Did you know that no-code and low-code platforms can slash internal tool development time by a staggering 90%? It’s a fact that’s reshaping the way businesses approach software development.

With the advent of low-code platforms, the age-old debate of buy vs build internal tools has taken a revolutionary turn. These platforms offer a cost-effective alternative and empower teams to create customized solutions tailored to their unique needs.

But the question remains: Should you invest in off-the-shelf software or harness the power of low-code platforms like ToolJet to build your own?

In this article, we’ll examine the “build vs buy analysis” and highlight why a low-code approach might be your cost-effective solution. Let’s first examine the option of buying software and for those wondering, “Where can I buy software?” We’ll address that question within this article.

Many businesses have leaned on a tried-and-true method for software development for years: buying off-the-shelf software. This approach involves purchasing pre-built internal tools that cater to a broad audience. While it’s been the go-to for many, it’s essential to understand its advantages and limitations fully.

1. Quick deployment: Rapid deployment makes the most compelling case for buying an internal tool. Rather than dedicating months or possibly years to building a custom solution, teams can quickly onboard and assimilate off-the-shelf software within hours or days. This ensures businesses remain agile, swiftly adapting to changing needs.
2. Standardized features: Most pre-built solutions are designed with the end user in mind. This means that those without technical expertise can navigate the tool without a steep learning curve. Furthermore, a standardized UX often translates to minimal hiccups or usability issues.
3. Cost-effective initial purchase: Upfront development costs are avoided. While there may be subscription fees, they often pale compared to the costs of building and maintaining a custom tool.
4. Community & vendor support: Purchasing internal tools often comes with dedicated customer support and training resources, reducing the internal burden of troubleshooting and user onboarding.
5. Established reliability: Many users have tested these software solutions, ensuring that significant bugs and issues have been addressed before they reach your hands.

1. Lack of customization: One size doesn’t always fit all. Off-the-shelf software might not cater to specific business needs or unique processes, leading to workarounds or inefficiencies.
2. Recurring costs: While the initial purchase might be cost-effective, recurring costs for updates, licenses, or additional features can add up over time.
3. Potential for bloat: These software solutions often come with many features, many of which might only be relevant to some businesses. This can lead to unnecessary complexity and wasted resources.

Quick overview:

Feature Category	Pros	Cons
Implementation	Rapid implementation within hours or days.	Doesn’t fit specific business needs.
Usability	Easy to use with minimal technical expertise.	Includes unnecessary features.
Cost	Avoids upfront development costs.	Ongoing fees for updates and licenses.
Support	Dedicated customer support and training.	Reliant on the vendor for updates and fixes.
Reliability	Widely tested, ensuring bugs are addressed.	Difficult to modify or extend.

Buying off-the-shelf software can be a strategic decision for businesses under certain conditions. 

Here are key scenarios where purchasing software makes sense:

• Speed and agility: 

When rapid deployment is crucial, off-the-shelf software allows businesses to adapt to changing needs quickly.

• Standardized needs: 

Buying is efficient and cost-effective if your business requirements align with the features of pre-built solutions.

• Predictable costs: 

Subscription models offer precise, predictable expenses, which can benefit budget planning.

• No Customization needed: 

Off-the-shelf software can meet your needs without additional development costs if your operations don’t require specialized features.

• Industry compliance: 

Pre-built solutions often include features that ensure compliance with industry standards, saving time and resources.

Moving beyond buying software, let’s explore the strategic benefits of building a custom solution. Building software offers a tailored approach that aligns perfectly with your unique business needs and provides complete control over the application.

Read our latest blog to discover the top internal tools builder of 2025 and learn how to supercharge your business processes, fast

Imagine crafting a software solution without penning down a single line of code.

Intriguing, isn’t it?

This is precisely the promise of low/no-code platforms. They empower you to design bespoke applications tailored to your business needs. Moreover, leveraging these platforms results in businesses consuming a remarkable 70% fewer resources than through traditional methods.

But like everything, there are two sides to this coin as well. Let’s evaluate.

1. Tailor-made solutions:Low-code platforms allow businesses to design applications that precisely meet their requirements, ensuring that every feature is purpose-driven and adds tangible value to the business process.
2. Rapid Development: Efficiency is paramount, and low-code platforms facilitate quicker application development and deployment than traditional development methods.
3. Cost Savings: Consider the financial implications of engaging an entire development team or the ongoing expenses of proprietary software. Low-code platforms present an economical alternative, substantially reducing these overheads.
4. Empowerment: These platforms democratize the development process, enabling teams to innovate and take the initiative without being overly dependent on specialized technical experts.
5. Scalability: Business needs evolve, and so should software solutions. Low-code platforms provide the adaptability required to modify and expand applications in line with business growth.

