How to choose a custom software development company

Start with what you actually need

Before you speak to any agency, write down the problem, the people who will use the software and what success looks like. A clear brief makes proposals comparable and filters out agencies that only want to sell you a template. Our requirements brief template shows what to include.

An eight-point checklist

These are the checks that separate strong partners from risky ones.

• Verifiable track record: named projects, case studies and reviews you can check. See how we present ours in our customer stories.
• A real company: confirm the registration on the Companies House register and look at how long it has traded.
• Senior people doing the work, not just selling it. Ask who will write your code.
• Transparent pricing: understand the difference between fixed price and time and materials before you compare quotes.
• Code and IP ownership in writing. Read who owns the code first.
• A visible process with regular demos, as described in the custom software development process.
• Security and quality practice: testing, code review, secure hosting.
• Support after launch, such as a maintenance or managed plan, so you are never stranded.

Red flags

Be cautious when an agency will not show past work, avoids naming a price range, insists on a long sales process before saying anything concrete, is vague about who owns the result, or promises timelines that sound too good to be true without asking you detailed questions.

Questions to ask on the first call

Good conversations are specific. These questions surface how an agency really works.

• Can you show me two projects similar to mine, and can I speak to those clients?
• Who will be on my project and how senior are they?
• How do you price, and what happens when scope changes?
• What do I own at the end, and how do I get the code and credentials?
• How often will I see working software?
• What happens after launch?

A simple scoring sheet

Score each shortlisted supplier from one to five on the criteria below, weighting the ones that matter most to you. Writing it down stops the most persuasive salesperson winning by default.

• Relevant, verifiable experience (weight highest)
• Seniority and continuity of the people on your project
• Clarity of the proposal and the assumptions in it
• Pricing model and transparency
• Ownership terms and handover
• Communication style in the first conversations
• Post-launch support offer

What to ask in a reference call

Ask a past client about delivery rather than sales. Useful questions are listed below.

• Did the project land on time and on budget, and if not, how was it handled?
• How responsive was the team after launch?
• Were there surprises in cost or scope?
• Would you hire them again, and for what?

Comparing proposals fairly

Line proposals up on scope, assumptions, what is excluded, ownership, support and the commercial model, not just the headline number. The cheapest quote often leaves out testing, security or handover. For a quick sense of the realistic range before you go to market, try our instant quote generator. The full picture of build, buy and partner choices is in our complete custom software development guide.

Looking for a website developer rather than a software team? See how to hire a website developer.

If you are still deciding whether to build at all, start with custom software vs off-the-shelf.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and further reading

• Companies House: find company information

Written by the LOLCorp engineering team from our experience delivering custom software for UK businesses. This is general guidance, not legal or financial advice.