Software & Mobile App Development Company in Croatia
App, web and AI development for Croatian tourism, retail, telecoms and start-ups in Zagreb, Split and Rijeka, with fiscalisation and e-invoicing support, euro payments and multilingual guest experiences.
- NDA & full IP ownership
- Senior engineers
- Working hours that overlap with Croatia
Croatia changed its business plumbing in quick succession: it adopted the euro and joined the Schengen area in 2023, and its fiscalisation rules have now extended into mandatory e-invoicing between businesses. For many companies, that means legacy billing, booking and point-of-sale systems need rebuilding. Sigmato is a software development company for Croatia that helps tourism operators, retailers, SaaS start-ups and enterprises in Zagreb, Split and Rijeka build that next generation of software, from mobile apps and web platforms to integrations and AI. Our engineers work from Bengaluru, supported by our UK branch.
Fiscalisation and E-Invoicing: The Croatian Starting Point
Every Croatian system that takes payments or issues invoices must comply with fiscalisation rules set by the Tax Administration. Since 2013, receipts for cash-type transactions, which include card payments at the till, must be registered with the tax authority in real time, with each receipt carrying its unique identifier codes. From 2026, the expanded fiscalisation framework requires structured e-invoices between VAT-registered businesses, with invoice data reported to the authority. In practice, we build:
- Point-of-sale and mobile checkout apps that fiscalise receipts and cope with temporary connection loss as the rules allow.
- Connectors between your ERP or booking system and a certified e-invoicing information intermediary.
- Reconciliation dashboards that match invoices, payments and returns for your accountant.
Tourism Technology for the Adriatic
Tourism is Croatia’s largest export-like industry, and its software must handle seasonal surges, many languages and spotty island connectivity. Private accommodation, marinas, tour operators and hotel groups along the coast from Istria to Dubrovnik need:
- Direct-booking engines and channel-manager integrations that reduce reliance on third-party booking platforms.
- Guest apps in Croatian, English, German, Italian and other visitor languages, with check-in, local guides and upselling.
- Offline-capable tools for boat charters and island excursions where coverage can drop.
- Guest-messaging AI chatbots that answer common questions around the clock during peak season.
Our hospitality software guide outlines the core features of hotel booking and guest apps.
The Wider Croatian Tech Scene
Beyond tourism, Croatia has a respected technology sector led by communications, electric-vehicle engineering and game development. Zagreb hosts most of the country’s software firms and start-ups, and Croatian companies in messaging platforms, high-performance electric vehicles and mobile games have built global customer bases. Rijeka, Croatia’s main cargo port, generates demand for logistics and port software, while Split combines tourism with a growing remote-work and start-up community. We support these companies with SaaS development, Unity game development and extra engineering capacity when deadlines tighten.
Data Protection and Financial Regulation
Croatian software must comply with the GDPR and the national Act on the Implementation of the GDPR, supervised by AZOP. The GDPR sets the core duties, and the Croatian Personal Data Protection Agency (AZOP) provides guidance and enforcement. Banks and payment institutions are supervised by the Croatian National Bank (HNB), while investment, insurance and leasing firms fall under HANFA, the Croatian Financial Services Supervisory Agency. Tourism apps collect passport details for guest registration, so we encrypt identity data, limit who can see it and delete it according to your retention policy.
How Croatians Pay
Croatia uses the euro, and payments are dominated by cards, mobile wallets and bank transfers initiated by scanning a barcode. Payment slips carry a standard HUB-3 2D barcode that customers scan in their mobile banking app, so invoices and utility bills should include it. Online, card payments go through Croatian acquirers and gateways, with Apple Pay and Google Pay widely accepted. Local wallets such as KEKS Pay and Aircash are popular for person-to-person transfers and some merchant payments, and instalment payment on cards is common for larger purchases.
Croatian Language and Mobile Use
Croatian uses the Latin alphabet with č, ć, đ, š and ž, and the digraphs dž, lj and nj count as single letters in sorting. Nouns change form after numbers, with different endings for one, two to four, and five or more items, so plural handling needs proper rules. Android leads the Croatian smartphone market, while visiting tourists bring a large share of iPhones, so guest-facing apps must perform well on both. Coverage is strong in cities but can weaken on smaller islands and at sea, so booking confirmations, tickets and maps should be cached on the device. Our guide to offline-first mobile apps explains how we sync data safely when a connection returns, without creating duplicate bookings.
Working Across Time Zones
Croatia is on Central European Time, which gives a four-to-five-hour overlap with our Bengaluru team across the Croatian morning and lunchtime. Clocks in Bengaluru read three and a half hours later than Zagreb during summer time, and four and a half hours later in winter. Our UK branch, one hour behind Zagreb, is available through the Croatian afternoon.
Indicative Costs
| Project | Indicative cost (USD) |
|---|---|
| Booking website with channel manager | $12,000 – $35,000 |
| Guest or retail mobile app | $20,000 – $55,000 |
| E-invoicing and fiscalisation integration | $8,000 – $30,000 |
| SaaS platform MVP | $30,000 – $80,000 |
These indicative ranges can be quoted in euros; your final price depends on scope and integrations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make our billing system compliant with Croatian e-invoicing?
Yes. We connect your system to a certified intermediary or build the required integration, and we test document formats and reporting with your accountant before go-live.
When should a tourism business start building for next season?
Ideally in autumn. A booking website or guest app typically takes two to four months, leaving time for testing before spring bookings pick up.
Does it make sense to hire a software development company outside Croatia?
For many Croatian firms, yes. You gain access to a larger team at predictable cost while keeping product decisions in-house, and the morning overlap supports daily collaboration.
Build with a Software Development Company for Croatia
Send us your brief, and we will return a recommended approach, timeline and indicative budget.