Custom Software Development in Ireland
Bespoke business software, web applications and databases for small and medium businesses in Ireland and Northern Ireland, built around the way you already work.
Custom software development for Irish businesses
GBA Solutions designs and builds custom software for small and medium businesses in Ireland and Northern Ireland, including web applications, mobile apps, business databases and automation that fit the way your business already works. A first version typically costs between €3,000 and €8,000, and a simple application usually takes 4 to 8 weeks to build.
We're a technology company based in County Kildare. Most of the businesses we work with have reached the point where spreadsheets, paper forms, email and WhatsApp are holding them back. The work is good and the customers are happy, but the admin behind it takes too long and depends on one or two people remembering everything. Custom business software fixes that by putting your process into one system that your whole team can use.
Who custom software is for
Custom software development for small businesses makes the most sense when you recognise some of these:
- You type the same information into two or three places, such as a paper form, a spreadsheet and an invoice.
- Someone spends hours each week pulling data out of emails or attachments by hand.
- You can't easily find an old record when a customer rings looking for it.
- Off-the-shelf tools almost fit, but you work around them every day.
- You're thinking of hiring another person purely to keep up with admin.
- You have specialist knowledge and want to turn it into a product you can sell to others.
What we build
Every project is different, but most of the custom business software we build falls into one of these areas.
Web applications
Browser-based systems for your office and field staff, such as job management, billing, digital forms and customer portals.
Databases and business data
One central place for your customers, jobs, stock, machines or contracts, with search, reports and dashboards your team can actually use.
Business automation
Software that does the repetitive work for you, from reading data out of emails to sending reminders before a certificate expires.
Compliance and inspection systems
Digital certificates, safety documents, audit trails and QR codes on equipment, so records are complete and easy to find.
Customer portals and CRMs
Places where your customers can see their records, download documents or complete training, and where your team can manage every relationship.
Mobile apps and SaaS products
iPhone and Android apps for staff in the field, and subscription products you can sell to other businesses in your industry.
Web application development
A web application is software that runs in a web browser, such as Chrome, Safari or Edge. There's nothing to download from an app store, it works on desktops, tablets and phones, and when we make a change everyone gets the new version straight away. For most internal business systems, a web app is the quickest and most affordable way to get custom software working.
Most of the bespoke systems on this page are web applications. Cork Office Machines and Supplies Ltd uses one to process monthly printer usage data and calculate billing. Big H The Plumber uses one for digital surveys on tablets, with sketches, photos and a job dashboard for the office. The Motorhome Man in the UK uses one to replace paper service forms and email a finished PDF report to the customer with one click. Food Safety Management Solutions uses one to run online food safety courses, with automatic certificates sent to learners and their employers.
Web app or mobile app?
Choose a web app when your users are mostly at a desk or on a tablet, when you need one system that works on every device, or when you want to test an idea quickly before spending more. Choose a mobile app when you need deeper use of the phone itself, such as the camera, GPS or push notifications, or when you want your business on your customers' home screens. Sometimes the answer is both, with a web app for the office and a mobile app for the field, which is what we built for AM Site Solutions and Instaspace Modular. Our mobile app development page covers the mobile side in more detail.
Databases and business data
A business database is a structured way to store your important information, such as customer details, jobs, contracts, machines and stock, in one secure place instead of across spreadsheets and paper files. A good database means everyone works from the same up-to-date information, records can't quietly go missing, and reports take seconds instead of an afternoon.
Every system we build has a database at its heart. What makes it useful is everything around it:
- Simple screens to search and update records, so nobody needs technical knowledge to find what they need.
- Automatic data capture, for example reading XML attachments from incoming emails instead of typing them in.
- Role-based access, so each person sees only the records that are relevant to their job.
- Searchable history and audit trails, showing who changed what and when.
- Alerts and reminders, such as a warning when a printer stops reporting or a certificate is close to expiry.
- Reports and dashboards that show the numbers you care about without anyone building a spreadsheet by hand.
For Cork Office Machines and Supplies Ltd, we built a central database of customers, printers, contracts and consumables that tracks page counts and toner levels and flags printers that haven't reported usage. If you want to go further with your data, see our business intelligence service.
Bespoke software or off-the-shelf?
Off-the-shelf software is the right choice when your process is the same as everyone else's. Bespoke software is the right choice when your process is specific to your business and you're spending hours every week bending generic tools to fit it.
There's no shame in starting with off-the-shelf tools. Most small businesses do, and you can get a long way with accounting software, a standard CRM, shared drives and spreadsheets. We'll tell you honestly if a product you can buy today will do the job.
When bespoke software makes sense
- Your workflow is specific to your business or your industry.
- You're doing a lot of manual copying between separate tools.
- You've outgrown spreadsheets and generic online forms.
