Plain-English guide
Custom app or no-code: which should you choose?
Short answer: use a no-code tool to test an idea quickly and cheaply, or for a simple internal tool. Pay for a custom app when the app is the business, when it needs to do something the tools can’t, or when you need to own the code. There’s also a middle route, which we cover below.
| No-code tool | Custom app | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to start | Low: a subscription and your own time | From £8,000 with us, or from £4,500 on a foundation |
| Time to a first version | Days to weeks, if you build it yourself | 2 to 10 weeks |
| Who builds it | You, or someone who knows the tool | A developer or studio |
| What it can do | What the tool allows | What your users need |
| Who owns it | It usually stays on the tool’s platform | You own the code |
| Ongoing cost | A subscription for as long as it runs, often rising with use | Running costs, plus a care plan if you want one |
No-code tools differ a lot from one another, so check the terms of any tool you’re considering. The custom figures are our own prices.
What no-code means
No-code tools let you put an app together from ready-made parts, without writing code. You pay a subscription and build on the tool’s own platform. A custom app is written for you, so it can do what you need and the code belongs to you.
When no-code is the right call
- You’re testing whether anyone wants it. If the question is “would people use this?”, the cheapest working version is the right one. Find out before you spend thousands.
- It’s a simple tool for your own team. Forms, lists, a basic booking sheet. If a handful of people use it and it doesn’t need to impress anyone, no-code is often enough.
- The budget isn’t there yet. A no-code version that exists beats a custom app you can’t afford to finish.
If a no-code tool will do the job, we’ll say so on the first call. It costs us a project and saves you money, and that’s the right way round.
When a custom app is worth paying for
- The app is the product. If customers pay for the app, or judge your business by it, it has to feel right. That’s hard to reach inside someone else’s building blocks.
- It needs to do something the tools can’t. Working offline, using the phone’s camera in a particular way, or reminders that have to arrive at an exact time. Our medication reminder RemTab needed all three.
- You need to own it. With a custom app the code is yours to keep, move or sell. That matters if you ever want to change developer, raise money or sell the business.
- You’ve outgrown the tool. When you’re working around the tool’s limits more than building your product, it’s time.
The middle route
A launch-ready foundation sits between the two. We start from an app base we’ve already built and tested, then shape it around your users. It’s custom code that you own, from £4,500 in 2 to 4 weeks, because you’re not paying to rebuild common features.
Moving from no-code to custom later
Plenty of businesses start on no-code and move to custom once the idea has proved itself. The app itself usually has to be rebuilt, because most no-code tools don’t let you take the code with you. What carries over is worth more: you know what your users want, which features they use, and what to leave out.
Want an answer for your idea?
Tell us what you’re building on a free 20-minute call and we’ll give you an honest range. If we’re a good fit, a free roadmap with a fixed quote follows, with no pressure.
Book a free 20-min callQuestions, answered
The things people ask us first.
Is no-code cheaper than a custom app?
To start with, yes: you pay a subscription and build it yourself. Over time the subscription continues for as long as the app runs and often rises with use, so it’s worth comparing the cost over a few years, not only at the start.
Can I move from a no-code app to a custom app later?
Yes, and many businesses do. The app usually has to be rebuilt, because most no-code tools don’t let you take the code with you, but what you’ve learned about your users carries over.
Do I own an app built with a no-code tool?
You own your content and your idea, but the app usually stays on the tool’s platform and depends on your subscription. Check the terms of the tool you’re considering. With a custom app, the code is yours.
Should I build my MVP with no-code?
If you only need to find out whether people want the idea, no-code is often the right first step. If the first version has to feel right to paying customers, or needs something the tools can’t do, start custom, or from a launch-ready foundation.
Our promises
Saying yes should feel safe.
01
You own 100% of your code
The code and designs are yours once the final payment is made, and wherever possible your app is published under your own Apple and Google accounts. No lock-in, ever.
02
Free bug fixes for 30 days
Anything that breaks in the first month after launch, we fix at no charge. We’ll always tell you what counts as a bug and what counts as a new feature.
03
On time, or 5% off
If we miss the launch date we agreed because of us, you get 5% off. Delays on your side don’t count.
Get in touch
Got a project? Let’s build it.
Tell us what you’re working on and we’ll reply the same working day. A founder reads every enquiry.
info@twonorthstudios.comManchester, UK
53.4808° N · 2.2426° W