Applications with AI built in
Document processing, quote generation, classification and agent workflows built into the software rather than bolted on, using the model that fits the job.
Bespoke software
Bespoke software for the systems you already run
When an off-the-shelf tool or a no-code workaround stops being enough, we scope, build and hand over software that fits your business. Fixed scope and price agreed up front, built by our own engineers, owned by you, on HubSpot or without it.
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Bespoke software is software designed and built for one organisation's specific way of working, rather than bought as a packaged product and configured. You commission it when the packaged options force your business to fit the software instead of the other way round, or when the workarounds holding your systems together have become a cost of their own.
SpotDev is an AI and digital transformation consultancy that builds real software. We work with UK B2B companies from around £3m in revenue upwards that have outgrown spreadsheets, off-the-shelf tools and no-code workarounds. Many of our clients run on HubSpot and want software that extends it. Others do not use HubSpot at all. The engineering is the same.
When to buy, and when to build
Bespoke software is the right answer less often than software companies suggest. This is how we call it.
Without SpotDev
Buy it off the shelf when
With SpotDev
Build it when
Without SpotDev
A packaged product does most of the job
If it covers 80% and the remaining 20% is habit rather than advantage, configure it and move on.
With SpotDev
The process is how you win
If the way you quote, schedule, onboard or report is a real competitive edge, packaged software will flatten it.
Without SpotDev
Your volumes are small
A spreadsheet and a disciplined team beat a custom system you then have to maintain.
With SpotDev
Manual handling has become a cost line
Re-keying between systems, chasing data, and the errors that follow are now measurable in staff time and lost revenue.
Without SpotDev
You are still working out the process
Do not automate something that will change next quarter.
With SpotDev
The process is stable and the tools are not
Workarounds and brittle middleware are holding it together, and each one adds risk.
Without SpotDev
Compliance and security needs are standard
Established vendors carry that load for you.
With SpotDev
Customers or partners need self-service
A portal, quoting tool or reporting platform that only exists inside your business cannot be bought.
What we build
Every build starts from the systems you already run, so the software joins the business rather than sitting beside it.
Customer and partner portals
Self-service platforms for customers, brokers, members or students: onboarding, documents, progress, payments and support in one place.
Internal tools and operational platforms
Scheduling, quoting, case management, reporting and approval systems built around your process, replacing the spreadsheets and workarounds that grew up around it.
Integration platforms and APIs
Governed data flows between your CRM, finance system, e-commerce platform, warehouse or industry software, with monitoring and error handling designed in.
HubSpot UI extensions and custom-coded workflows
When the software must live inside HubSpot itself: custom cards, actions and serverless functions that make the CRM do what your team needs.
Marketplace apps and products
Software you sell or distribute: HubSpot Marketplace apps and standalone products with the packaging, security and support that publishing requires.
Fixed scope, fixed price
We do not sell day rates. Every build is scoped in a paid discovery, then quoted as a fixed price with a delivery date and a written guarantee. Three steps, each of which stands on its own. Prices exclude VAT.
Technical Discovery
£5,000
One to two weeks. We interview the people who do the work, audit the systems and data involved, test feasibility and design the architecture. You receive a scoped proposal with a fixed price and delivery date for the build, presented in a working session.
- Written problem statement and scope
- Architecture recommendation and data model
- Fixed-price, fixed-date build proposal
- Risk register and phasing options
- Fee credited in full against the build if you proceed within 60 days
- Yours to take elsewhere if you do not
Fixed-Scope Build
From £15,000
The system defined in discovery, built to a locked specification in fixed-length sprints with working software at every review. Delivery date agreed in writing. If we miss it, you get 20% back.
- Fixed price and delivery date in the contract
- Working software reviewed at every sprint
- Automated testing and a UAT stage you control
- Full IP and source code assigned on final payment
- Documentation and a handover session for your team
- 30-day defect warranty after go-live
Support and Evolution
Scoped at handover
For clients who want the system kept secure, patched, monitored and improved without running it themselves. Priced against the system we have just built, so no guesswork.
