Buy when the problem is solved. Build when the solved version doesn't fit.
SaaS tools solve common problems. Custom software solves your specific problem. The decision is whether your requirements are common enough that an off-the-shelf solution fits, or unique enough that you're better off building.
Decision between purchasing a SaaS tool for a business process vs. building a custom solution — the analysis that determines whether to pay monthly subscriptions or invest in development
The build-vs-buy analysis has a clear framework:
Buy when:
- The problem is common and well-solved (email marketing → Mailchimp/Klaviyo; CRM → HubSpot; project management → Linear)
- The SaaS tool's feature set covers 90%+ of your requirements
- The integration between the tool and your existing systems is manageable
- The monthly cost is proportional to the value
- Time-to-value matters more than long-term cost
Build when:
- The problem is specific to your business model (the competitive advantage is in how you do it)
- The off-the-shelf solution requires significant workarounds
- You're paying for features you don't use and missing features you need
- The data needs to live in your infrastructure (compliance, integration, security)
- The combined SaaS cost exceeds the amortized cost of custom development
The SaaS cost analysis:
$500/month SaaS = $6,000/year = $30,000 over 5 years. Custom development at $25,000 breaks even in 5 years, and the custom version does exactly what you need. This is the analysis worth doing.
The hidden SaaS costs:
- Per-seat pricing that grows with headcount
- Premium tier requirements for features you need
- Integration costs (Zapier, custom connectors)
- Vendor lock-in: migrating out later is expensive
The hidden build costs:
- Maintenance: software needs to be updated, bugs fixed
- The initial development investment
- Internal hosting and operations (mitigated by managed infrastructure)
Clear framework for when to buy SaaS tools, when to build custom, and how to evaluate the make/buy decision for specific use cases
Custom software for the parts of your business where the requirement is specific and the SaaS solution doesn't fit. Use SaaS where it works.
One honest number to start.
Fixed-scope, fixed-price. The number below is the starting point — final scope is built from your brief.
Clear framework for when to buy SaaS tools, when to build custom, and how to evaluate the make/buy decision for specific use cases
Three steps, every time.
The same repeatable engagement on every project. No surprises, no mystery, no billable ambiguity.
Brief & discovery.
We send you questions, then get on a call. Output: a written scope with every step, feature, and integration listed.
Build & ship.
Fixed schedule, weekly reviews. No scope creep unless you change the scope — and if you do, we reprice it transparently.
Warranty & retainer.
30-day warranty on every launch. Most clients stay on a monthly retainer for ongoing features and maintenance.
Why Fixed-Price Matters Here
The build-vs-buy analysis is part of the scoping conversation. We help identify what to build custom and what to integrate.
Related engagements.
Questions, answered.
Yes. Custom software typically sits alongside SaaS tools: custom app for the unique workflow, Stripe for payments, Resend for email, Datadog for monitoring.
Sometimes. Open-source tools (Mattermost vs. Slack, Metabase vs. Tableau) reduce the per-seat licensing cost. You trade cash for operational overhead. See the open-source vs. custom built comparison.
Tell Ryel about your project.
Describe what you’re building and what outcome you need. You’ll have a written, fixed-price scope within the week.