An agency operating system with an assistant that asks first
One app for a marketing agency, with sales-call scoring, an SEO writer, booking and drafted review replies. Its 35-tool assistant waits for a click before it changes anything.
Custom web apps, built around how you work.
Dashboards, client portals, CRMs and the internal tools that replace a spreadsheet nobody trusts anymore. Built by one person, with a working first version in days, and yours at the end.
What counts as a web app
The word covers a lot, so here is what people actually come to me for:
- Client portals. A logged-in place where your clients see files, progress, invoices and approvals instead of emailing you to ask.
- Internal dashboards. One screen that pulls the numbers your team rebuilds by hand every Monday.
- A CRM that fits how you sell. Not a generic platform bent into shape with custom fields, but pipelines and follow-ups shaped around your process.
- Business operating systems. Leads, clients, projects and reports in one app, in place of the spreadsheets and tools you juggle now.
- Operational tools. Scheduling, intake, time tracking and checklists. The unglamorous software that decides whether a week runs smoothly.
Proof, before the pitch
I shipped more than 40 products in 2026, including operating systems for six agencies and service businesses that I still look after. A few examples:
- A recruiting CRM that screens every application with AI. Its first version was live within 2 days of signing.
- A client portal for a finance and tax firm. Tasks, files and messages in one place, live the day after the onboarding call.
- My own CRM for small teams. Its assistant can take about 150 different actions in the app, and it asks before anything risky. You can try a live demo with sample data.
Client names stay private, so each build is named for what it does. More on the work page.
The stack, and why it is boring
React and Next.js or Astro on the front. Supabase or Postgres for data, logins and row-level security. Vercel for hosting. Stripe when there is money involved.
None of that is exotic, and that is deliberate. Another developer can pick any of it up without me explaining a private framework. The fastest way to trap a client is to build them something only you can maintain, and I would rather you stay because the work is good.
How the build runs
- A first message or a short call. Usually the app someone asks for is not quite the app they need. We figure that out before anything gets written.
- A clear scope and price. You see what is in the first version and what is not, so "I thought that was included" never happens.
- A first version in days. You get a live link early and watch it fill in. If it is going the wrong way, you say so in the first week, not at handoff.
- Launch and after. The code, the accounts and the notes are yours. Keep me on to run it, or take it in-house.
What it costs
Most firms selling web application development make you book a call to hear a number. In my own research on 30 competitors running custom software ads, only 3 published a price. I scope each build after the first conversation, and you see the scope and price before any work starts.
If you are still budgeting, I wrote up what web apps actually cost in 2026 across agencies, freelancers and AI-assisted builds, with the ranges and what moves them.
Why one person instead of a company
Searching for a custom web app development company usually returns agencies with account managers, project managers and a developer you never meet. Software needs looking after. An API changes, a tool breaks, your process shifts. When that happens here, you message the person who built it, and they already have the whole thing in their head.
The tradeoff is honest: I am one person, so I take on fewer projects, and I will tell you on the first call if your timeline needs a team instead.
Still deciding? Look at real web application examples, check whether you need an app or a website, browse software by industry, or read about the automation side.
How much does custom web app development cost?
It depends on what the app needs to do. A single build gets its own scope and price, agreed after the first conversation and before any work starts. Agency quotes for the same kind of scope commonly start around $30,000 per project. My web app cost guide breaks down the ranges for agencies, freelancers and AI-assisted builds.
How long does a custom web app take to build?
A working first version usually takes days: a real app with logins, a database and the core workflow, not a clickable prototype. Bigger systems take a few weeks, and you can use each part as soon as it's ready.
What do you build web apps with?
Mostly React and Next.js or Astro on the front, Supabase or Postgres for data and logins, and Vercel for hosting. I pick boring, well-documented tools on purpose, so another developer can pick the project up later without a translation layer.
Do I own the code?
Yes. The code, the database and every account are in your name. I don't host your app on a platform you have to keep renting from me, and nothing expires if you stop working with me.
Can you take over an app someone else started?
Yes. I've taken over apps started by other developers and by AI app builders, cleaned them up and kept building. I'll look at what you have and tell you whether to keep it or start fresh.