Build vs buy: a practical framework
Weigh build versus buy on four axes: total cost over time, control, compliance fit, and speed. Buy for standard needs; build where control or compliance fit is worth the cost.
The build-versus-buy decision is not about which is cheaper today; it is about four things over the life of the system: total cost including maintenance, how much control you need, how well the option fits your compliance surface, and how fast you need it. Buy for standard, well-served needs. Build where control and compliance fit are worth paying for.
The four axes
Score the decision honestly on each.
- Total cost over time, including maintenance and switching costs
- Control over roadmap, data, and integrations
- Compliance and audit fit for your specific regulators
- Speed to a working solution
Being honest about building
Building is right less often than vendors admit and more often than incumbents fear. We will tell you when buying, or extending one of our products, beats a custom build, because a build that should have been a purchase is the most expensive mistake here.
Common questions
Does building always cost more?
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