Is custom software more expensive than SaaS?

Up front, yes. Over five years at enterprise scale, usually no — SaaS per-seat pricing grows with headcount forever, while a custom platform's marginal cost after build approaches zero. The crossover typically arrives between years two and four for organisations above a few hundred users.

What is a licensed software product?

A ready-built product you deploy on your own infrastructure under a perpetual license — one-time cost, unlimited users, full data sovereignty — with customisation available from the product's engineering team. It sits between SaaS convenience and custom fit.

How do I know if my process justifies custom development?

Ask three questions: Is this process a competitive differentiator? Are teams building spreadsheet workarounds beside the current tool? Does per-seat pricing scale painfully with growth? Two yeses usually justify a discovery conversation.

A buyer's guide

Custom. Ready-made. SaaS. Licensed. Which is actually right for you?

We build custom software and license products — and we'll still tell you when SaaS is your answer. Here's the comparison we walk through with every serious buyer.

Get the recommendation How we engage

The comparison

Eight dimensions that decide it

Scan your priority rows. The pattern that emerges is usually clearer than any sales pitch.

Dimension	Custom-builtBrihat offering	Ready-made product	SaaS subscription	Licensed productBrihat offering
Fit to your process	Exact — the software mirrors how you work	Partial — you adapt to the product's template	Partial — configuration within vendor limits	High — licensed base, customised to your workflows
Time to first value	Months (phased)	Weeks	Days	Weeks
Cost shape	Investment up front, marginal cost near zero after	One-time purchase + upgrade fees	Per-seat forever; grows with headcount	One-time license + optional support
5-year economics at 500+ users	Usually the cheapest — no per-seat drag	Moderate — watch upgrade cycles	Usually the most expensive line item	Strong — seats don't multiply cost
Data ownership & sovereignty	Complete — your infrastructure, your rules	Depends on deployment	Vendor's cloud, vendor's terms	Complete — deploys on your infrastructure
Competitive differentiation	Highest — competitors can't buy your edge	None — competitors run the same product	None — same product, same limits	Moderate — customisations are yours
Integration depth	Unlimited — built into your landscape	Whatever connectors exist	API tiers, often paywalled	Deep — extended by the product's own engineers
Long-term risk	Partner quality — choose well	Product discontinuation	Price hikes, feature gating, lock-in	Low — perpetual license survives vendors

The honest verdicts

When each option wins

Choose SaaS when…

The process is generic (email, docs, basic CRM), user counts are small, and speed matters more than fit. SaaS is the right answer more often than custom shops admit — and we'll tell you when it's yours.

Choose ready-made when…

A mature product matches 90% of your need, your process isn't a differentiator, and you can live inside its template without spawning spreadsheet workarounds.

Choose licensed when…

You want product economics with data sovereignty — a proven base like Brihat EHS or PMT, deployed on your infrastructure, customised to your workflows, with no per-seat meter running.

Choose custom when…

The process is your competitive edge, the off-the-shelf template is fighting you, per-seat pricing multiplies painfully, or nothing on the market actually solves the problem. Then engineering is the investment that compounds.

Forty-five minutes with our consultants and you'll know which column you're in — even if the answer isn't us.

Get the recommendation