When bespoke software is the cheaper option
Off-the-shelf subscriptions are cheap until you're paying for six of them and still exporting to Excel to get one answer. The honest test isn't licence cost — it's how many hours a week your team spends moving data between tools, and how much of your process you've bent to fit software that was built for someone else.
If the answer is "most of it", a custom system usually pays for itself inside a year. If you only need one gap filled and an existing tool fills it, we'll say so — and we'd rather tell you that on the first call than take the project.
The long version is here: bespoke software vs off-the-shelf, and how to choose.
What we build
- Internal operational systems — the thing your team opens every morning. Jobs, projects, clients, stages, documents, in one place.
- Dashboards and reporting — the numbers you currently rebuild by hand each month, live instead.
- Private team web apps — login-protected tools only your staff can reach, on any device, nothing to install.
- Rota, scheduling and resourcing tools — who's where, what changed, who needs telling.
- Reconciliation and finance tooling — matching, checking and flagging the things a person shouldn't be doing line by line.
- Spreadsheet automation — when the spreadsheet is fine but the twelve manual steps around it are not. Start there from £250.
- Integrations — making the tools you already pay for talk to each other instead of to a human with a CSV.
“ArchiTrak runs inside UK architecture practices every working day — projects, stages, documents and reporting in one system. We build it, host it and support it ourselves.”TrakCorp — studio-management platform
We're not describing capability we hope to have. Two things follow from running our own product: we've already solved the boring problems — permissions, audit trails, backups, uptime, migrations — and we support what we ship rather than handing over a repository and disappearing.
Case studies
AdminRota
Rota and scheduling system replacing a shared spreadsheet, in daily use.
ContentHaus
An editorial platform built end to end, from data model to front end.
What it costs
Bespoke software starts at £6,000. Most full engagements land between £5,000 and £40,000 depending on scope. Smaller automation work starts lower — £250 for spreadsheet automation, £695 for reconciliation tooling — and is often the right first step.
| Scope | Price | Typical timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Spreadsheet automation and processing | From £250 | 1–2 weeks |
| Reconciliation and financial tools | From £695 | 2–3 weeks |
| Private web app for your team | From £1,995 | 3–5 weeks |
| Hosted team application | From £6,000 | 6–10 weeks |
| CRM and workflow system | From £9,500 | 8–14 weeks |
Every project is quoted as a fixed, itemised price before any work begins. No day rates. See the full price list.
How a build runs
- Scoping call. We map the process you actually follow, including the workarounds. That's usually where the value is.
- Fixed, itemised quote. In writing, before anything starts.
- Phase one, deliberately small. The one process costing you the most hours, working, in weeks not quarters.
- Your team uses it while we're still building. Feedback shapes phase two.
- Handover and support. Hosted and maintained by us, or handed over entirely — your choice, priced either way.
Common questions
How much does bespoke software cost in the UK?
Bespoke systems start at £6,000 and most full engagements land between £5,000 and £40,000 depending on scope. Smaller automation work starts at £250. Every project is quoted as a fixed, itemised price before work begins.
How long until we can use something?
Phase one is scoped to be useful in weeks, not at the end of the project. Small automation work is one to two weeks; a full system is typically six to fourteen.
Who owns the software?
You do. The code and data are yours, and we'll hand over the repository and hosting if you ever want to take it in-house.
Will it work with the tools we already use?
Usually, yes. Integrating with accounting software, CRMs, email and storage is standard work rather than an add-on.
What happens if you're unavailable?
Everything is documented, hosted on mainstream infrastructure in your accounts where you prefer, and written to be handed over. No proprietary lock-in.
Should we not just use an off-the-shelf tool?
Often you should, and we'll tell you when. Custom wins when your process is your advantage, when you're paying for several overlapping tools, or when the manual work between them is eating a day a week.
Tell us what's slowing the business down.
Founder-led from the first call. Fixed, itemised price before any work begins — no day rates, no scope creep.