A bill to replace
Is custom software cheaper than paying for subscriptions?
Sometimes. A subscription costs little to start and grows with seats, usage and add-ons. Custom software costs more to start and then mostly a steady amount to run. Which is cheaper depends on how many people use it and for how many years. A three-year comparison with your own numbers usually shows which side you are on.
How each one charges
A subscription charges every month, often per user, per use or per plan tier, so the bill follows your growth. Custom software charges once to build and then monthly for hosting and upkeep, so the bill stays flatter as you grow. Neither is better in general. The shape of your growth decides.
A three-year comparison you can do yourself
- Subscription: the monthly price times 36, plus the growth in users and usage you expect.
- Custom: the build price plus the monthly cost to run it times 36.
- For both: add the hours your team spends working around the tool, at what an hour of their time costs you.
- Compare the totals, then ask which choice you would regret if you are wrong about growth.
What a subscription includes that custom software does not
A subscription includes work you do not see: updates, security fixes, new features and a support desk, all spread across its customers. Custom software includes only what is written in its scope, and its upkeep is a cost you plan for. That is a fair reason to stay with a subscription when the job is common.
How LOJIK compares them for you
Tell LOJIK which tools you pay for. The comparison weighs what it costs to build and run the replacement against what you pay today in tools and hours of manual work. When an existing tool is the better choice, LOJIK tells you.
When LOJIK is not the right fit
LOJIK is probably not the right choice if:
- The job is common and one subscription does it well for a small, steady price.
- You expect to use the tool for less than a year or two.
- You do not have, and cannot estimate, what you pay today across your tools.
- You want features that change weekly without anyone on your side to ask for them.
What working with LOJIK costs
Start with a free plan on screen. A person then sends a price set for your business, and nothing starts until you approve it in writing.
The plan: free
Describe the problem and the plan fills in as you answer: the fix, what it includes and how long it takes.
Workflow Review: USD 1,500
For when you are not sure what to fix. One week on one task, ending in a written recommendation: build the fix, change how the work is done instead, or stop. If you go ahead with the fix within 30 days, the full fee counts toward its price.
Sprint: from USD 5,000
A scoped, priced, finished system built around how your business works. A person sets the price after reading your plan and gives the reason for each line.
Operate (we run it for you): a monthly plan per live workflow
LOJIK keeps the finished system online, watched and fixed, with small changes included. Optional, and you can cancel any month.
Prices are in US dollars. Companies in Mexico pay IVA on top.
How the work is done
What you can count on, whichever door you come in through.
You approve every quote.
A person at LOJIK sends a written price with the reason for each line. Nothing starts until you approve it.
A person answers.
Send your plan and a person at LOJIK replies within one business day. If we are not the right team, we tell you.
Questions
When does custom software tend to win?
When you pay for several tools that do parts of one job, your usage or headcount is growing, and someone on your team spends hours moving data between them.
When does a subscription tend to win?
When the job is common, the price is small and steady, and the vendor keeps the tool secure and current for you.
What if my needs change?
Both change. A subscription changes when the vendor decides to. Custom software changes when you ask and agree on the price of the change.
How much does LOJIK cost?
The plan is free. A Workflow Review is USD 1,500, and the full fee counts toward the fix if you go ahead within 30 days. A Sprint starts at USD 5,000. Operate, where LOJIK runs the system for you, is a monthly plan per live workflow. A person sets the final price for your business, and you approve it in writing before anything starts.
Describe the problem. See the plan.
It takes about 3 minutes on screen, and a person at LOJIK reads it before any price.