#crm

Custom CRM Software Development: Build vs. Buy Guide

A structured framework for CTOs and VPs of Engineering evaluating whether to build a custom CRM or buy an off-the-shelf solution like Salesforce or HubSpot. Covers the financial breakeven point (typically 50-150 seats), architecture decisions (API-first, modular vs. monolith, webhook-driven vs. polling), a five-phase delivery timeline (5-9 months for mid-market), cost ranges ($30K-$150K for MVP), integration patterns with ERPs and payment systems, and the three most common delivery risks: scope creep, data migration failure, and under-resourced UAT. Recommends phased delivery with a validated data model before sprint 1.