Custom Web App vs Off-the-Shelf SaaS: Which Fits Your Business?

Should you buy a SaaS tool or build a custom web app? The short answer: buy when the tool already fits your workflow, build when your process is specific enough that a generic tool forces you to change how you work. This post gives you a simple framework to decide.

I build custom web apps and management systems for businesses whose processes do not fit off-the-shelf software.

The buy vs build question in 4 checks

• Does a tool already do 90% of what you need?
• Are you changing your workflow to fit the tool?
• Is the manual work costing more than a build would?
• Do you need data to flow between systems that do not talk to each other?

When off-the-shelf SaaS wins

If a well-supported tool does what you need at a fair monthly price, buy it. Accounting, email, and project management are solved problems. Paying a monthly fee is almost always cheaper than building and maintaining your own version.

When a custom app wins

A custom build makes sense when your workflow is unique, when you need a dashboard that combines data from several sources, or when you need features like roles and billing that do not exist in a single tool. A custom dashboard or management system can pay for itself by removing hours of manual work every week.

What a custom web app costs

A single-page MVP starts around 2,500 dollars, a full MVP with Stripe billing around 5,500, and a production-grade app with realtime features from 10,000 dollars and up. You own all the code, so there is no monthly license to keep paying.

The ownership advantage

With a custom app, the code lives in your own repository and your data stays in your own database. No vendor lock-in, no surprise price hikes, and you can add features whenever you need them.

Buy a tool when it fits your process. Build one when your process is the advantage.

Not sure which way to go? Start a conversation and I will help you decide whether to buy or build.