Custom software development - built around your processes
Off-the-shelf software forces your processes into someone else's mold - custom software maps them exactly. Olio builds business applications, customer portals, and internal tools that fit your company: from requirements through development to operations and maintenance. Senior engineers, weekly demos, transparent pricing. Boutique agency from Mönchengladbach, Germany, working remotely across the EU.
What we build as custom software
Typical projects are business applications replacing overgrown Excel landscapes, customer portals with self-service features, internal tools for planning, pricing, or scheduling, and systems that connect your existing software through clean APIs. We also integrate AI capabilities like document processing or assistants directly into the application. You don't get a customized standard product - you get software whose data model, permissions, and workflows match your business.
Custom or off-the-shelf?
Standard software wins when your process is interchangeable - accounting, payroll, email. Custom software wins when the process is your competitive advantage, when per-seat license costs compound past the cost of owning a solution, or when you're hitting the limits of Excel, Access, or a legacy ERP add-on. In the first call we'll tell you honestly if a standard solution would be cheaper - it happens, and then we recommend it.
What custom software costs
A focused business application with a clear core runs €25,000 to €40,000. Applications with multiple roles, integrations, and reporting land between €40,000 and €80,000. Complex platforms with many interfaces or AI features start at €80,000. You get a transparent estimate with scope and milestones before the project starts - and our MVP cost calculator gives you a first orientation in two minutes.
How we work
We start with compact scoping: understand the processes, prioritize requirements, define the smallest valuable scope. Then we build in weekly iterations - every week you see a working demo, not slides. Automated tests, type safety, and clean architecture are part of the process from day one. At the end we hand over documented code that your team or we can keep evolving - you own the entire source code.
Why Olio
You work directly with senior engineers, not through a layer of project managers and rotating junior teams. As a boutique agency we take on few projects at a time and go deep: clean code, real testing, clear architecture. Hosting is GDPR-compliant in the EU - on Hetzner, GCP EU regions, or AWS Frankfurt, without vendor lock-in. And because we hand over maintainable code, you're never locked into us either.
What you get with us
- Software that maps your processes exactly - instead of workarounds bolted onto standard tools
- Transparent pricing: a clear estimate before the project starts, business applications from €25,000
- Production-ready in 4 to 12 weeks, with weekly demos instead of surprises
- Full source-code ownership and a documented handover - no dependency on your vendor
- A modern stack: TypeScript, Next.js, Python, PostgreSQL - maintainable, not exotic
- GDPR-compliant EU hosting on Hetzner, GCP EU, or AWS Frankfurt - no vendor lock-in
Core Technologies
Let's talk about your project
Frequently asked questions
What does custom software cost?
A focused business application runs €25,000 to €40,000, applications with multiple roles and integrations €40,000 to €80,000, and complex platforms start at €80,000. Add running costs for hosting and maintenance, typically 10 to 20 percent of the build cost per year. You get a transparent estimate with milestones before the project starts.
When is custom software worth it over standard software?
When the process is your competitive advantage, when standard solutions only fit with expensive workarounds, or when per-seat license costs over three to five years exceed the cost of owning a solution. For interchangeable processes like accounting, we'll honestly recommend the standard product.
How long does development take?
A focused first version is production-ready in 4 to 6 weeks; larger applications take 8 to 12 weeks. After launch we keep iterating as needed. You see a working demo every week and can adjust direction at any time.
Who owns the source code?
You do. You receive the complete source code, documentation, and all credentials. There are no license fees to us and no technical dependency - any competent team can take the software forward.
Can you integrate our existing systems?
Yes - that's part of almost every project: ERP and CRM systems, Salesforce, Microsoft 365, shop systems, or industry solutions connect via APIs. Where no interface exists, we find a clean path, from import pipelines to automation.
What happens after launch - who maintains the software?
Either works: we operate and maintain the application with defined response times, or your team takes over based on the documented handover. Many clients start with us operating and gradually take over themselves.
Which technologies do you build with?
TypeScript and Next.js on the frontend, Python or Node.js on the backend, PostgreSQL as the database, Docker for operations. Deliberately mainstream, maintainable technologies - so you can still hire developers for them in five years.
Is the software GDPR-compliant?
Yes. We host in the EU - on Hetzner in Germany, GCP EU regions, or AWS Frankfurt - and implement data protection technically: roles and permissions, encryption, deletion concepts, and data processing agreements with the hosting providers.
Do you work with clients outside Germany?
Yes. We work remotely across the EU in English and German. Contracts, invoicing, and data processing agreements follow EU law, which keeps procurement simple for European companies.
Can you take over an existing codebase instead of starting fresh?
Often, yes. We audit the existing code first and give you an honest assessment: continue, refactor step by step, or rebuild the critical path. A rescue is frequently cheaper than a rewrite - but not always, and we'll tell you which case you're in.
Let's Talk
