Build vs buy · Updated
Should we build or buy internal tools?
Short answer: Buy ready-made software when your process is standard, like payroll or ticketing. Build when the process is specific to how your company works, when you need several systems joined together, or when licences for an off-the-shelf tool would cost more over time. Low-code platforms sit in between: faster than custom code, with per-user fees.
A simple test
If three popular SaaS tools already do 90% of what you need, buy. If your team still exports to spreadsheets to make them work, consider building.
Go deeper: Retool vs a custom-built internal tool: which should you choose?
Agencies that do this work
- Atomic Actions (United States)
- Makeitfuture (Romania)
- RapidDev
- Avalency Studio
- flowio (United Kingdom)
Useful pages
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Sources
Cost figures are rough guidance from how agencies describe their work, not quotes. Vendor prices change, so check the source. Editorial policy.