What is custom software development?
Custom software development is the process of designing, building and maintaining software for a specific company: its workflows, its customers, its data and its integrations. The result is a system the company owns, instead of a subscription to a generic product that it has to adapt its operation to.
Custom software covers web applications, customer and supplier portals, internal tools and admin panels, mobile apps for iOS and Android, SaaS products, ecommerce platforms and APIs that connect existing systems.
Custom software vs off-the-shelf software: which one do you need?
Off-the-shelf software works when your process is standard: accounting, email, a basic online store. It is cheaper to start and the vendor maintains it. The limits show up when the process is what makes your business different, when spreadsheets fill the gaps between tools, or when per-user fees grow faster than the team.
Custom software makes sense when the workflow is specific to your company, when several systems need to share data, when you need your own customer-facing product, or when you want to own the code and the data. Many projects combine both: off-the-shelf tools for standard work, and custom software that integrates them.
What types of custom software can be built?
Common custom software projects: web applications and dashboards, B2B portals with customer price levels and credit terms, marketplaces, SaaS products and MVPs, iOS and Android apps, ecommerce and subscription platforms, APIs and integrations with payment gateways and accounting systems, and automation of manual processes.
DevLunch builds web software with Ruby on Rails, Hotwire, React, Next.js and TypeScript, mobile apps with React Native and Expo, and stores data in PostgreSQL. Background jobs run on Sidekiq or Solid Queue, and deployments use Docker or Vercel.
How much does custom software development cost in the Dominican Republic?
In the Dominican Republic, the cost of custom software depends on scope: number of user roles, screens, integrations, platforms (web, iOS, Android) and the data that has to be migrated. Hourly estimates for open scope tend to grow, because the scope grows with them.
DevLunch prices custom software per fixed 6-week cycle using Shape Up. Before a cycle starts, the problem, the appetite (how much the work is worth to you) and a solution outline are defined together. The price and deadline are set before development starts, and there is no hourly billing. Larger systems are built cycle by cycle, with working software in production at the end of each one.
How long does it take to build custom software?
A first usable version of a focused system (one core workflow, a few user roles, one or two integrations) usually fits in one 6-week cycle. Larger platforms are built in several cycles, each one shipping a complete piece to production.
After each cycle there is a 2-week cooldown for bug fixes, small adjustments and shaping the next cycle. You decide after every cycle whether to continue, change priorities or stop.
How to choose a custom software development company in the Dominican Republic
When comparing software companies in the Dominican Republic, ask who writes the code and whether they are on the calls. Ask to see software in production, not mockups. Confirm that your company owns the repository from day one and that you can move the project to another team at any time.
Check how price and scope are set. A fixed price per cycle with a fixed deadline gives you a budget you can plan around. Check the stack too: well-known frameworks such as Ruby on Rails, React and PostgreSQL make it easier to hire and maintain later.
