Custom software vs off-the-shelf: how to choose

The short version

	Off-the-shelf	Custom
Up-front cost	Usually lower	Usually higher
Fit to your process	You adapt to the product	Built around your process
Time to start	Fast	Takes planning and build time
Flexibility later	Limited to what the vendor offers	Can change as you change
Ongoing costs	Subscriptions that grow with users	Hosting and maintenance
Risk	Vendor changes pricing or features	Depends on the quality of the build

Choose off-the-shelf when

• Your need is common, such as accounting, email or basic project tracking
• A product already does 90% of what you need
• You need to be running next week
• Your budget is small and the process is simple

Choose custom when

• Your process is a real advantage or genuinely unusual
• You are combining several tools with manual copy-and-paste
• Subscription costs grow quickly as your team grows
• You need precise control over data, access and reporting
• You have outgrown spreadsheets or an old internal database

The middle path

Many businesses do best with a mix: use proven products for standard needs, and build custom software only for the parts that make your work different, connecting the two through automation. This keeps cost down while giving you control where it matters.

Questions to ask before you decide

• What exactly are we trying to fix, and how will we know it worked?
• How much time does the current approach cost us each month?
• What will it cost over three to five years, not just in year one?
• Who owns the data, and can we take it with us if we leave?
• Who will maintain it, and what happens if they are unavailable?

If you are weighing up options, we are happy to give you a candid second opinion.