A subscription feels light every month. Custom software costs more up front. Which one is actually cheaper for your business? A 9-page guide with a worksheet to find out, including when the honest answer is "keep your subscription."
Owners and managers of small and mid-size businesses who already pay for several tools and wonder whether something built for them would cost less over time, or who are about to sign a quote and want to check their thinking first.
Most businesses that ask us this question are better off keeping the tool they already pay for. If your team is small, your process is standard and you need something running this week, buy the tool. We say so on the first call, because a client who leaves after eight months is a refund waiting to happen.
Over a long enough period it can be, but not always. It depends on what you pay today (including the hidden time cost of workarounds), the build price, and the yearly hosting and maintenance. The guide gives you the formula to check with your own numbers.
Four things move a quote more than any other: the number of user roles, the integrations (payments, WhatsApp, calendar, accounting), whether old data must be migrated, and whether the tool serves one business or many.
No. For standard processes such as scheduling, invoicing or a simple CRM, a subscription is often the right call. Custom software makes sense when you are paying for workarounds the tool cannot avoid.
Yes. To see the calculator result and download the PDF, we ask for your name, phone and email once, so we can send you the guide and write to you from time to time. You can unsubscribe at any time. The numbers you enter in the calculator stay in your browser.
Tell us what you use today. We give you an honest read, even if it is "keep your subscription."
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