10/20/2026
Most build-vs-buy decisions focus on sticker price. The real cost is in the 20% that off-the-shelf software never quite handles.
That 20%—your specific workflow, the integration nobody else needs—turns into workarounds: manual exports, duplicate data entry, a second tool to patch the gap. Over five years, those workarounds compound. Per-seat SaaS looks cheap until you're paying for 40 seats and features you don't use, locked into a vendor's roadmap.
Custom costs more up front. But around year three, the total-cost curve flips when you stop renting what doesn't fit and start owning what does.
The right answer depends on your scale and process. We build custom software and we advise on when not to—honestly.
If any of this sounds like your shop, let's talk: hamiltondevco.com/contact