API integrations
that just work

Depends on the number of systems and how cooperative their APIs are. A single integration between two systems with documented, modern REST APIs (for example connecting a CRM to an email platform): €4.000 to €10.000. A multi-system integration project, connecting 3 to 6 tools with data syncing, authentication, and error handling: €10.000 to €25.000. A full integration layer, a central hub that connects many systems with monitoring, retry logic, and an admin dashboard: €25.000 to €60.000+. The cost variable that surprises clients: the quality of the third-party API matters more than the number of integrations. A well-documented modern API takes a fraction of the time a legacy SOAP API or an undocumented internal system does. Hourly rates run €60 to €65. Our pricing page covers the broader rate structure.

Typical timelines. A single integration between two systems with good APIs: 1 to 3 weeks. A multi-system project connecting 3 to 6 tools: 4 to 8 weeks. A full integration layer with monitoring and an admin dashboard: 8 to 16 weeks. The variable that surprises clients: waiting on third-party API access. Getting production API credentials, sandbox access, and the right permission scopes from a third-party provider can take days or weeks depending on the provider, and that calendar time cannot be compressed by working harder. We start credential requests on day one so they run in parallel with the rest of the work. Our process page covers project structure across services.

Both, picked per project. REST is the established standard: resource-based URLs, predictable structure, HTTP-level caching, and almost every third-party platform exposes a REST API. REST fits when the integration consumes existing third-party APIs (you usually do not get a choice, the provider decides), when caching at the HTTP level matters, and when the data needs are straightforward. GraphQL lets the client request exactly the data it needs in one query, which fits when an application has varied data requirements across different screens, when over-fetching or under-fetching with REST is causing performance problems, or when building an API for diverse clients (web, mobile, third-party). GraphQL adds complexity around query design, caching, and rate limiting. For most integration projects connecting to third-party services, REST is what you work with because the provider already chose it. For a custom API that Studio Ubique builds from scratch, the REST versus GraphQL decision happens in step 02 of the process, based on the actual client and data patterns rather than fashion.

This is the main reason API integrations need ongoing attention rather than a build-and-forget approach. Third-party APIs change on the provider’s schedule: they deprecate old versions, add required fields, change authentication, adjust rate limits, or have unplanned outages. A well-built integration handles this in layers. First, defensive coding: the integration validates responses and fails gracefully instead of crashing when data arrives in an unexpected shape. Second, retry logic with exponential backoff for transient failures, so a brief outage self-heals without anyone noticing. Third, monitoring and alerting, so when something does break for real, the operations team gets an alert rather than a customer complaint. Fourth, a logged audit trail, so diagnosing what went wrong takes minutes not days. For breaking changes that need code updates (a provider deprecating an API version), ongoing support through Care, Growth, or Partnership packages covers the work. The integrations Studio Ubique builds are designed so a third-party problem becomes a managed alert, not a silent failure that surfaces three weeks later in a billing discrepancy.

Usually yes, though it takes more discovery time than a modern API. Legacy systems come in a few flavours. Some expose an old but functional API (SOAP, XML-RPC, or an early REST API), which works but requires more careful handling than a modern API. Some have no real API and integration happens through a database connection, file exports and imports, or in difficult cases screen scraping as a last resort. Some are commercial systems where the vendor offers an API only on a higher pricing tier, which is a commercial decision worth checking before assuming integration is a technical problem. The honest part: integrating with a legacy system is often less about coding skill and more about archaeology, figuring out undocumented behaviour, asking the people who have used the system for years, and testing carefully because legacy systems often have surprising side effects. We scope legacy integrations with a discovery phase first, so the real complexity is understood before anyone commits to a fixed price. If a system genuinely cannot be integrated cleanly, we will say so rather than building something fragile.

Both. Connecting existing APIs is the more common request: linking a CRM, a payment provider, an email platform, an eCommerce system, and similar tools so data flows between them. Building custom APIs is the other half of the work: when a Studio Ubique-built application needs to expose its own API, either for a client’s mobile app, for third-party partners to integrate with, or for internal systems to communicate. Custom API development covers REST or GraphQL endpoint design, authentication (API keys, OAuth, JWT), documentation (OpenAPI or GraphQL schema), versioning strategy, and rate limiting. Custom API work often pairs with the web application or custom software projects Studio Ubique builds, the API is the layer that lets the platform connect to everything else. Whether the project needs an integration with existing systems, a custom API, or both, the discovery phase maps it out before development starts. Custom API development is also covered on the custom software development page.