3 min read
Custom app or off-the-shelf software: how to decide
A practical test for choosing between a ready-made tool and an app built for your business, with the questions that usually settle it.
ReadBuilt for Founders, Executives & Product Teams
Behind the app
The Backend, Admin Panel and Web Portal Behind Your App
Every useful app has a part people never see. It signs users in, keeps the records, applies your business rules, sends notifications and talks to the services you already use. Your team also needs a screen to manage it all. We build these as part of your app project. The server technology is chosen per project, written into the plan and documented, and everything runs in accounts in your name.
Is the real problem that your team runs on spreadsheets and messages? Start from that goal: it covers moving your data across and switching over one team at a time. Replace spreadsheets with an app for your team →
Plain-language updatesPublished starting pricesYou own the code and IP
WHY FOUNDERS & BUSINESSES CHOOSE US
What working with InvoSpec feels like.
No confusing developer speak. Just a collaborative, transparent partner dedicated to making your launch a success.
CommunicationZero guesswork
We Speak Plain English
No confusing tech jargon or acronyms. We explain every decision clearly and host friendly weekly walkthroughs where you see real progress.
Weekly progress updates you can touch and test
LaunchFrom a checklist
A calm launch, from a checklist
We handle the rollout: hosting, signing keys, store submissions and the checks before go-live. If a store rejects a build, we read the reviewer notes, fix what they point at and resubmit. That is part of the job, not an extra.
Store rejectionsFixed and resubmitted, included
PriceAgreed before work starts
What affects the price
Four things move the price for this kind of work. Answer them roughly and we can tell you on the first call which package fits. You see what is included and the price before anything is built.
- How many kinds of record, and how they relate to each other
- Who uses the admin panel, and what each person may see and change
- Services to connect: payments, accounting, maps, messages
- How many people use the app at the same time
Full Ownership
You own the code and the IP
Everything we make for you is yours on payment: code, designs and documentation. You have access to the repository from the first day, so nothing is ever held back.
- Repository access from day one
- Clean, well-documented source code
Zero ongoing licensing fees to InvoSpec
CLEAR & TRANSPARENT
From Idea to Launch in 4 Simple Steps
Here is what working together looks like. A short written update every week, and every two weeks a version you can try yourself.
01Step 1
Discover & Design
We find out who will use the app and what it must do for your business. Then we agree what is included, the design direction and the price.
What you get:Clear roadmap & visual prototype
02Step 2
Build, with previews
The engineers turn the plan into a working app. You get a written update every week, and every two weeks a version to try on your own phone.
What you get:A version to try every two weeks
03Step 3
Polish & Quality Check
We test the app against the cases that break apps in real use: bad signal, older phones, wrong input, many users at once. Problems found here are fixed before launch.
What you get:Tested before anyone else sees it
04Step 4
Launch
We set up hosting and store accounts in your name, run the go-live checklist, and release to the App Store and Google Play. Then the maintenance package, if you want it, takes over.
What you get:Your app live in the stores
CORE CAPABILITIES
What We Deliver
What this service delivers. The package and the written plan list exactly what else is included.
The backend your app talks to: sign-in, records, business rules and notifications
Included
An admin panel where your team sees and manages everything
Included
A web portal for customers or partners, when the project needs one
Included
Hosting in your name, scheduled backups, monitoring and written documentation
Included
I want to…
Goals this service helps with
Start from what you want to achieve. Each page explains what you would get, what affects the price and what you need to bring.
Replace spreadsheets with an app for your teamAn app for your team, with an admin screen behind it, built around how your business works. Documents, reminders and reports happen by themselves.What you would get
Take bookings or orders onlineAn app where your customers book or order, a screen where your team sees and manages it, and reminders that cut no-shows.What you would get
Run deliveries or field staff from one screenAn app for drivers or technicians, a screen for whoever assigns the work, live location and proof that the job was done.What you would get
Read first
Guides before you decide
What to decide first, what affects the price, and what to ask any developer, including us.
BY INDUSTRY
Apps for businesses like yours
What businesses in each industry usually need from an app, and the problems the app has to handle.
Finance & Accounting
Automated invoicing, recurring billing engines, expense tracking portals, and secure transaction ledgers.
Healthcare & HealthTech
Compliant, secure patient management portals, telehealth video apps, appointment schedulers, and clinical tools.
Logistics & Supply Chain
Real-time driver apps, live GPS tracking, delivery dispatch engines, and warehouse intake management.
Retail & E-Commerce
Fast shopping apps, multi-branch inventory sync, custom point-of-sale (POS) systems, and order dispatch workflows.
Talk to an engineer
Tell us about your app
A sketch, a detailed brief, or just a problem you want an app to solve. Tell us what you have and we will tell you what we would do first.
A free first call: which package fits, what would change the price, and what to build first.
100% confidential: We're happy to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) before our first call.
No sales pressure: you talk with an engineer, not a salesperson.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions people ask, answered in plain English
What to know before you start your app.
Which technology do you use for the backend?
We choose it per project, based on what the app does, how many people use it at once, what it must connect to, and what your team can look after later. The choice and the reasons are written into the plan, and the setup is documented for you.
Can you build the backend for an app another team is making?
Yes. We agree first, in writing, how the app and the backend talk to each other, so the other team can build against it before the backend is finished.
Where does it run, and who holds the hosting account?
On hosting set up in your company's name. You hold the account and the payment method; we work inside it with the access you grant.
What about backups?
Scheduled backups are part of the setup, and we check that a restore actually works before launch.
What does the hosting cost each month?
It depends on how many people use the app and which services it relies on. We estimate it in the plan, set spending alerts, and review the bill with you after launch. It is billed by the provider, not included in our price.