Custom software development
Custom software for the work your off-the-shelf tools don't fit
We build internal tools, operations platforms, admin systems and cross-platform desktop applications around the way your business actually runs — connected to the services you already use, and increasingly with AI that does part of the work.
When to build instead of buy
Off-the-shelf software is usually the right first choice: someone else maintains it and thousands of companies have tested it. Custom software makes sense when the way you work is your advantage and no product fits it, when you are paying for five tools that do not talk to each other, or when your team spends hours a week moving data between them by hand.
We will tell you when buying is the better option. When it is not, we build software that fits the process instead of forcing the process to fit the software — and that integrates with the tools you keep.
What custom software usually replaces
Manual data shuffling
Copying records between a CRM, a spreadsheet and an invoicing tool becomes an automated sync with a clear source of truth for every field.
Reconstructed timesheets and reports
Information rebuilt from memory at the end of the week is captured automatically as the work happens — the pattern behind our desktop time-tracking case study.
A tangle of admin tools
Invoices, contracts, scheduling, HR and compliance tracked in separate products are brought into one operations platform with role-based access.
Work that AI can now take on
Drafting, classifying, extracting and routing tasks that used to need a person, handled by AI inside your own system with review where it matters.
What we build
Operations and admin platforms
Back-office systems for invoicing, scheduling, contracts, projects and reporting, with permissions per role and an audit trail.
Desktop applications (Electron)
Cross-platform apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that need OS-level access — activity tracking, local files, background sync — signed, notarized and auto-updating.
Integration hubs
Services that keep your CRM, calendars, communication tools and billing in sync, with retries and alerting when something fails.
Internal AI tools
Assistants and automations that work inside your systems, including MCP servers that let tools like Claude act with each user's own permissions.
Legacy replacements
Rebuilding an ageing system piece by piece, keeping the business running while data and users move across.
Custom software we have shipped
A signed, auto-updating desktop app that builds timesheets from real activity
A cross-platform Electron app for macOS, Windows and Linux that assembles consultant timesheets from desktop activity, calendars, Zoom meetings and call logs, then syncs them to the firm's admin platform.
Read the case studyAI integration · MCPConnecting an operations platform to Claude with a remote MCP server
A remote Model Context Protocol server that lets the consultancy's staff run their admin platform by asking Claude — invoicing, scheduling, follow-ups, time entries and contracts — with the same permissions they have in the app.
Read the case studySaaS · Payments · CRM integrationMembership platform for a mortgage-industry association: Stripe billing, CRM sync and a Bubble migration
A subscription membership platform — member dashboard, gated content, events, vendor marketplace and a 28-page admin portal — with tiered Stripe billing, a conference ticket checkout and two-way GoHighLevel CRM sync, migrated off a legacy Bubble app onto Next.js and Supabase.
Read the case studyDesktop software: the parts that decide whether it ships
Desktop apps fail on details web apps never face. These are the ones we plan for from the start.
Code signing and notarization
Unsigned apps are blocked or flagged on modern macOS and Windows. We set up signing and Apple notarization in CI so every release installs cleanly.
Auto-updates
Releases publish to an update feed and installed apps update themselves — otherwise half your users stay on old versions forever.
Real-world OS behaviour
Sleep and wake, screen lock, idle detection and network drops are handled explicitly so data is never lost or double-counted.
Secure local storage
Tokens and settings stored encrypted, with authentication handled through the browser rather than passwords typed into the app.
How we work
- 1
Map the process
We sit with the people doing the work, map the current process and its pain points, and decide what to automate, what to simplify and what to leave alone.
- 2
Agree a first release
The smallest version that removes the biggest pain, with a written scope and estimate.
- 3
Build with the users
Working software every one to two weeks, tested by the people who will use it, so adoption is designed in.
- 4
Roll out and train
Data migration, rollout plan, documentation and a walkthrough for each team.
- 5
Support and extend
Maintenance and new features as the process changes, or a hand-over to your own developers.
Technology we use
Web & backend
- React
- Next.js
- TypeScript
- Node.js
- Python / FastAPI
- PostgreSQL
Desktop
- Electron
- electron-builder
- electron-updater
- Apple notarization
Integrations
- Google Calendar & Drive APIs
- Microsoft Graph
- Zoom API
- Twilio
- Stripe
Data & infrastructure
- Supabase
- Firebase
- Google Cloud Run
- GitHub Actions
Integration and deployment considerations
Fits your identity provider
Sign-in through Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 where you already use them, so access is managed in one place.
Data ownership
Data lives in your cloud accounts and databases, with exports available — no lock-in to us.
Rollout without disruption
Old and new systems can run side by side during migration, with reconciliation checks before the old one is switched off.
Documented for the next person
Architecture notes, runbooks and setup instructions are part of the deliverable.
What custom software costs
Focused custom software starts at $20,900 (our Custom Web App package) for a first release. Larger operations platforms and desktop applications with several integrations cost more and are scoped in phases, so you see value before committing to the whole roadmap.
- Number of workflows and user roles
- Number of third-party integrations
- Desktop platforms to support and OS-level features
- Data migration from existing systems
- Security and compliance requirements
- AI features and the accuracy they need
Who this is for
- Businesses running core processes on spreadsheets and disconnected tools.
- Consultancies and service firms whose way of working is their advantage.
- Teams that need a desktop app with OS-level capabilities a browser cannot offer.
- Companies replacing an ageing internal system without stopping the business.
Related services
Custom Software Development: common questions
Tell us about the process you want software for
Tell us what you are building or what needs fixing. You will hear back from an engineer — not a sales rep — within one business day, usually with questions or a rough approach.
Your enquiry goes straight to our engineering team — the people who will scope and build your project, not a sales desk.