1. Learning curve: Despite their user-centric design, an initial familiarization phase is required with low-code platforms. It’s essential to invest time upfront to maximize the platform’s potential.
2. Performance limitations: While low-code platforms are versatile, there might be constraints regarding highly complex tasks or specific high-performance requirements.
3. Dependency on the platform: The continuity and stability of your applications are tied to the platform’s reliability. Any challenges the platform faces or changes in its features can influence your software. Thus, selecting a dependable platform and remaining informed about updates are crucial.

Quick overview: 

Feature Category	Pros	Cons
Customization	Precise fit for business needs.	It may not support all custom needs.
Development Speed	Faster than traditional methods.	Initial familiarization is required.
Cost	Reduces development overheads.
Accessibility	Democratizes development for non-tech teams.
Scalability & Reliability	Adaptable to evolving business needs.

Building custom software can be a strategic decision for businesses under specific circumstances. Here are key scenarios where crafting your own solution makes sense:

1. Unique business needs: 

When your processes are highly specialized, building ensures a perfect fit for your unique requirements.

2. Seamless integration: 

Custom solutions allow for tailored integrations with existing systems, avoiding compatibility issues.

3. Scalability and evolution: 

Building provides the agility to adapt and scale software as your business grows and evolves.

4. Data security and compliance: 

Custom solutions offer greater control over security measures and regulatory compliance.

5. Full control: 

Building grants complete control over features, updates, and direction, allowing swift responses to emerging needs.

This build vs buy decision matrix simplifies your software evaluation process. If most of your answers fall into the “Buy” column, consider off-the-shelf tools. 

If you’re leaning toward “Build,” a low-code platform like ToolJet can offer speed, flexibility, and full customization, without the complexity of traditional development.

If you’re somewhere in the middle, hybrid solutions using low-code tools with pre-built templates offer the best of both worlds, combining speed with adaptability.

The build vs. buy dilemma is just one piece of a broader puzzle. We’ll dive deeper into all the influencing factors in the following sections

Making the build vs buy software decision isn’t just about features or flexibility — it also comes down to the numbers. A well-structured cost comparison can highlight the true long-term impact of each approach.

Here’s a detailed build vs buy software cost breakdown across multiple areas:

Cost category	Build (In-house or low-code)	Buy (Off-the-shelf software)
Upfront cost	High (development team, setup, design, testing)	Low (licensing fee or subscription starts instantly)
Time to value	Medium to Long (weeks/months to launch)	Immediate to Short (hours/days to deploy)
Customization cost	Included in dev costs or platform flexibility	High (if customization is needed, may involve dev effort or plugins)
Maintenance cost	Ongoing (bug fixes, updates, support)	Vendor handles updates and bug fixes
Scaling cost	Linear, depends on infrastructure and usage	Tier-based pricing can escalate quickly with usage or seats
Hidden costs	Training, security audits, compliance upkeep	Add-ons, support upgrades, and integration fees
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)	Predictable long-term cost if managed well	Can become expensive over time due to vendor lock-in and scaling limitations

While buying software seems more affordable initially, it can lead to higher long-term costs if the tool doesn’t fully meet your needs, leading to workarounds, integrations, or vendor-dependent customizations.

Conversely, building software (especially with low-code platforms) requires a higher upfront investment but offers long-term savings, better alignment with your workflow, and control over scaling.

Use this table as a foundation for your build vs buy software analysis, especially when calculating ROI over 1, 3, or 5 years.

Beyond cost, another major factor in the build vs buy software decision is how quickly you start seeing results, your Time-to-Value (TTV).

Time-to-Value refers to the time it takes between starting implementation and realizing measurable benefits from the software.

Here’s how build vs buy software options stack up:

Factor	Buy (Off-the-shelf)	Build (Custom / Low-code)
Setup time	Hours to days: The software is ready to deploy	Weeks to Months: depends on complexity
User training Time	Minimal: familiar UX and vendor documentation	Moderate: depends on how tailored the app is
Customization time	Limited or requires vendor help	Fully controllable and iterative via low-code
Adaptation speed	Fast for general use cases	Slower initially, but faster for specific needs
Long-term value realization	Moderate: may need workarounds	High: solution evolves with business needs

• If speed-to-market is your top priority and your needs are standard, buying software makes sense.
• But for data-heavy use cases, like deciding on a build vs buy universal data platform, buying may lead to rigid data models or integration issues. In such scenarios, building with low-code lets you tailor data flow, access controls, and reporting around your specific architecture — and still launch faster than traditional dev cycles.

Use this time-to-value analysis as part of your build vs buy framework to identify not just what fits now, but what continues to deliver results over time.

