Comparisons
Custom build vs off-the-shelf software.
Packaged software such as Salesforce is the right call for plenty of teams. Here is how it compares with a custom app on the things that decide the choice, and when building is worth it.
| Off-the-shelf (e.g. Salesforce) | Custom app by Dual7 | |
|---|---|---|
| Fit to your workflow | You adapt your process to the product's data model, then add configuration and workarounds. | Designed around how your teams actually work, scoped with you before the build. |
| Licensing | Per-seat licences that grow with headcount, whether or not a feature is used. | No per-seat licences. Pricing depends on scope and is quoted before the build starts. |
| Ownership | The vendor owns the platform. You rent access to it. | You own the source code, delivered to your Git repository and exportable at any time. |
| Hosting and data | Runs in the vendor's cloud, on the vendor's terms. | Runs in your own cloud accounts, with your database and your credentials. |
| Integrations | Limited to the connectors the vendor supports, some at extra cost. | Connected to the systems you already run: CRM, ERP, billing, identity and more. |
| Change | Follows the vendor's roadmap and release schedule. | You decide what changes. We iterate with you, or hand the codebase to your engineers. |
When off-the-shelf is the right call.
If your process is standard and a packaged tool already fits it, buy the tool. Building makes sense when the software is core to how you operate, when you are paying for seats and features you do not use, or when workarounds have started to cost more than the licence. We will tell you honestly which side of that line you are on.
Further reading
Tell us what your business needs. We'll show you how we'd build it.
Book a demo with our team. We'll walk you through relevant work and outline how a build would go.
No obligation · You own the code · Built around your workflow