What is custom software?
Custom software is an application built specifically for one organization’s needs and workflows, rather than a generic off-the-shelf product many companies share. It fits your exact process, and you own the source code.
Custom software (also called bespoke software) is designed and engineered around a specific business’s requirements instead of forcing that business to adapt to a mass-market product. It spans internal tools, SaaS platforms, customer portals, B2B systems, and integrations. The advantage is fit and ownership: the software does exactly what your workflow needs, integrates with the systems you already run, and is an asset you own outright, no per-seat subscription ceiling and no vendor roadmap dictating what you can do. The trade-off is a higher upfront cost than subscribing to SaaS, which makes the most sense when the workflow is a differentiator or when per-seat SaaS fees grow with the team.
What is SaaS (software as a service)?
SaaS is software delivered over the internet on a subscription, hosted and maintained by the vendor. Customers use it through a browser without installing or maintaining infrastructure, and usually pay per seat or per usage, monthly or annually. SaaS is fast to adopt and cheap to start, which makes it ideal for common, commodity needs. Its limits are fit and cost at scale: you adapt to the product’s roadmap, and per-seat fees grow with your team. Businesses often pair SaaS for commodity functions with custom software for their differentiating core, and building a SaaS product of your own is a common custom software project.
What is an MVP (minimum viable product)?
An MVP is the smallest version of a product that delivers real value and can be launched to early users. It includes only the features needed to solve the single most important problem and prove people will use (or pay for) it. The point is to learn fast: ship the core, get real usage, then decide what to build next based on evidence rather than guesses. Starting with an MVP is the main lever for controlling cost and risk on a software or app project; you validate before scaling and avoid building features nobody wants. How long it takes depends on scope and integrations, and the timeline is set in the written agreement before work starts.
Related: Custom Software Development · Workflow Automation · AI Agent
How is custom software different from SaaS?
SaaS is a shared, subscription product you rent and adapt to; custom software is built for your exact workflow and owned by you. SaaS is cheaper to start; custom fits better and has no per-seat ceiling.
How much does custom software cost?
Projects start at $15,000 for a focused internal tool, and a full multi-tenant platform starts at $120,000. The quote depends on scope and integrations.
How much does it cost to build a SaaS product or an MVP?
A sellable MVP SaaS starts at $45,000, and a single-platform app MVP starts at $20,000. The exact number depends on the feature set.
How long does it take to build an MVP?
It depends on scope and integrations. Every engagement’s timeline is set in the written agreement before work starts.
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