SaaS replacement audit
A line-by-line review of every subscription: what you pay, what you actually use, and where the overlap is. You get a written recommendation for each tool.
- replace / consolidate / keep
- build-vs-rent cost model
freelance software developer · taking new projects
stop renting software. own it.
Building custom software got dramatically cheaper and faster. That changes the math. Instead of stacking per-seat subscriptions and bending your process around them, you can own a tool built for exactly how your team works, connected to the tools you already use, with the code and data in your hands.
- no per-seat fees
- your code, your data
- smaller builds: ~1 month · bigger: milestone plan
whoamifreelance developer. builds software you own.cat offer.txtincludes: custom tools shaped to your workflowincludes: integrations with the stack you keepincludes: migration off SaaS, data intactremoves: per-seat pricingremoves: vendor lock-in./audit --free 30-min call. honest answer. no pitch deck.
Your stack grew one subscription at a time.
So did the bill.
Most teams never chose their software stack. It accumulated. Each tool solved one problem, and together they became a monthly tax on headcount and a constraint on how you work.
Seat creep
Every new hire adds a line item to five different invoices. Your software costs scale with your team, not with the value you get.
Workflows bent around tools
Your process changes to fit the software's assumptions. Workarounds, spreadsheets on the side, "that's just how the tool does it."
Overlap and duct tape
Three tools hold the same customer list. Fragile automations keep them roughly in sync, until one breaks.
Rented data
Your records live in someone else's database. Exports are partial, price increases are non-negotiable, and leaving is painful.
saas-audit --org your-company --seats 25scanning subscriptions… 6 found
CRM25 seats × $90$2,250/mo
Project management25 seats × $24$600/mo
Reporting / BI10 seats × $70$700/mo
Scheduling25 seats × $16$400/mo
Automation glueteam plan$299/mo
Forms / intakebusiness plan$99/mo
total$4,348/mo · $52,176/yr
! CRM + scheduling + forms store the same contacts! 4 of 6 tools priced per seat: cost grows with headcount candidates to replace: 3 · keep: 2 · consolidate: 1illustrative example with made-up figures, not a real client. Your audit uses your actual invoices.
Replace what you overpay for.
Connect what you keep.
Not every subscription should go. The goal is a stack where each tool earns its place, and the custom parts fit your business exactly.
Custom internal tools & dashboards
Admin panels, lightweight CRMs, ops consoles, client portals and reporting, designed around the way your team already works instead of a vendor's template.
- your workflow, your fields, your rules
- unlimited users, no seat math
Integrations & automations
Connect the tools you're keeping to each other and to your custom software. Replace brittle no-code chains with tested, monitored code.
- APIs, webhooks, scheduled jobs
- one source of truth for your data
Migration off SaaS
Move records, files and history out of rented platforms and into a system you own. Data is mapped, validated and reconciled before anything gets switched off.
- no data left behind
- parallel run before cutover
Maintenance & support
An optional care plan for updates, monitoring, security patches and small improvements. Or a clean handoff to your own team with full documentation.
- predictable monthly scope
- no lock-in, cancel anytime
Not sure where to start?
Start with the audit. Even if you never build anything, you'll know exactly what your stack costs and what to cut.
book-auditFour commands from subscription sprawl to software you own.
A short, fixed-scope process with working software early and no surprises at the end.
audit
--stack --costs --workflowWe map your tools, invoices and the way work actually moves through your team. I find the overlap and the expensive bits.
output: written report + cost modelscope
--smallest-useful-versionWe pick the build that removes the most cost and friction first. Fixed scope, clear milestones, agreed price.
output: spec, milestones, quotebuild
--iterate --demo=weeklyYou see working software early and often. Integrations are wired up as we go, and real data gets migrated and tested before cutover.
output: working app in your handshandoff
--repo --docs --keysYou get the repository, the infrastructure in your own accounts, documentation and a walkthrough. Optional care plan after.
output: you own all of it
Build vs. rent,
honestly compared.
