engineers on your project
- You talk to the people writing the code, led by a founder who has built for the web since 2011.
- You own everything
- Code, infrastructure and accounts are in your name, documented so another team could take over.
- Weekly working software
- Two-week sprints and a demo every week, so progress is something you can click, not a status report.
Case study
Quevix: an AI social media scheduler
Quevix is our own multi-tenant SaaS: a Laravel and React web application with real-time updates, Paddle subscriptions and a separate Next.js marketing site.
Read the case study: Quevix: an AI social media scheduler
Frequently asked questions
Still have questions? Write to us at [email protected]
What technologies do you use for web application development?
Mostly React, Next.js and TypeScript on the front end, Laravel, Node.js or Django on the back end, PostgreSQL and Redis for data, and Docker, AWS or Vercel for hosting. We choose per project and explain the trade-off in the scope.
How much does it cost to build a web application?
Focused web applications typically start at $8,000. Portals and marketplaces cost more, and a SaaS platform is scoped in phases. The main cost drivers are integrations, user roles, real-time features and data migration, and we give a fixed quote after discovery.
How long does web application development take?
An internal tool or dashboard usually takes four to eight weeks. A customer portal or marketplace takes eight to sixteen weeks, and the first release of a SaaS platform three to six months. You see working software in a live demo every week.
Should I use WordPress or a custom web application?
Use WordPress when the site mainly publishes content and takes enquiries. Build a custom web application when users log in to do work: manage records, book, pay, collaborate or run reports. Many businesses have both, with the marketing site linking into the app.
Are you a Next.js development company or a Laravel company?
Both. We build public, SEO-sensitive front ends in Next.js and business-heavy back ends in Laravel, often in the same product. Quevix, one of our own SaaS products, uses Laravel and React for the app and Next.js for its marketing site.
Do you build the front end and the back end?
Yes. One team handles design, front end, back end, database, infrastructure and deployment, so nothing gets lost between agencies.
Who owns the code?
You do. The repository, servers, domains and third-party accounts are in your name, and we hand over documentation with the final release.
What happens after my web application launches?
Every launch includes a 30-day warranty. After that most clients move to a monthly maintenance plan or a retainer for security updates, monitoring, backups and new features.
Let’s build what’s next.
Tell us about your Web Application Development project. We’ll reply within 24 hours with a clear plan and estimate.