Custom software development

Custom software development is the answer when no off-the-shelf program does what you need without forcing you to change the way you work. We analyze the process, write the code for your case, release it in small steps and hand it over to you: code, data, access and documentation stay yours. Pricing is by quote, after a free analysis.

We are an Italian agency and we work online, with clients across Italy and abroad. Write to us in Italian, English, Spanish, German or Portuguese.

On this page: when custom software makes sense and when it does not, what we build, how we work, how we handle code ownership, security and testing, timelines, what drives the cost and what we do not do.

Custom or off-the-shelf software: when each makes sense

Before we write a single line of code, we tell you whether custom development makes sense. Often it does not.

Off-the-shelf software or a subscription service (SaaS) is the better choice if:

• your process is similar to that of thousands of other businesses (invoicing, accounting, email, shared calendars);
• you can adapt to a ready-made workflow with a few settings;
• nobody in your company can set aside time for analysis and acceptance testing;
• you need everything right away and the budget is tight.

Custom software development is the better choice if:

• you work with Excel sheets copied by hand from one program to another, with errors and lost hours;
• you use three or four tools that do not talk to each other and nobody connects them;
• your process is your competitive advantage and you do not want to bend it to generic software;
• you pay for many licenses for features you do not use, and the one you actually need is missing;
• your data has to live where you decide, with precise access rules.

There is also a middle way, often the most sensible: keep the off-the-shelf software that works, and we build only the missing piece, or the connection between the programs you already use.

What we build and what we hand over

1. Custom management software. Orders, stock, customers, jobs and deadlines, with the roles and permissions you need. What you get: the application in production, your data migrated and a guide for the people who use it.
2. Web apps. Applications used in the browser, with a private area, database and admin panel: client portals, booking systems, supplier platforms. Details on our web app development page. What you get: the application, the code in your repository and admin access.
3. Integrations and automation. We connect your website, management software, CRM, online store and external services through APIs, so data moves on its own. What you get: a working integration, with logs and alerts when something fails.
4. Internal tools. Panels, reports, data imports and exports that someone does by hand today. What you get: the tool and a short user guide.
5. Python scripts, CLIs and automation. Command-line programs and scheduled jobs that process files, download data, generate documents or check that something is working. What you get: the documented script, its configuration and instructions for running it.

Our stack: React with TanStack Start for interfaces with server-side rendering, PHP with CodeIgniter 4, Python, Node.js, MySQL or PostgreSQL databases, Linux servers (Ubuntu with nginx), API integrations and AI models via API when they are genuinely useful. We choose based on the project and on who will maintain it, not on fashion.

How we work: from analysis to release

1. Free analysis. You tell us about the process, who uses it and where time is lost. We look at the spreadsheets, programs and data you have today. We tell you whether custom development is worth it.
2. Requirements document. Features, user roles, data, integrations, what is left out. It is the basis of the quote, and you approve it.
3. MVP. We start with the minimum version that solves the main problem and can actually be used. The rest comes later, based on real use.
4. Short sprints. We work in short cycles: at the end of each one you see new features in a test environment and give us feedback. Corrections cost less when they come early.
5. Acceptance testing. Before each release, the people who will use the software try it with realistic data. It goes into production only after you give the go-ahead.
6. Incremental release. We publish in small steps, so every version can be rolled back to the previous one if something goes wrong.
7. Maintenance. Security updates, fixes, small improvements, monitoring. We agree it separately, with clear rules.

Code ownership, licenses and NDAs

This is the point many software houses leave vague. We put it in writing in the contract.

• The code is yours. The code written for your project is handed over to you and kept in a repository you have access to, even if one day you stop working with us.
• Clear licenses. We use widely adopted open source libraries and tell you which ones, with their licenses, so you know what you can do with the software.
• No lock-in. Domain, server, external service accounts and data are registered to you, or at least accessible to you. No keys held only by us.
• NDA. If the project involves confidential ideas or data, we normally sign a non-disclosure agreement before the analysis.
• Personal data. If the software processes your customers' personal data, we define in writing who can access it and how it is protected.
• Documentation. We deliver installation and configuration instructions and a description of the code structure, so another developer can pick up the work.