IT heads often lead digital transformation and must ensure that tools integrate seamlessly with internal systems. Buying can be fast, but it often lacks the flexibility or control needed for secure, long-term solutions. A low-code build ensures better control, governance, and security, without full dev overhead.

In enterprise-scale projects like build vs. buy EA tools (Enterprise Architecture tools), this decision becomes even more strategic. When integration, data modeling, and compliance are mission-critical, building on a secure low-code platform like ToolJet can offer the best of both worlds.

Let’s explore how different personas weigh this critical decision.

Top priorities: Security, scalability, system integration, vendor lock-in
Preferred option: Build or hybrid (buy + extend)

IT heads often lead digital transformation and must ensure tools integrate seamlessly with internal systems. Buying can be fast, but often lacks the flexibility or control needed for secure, long-term solutions. A low-code build ensures better control, governance, and security, without full dev overhead.

Top priorities: Customization, performance, maintainability
Preferred option: Build (especially with low-code to reduce grunt work)

Developers prefer building because it gives them control and ownership over logic, integrations, and UX. However, building everything from scratch can be time-consuming. With low-code tools like ToolJet, devs can fast-track routine internal tools while focusing their energy on core product innovation.

Top priorities: Speed, cross-functional collaboration, user experience
Preferred option: Buy (for speed) or hybrid (buy + customize)

PMs are often focused on delivery timelines and user adoption. They may prefer off-the-shelf tools for faster launches, but often encounter rigid workflows. A low-code build lets them experiment quickly, prototype with stakeholders, and iterate without long dev cycles.

Top priorities: Data integration, automation, model control
Preferred option: Build

AI teams need tools that integrate cleanly with internal data pipelines and APIs. Off-the-shelf solutions rarely meet these dynamic needs. Low-code platforms allow AI managers to build fast, secure, and tailored dashboards, model interfaces, and data workflows.

Every department has its own stakes in the build vs buy decision framework. By understanding your team’s priorities and challenges, you can align your software choices with real business outcomes, not just technical fit.

Whether you’re an IT leader, engineer, or product owner, low-code platforms like ToolJet give you the flexibility to balance speed, customization, and cost without compromise.

While the build vs buy software debate is common, many organizations miss a third path: partnering with external vendors or development agencies.

This option combines the speed of buying with the flexibility of building, without requiring internal resources to do the heavy lifting.

What does partnering look like?

• Working with a low-code/no-code development platform 
• Hiring a specialized vendor to customize and deploy a solution
• Collaborating with platforms like ToolJet to co-build 

Aspect	Build	Buy	Partner
Control	High control	Limited customization	Balanced: faster than full build, more custom than buy
Time-to-Value	Long-term investment	Fastest time-to-value	Medium commitment, shared responsibility
Resources/ Commitment	Resource-intensive	Vendor lock-in risk	Scalable support from experts

When to consider partnering

• You lack the in-house capacity to build
• Your off-the-shelf options are close but not perfect
• You need a quick MVP or prototype built by experts
• You’re open to hybrid ownership (you manage post-delivery)

By choosing to partner, businesses can benefit from faster development cycles, domain-specific expertise, and lower operational overhead, while still maintaining customization flexibility.

Curious about which AI app builders will dominate in 2025? Read our latest blog to discover the top 6 AI app builders of 2025 that are reshaping app development and learn how they can help streamline your business!

Building complex applications using traditional coding methods can be daunting and costly. However, businesses are not limited to choosing between building or buying software. A third option exists: leveraging low-code application development. No wonder 70% of new business applications will use low-code/no-code technologies by 2025.

Low-code development has revolutionized the software development landscape, offering advantages and disadvantages. 

The benefits include:

• Enhanced collaboration across teams, including those without coding expertise
• Faster development cycles
• More consistent feedback, particularly when integrated with Agile methodologies
• Greater control over the application development process
• Lower long-term expenses

To make the build vs buy decision or opt for low-code development, follow these steps:

1. Assess your needs: 

Evaluate if your organization requires frequent changes or has unique requirements.

2. Requirements gap analysis: 

Analyze how well COTS solutions meet your needs.

3. Scalability and flexibility: 

Consider how adaptable the solution is to future changes.

4. Total cost of ownership: 

Calculate all expenses, including hidden costs.

If an off-the-shelf solution aligns well with your needs and processes, it might be the right choice. Otherwise, building with low code is often the best option, ensuring a tailored fit and cost efficiency.

However, have you ever considered what happens when a platform offers the best of both worlds: build and buy? Let’s find out. 

Have questions about internal tools? Read this article to understand the top 13 community FAQs for 2025and find out how to optimize your processes with expert insights!