- Named point of contact
- Next-business-day response
- Security patching and monitoring
- Bug fixes and small enhancements within a monthly allowance
- Quarterly roadmap review
- Cancel with notice, no lock-in
How a build runs
Eight steps. At each one you receive something you can hold, show your own IT or procurement team, and use to decide whether to continue.
- 01
Discovery
We understand the business problem, the systems already in place and who the users are. You get a written problem statement and scope, not a guess dressed as a quote.
- 02
Architecture and technical design
Language, framework, database, integrations and hosting are chosen deliberately for your case. You get a technical design document, including where your data will live.
- 03
Fixed-scope proposal and contract
Price, timeline, IP assignment and data processing terms are agreed before the build starts. You get a Scope of Work with IP ownership and a data processing agreement included, not appended later.
- 04
Sprint-based build
Development runs in fixed-length sprints with working software reviewable at each one. You get visibility of what has been built, not status updates.
- 05
Testing and acceptance
Automated unit and integration tests, end-to-end tests where the project warrants them, then a formal user acceptance stage you sign off. You get a release you have approved, not a surprise.
- 06
Handover
Technical documentation covering architecture, operation and extension, plus a walkthrough for your team. You get the means to run the system without us if you choose.
- 07
Go-live and warranty
A 30-day period after launch in which defects are fixed at no charge. You get a named warranty window.
- 08
Support, if you want it
A support arrangement beyond the warranty, with a named contact and next-business-day response. You get continuity, on your terms.
Your code, your IP, and how we use AI
Your code and your IP
- You own it. Intellectual property in the software we build for you is assigned to you outright on final payment. Under UK copyright law the developer owns commissioned code unless it is assigned in writing, so the assignment is in the contract, not implied.
- You hold the keys. Source code lives in a repository you control, with hosting accounts and credentials in your name. Nothing depends on SpotDev staying in the picture.
- You can leave. Documentation and handover are part of every build, so another team could take the system on. Source code escrow is available on request for clients whose governance requires it.
- Your data is handled under contract. Where the software processes personal data, we work under a data processing agreement aligned to UK GDPR, and we design hosting jurisdiction into the architecture rather than defaulting to it.
- Security is tested, not asserted. SpotDev holds Cyber Essentials Plus, the UK government-backed certification in which an independent assessor tests the controls rather than taking our word for them.
How we use AI in engineering
We use AI coding tools, including Cursor, Codex and Claude as part of our engineering work, and we're up front about that. Every line that ships is reviewed by a SpotDev engineer, covered by automated tests and delivered under the same warranty as code written by hand. We use these tools under commercial terms that do not permit your code to be used for model training. AI makes our engineers faster; it does not replace the review, the tests or the accountability.
Bespoke software we have delivered
Peregrine Finance: broker portal
A standalone web application for an asset finance broker: proposal builder, regulated and unregulated quote calculator, lender-ready PDFs and a governed sync into HubSpot.
Superior: TAC scheduling portal
A portal coordinating thousands of equipment-upgrade appointments during US bank mergers, which went on to become a profitable business unit for the client in its own right.
Icon Solutions: learning portal
A learning management portal delivering courses and progress tracking to payments teams at major banks worldwide, replacing manually run client enablement with self-service.
Wolsey Hall Oxford: family portal
A self-service portal consolidating admissions, student progress and parent communications into one system for a distance-learning school, its families and partner schools.
“5.0 from 38 client reviews: see our case studies
What clients say about working with our engineers
Brilliant service from real professionals. What really stands them out is how clearly they explained the problems with no fuss or drama.
Peter CraneGunnebo
Certified, accredited and reviewed
SpotDev is a UK software engineering firm with an in-house engineering team.
We are an OpenAI Select Partner, are Certified in the Claude Partner Network, hold Cyber Essentials Plus, and are a HubSpot Diamond Solutions Partner with Custom Integration and Onboarding accreditations.
5.0from 38 client reviews
Cyber Essentials Plus
Security controls tested by an independent assessor
OpenAI Select Partner
Recognised in OpenAI's partner programme at Select tier
Custom Integration Accredited
Accredited by HubSpot for complex systems integrations
Independently verified
- Cyber Essentials Plus certified
- OpenAI Select Partner
- Certified in the Claude Partner Network
- HubSpot Diamond Solutions Partner
Bespoke software: questions we are asked
What is bespoke software, and how is it different from off-the-shelf software?