Security, testing and code quality

Security is designed in, not added at the end. Our reference is the OWASP Top 10:2025, the list of the most critical security risks for web applications: among them broken access control (A01), security misconfiguration (A02), software supply chain failures (A03), injection (A05) and security logging and alerting failures (A09). In practice:

• Secrets kept out of the code. Passwords, API keys and tokens never end up in the code or the repository: they live in environment variables or protected files on the server.
• Least privilege. Every user, service and database connection has only the permissions it needs.
• Isolation. Each application runs under its own system user, separate from the others.
• HTTPS, a firewall and automatic security updates on the server.
• Dependencies under control. Few libraries, well known and up to date.
• Verified backups. Making them is not enough: we test restoring them.
• Logs and alerts. We log access and errors and get an alert when something breaks, without writing sensitive data to the logs.

On testing: we write automated tests for the critical parts (calculations, permissions, integrations) and run them before every release. Acceptance testing with your users is still essential: automated tests tell you whether the code does what we wrote, acceptance testing tells you whether it does what you need.

If the software has a public side, we set it up for SEO from day one as well: server-side rendering, clean URLs, structured data, fast pages.

Hosting and maintenance after release

We can install the software on your own Linux server or on a server we manage but registered in your name. Either way, you have the access. After release, software needs looking after: dependency and system updates, backup checks, bug fixes, small improvements. The maintenance contract states what is included, how you report a problem and how quickly we respond. If you prefer to run it with your own IT department, we leave you documentation and a proper handover.

Software house, freelancer or us

• A large software house has big teams and formal processes: well suited to very large projects with many developers working in parallel. For a small or mid-sized business it can mean more layers and changing points of contact.
• A freelancer can be good and quick, but if they work alone and do not document, the project stops when they are not available.
• We are a small company: one point of contact who handles analysis, development, security and, if needed, the website, SEO and campaigns. We document everything and leave you the code, so you do not depend on us.

Whatever you choose, always ask who owns the code, where the data is, how backups are made and what happens if the relationship ends.

How long it takes

It depends on the number of features, the integrations, the quality of the data to migrate and how quickly approvals come in. An automation or a script can be done quickly; management software or a web app takes more cycles. With an MVP you start using the software before it is complete. The quote gives you an estimate phase by phase, not a single date.

How much custom software development costs

Custom software development is priced by quote, after a free analysis of the project. The cost depends on:

• the number of features, user roles and screens;
• integrations with other systems and the quality of their APIs;
• migration of existing data and how clean it is;
• security and availability requirements, and the processing of personal data;
• hosting and the level of maintenance required after release.

Starting from an MVP keeps spending under control: you pay first for what you really need.

What we do not do

• We do not push custom development if off-the-shelf software is enough.
• We do not hold code, data or access hostage.
• We do not write native code for iOS and Android: our focus is the web and PWAs. If your project really needs a native app, we tell you and can coordinate specialized developers.
• We do not give fixed prices without an analysis: they would just be random numbers.
• We do not release without acceptance testing and without a way back to the previous version.

Who looks after your project

Your point of contact is Eugenio Tommasi, who has been doing SEO since 2009 and builds websites and software. He has worked in Milan, in Prague and in Spain, and with Dutch clients in Rome; he studied in Florence. We work online with clients across Italy and abroad. One point of contact for development, website, SEO and campaigns: if the software has a public side, our SEO consulting works on the same project. All our development services are on the web development page.

The first step

Tell us what you want to automate or manage better, even in a few lines: we will set up a free analysis and tell you whether custom software, an off-the-shelf solution or an integration makes more sense. Ask for a quote. If you also have a website you want to grow, tell us about that too.

Sources

Pages opened and checked on 12 October 2026.

• OWASP Top 10:2025, the list of the ten most critical security risks for web applications.