Custom web apps
Software built around how your business actually works.
Custom web apps built around the way your business works. Customer portals, booking and quoting tools, assessments, dashboards and integrations, designed and built by a Canadian team and hosted on WebCrafters Cloud. You get a fixed written quote for a clearly defined first version, one project lead from your first message to launch, and a licence for your domain set out in writing.
Since 2021 serving Canadian businesses
Vancouver based, working across Canada
Written quote within one business day
Chosen by
What you get
Everything included in a WebCrafters app build.
A custom app is a bigger commitment than a website, so the scope has to be clear before anyone writes code. This is what your quote covers.
A written spec before any code
We map the screens, user roles and rules with you and write them down. The spec is what the quote is based on and what the finished app is checked against.
Screens designed for the people using them
Clickable prototypes of the main screens, tested with you before the build, so staff and customers do not need a manual.
Secure accounts and roles
Logins, password resets, user roles and permissions built in from the start, with sensitive data encrypted and access logged.
Connected to the tools you already use
Accounting, CRM, payments, email, inventory or your own systems, connected through their APIs so data is entered once.
Dashboards and reports
The numbers you check every week, on one screen, with exports for the accountant and the board.
Works on phones and tablets
Built for the browser, so it runs on any device without an app store, and it can be added to a home screen like an app.
Hosted, backed up and monitored
Runs on WebCrafters Cloud with daily off-site backups, uptime monitoring and security updates, included in your quote.
Training and a roadmap for later
A walkthrough for your team at handover, a list of phase-two ideas we parked on purpose, and our support desk through the client portal. Work after the 14 days of post-launch support comes out of a maintenance plan or is billed at our hourly rate.
Licensed to your domain
Your data and design files are yours. The application is licensed to your business for your domain, with the terms, including what happens if you move on, set out in your quote. Hosting is priced separately, paid monthly or yearly, and licences are listed on your quote.
Under the hood
How a WebCrafters app is put together.
Five layers, one shape: the people who use the app, an edge that filters and caches, the application with its API and workers, the data behind it, and the services it talks to. Operations run under all of it.
How it works
From idea to a working app in four steps.
A focused first version usually takes two to four weeks depending on screens and integrations. Your quote shows the real dates, and later phases are quoted separately.
01
Discovery and written spec
We walk through the process the app has to handle, who uses it and what it connects to, then write a plain-words spec. Within one business day you get a proposal with a fixed price and a start date for a defined first version, with a mockup of the main screen.
Week 1
02
Prototype the screens
Clickable designs of the main screens for each user role. You and a couple of real users click through them before we build, which is where most misunderstandings get caught.
Week 1 to 2
03
Build in short rounds on a private link
The app is built in short rounds on a staging address only you can see. Each round ends with something you can log in to and try, and integrations are tested against your real systems.
Week 2 to 4
04
Launch, training and the next phase
We move it to WebCrafters Cloud, import your data, train your team, and hand over your logins, the licence and a written list of phase-two ideas. Support continues through the optional maintenance plan.
Launch and after
Not sure what to build first?
Tell Ella what the app has to do. Ella will outline a first version worth building.
Seven quick questions about who will use it, what it replaces and what it connects to. You get a plain-words outline of the screens, roles and integrations, and a project lead can turn it into a written spec and quote. Two minutes, no jargon, no obligation.
Ella is automated and can make mistakes. Your written quote from a project lead is the final word.
Recent work
An app we built, and what is inside it.
-
LeanTask BOOST
A client portal and readiness assessment platform for a Calgary consulting firm, with client accounts the firm manages itself and reports generated from each assessment.
Read the case study: LeanTask BOOSTIndustry
Management consulting
Services
Custom web app, client portal, hosting
Location
Calgary, AB
Inside the LeanTask build
- Public site and application built as one product, hosted on WebCrafters Cloud
- Online readiness assessment that produces a report for each prospect
- BOOST client login with subscriber accounts managed by the LeanTask team
- Admin tools for the LeanTask team to manage clients and content
What it costs
A fixed price for a defined first version.
Custom software has a reputation for budgets that drift. Ours do not, because the quote is tied to a written spec for the first version, and anything outside it is quoted as a later phase. The number does not change unless you change the spec.
What moves the price
How many screens and user roles, how many systems it connects to, whether existing data has to be migrated, and how much reporting you need on day one.
Payment plans up to 24 months
Pay by milestone, or spread the cost over up to 24 months. Credit and debit cards and bank transfer are both fine.
Hosting and licences on one quote
The app is built for a fixed price. Hosting on WebCrafters Cloud is a separate ongoing cost, paid monthly or yearly, and your quote lists the licences the app needs, so there are no surprise renewals. Ongoing maintenance plans are optional, with fixed monthly prices.
Questions
What owners ask before building custom web apps.
If yours is not here, the full list is one click away, or just pick up the phone.
Still have a question?
Call us on a weekday, or send a note and we will get back to you within one business day.
Do I own the code of a custom web app built by WebCrafters?
Your data and your design files are yours outright. Unlike a website we build, the application itself is licensed to your business for your domain, and the code may be delivered in a protected form. If you move to a new domain, the licence can be reissued on request. The licence terms, including what happens if you move to another provider, are set out in writing in your quote before any work starts.
Can a custom web app connect to the software we already use?
Usually, yes, a custom web app can connect to the software you already use. Most modern tools such as QuickBooks, HubSpot, Stripe and Google Workspace have APIs we connect to. Older or unusual systems get checked during discovery, and the spec says exactly what data moves where.
What if we need changes to the app after launch?
Changes after launch are expected, which is why we hand over a written list of phase-two ideas at launch. Small changes and fixes are covered by the optional maintenance plan. Bigger additions are quoted as their own phase, with the same fixed-price approach.
Is a custom web app better than an off-the-shelf tool?
A custom web app is not always better than an off-the-shelf tool, and we will tell you when it is not. If a ready-made product does ninety percent of the job, we will say so before we quote. Custom makes sense when the process is what sets you apart, when off-the-shelf tools force you to work their way, or when per-user licences have become the bigger cost.
How long does a custom web app take to build?
A custom web app takes anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, depending on what it has to do. A portal or a quoting tool with a few screens is usually two to four weeks. Apps with several user roles, payments or integrations take longer. The written quote gives real dates, and larger apps can be launched in phases so the first version is in use sooner.
Can a custom web app start small and add features later?
Yes, a custom web app can start small and grow, and we recommend it. The first version covers the one job that matters most, built on a structure that can grow. Each later phase is quoted separately in writing, so you only pay for what you need next and nothing is rebuilt.
How is a custom web app kept secure and backed up?
Logins use hashed passwords with optional two-factor authentication, every connection runs over HTTPS, and user roles limit who sees what. On WebCrafters Cloud the app gets a firewall, daily off-site backups and uptime monitoring; if you host elsewhere, the quote lists what the server must provide.
Start today
Tell us about your project. A project lead replies within one business day.
Two minutes to fill in, no obligation. You get a written quote with a fixed price, a start date and a mockup of the main screen, and the price does not change unless the scope does.
- Written quote within one business day
- One project lead from your first message to launch
- Payment plans of up to 24 months
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