Can I own my business software instead of renting it?
Short answer
Yes. Instead of paying a subscription, you can pay for a system to be built and own the code, the data and the hosting account outright, so nothing stops working if you stop paying a vendor. The trade-off is that you are responsible for hosting and ongoing maintenance, so budget for both.
In detail
What ownership should mean
- The code is yours, in a repository you control
- The database and hosting run in accounts in your name
- Your data can be exported at any time in standard formats
- There is no per-user licence fee, so adding staff does not change the bill
Ways to get there
- Owned instance of a product
- WorkHoist Total Ownership gives a construction business its own instance built to its specification, with unlimited users, as a one-time build priced on scope.
- Fully custom build
- Gleam & Glory owns its custom CRM and order system outright: code, data and hosting, with running costs that stay flat as the business grows.
- Own your workspace on a platform
- Even on monday.com or Asana, insist that the build sits in your own account. You keep the workspace, the data and the licences if you change partners.
Questions to ask before you buy
- Whose name are the hosting and database accounts in?
- Do we receive the source code, and where is it stored?
- What does ongoing maintenance cost, and can someone else take it over?
- How do we export everything if we leave?
Related case study
WorkHoist · Construction operations software (SaaS)
Built a construction ERP that runs pipeline, projects, crew scheduling, financials and a client portal in one platform.
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