Custom vs. Customized Software
Tagged with: Databases & Architecture, Software Development, Technical Tips & FAQs
The term custom software is often used to describe what is actually customized software. So how do you know if you are getting fully custom-built software or customized software? It depends on your requirements and the developers working on your project. Different developers have different capabilities and roles. Designers, front-end, back-end, and full-stack developers all have different levels of expertise. We’ve given a brief overview of what these developer titles mean. When you look for a website development or software development company, most will have designers and front-end developers. Still, not all companies will have both backend and full-stack developers. These are the developers who have a deeper level of expertise and work on custom-built projects.
It’s essential to understand if the development company you are looking at will customize the software for you or create custom software. To explain, let’s use the analogy of a jeweler. A jeweler might take a customer-selected diamond into a customer-selected setting to create a customized ring. Another jeweler is tasked with designing a set and determining exactly how the ring will look; this is a custom ring. Both rings are created to meet the customer’s requirements, but both are not made in the same way; one is customized from existing pieces while the other is custom-built from scratch.
Websites and software work similarly. Some software is customized to fit a business’s needs from existing software, while others are built from scratch to meet a business’s needs. There is nothing wrong with using customized software. For example, if you simply need a brochure website to share information online with potential customers, then a WordPress website might be an excellent choice for you. It can be customized to represent your brand quite impressively. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel here. However, if you need software to more efficiently run your business or if your website collects a lot of data, then a custom-built website or software may be better for your business.
When you understand which of your projects require a backend or full-stack developer for custom-built software, you are better equipped to find the right development company and ask them the right questions.
Not sure if custom software or customized software is right for you? Contact us today!
