Build vs buy software calculator
Six questions on fit and strategy, plus the numbers for both options. The recommendation weighs both; the chart shows the three-year cost of each path.
- ~3 min
- Free · no sign-up
- Runs in your browser
How to use · 4 steps
- 01Answer six strategy questionsHow core it is, how well existing tools fit, integrations, data, deadline and maintenance.
- 02Enter the Buy numbersSeats, price per seat, yearly price increase and setup cost of the off-the-shelf tool.
- 03Enter the Build numbersYour build estimate and monthly maintenance.
- 04CompareThe meter shows your strategic lean; the chart shows three-year cost. Together they give the recommendation.
- 1
How central is this to what makes you different?
- 2
How well do off-the-shelf tools fit your workflow?
- 3
How many other systems must it connect to?
- 4
How sensitive is the data involved?
- 5
When do you need it working?
- 6
Who would maintain it after launch?
Answer the six strategy questions — the recommendation weighs them against the three-year cost.
- Build
- Buy
Buy pricing steps up each year by the increase you set. Build starts at the build cost, then adds maintenance.
No black box.Every step, in plain words.
Results are estimates for planning, based on the figures you enter. They aren't financial advice or a quote.
- 01
Strategy score: each answer adds points to Build or Buy. The split shows how strongly the answers lean either way.
- 02
Buy cost = setup + seats × price per seat per month, with price rising by the annual increase you set.
- 03
Build cost = build cost up front + monthly maintenance.
- 04
Recommendation: a clear lean on strategy (more than 15 points apart) decides it; otherwise the cheaper three-year path is weighed in, and a close call becomes Hybrid.
Good to know.
Buying a platform for the commodity parts and building custom pieces on top — integrations, automations or a front end — where your process is genuinely different.
Everything a system costs over its life, not just the price tag: setup, licences, maintenance, hosting and the time to run it.
Keep going.
Ship or skip
Score a product or feature idea on market signal, feasibility, time to revenue and execution risk. Get a clear verdict and the reasons behind it.
Agent or automation?
Describe a workflow in six questions and find out whether it needs an AI agent, rule-based automation, or should stay with a person for now.
Automation ROI
Enter a task's frequency, handling time and error cost to see the hours and money you'd recover in a year — and when the build pays for itself.
Tell us the job thatkeeps coming back.
We'll tell you whether it's worth automating, and what it would take. A founder or senior engineer replies within one working day.