SaaS has real advantages. Custom has different ones. Here's the trade-off without the sales spin.
| Aspect | Rent (SaaS) | Own (custom) |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Drawback: Per seat, per month, indefinitely | Advantage: One-time build + optional maintenance |
| As you hire | Drawback: Bill grows with every new user | Advantage: No per-user cost; add anyone |
| Fit to workflow | Trade-off: You adapt to the vendor's model | Advantage: Built around how you already work |
| Integrations | Trade-off: Whatever the vendor supports | Advantage: Connects to the tools you choose |
| Your data | Drawback: In their database, exported on their terms | Advantage: In your database, in your accounts |
| Roadmap & pricing | Drawback: Vendor decides; features and prices change | Advantage: You decide what changes and when |
| Time to start | Advantage: Sign up today | Trade-off: Weeks to a first working version |
| Upfront cost | Advantage: Low; pay as you go | Trade-off: Higher upfront, lower over time |
custom isn't automatically the answer. The audit tells you which column wins, tool by tool.
Who you'll be working with.
I'm Jaydon, a full-stack developer in Lehi, Utah. I spent 4+ years building high-traffic Shopify and Hydrogen storefronts, including a headless rebuild for a multi-million-dollar DTC brand that handles 30k+ shoppers at once on big sale days. Now I build custom software like CRMs and internal tools, so businesses own what they use instead of renting it.
Simple engagements.
No per-seat fees to us, either. Care is optional and flat-rate.
Start small, prove the value, then decide what to build next.
step one
Audit
Free / intro
deeper audit: quoted after the intro
- 30-minute stack review call
- List of replace / keep candidates
- Rough build-vs-rent estimate
- Honest "don't build this" advice
the main event
Build
from$5k / project
fixed scope · milestone billing
- Custom tool or dashboard
- Integrations with tools you keep
- Data migration & validation
- Full source code & docs, yours
Typical projects
- Custom CRMfrom $12k
- Inventory / order managementfrom $10k
- Client portal or booking systemfrom $8k
- Internal dashboard or admin toolfrom $5k
- Custom Shopify app or Hydrogen storefrontfrom $5k
- Automations and workflows (replacing Zapier/Make)from $1.5k
- Integrations (connect or sync two tools)from $500
optional
Care plan
from$100 /mo
monthly, not per seat · cancel anytime
- Hosting & uptime monitoring
- Security updates & backups
- Small improvements & tweaks
- Priority fixes
Every project is quoted after a free audit. These are starting points.
Questions worth asking
before you build.
Straight answers to what usually comes up on the first call.
What if SaaS is actually the right call?
Then I'll tell you. Plenty of tools are worth every cent: mature, cheap per seat, or not core to how you work. The audit is a real recommendation, not a sales funnel, and "keep it" is a common answer.
Who maintains it after launch?
Your choice. I offer an optional flat-rate care plan for updates, monitoring and improvements. Or I hand off to your team or any developer you choose: the code is yours, documented, and built on mainstream, well-supported technology so you're never dependent on me.
What's it built with?
React Router for server-rendered web apps, deployed on Cloudflare's edge network. You own the code and the repo.
Is custom software secure?
It's built on proven frameworks with authentication, role-based access, encrypted connections and automated backups as standard. It runs in infrastructure you own and control. A smaller, purpose-built app also has a smaller attack surface than a platform serving thousands of companies.
How long does a build take?
Smaller builds in about a month; bigger systems get a milestone timeline up front. Either way, the smallest version that replaces real cost reaches your team first, then we iterate.
Find out what your stack really costs.
Tell me which tools you're paying for and what's frustrating about them. I'll come back with an honest read on what to replace, what to keep, and what it would take.
- 30-minute call, no obligation
- Reply within 24 hours
- Or email me@jaydongoodrich.com