- You want to offer customers something your competitors can't, like instant access to their own records.
No package could read Cork Office Machines' XML usage reports and bill across different contract types, or let The Motorhome Man's technicians sketch damp readings onto a diagram of the van. Read more in our article From Spreadsheet to System.
Custom software we've built
Real systems for real businesses, with the results they reported.
GA1 audit software for AM Site Solutions
Engineers record inspections on site and the GA1 certificate is produced straight away, with a QR code on each machine linking to the latest certificate. AM Site Solutions saves 492 hours a year on GA1 certificate processing, roughly three months of one person's time.
Read the case study90% less manual work for a Cork family business
A bespoke web app that reads printer usage data from emails and calculates monthly billing. Over 90% of billing is now automated and the family has gained over 35 hours a week.
Read the case studyDigitalising Big H The Plumber
Paper surveys replaced with a tablet web app, including red flagging, sketches, photos and a job dashboard. The business saves 12 hours out of 80 every week, a 15% saving in the working week.
Read the case studyCompliance and certification for AM Site Solutions
Mobile apps and a web dashboard for certificates, licences and digital forms, with expiry reminders, Stripe subscriptions and a full audit trail for every document.
Read the case studyDigital service forms for The Motorhome Man
Long paper checklists replaced with forms that save as you type, let technicians draw on images to mark defects, and email a finished PDF report to the customer.
Read the case studyA SaaS app for Irish tillage farmers
A Wexford farmer's idea, built first as an MVP for his own farm and then turned into a subscription product other farmers can sign up to, now on the App Store and Google Play.
Read the case studyHow a custom software project runs
A simple application usually takes 4 to 8 weeks from the first conversation to a working system. Bigger systems start with a first version in that time and then grow in stages, often over several years. Either way, you see real screens early and stay involved the whole way through.
Step 1: A conversation about your business
We start by learning how your business works today, where the time goes and what a good result looks like for you. You explain it in plain English and we do the translating.
Step 2: A clear plan and price
We agree the first version together, focused on the features that will make the biggest difference. Our pricing is transparent, so you know what you're paying for before work starts.
Step 3: Working screens early
Instead of weeks of diagrams, we build real screens you can click through. You give feedback while things are still easy to change, and we don't penalise you for changing your mind.
Step 4: Regular updates as it grows
You see progress as we go rather than waiting months for a big reveal. Parts of the system can often go into use before the whole thing is finished, so you get value sooner.
Step 5: Launch with your team
We help your staff get started. By launch day, the system has already been tested against the way your business really works.
Step 6: Support and new features
We don't disappear after launch. We stay with you for maintenance, support and training, and we add new features as your business changes.
What custom software costs
Most first versions of custom business software cost between €3,000 and €8,000. The final price depends on how many types of user the system has, how many screens and reports it needs, and whether it has to connect to other tools you already use.
| Type of project | Typical cost | What it usually covers |
|---|---|---|
| First version or MVP | €3,000 to €8,000 | One clear problem solved well, such as a digital form, a job tracker or a simple dashboard, with logins for your team. |
| Mid-sized application | €8,000 to €12,000, depending on complexity | Several user roles, more screens and reports, automation and connections to other systems. |
| Larger build | €15,000 and up | Usually done once the first version has proven itself and you know exactly what to add next. |
We nearly always recommend starting small. A focused first version gets working software into your team's hands quickly, keeps the risk low and shows you which features are really worth paying for. We won't sell you features you don't need, and if your budget is tight we start with whatever saves the most time. Our article on why internal tools deserve a lean approach explains this in more detail.
Some small businesses use the Local Enterprise Office Digital Start Grant to help pay for going digital, and we can help you describe your project when you apply.
Why work with a small Irish software developer
When you work with GBA Solutions, you deal with one person from start to finish, the person who designs and builds your system. You won't be passed between salespeople, account managers and developers. We're a small business ourselves, so we understand the pressure of meeting targets, managing staff and keeping customers happy while the admin piles up.
- We build around your workflow, not a generic template, so your team keeps working the way that already works for them.
- We speak plainly, with no jargon and no sledgehammers to crack nuts.
- We build on Google Cloud Platform and Firebase, which give us secure logins and role-based access. Google Cloud also offers the option to keep data in the EU, and we talk through data security with you before we build.
- We run our own software products, including SmartChef, SmartTrace and LeadLog, so we know what it takes to keep software working for real customers every day.
- We stick around, and many of our clients come back to us for further work on the same system.
Custom software in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Northern Ireland
We're based in County Kildare and work with businesses across Ireland and Northern Ireland, from Dublin and Wicklow to Wexford, Cork, Galway and Limerick. We've also built systems for clients in the UK. Because everything we build runs in the cloud, most of the work happens over video calls and shared screens, so it makes little difference whether you're down the road or on the far side of the border. We're always happy to meet in person when that's practical.
