Building vs. buying: a practical guide
When to use off-the-shelf tools, when to customize, and when to build from scratch.
August 2025
The build vs. buy decision comes up constantly. Should we use an off-the-shelf tool or build our own? The answer depends on what you're trying to do, how unique your needs are, and whether the long-term cost of maintaining custom work makes sense.
Default to buying
For most problems, an off-the-shelf tool is the right answer. Someone else has already solved it, tested it, and handles updates and maintenance. Use existing tools for things that aren't core to your business: CRMs, email, project management, accounting. Don't reinvent the wheel.
When to customize
If an off-the-shelf tool gets you 80% of the way there, customization might make sense. Many platforms offer APIs, plugins, or workflows you can extend. This is the middle ground: leverage existing infrastructure but tailor it to your needs. Just be realistic about maintenance costs.
When to build
Build when the problem is core to your business, highly specific to your workflow, and can't be solved well by existing tools. Build when off-the-shelf solutions add too much complexity or cost. Build when you need full control and are committed to maintaining it long-term.
Calculate the total cost
Building isn't just development time. It's ongoing maintenance, updates, bug fixes, and the opportunity cost of not working on something else. A $50/month SaaS tool might seem expensive compared to building, but when you factor in engineering time, it's often cheaper.
Most businesses should buy more and build less. Save custom development for the problems that actually differentiate you. Everything else, use what already exists.