Forgd vs Hiring an Agency

Agencies do great work. But for small business projects, you're often paying for overhead you don't need.

Agencies aren't the enemy

Good agencies do excellent work. They have teams, processes, and experience across dozens of projects. For large, complex builds that need multiple specialists working together, an agency can absolutely be the right choice.

But for most small business projects, an agency is like hiring a removal company to move a bookcase. You'll get the job done, but you'll pay for the truck, the team, the insurance, and the project manager - when all you really needed was one person who knows what they're doing.

Where agencies fall short for small businesses

You're paying for the overhead

Agencies have offices, account managers, project managers, HR departments, and marketing teams. All of that costs money, and all of it gets baked into your quote. A project that might cost a few thousand pounds with a solo developer can easily cost tens of thousands at an agency.

For a small business, that's the difference between getting the software you need and not being able to afford it at all.

You never talk to the person building it

At most agencies, you deal with an account manager. They relay your requirements to a project manager, who briefs a developer. It's a game of telephone - and your nuances get lost along the way.

With Forgd, you talk directly to the person writing the code. No middlemen, no misunderstandings, no "I'll pass that on to the team".

Small projects go to the back of the queue

Agencies prioritise their biggest clients. If you're spending £5,000 and their other client is spending £50,000, guess whose emails get answered first.

Your project deserves proper attention regardless of its size. That's what you get when you work with someone who genuinely values every client.

Everything takes longer

More people means more process. Kickoff meetings, sprint planning, stakeholder reviews, sign-off chains. All of this adds weeks to a project that could be done in days.

Small business software doesn't need enterprise process. It needs someone to listen, build, and deliver.

After handover, support gets expensive

Most agencies treat the build and the support as separate things. The build has a fixed price, but ongoing support? That's a retainer. Or a separate contract. Or billed by the hour. With Forgd, ongoing management is included from day one - hosting, backups, security, monitoring, and support, all in one monthly fee.

How Forgd compares to hiring an agency

Feature	Forgd	Hiring an Agency
Pricing	Fixed quote, no surprises	Day rates, retainers, change requests
Timeline	Days to weeks	Weeks to months
Who builds it	You talk directly to the developer	Account managers, project managers, then a developer
Ongoing support	Included in your monthly fee	Expensive support contract or nothing
Backups & hosting	Included and managed	Separate cost, often outsourced
Security updates	Included	Billed separately
Your priority level	Every client matters equally	Small projects go to the back of the queue
Communication	Direct, no middlemen	Layers of people between you and the code
Scope changes	Quick conversation, clear quote	Change request forms, approval chains
Code ownership	You own everything	Check the contract carefully

When an agency makes sense

There are genuine cases where hiring an agency is the better choice.

Large enterprise projects needing a full team of specialists
Projects requiring dedicated design, UX research, and branding alongside development
Companies with the budget to invest six figures in a software build
Highly regulated industries requiring formal compliance processes

When Forgd is the better choice

Forgd is built for small businesses that need proper software without the agency price tag.

Small businesses that need reliable software without the enterprise budget
Business owners who want to talk directly to the person building their software
Anyone who wants a fixed price with ongoing support included
People who've been quoted five figures by an agency for something that should cost a fraction of that
Owners who want things done quickly, without weeks of process

Frequently asked questions

Is Forgd cheaper than an agency?

Almost always, yes. Agencies carry significant overhead - offices, project managers, account managers, HR, marketing. All of that gets passed on to you in the price. With Forgd, you're paying for the actual work, not the overhead.

But don't agencies have more resources?

For a large enterprise project that needs ten developers working in parallel, sure. But for small business software - a booking system, a dashboard, a client portal - one experienced developer working directly with you will deliver faster and better than a team of people who've never spoken to you.

What if my project grows beyond what one person can handle?

That's a great problem to have, and it's a conversation I'm happy to have openly. For the vast majority of small business projects, a solo developer is more than enough. If your needs genuinely outgrow what I can deliver, I'll tell you honestly rather than pretend otherwise.

What happens if you go out of business?

You own all the code, always. It's yours. If for any reason I stopped operating, you'd have the complete codebase, documentation, and the freedom to take it to any developer or agency. I'd never hold your business hostage.

How do you handle feature requests after launch?

Just ask. Your monthly plan includes ongoing changes and improvements. No change request forms, no approval chains, no waiting weeks for a project manager to schedule it in. You tell me what you need, I build it.

Skip the agency overhead. Start building.

No day rates, no middlemen, no six-figure quotes. Just reliable software, built and managed for your business.

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