A software house vs a digital agency

Arkadiusz Kubiak

Are software houses and digital agencies direct competitors on the market? What services do they exactly offer? How do they differ from each other? What kinds of projects do they carry out? We are going to answer all these questions!

Simply put, a digital agency is a combination of a marketing agency and a software company. Activities like building websites or developing web applications are just a part of its offer. There are more - search engine optimisation, Google ads or reaching more customers via online marketing.

A software house, in turn, focuses solely on deploying software and designing various IT solutions in accordance with the customer's business expectations. Programmers, integral parts of every team, and project managers, with full knowledge of how communication in IT works, are the foundation of this institution.

What makes software houses stand out on the market?

  • A ready team of professionals in various fields (e.g. programmers, testers, project managers)
  • Being prepared to perform complicated tasks related to dedicated IT systems - great flexibility and long-term, multi-stage projects
  • Qualifications to develop personalised web applications that let the customer gain a competitive advantage
  • Experience in developing elaborate software, e.g. loyalty programs, educational platforms, CRM systems, payoff systems or various logistics systems

It is important to note that digital agencies may delegate more complicated projects to their technical partners. In such a case choosing a software house shortens the communication chain in project management and reduces the overall cost by avoiding the price of the subcontractor.

To sum up, if You need an online campaign or a simple IT project, like a static website based on Wordpress, choose a digital agency. They are most likely to use the tools they already have. However, if You are planning to deploy a dedicated e-commerce solution or a mobile application with unusual functionalities, choose a software house. They usually employ a larger number of developers and have experience in projects with wide scope.

Can a software house and a digital agency cooperate? Of course! If You want to combine online advertising with software development, nothing stops these two from carrying out the project together. In such a case, though, it is important to distribute the tasks accordingly and fully understand the Customer's ultimate objective.

Arkadiusz Kubiak

Arkadiusz Kubiak
CTO & Founder – has extensive IT knowledge and builds IT architectures based on clear business directions. He can find effective optimization for every process. His focus is building a dedicated team for a specific project. He has been working in the IT industry for 10 years. Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań graduate.

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