What our customers are saying
We worked with GBA Solutions to develop our online food safety e-learning platform. Warren was excellent to work with throughout the entire process. Everything was delivered within the agreed time frame, demonstrating his reliability and professionalism. I highly recommend Warren and his services at GBA Solutions to anyone in need of top-notch development work.
Managing Director, Food Safety Management Solutions Ltd.
The end result surpassed what we could have hoped for, not only meeting all our criterion but also incorporating suggestions from Warren and resulting in a clean, user friendly App. From the first phone call to handover, we found that Warren listened and delivered and is a genuine pleasure to deal with, handling our questions and demands, efficiently and calmly. We have absolutely no hesitation in recommending GBA Solutions.
Director, Big H The Plumber
GBA Solutions helped us take a big step forward in how we manage Health and Safety compliance. Warren was attentive and really understood our needs, making the development process smooth and efficient. The app itself has made the management of Health and Safety compliance much easier, and we've seen tangible time savings and improvements in our processes.
Instaspace Modular
Related services
Mobile App Development
iPhone and Android apps for your staff and customers, built and supported in Ireland.
MVP Development
Start with a focused first version that solves one problem well, then grow it.
Business Automation
Take repetitive admin off your team's plate so they can get on with the real work.
CRM Development
A customer system built around how you sell and look after your customers.
ERP Development
Bring stock, orders, jobs and accounts together in one system that fits your business.
Google Cloud Platform
The secure cloud platform we build our custom software on.
Frequently asked questions
How much does custom software development cost in Ireland?
A first version or MVP usually costs between €3,000 and €8,000. A mid-sized application is typically €8,000 to €12,000, depending on complexity, and larger builds start at €15,000, usually once the first version has proven itself. We help you start with the features that matter most so you only pay for what you need.
How long does it take to build custom business software?
A simple application usually takes 4 to 8 weeks from the first conversation to a working system. Bigger systems start the same way, with a first version in 4 to 8 weeks, and then keep growing in stages over the months and years that follow. You see working screens early and can start using parts of the system before the whole thing is finished.
What is the difference between bespoke software and off-the-shelf software?
Off-the-shelf software is built for thousands of businesses, so you change how you work to fit it. Bespoke software is built for your business alone, around your own forms, rules and customers. Off-the-shelf is often fine to start with, and bespoke makes sense once you are stitching tools together by hand or have outgrown spreadsheets.
Is custom software worth it for a small business?
It is worth it when a manual process is costing you real hours every week. A Cork family business we built for automated over 90% of its monthly billing and gained over 35 hours a week. If the saving is small, an off-the-shelf tool is usually the better choice, and we'll tell you so.
Do you work with businesses in Dublin and Northern Ireland?
Yes. We're based in County Kildare and work with businesses across Ireland and Northern Ireland, including Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick. Because the systems we build run in the cloud, most of the work happens over video calls and shared screens, and distance isn't a barrier.
What is a web application?
A web application is software you use through a web browser such as Chrome, Safari or Edge, so nothing needs to be installed. It works on desktops, tablets and phones, and everyone gets updates straight away. Web apps are usually quicker and cheaper to build than mobile apps, which makes them a good first step for many businesses.
Can you replace our spreadsheets with a proper database?
Yes, this is one of the most common projects we do. We move your customers, jobs, stock or contracts into one central database with simple screens for your team to search, update and report on. Cork Office Machines and Supplies Ltd, for example, now keeps its customers, printers, contracts and consumables in one system instead of a spreadsheet.
Can custom software connect to the tools we already use?
Usually, yes. We've built systems that read data from incoming emails, export billing to an external accounts system and take payments through Stripe. We look at what you already use in the first conversation and plan the connections from there.
Do I need to be technical to work with you?
No. You tell us what you need in plain English and we turn it into working software. We avoid jargon and show you real screens rather than technical documents, so you can judge the system by using it.
How secure is custom software?
We build on Google Cloud Platform and Firebase, which give us secure logins, role-based access so staff only see what they need, and audit trails where your industry requires them. Google Cloud also offers the option to keep data in the EU. We talk through what level of protection each type of data needs before we build.
What happens after the software is launched?
We don't disappear after launch. We stay with you for maintenance, support and training, and we add new features as your business changes. Many of our clients come back to us for further work on the same system.
Can a grant help pay for custom software?
Some small businesses use the Local Enterprise Office Digital Start Grant to help fund going digital. We're not grant experts, but we can help you describe the improvements you're planning so you can make a clear case when you apply.
Ready to talk about your software?
Tell us what's taking up your time and we'll tell you honestly whether custom software is the right answer, and what a sensible first version would cost.