Free tool
Should you keep renting your software, or own it?
Every per-seat subscription is a bet that you will never outgrow it. This works out the month a custom build pays for itself against what you are paying now — and tells you plainly when the answer is “stay where you are.” No email required.
Payback
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Straight arithmetic on the numbers you entered — no hidden assumptions, and no attempt to price the hours lost to workarounds.
This is the exact math SHM Transport ran. They were renting at $2,100/month capped at 10 logins for a 60+ person company. They now own their TMS outright — running live with 3,000+ shipments through it. Read the case study →
Honest answers about this math
How accurate is this calculator?
It is deliberately simple: it compares what you pay in subscription fees against a one-time build plus its running costs. It does not try to price the hours your team loses to workarounds, or the revenue from workflows you cannot currently support — those usually favour building, and they are what we would work through on a call.
Where does the default build cost come from?
Custom operations software here starts at $8,000 and most first builds land between $8,000 and $25,000 depending on how many workflows are in scope. The calculator defaults to $15,000 as a mid-range starting point — move the slider to match a real quote once you have one.
What are the running costs of software I own?
Hosting for a system this size is typically $20–$200 a month depending on load. Beyond that it is optional: many clients keep a monthly partnership from $1,500 for continuous improvements and same-day fixes, others take the code and run it themselves. Set the running cost to whatever matches your plan.
What if the calculator says renting wins?
Then rent. If your SaaS fits your operation and the bill is small relative to a build, staying put is the right call and I will tell you the same thing on a call. Building is worth it when the software fights your team, when per-seat pricing caps your growth, or when the payback lands inside about two years.
Next step
Get the number that actually matters — yours.
The calculator uses a generic build cost. A 20-minute call plus a written scope gives you a fixed price for your operation, and an honest read on whether it beats what you are paying now.