Custom Software Development

When building your own application pays off

An off-the-shelf SaaS tool is usually cheaper to start with. A bespoke application starts to make sense when:

• the process is a source of competitive advantage and does not fit a packaged product's template,
• the team juggles several tools and spreadsheets and moves data between them by hand,
• per-seat licence fees grow faster than the value the tool delivers,
• you need an integration the packaged product does not offer,
• data must stay under your control for legal or contractual reasons,
• the current system has aged and every change takes longer and costs more.

If none of these apply, configuring an existing product and connecting it to your other systems may be the better route; that work is covered under data, APIs and integrations. If you plan to sell software to many customers on subscription, start with SaaS and white-label instead.

Eight services in this category

Each service has its own page covering features, integrations, security and price drivers. The summary below helps you pick the right one.

Web applications: from $4,900

Customer portals, internal systems and browser-based tools. Typical modules include sign-in and permissions, search and filtering, workflow states, notifications with audit history, responsive forms and dashboards, and reporting with data export.

Mobile applications: from $9,900

Apps for field staff, customers or partners when a responsive website is not enough. Device sessions, push notifications, camera, file and location workflows, an offline queue with sync, and store-ready builds for the App Store and Google Play.

Desktop applications: from $1,500

Programs for Windows, macOS or Linux that work with local files, connected devices or without a network. Batch processing, securely stored local settings, an installer, an automatic update channel and code signing.

Business websites: from $949

Sites that explain the offer clearly and lead visitors to an enquiry. Content and URL architecture, technical SEO, structured data, spam-protected forms, GA4 and consent setup, and fast-loading media.

E-commerce platforms: from $4,900

For businesses whose catalogue, pricing or ordering logic outgrows a template: B2B ordering, customer-specific prices, delivery rules and returns. Integration with ERP, PIM or inventory, with payments handled by a licensed provider rather than the store itself.

CMS and site builders: from $4,900

Content management systems and page builders for publishers, agencies and SaaS owners. Reusable blocks and templates, draft, review and publish states, revision history, media variants, and site settings and menus.

Software modernization: from $4,900

Step-by-step renewal of a system that grows more expensive to change: framework and runtime upgrades, a new interface, API extraction, database migration and deployment automation. Each step comes with regression tests and a cutover plan that can be rolled back.

Software maintenance: from $249/month

Ongoing care for a live system: defect triage, dependency and security updates, small enhancements, monitoring review, restore tests of backups and a monthly report of work done.

How to choose the right service

Pick the smallest service that describes the core workflow. A few practical pointers:

• Users work at a desk in a browser: web application. A well-designed responsive version often works on phones too.
• You need the camera, offline work, push notifications or an app-store presence: mobile application.
• The program processes large files locally, drives a connected device or must run without a network: desktop application.
• The main goal is presenting the offer and generating enquiries: business website; if many teams or customers publish content: CMS.
• The system exists but changes are expensive: modernization; it runs well and needs care: maintenance.

When a project combines services, such as a web back office plus a mobile app for field crews, the specification names one primary product and describes the rest as modules sharing one backend and API.

Technology and architecture

We choose the stack to fit your existing environment and the skills of whoever will maintain the product. Typical options:

• Front end: React or Next.js, or Vue; server-side rendering for simpler sites.
• Back end: Node.js, .NET, Python or PHP, depending on what your current systems run on.
• Mobile: Flutter or React Native for a shared codebase; Swift and Kotlin when full platform access is needed.
• Desktop: .NET for Windows, or Electron or Tauri for cross-platform apps.
• Data: PostgreSQL, MySQL or SQL Server; files in cloud storage or on your own servers.
• Infrastructure: public cloud, a VPS or your own servers, with automated deployments and backups.

Security from the first release

The architecture review covers a threat model, least-privilege access and server-side validation of every action. For mobile apps we look at permissions, data stored on the device and the lost-phone scenario; for desktop apps, code signing, update integrity and secret storage. Where personal data is involved the design accounts for GDPR, and security testing uses the OWASP Top 10 as a reference point.

Budget and collaboration

The lowest anchor in this category is $949 for a business website, and maintenance starts from $249 per month. Web applications, online stores, CMS platforms and modernization projects start from $4,900; a mobile MVP from $9,900. The final price mainly depends on the number of roles and workflows, integrations with external systems, the state of the data to migrate and security requirements.

What the client provides

• a decision-maker who approves scope and accepts each release,
• a description of the current process; screenshots, sample documents and spreadsheets all help,
• access to existing systems, API documentation and test data,
• content, brand assets and decisions on accounts: domain, cloud, app stores.

Work starts with discovery and a written specification, and the build runs in iterations with acceptance against agreed criteria. Send a short description of your process via the contact page; the full overview of categories and engagement models is on the software section home page.

Custom Software Development

Frequently asked questions