ToolJet is a transformative software solution designed to democratize business application development. At its essence, it allows individuals, regardless of their technical expertise, to create functional applications using visual interfaces.

Imagine having the best of both worlds: the convenience of buying off-the-shelf software and complete customization flexibility. With access to over 60 pre-built templates, you can select a solution that closely aligns with your needs. 

Moreover, you retain complete control over the software, allowing you to tailor it precisely to your business requirements. This unique approach empowers you to adapt the software seamlessly to your operations, ensuring it meets your specific needs without compromise.

1. Swift app creation: ToolJet is designed for speed. By minimizing traditional coding, the platform facilitates the rapid development of custom internal tools, ensuring projects move forward efficiently.
2. Budget-friendly development: ToolJet offers a solution that’s easy on the pocket. By reducing reliance on specialized developers and hefty software, ToolJet curtails initial and ongoing costs, making internal tool development more economical.
3. Seamless tool integration: One of ToolJet’s standout features is its ability to seamlessly integrate with existing databases and internal tools. This ensures a smooth and integrated workflow, enhancing team productivity.
4. Adaptable front-end development: ToolJet streamlines the building of visually captivating business applications. It promotes real-time collaboration and automates deployment, making the development journey smoother.
5. Robust data connectivity: ToolJet shines in its ability to connect with many data sources. Whether it’s applications, databases, or APIs, ToolJet ensures data flows seamlessly, with options even for crafting custom connectors.

Data is the lifeblood of modern businesses, and its protection is non-negotiable. Here’s how low-code platforms like ToolJet addressed these challenges:

1. Integrated single sign-on (SSO): ToolJet seamlessly collaborates with renowned SSO providers, including but not limited to Okta, Google, and Azure AD. This integration ensures that users can access the platform securely and efficiently.
2. Isolated deployment options: ToolJet introduces the option for air-gapped deployments for organizations with stringent security protocols. This feature ensures the application operates in a protected environment, isolated from potential external vulnerabilities.
3. Comprehensive activity tracking: ToolJet’s audit logs are transparent, capturing every action within the workspace. This transparency is crucial for oversight, ensuring compliance and security standards are upheld.

Low-code platforms are not just about ease of use; they’re about combining that simplicity with the depth of functionality and security that modern businesses require. 

Emeritus, a prominent global education platform, grappled with operational bottlenecks that impacted efficiency and increased overhead costs. As a company heavily reliant on engineering prowess, its arsenal of internal tools held strategic importance.

The challenge arose from disparate systems, hindering data’s seamless consolidation and utilization across various platforms. This discrepancy created a ripple effect on customer service quality, prompting the quest for a comprehensive solution.

Challenges:

• Fragmented systems: Emeritus encountered the complexity of disconnected systems, which hindered the integration and analysis of data across diverse platforms.
• Cumbersome processes: Suboptimal internal tools introduced friction into routine tasks, slowing down customer service responsiveness and operational agility.
• Resource drain: The resource-intensive process of crafting and sustaining internal tools incurred substantial operational costs, undermining overall efficiency.

Emeritus turned to ToolJet to engineer a transformative turnaround:

• Strategic integration: The journey began with a Proof of Concept (POC) application tailored for the course delivery team. This self-hosted implementation, executed in collaboration with business stakeholders, streamlined functionalities effectively.
• Expedited development: A staff member well-versed in SQL and JavaScript spearheaded the POC app development, ensuring minimal coding intervention. Subsequent iterative refinements led to a fully operational application within weeks.
• Operational excellence: ToolJet’s intervention eradicated the need to navigate multiple systems concurrently, empowering the course delivery teams to seamlessly manage participant experiences.
• Prospects: The internal systems team promptly recognized ToolJet’s potential to propel the creation of comprehensive applications. The data science and learning units also explored ToolJet’s applicability, reaffirming its transformative potential.
• Scaling horizons: Emeritus envisions an expansion trajectory, envisioning engagement with 3-10 developers and potentially accommodating 300-500 end users within the upcoming months. As the platform’s utility resonates, this user base projection could exceed 1000 users over the subsequent year.

When deciding between buying internal tools or building with a low-code platform, several factors come into play. First, assess your business’s unique needs: does a ready-made solution suffice, or is customization crucial for your operations? It’s also vital to evaluate the long-term benefits and return on investment.

While purchasing might offer immediate solutions, building often promises greater flexibility and scalability. Platforms like ToolJet have shown that low-code solutions can be robust and adaptable, potentially leading to more value in the long run.

Whether you prioritize agility and bespoke features or lean toward standard functionalities with quicker deployment, your decision should mirror your business’s aspirations and strategic objectives.

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