The 7 Best Software Development Companies: Solutions for Small Businesses

What Is a Software Development Company?

Software development companies can build custom apps and software from scratch for businesses or help those businesses who are trying to develop their own software. Most companies offer a variety of services, from end-to-end development and testing to helping businesses build out their own teams.

Any business looking to develop software that will be an essential part of their operations or revenue should consider using a software company. These companies specialize in creating processes that create clean, working software that stays within budget and scales as the business grows. Many companies who go it alone developing their own software risk going way over budget and creating a final product that delivers much less than they expected.            

How Do Software Development Companies Work?

Software development companies begin by consulting with a business to fully understand the scope and needs of the project. Many companies are full-stack meaning they can take a project from idea to completion if needed. Almost all offer à la carte services to help businesses build their own software where needed (extra staff, testing, quality assurance, etc.).   

All software is made up of code that is typically owned by the software development company. In turn, that means the intellectual property (IP) rights of an application don’t necessarily belong to the business that pays to have it developed. It’s important for each business to understand whether or not it’s possible for them to own the IP of their own platform.  

How Much Do Software Development Companies Charge?

Since there are so many variables that go into the scope of software development, most companies don’t advertise prices on their websites. However, research shows that software development projects can range from $3,000 to $120,000. Many software development companies also have a minimum project size that can reach into the thousands of dollars.      

How We Chose the Best Software Development Companies

We looked at nearly two dozen software companies for this review. We looked for companies with high ratings and reviews, a strong list of top clients, and that served a variety of business sizes. We also wanted companies that offered end-to-end as well as à la carte development services to suit any business need. Finally, we made sure to include companies that not only focused on development, but team development, training, and project staffing as well. 

In the end, the best software development companies help a business take advantage of new technologies without having to become software experts themselves or worrying about not getting a good return on their investment.