Ready-Made Software vs Custom Development: Which One is Better?

Here is a quick guide to help you decide: 

1. Costs: Ready-made software may not cost as much as custom-made software, but off-the-shelf products also offer a lower return on investment. With bespoke software, there is decidedly a sizable investment first, then the maintenance and updates costs. Yet, software designed and built following an individual organization's requirements yields a substantially better return on investment (ROI).
2. Functionalities: This one may be a tad obvious, but it is an important enough factor to warrant a mention on this list. Ready-made software, of course, can only offer a limited set of in-built functionalities and capabilities on account of a restricted number of features available with said software. It is decidedly not a problem with custom-built software since the company can choose everything about the software product, from the technologies and framework for building the custom software to its design, layout, etc. This, in turn, empowers the organization with the ability to build in all the features they need and that too without sacrificing quality.
3. Data security: Data security is a critical consideration for any software being used by any organization, in any of the many, many industries worldwide. In this regard, ready-made software is often much more vulnerable and at risk for data breaches and other cyberattacks since such software is usually not extensively tested. Whereas custom-made software is subject to in-depth quality analysis, testing, and bug-redressal to ensure the end product's quality, performance, and security is seamless. 
4. Agility: Yet another crucial point of difference between the two types of software development is agility; while there is no denying that ready-made software is typically easily accessible and user-friendly, they are not tailored to fit an individual business' needs and, as you can imagine, that can be a bit of a drawback in this cut-throat market. On the other hand, custom software is not only entirely personalized for a given company's requirements. However, it is also fully manageable, thus enabling companies to adapt the software, integrate third-party solutions, etc.