Off-the-shelf software or custom? When SaaS stops adding up
A 200 PLN subscription looks cheap until you add three tools, a spreadsheet beside them and a cut of every transaction. Sometimes a package is enough. Sometimes it is cheaper to order an app that does your process — and grow it as the business grows.
This is the question we hear most from restaurant, salon, wholesale and clinic owners. We do not answer “always custom”. We answer with criteria: does the package cover 80% of the process, what it costs over 24 months, and whether you can take your data with you when you leave.
When ready-made SaaS is reasonable
- You are starting out, the process is simple, the team is 1–3 people.
- The tool does exactly what you need (a calendar, invoices, a simple shop).
- The subscription is predictable and there is no cut of turnover or bookings.
- You can export data (customers, slots, invoices) without an “exit fee”.
- You are not building advantage on it — it is plumbing, not the product.
When SaaS starts to get expensive
- You pay a commission on bookings / orders / payments — at volume that beats a custom system in a year.
- You have three subscriptions and a spreadsheet because none covers the process to the end.
- A “you cannot do that” plugin appears every quarter, and workarounds eat people.
- Customer data sits with the vendor, and the terms (or the price) can change.
- You want a feature that sets you apart — the package will give it to everyone.
A simple 24-month sum
Add up: subscriptions, commissions, people-time spent around limits, the risk of a price hike. On the other side: an MVP quote + running cost (hosting, SMS, gateway, optional care). If after two years SaaS is dearer or blocks growth — it is time for your own system. Ranges and a brief are in how much an app costs.
What stays yours when you order from us
- Source code and a Git repo — you are not trapped in someone else’s cloud.
- Data on a server you name (EU, backups, GDPR).
- 6 months of warranty and a clear path to the next features.
- A stack another developer can take over: Laravel + Vue.
You do not need to know if you need custom. Describe what you work in today and where it sticks. Within 24 hours you get a recommendation: stay on SaaS, build an MVP, or stage “site and calendar first”. No framework hard-sell.
Frequently asked questions
- Do you always argue against packages?
- No. We often say “stay on your current tool and we will build only the missing piece”.
- What if I cannot afford a whole system?
- That is why we stage. The first slice should remove the dearest pain and start paying back.
- Who develops the app later?
- Us, as further work, or your developer — you have the code. It is deliberately not a forever subscription for permission to change.
- How long to decide?
- A call and a quote in 24 hours. “SaaS or custom” can often be settled on the first process list.
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