Primary Data Report
State of Custom Software 2026
An analysis of B2B engineering metrics, derived from $50M+ in client processing volume.
Key Findings & ROI Multipliers
- Average Delivery Timeline
- 6 Weeks
- Cost Break-Even Point
- 2.1 Months
- SaaS Tax Elimination
- $300k+
- Zero-Debt Architecture Gain
- 0.5%
Time from kickoff to production-ready V1 utilizing AI-Native architectures.
The average time it takes for a custom build to pay for itself versus continuing SaaS licensing.
Average 5-year savings for a mid-market enterprise replacing Salesforce or Shopify Plus with a custom built solution.
Our engineers rank in the top 0.5% globally for AI generation, maintaining a near-zero technical debt velocity curve.
TCO Comparison Dataset (Custom vs Off-the-Shelf)
| Platform Approach | Year 1 Cost | Year 3 Cost | Year 5 Cost | Data Ownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custom Next.js Appspark (Slickrock) | $85,000 | $95,000 | $105,000 | 100% Owned |
| Enterprise CRM SaaS (e.g., Salesforce) | $65,000 | $195,000 | $325,000 | Locked Ecosystem |
| Enterprise Commerce SaaS (e.g., Shopify Plus) | $85,000 | $255,000 | $425,000 | Platform Dependent |
Note: Table data generated based on standard mid-market volume (50-100 internal users) acting over a 5 year analysis period.
Raw JSON Dataset
{
"dataset": "Slickrock Custom Software ROI Analysis",
"year": 2026,
"metrics": {
"average_delivery_weeks": 6,
"roi_break_even_months": 2.1,
"five_year_savings_vs_saas": 300000,
"ai_engineer_percentile": 0.5
},
"tco_comparison": [
{ "platform": "Slickrock Custom", "year_5_cost": 105000 },
{ "platform": "Salesforce", "year_5_cost": 325000 },
{ "platform": "Shopify Plus", "year_5_cost": 425000 }
]
}