There’s an ongoing debate: custom software versus off-the-shelf Software as a Service (SaaS). A few misconceptions tend to cloud everyone’s judgment and influence decisions in this area. It’s time to put these myths to rest and bring clarity to the conversation.

Myth 1: Custom Software is Outdated

Custom software is inherently outdated, which couldn’t be further from the truth. At Volano Software, we design custom software to evolve and adapt according to the specific needs of your business. It’s flexible and built to change as your business grows. Contrarily, out-of-the-box SaaS solutions can often lag, struggling to keep pace with the unique demands and growth of your business.

Myth 2: Custom Software is More Expensive

Another prevalent myth is that custom software is prohibitively expensive. Although the upfront costs of custom software may be higher than SaaS, it offers long-term cost efficiency. Custom software is designed to meet your specific needs, meaning you’re not spending money on unnecessary features or future upgrades. Unlike out-of-the-box solutions, it is designed to scale as your business grows, saving you money over time.

Myth 3: Custom Software is Hard to Use

Many believe that custom software is difficult to understand and use. However, this notion overlooks a significant advantage of custom software: it is designed specifically to align with your business processes. And because the Volano team works in tandem with you during our iterations, you’re trained on the software as we build it. Additionally, it is customized to your operations, it can be more intuitive and user-friendly than generic, one-size-fits-all SaaS solutions.

Myth 4: Custom Software is Difficult to Maintain

There’s a myth that custom software, once developed, is hard to maintain, necessitating constant input of resources. In reality, the software we build (whether B2B or consumer-facing) is designed to be maintained and scaled in line with your business needs. It aligns with your business growth, not the other way around. You have more control over updates and changes, making it a more manageable and sustainable solution in the long run.

Common Custom Software
By no means an extensive list, these are the most common places we tend to build custom software.

1. Web-based Employee Portals
2. Consumer-facing Mobile Applications
3. Custom Product Manufacturing
4. Components for Existing Applications
5. Integrations with SaaS Products

Summary

We are not trying to put SaaS software out in the rain. Many clients we work with have both. Not one or the other. While out-of-the-box SaaS solutions have their rightful place in many circumstances, these common misconceptions about custom software can misguide your decision-making. Make it an active conversation—we can help weigh in on the benefits cost analysis.

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