Sensitive data (emails, API keys, credentials) is automatically redacted before any LLM processing. Only structured results are saved to your account. We never train AI models on your data.

The uncomfortable truth about AI estimates

"ChatGPT is free. Why pay for estimates?"

Q: Is StacksFinder free to use?

Yes! Free tier includes 1 estimate per week with full scope analysis. Pro users ($20/month) get 5 estimates/week plus real-time market analysis, PDF export, and history.

Q: How accurate are the estimates?

Our estimates use calibrated anchor tables where each feature type has a known hour range (e.g., OAuth auth = 20-40h). The pipeline uses AI for classification only - all calculations are 100% deterministic. While AI classification introduces a small margin of variance, same classifications always produce identical numbers.

Q: Why does it ask clarifying questions?

Our pre-analysis detects when specs are brief or ambiguous. The confidence score (0-100) decreases with unknowns. Answering these questions improves accuracy. You can always skip and generate anyway.

Q: Can I use these estimates for client quotes?

Absolutely. Pro users can export professional PDF quotes. The full breakdown (hours, complexity, risks, regional rates) helps justify rates to clients.

Q: What makes pricing "deterministic"?

AI only classifies features (e.g., "this is an OAuth auth feature"). Hours and prices come from versioned lookup tables: auth-oauth = 20-40 base hours. Same classification = identical numbers. No AI randomness in calculations. This minimizes variance while leveraging AI for intelligent classification.

Q: What regions are supported?

We support France (35h/week legal), US, UK, and Remote-Global rates. Each region has calibrated hourly rates for 4 seniority levels: junior, mid, senior, and expert.

Great question. Here's the uncomfortable answer: free AI estimates are worth exactly what you pay for them. When a client asks "how much?", you need numbers you can defend, not AI hallucinations.

ChatGPT estimate "15k - 150k EUR" Thanks, very helpful.

StacksFinder estimate 47 200 - 58 400 EUR Mid-level, 340-420h, France rates

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The Problem with AI Estimates

LLMs are incredible at many things. Consistent numerical estimates is not one of them. Here's what happens when you ask ChatGPT to estimate a project:

You asked: "Estimate a SaaS MVP"

AI said: "Around 15 000 to 50 000 EUR"

Range so wide it's useless

You asked: "How long for an e-commerce site?"

AI said: "2-6 months with a team"

Which team? What features?

You asked: Same prompt, 5 minutes later

AI said: "30 000 to 80 000 EUR"

Completely different answer

The core issue: LLMs don't "know" prices. They predict plausible-sounding text based on training data. A 50k EUR estimate and a 500k EUR estimate are equally "correct" to the model. It's just generating words.

ChatGPT vs StacksFinder

Aspect	ChatGPT / Claude	StacksFinder
Pricing accuracy	Hallucinates numbers based on training data	Deterministic lookup tables, updated quarterly
Consistency	Different answer every time you ask	Same specs = identical estimate (AI classifies, tables calculate)
Transparency	"Trust me bro" - black box reasoning	Full breakdown: hours, complexity, risks, confidence score
Professional output	Copy-paste chat into a doc	Export-ready PDF quotes with branding
Market context	Outdated training data (months old)	Live competitor & pricing research (Pro)
Risk analysis	Generic warnings if any	Severity levels, mitigations, impact on estimate
Cost	$20/month for GPT-4	Free tier available, Pro from $20

Our Approach: Best of Both Worlds

We don't throw away AI. We use it where it excels, and use deterministic systems where consistency matters. Our pipeline separates classification (AI) from calculation (lookup tables). This minimizes randomness while leveraging AI for intelligent analysis.

Smart

Pre-Analysis

If your specs are vague, we ask clarifying questions:

Project scale (MVP, startup, enterprise)
Target users and expected load
Team experience level
Timeline constraints

Better input = higher confidence score

AI-Powered

Classification

Claude analyzes and classifies (not calculates):

Feature types (auth, CRUD, payment, etc.)
Complexity level per feature
Technical risks and unknowns
Industry and project type

AI excels at classification, not math

Deterministic

Hours & Pricing

Versioned anchor tables calculate everything:

Hours per feature type (auth-oauth = 20-40h)
Complexity multipliers (1.3x for complex)
Context adjustments (scale, industry)
Final pricing by region & seniority

Same classification = identical numbers. Always.

About variance: Since the pipeline uses AI for classification, there's a small margin of error in feature categorization. However, once classified, all calculations are 100% deterministic. This hybrid approach minimizes randomness while leveraging AI's contextual understanding.

Full Transparency

Every estimate shows exactly how we calculated it:

Hours breakdown by feature

Complexity factors applied

Risk analysis with mitigations

Regional rate sources

What You Get

Every estimate includes comprehensive analysis across 6 dimensions:

Scope Analysis

Feature breakdown with hours per feature, 5 complexity levels (trivial to very-complex), and dependency mapping.

Risk Analysis

4 severity levels (low to critical), mitigation suggestions, and quantified impact on estimate.

Multi-Region Pricing

France (35h/week), US, UK, Remote rates. 4 seniority profiles: junior, mid, senior, expert.

Recommended Range

AI suggests optimal polish level (MVP to Premium) with reasoning for best value positioning.

Confidence Score

0-100 score with penalty factors. Structured questions to improve clarity when specs are vague.

Privacy First

Automatic redaction of emails, API keys, credentials before any LLM processing.

Market Analysis

Pro

Real-time market research powered by Perplexity. Get live data on competitors, trends, and pricing strategies.

Competitor Research Name, URL, pricing, positioning, relevance (direct/indirect/adjacent)

Market Size Estimated market size and growth potential

Trend Analysis Up to 5 current market trends affecting your project

Gap Identification Opportunities and underserved niches

Pricing Suggestions Market-based pricing strategy recommendations

Market data is non-deterministic and time-sensitive. All results include sources and timestamps for verification.

Export & Integration

PDF Quotes

Professional PDF export with your branding, payment terms, and client details.

Pro

History Panel

All your estimates saved and searchable. Compare versions and track changes.

All tiers

Generate Blueprint

Connect your estimate to the Builder for matching tech stack recommendations.

Coming Soon

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Stop guessing. Stop hallucinating. Get project estimates backed by data, not vibes.

1 free estimate/week Full scope analysis No credit card Pro from $20/month

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is StacksFinder free to use?

How accurate are the estimates?

Why does it ask clarifying questions?

Can I use these estimates for client quotes?

What makes pricing "deterministic"?

Is my data secure?

What regions are supported?