With the mobile application industry estimated to reach 255 billion downloads and $167 billion spent in app stores in 2022, it is no surprise that it is considered one of the most promising sectors. Businesses enter the sphere for various reasons, such as accessibility, added value, and automation. Accessibility allows brands to communicate directly with their customers via mobile apps, which is especially beneficial for retaining tech-savvy younger generations. Mobile apps also provide companies with a platform to showcase their products, share recommendations, or engage the audience with loyalty programs. Furthermore, apps allow businesses to automate repetitive tasks, making their processes more efficient.
If the aforementioned reasons have inspired you to build a mobile app, your next question may be, “Which app development method should I choose?” This article will compare the top two popular options – custom application development and white-labeled solutions.
Custom App Development vs. Ready-Made Solutions
Custom mobile application development involves creating an app from the ground up that is tailored to your business’s needs. On the other hand, ready-made solutions are ones that can be purchased from app builders or adjustable platforms. Ready-made solutions often have fewer design choices and less functionality than custom applications, which leads to the end-user product being of lower quality and not being able to stand out from its competitors.
A ready-made solution is usually cost savings, cheaper and faster to implement and can be a good choice for basic apps or small businesses with limited budgets. Additionally, they can provide a single and simple task or facilitate a common process. In the long run, however, custom mobile apps may be the better choice for businesses that can afford them, as they offer unique benefits not found in ready-made solutions.
Advantages of Custom Mobile Application Development
Building your own custom app gives you the ability to customize features to your exact specifications. You don’t have to settle for the features that come in a white-labeled solution; instead, you can create your own features that meet your business goals and needs. Additionally, you can select the technology stack that works best for you. Customization is a key benefit of building a custom app.
That’s why it is our first advantage on the list.
When it comes to white-labeled solutions, you must settle for the pre-existing set of features, which may be either useless or inadequate for your needs. The advantage of customization is so great that it brings four additional advantages: personalized user experience, brand identity, freedom of creativity, and the ability to customize the technology stack. A custom-made mobile application with a tailored UI and UX is the perfect way to show your individuality to a larger audience and increase brand recognition. Furthermore, you will have the opportunity to bring your ideas to life and integrate any feature you desire by customizing the technology stack.
The next pro is scalability.
Having a custom mobile app provides scalability for your project as you can add new features when necessary. This approach allows you to start small and then build on the project as you go. In contrast, with app builders, you are limited to the platform’s proprietary features, and canned apps do not allow you to add any non-standard features to the existing functionality.
What about ownership?
When you purchase a premade app, you may not have full ownership over it. This can lead to a number of issues, such as a lack of a unique logo, restrictions on distribution, and potential provider lock-in. All of these factors can lead to a lack of security for your investments and an uncertain future. To ensure your investments are secure, it is important to take ownership and control of the app’s intellectual property. This will allow you to have peace of mind and confidence in the safety of your investments.
What about integrations and compatibility?
Creating a custom solution is the best way to ensure that your application is able to integrate and work with your current business ecosystem. You can tailor it to have all the features necessary to communicate with your order processing, asset monitoring, or any other software. On the other hand, ready-made solutions usually have limited integration options and can only connect with a few third-party services.
One more advantage is efficiency.
A custom mobile app can be an effective way to improve efficiency in business operations, optimization, and automation. Although it can be costly to build an app from scratch, it can be tailored to the specific requirements of your business and integrate well with existing software. An out-of-the-box solution may provide some of the features you need but will likely include additional elements that are not necessary and could add clutter to your system.
Don’t forget about security.
When it comes to security, custom mobile app development offers more advantages than off-the-shelf applications. Through custom development, your team can ensure that the app meets the necessary operating system and API requirements and can even integrate additional security features such as two-factor authentication and data encryption. These measures help to protect users’ personal data, something that can never be guaranteed with pre-coded off-the-shelf apps which may contain unknown vulnerabilities.
And one more, which is additional revenue opportunities.
Creating a custom mobile app gives you the freedom to choose a monetization strategy. You can choose to sell your product, include advertisements, offer subscriptions, or offer additional services. This is an advantage compared to using a ready-made solution, which may not align with your monetization goals due to its built-in features.
Custom App Development Process at Orangesoft
At Orangesoft, we provide custom app development services designed to meet the unique needs of our clients. We use a full-cycle native mobile app development process, utilizing cross-functional, autonomous teams with experts in iOS and Android development, business analysis, DevOps, design, QA engineering, and more. Our services are flexible, offering dedicated teams, time & material, fixed price, and mixed collaboration models. We employ a transparent, client-first development workflow, with working builds released every two weeks and daily reports to keep you informed every step of the way. Our time-tested software development lifecycle includes Discovery, UX/UI design, Development, Testing, Release, and Post-release Maintenance. By leveraging our extensive experience, Orangesoft is able to provide game-changing benefits to our clients and deliver high-quality, successful projects on time and within budget.
Wrapping up
In conclusion, developing a custom app tailored to your exact needs can provide greater quality in the short and long term. For instance, working with a custom iOS app development company like Orangesoft ensures that the application is fully compliant with the App Store’s regulations and standards, delivering a reliable and visually appealing experience that can help attract 73% more customers. The Orangesoft team is well-equipped with the necessary expertise and 12 years of experience in the industry, ready to help you make the perfect app. Reach out to us today and let’s start the journey together.