We provide long-term support plans including monitoring, updates, bug fixes, and critical response to ensure your software remains reliable and secure.

How long is a piece of string? A rough guide is a simple proof of concept may cost between £0 and £5,000 and typically takes 4–8 weeks, while a minimal viable product (MVP) usually ranges from £5,000 to £20,000 over 8–12 weeks. A full application can cost between £20,000 and £50,000 and take around 3–6 months to develop. More complicated applications often fall in the £50,000 to £100,000 range with timelines of 6–9 months, while complex business platforms can exceed £100,000 and take 9 months or more. Ultimately, the final cost depends on factors such as features, integrations, scalability, and ongoing support requirements.

Project timelines vary based on scope, but we provide clear estimates during the discovery phase and follow agile processes to deliver efficiently.

Threat modelling begins with understanding your system and the risks it faces. While it starts before any code is written, it’s revisited throughout development to address emerging risks. It involves the development team planning how data will flow through the system. They identify potentially sensitive data, such as personal or financial information, and define trust boundaries – points where data crosses between components or users with different levels of trust. Anything crossing a trust boundary is treated as potentially untrusted, requiring security controls like authentication, encryption, and input validation.

We design software to scale from the outset using modular architecture, cloud infrastructure, and best-practice development, so it can grow with your business.

We typically work with SMEs and niche businesses that need custom software to solve complex problems and scale efficiently.

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We begin with a discovery session to understand your goals, challenges, and users. From there, we propose a tailored plan and timeline before kicking off the design and development phases.

We have extensive experience building custom integrations that connect your new software with existing platforms, delivering seamless and efficient workflows.

The short answer is that Shape sits in a specific sweet spot. We're a small, senior team that works like a product partner rather than a service provider. We're not the right fit for everyone, and we'd rather be honest about that upfront than waste your time. But if you're a founder or business owner who needs to move quickly, make smart technical decisions, and end up with something that actually works in production, that's exactly where we operate.

So the real question isn't "Can I build an app?", it's "Why will users choose mine?" Understanding what makes an app stand out is just as important as the technology behind it. The most successful apps aren't simply the best built. They're thoughtfully designed, clearly differentiated, and genuinely aligned with what their users need.

Quality assurance is integrated into every sprint with automated and manual testing. We follow industry best practices for security, including code reviews and penetration testing.

Yes, clients generally retain full ownership of the software and intellectual property we develop for them. We believe your ideas and products are yours to own and control.