Bespoke software is designed and built for one organisation's specific processes. Off-the-shelf software is a packaged product built for a market, which you configure to fit as closely as it can. Bespoke costs more up front and is yours to shape; off-the-shelf costs less to start and you adapt to it. The right choice depends on whether the process in question is a source of advantage or a commodity.
How much does bespoke software cost in the UK?
It depends on scope, the number of systems it must connect to, the complexity of the data and the compliance requirements. At SpotDev, technical discovery is £5,000 and fixed-scope builds start from £15,000, with the price and delivery date fixed in writing before the build begins. Discovery exists so that the number you get is one we will stand behind.
How long does a bespoke software project take?
Discovery takes one to two weeks. Build timelines are set per project during discovery and written into the contract, because a two-screen internal tool and a multi-tenant partner platform are not the same job. We do not quote a universal timescale, but we do guarantee the one we quote.
Do we need to use HubSpot to work with SpotDev?
No. Many of our clients run on HubSpot and want software that extends it, and we hold HubSpot's Diamond partner tier and Custom Integration accreditation. But bespoke software is engineered the same way whatever your CRM, and we build for companies that do not use HubSpot at all.
Who owns the intellectual property?
You do. IP in the software we build for you is assigned to you outright on final payment, in the contract. Source code sits in a repository you control.
What happens if we want to change developer or bring it in-house later?
You can. Every build includes technical documentation, a handover session and repository access in your name. Source code escrow is available on request.
Is bespoke software more expensive to maintain?
Usually, yes, because there is no vendor spreading the cost across thousands of customers. That is why we design for maintainability, document everything and offer a support arrangement priced against the system we have just built rather than a generic retainer.
When does off-the-shelf or a no-code workaround make more sense?
When a packaged product does most of the job, when your volumes are small, when the process is still changing, or when compliance needs are standard. We will tell you if that is your situation. Building the wrong thing well is still building the wrong thing.
What should we ask before choosing a bespoke software developer?
Who will actually do the work, and can we meet them? Who owns the IP, and is that in the contract? What is the price and date, and what happens if you miss them? What security certification do you hold, and who tested it? What do we receive at handover? How is AI used in the build, and under what terms? Any developer worth hiring will answer all six without hesitation.
Does SpotDev build standalone software, or only HubSpot integrations?
Both. The Peregrine Finance broker portal is a standalone Node.js and PostgreSQL application with its own quoting engine and document generation; HubSpot is one of the systems it talks to, not the platform it runs on.
What data protection obligations apply?
Where the software processes personal data, UK GDPR applies and a data processing agreement is needed between you and any supplier who handles that data. We include one in every relevant contract and design hosting jurisdiction into the architecture. The Information Commissioner's Office publishes guidance on controller and processor responsibilities.
How does fixed-scope pricing compare with a day-rate agency?
A day rate transfers the risk of overrun to you. A fixed scope and price transfers it to us, which is why we insist on paid discovery first: it is the work that lets us take that risk honestly. If we miss the agreed date, you get 20% back.
Can bespoke software integrate with our CRM, finance system or other tools?
Yes. Integration is usually the point. We have connected more than 90 platforms to HubSpot alone, and the same integration engineering applies to whatever systems you run. Our Integration Library lists the platforms we have already connected.
What is the difference between a customer portal and bespoke software?
A customer portal is one kind of bespoke software: a self-service front end for your customers, deeply integrated with your CRM, which we offer as a fixed-scope package with a 30-day delivery guarantee. Bespoke software is the wider category, covering internal tools, integration platforms, quoting engines and applications that have no customer-facing front end at all.
How do we know whether we need bespoke software or just better use of what we have?
Request a diagnostic. We review your systems, processes and data and give you a prioritised plan, which may well say configure what you have rather than build something new.
Related services
Bespoke software is one of four things we do. These pages cover the parts of it that have their own offer, and the services around it.
Tell us what you are trying to build
Describe the problem, not the solution. We will come back within one business day with a view on whether bespoke software is the right answer and, if it is, what discovery would cover.