Top Software Development Companies

What is software development?

Software development encompasses all the processes from conception, developing, designing, testing, deploying, and supporting to final manifestation in a planned way that results in a standalone or individual software product that performs a task.

The software development industry has changed a lot since the 80s and is still changing very quickly. The process of building a Software is a systematic approach to the design and development of the software. It is a process of analyzing an entire system including the testing and maintenance of a software product. We can say that it is a complex procedure to curate modern and professional software that attracts more customers. Moreover, a genuine guide to software development helps in navigating through the process of software development without any hassle.

What is a software development company?

A bespoke Software development company designs, develops, and maintains software using trending technologies and tools for businesses or customers.

An ideal software development company will take its time to understand the need of software for your business. They will strive to know the importance of software and develop a customized solution for your business needs. Moreover, the software development company will focus on impacting users by integrating the latest features and functionalities.

What does a software development company do?

The primary goal of a software development outsourcing service provider company is to build a robust and fully functional software product. After identifying the targeted users, they will design and develop software to meet users’ needs.  Thus, hiring the best software developers can help in automating tasks and generating quality leads.

In addition to hiring the best talent, it’s essential to check the process that a company follows for software development as it creates a wide impact on the end solution that businesses receive. The core processes are followed to bring the actual results to the table.

The process of software development includes a lot of phases that are executed by different disciplines and different team members working dedicatedly on your project. A topmost custom software development company with experience in developing high-quality software works strategically on planning, designing, testing, deploying, and maintaining it.

Let us walk you through the services provided by a software development company.

• Custom software development
• Website development
• Mobile app development
• Software Prototyping
• System Integration
• DevOps Automation
• Quality Assurance
• Cloud Consulting

What are the different types of software development companies?

Software development is a huge market and information technology firms come in all different shapes and sizes. There are two main types of software development companies:

Service-based software development companies

Service-based software companies develop solutions for business organizations by working with them closely. With service-based companies, you get access to talented professionals and their expertise in delivering specialized software services. These agencies have a lot of experience in curating custom software development projects and can assist you in various areas of development. They not only focus on delivering your product in a fixed timeline but also invest in your business’ growth.

Product-based software development companies

Product-based software companies work on their own software products and focus on delivering them to their end-users. These solution providers invest most of their time and resources in developing unique solutions that can be configured on the client’s side. They develop software and implement out-of-the-box solutions that can be used by various business organizations to solve different problems. The software products developed by product-based software development vendors often include a lot of components that can be customized and configured according to your business needs. The two best examples of product-based software companies are Google and Microsoft.

System and Platform software development specialist:

• Website development companies
• UI/UX designers
• Mobile App development agencies
• Enterprise software companies
• eCommerce developers
• IoT development companies
• AI and machine learning service providers
• Big data companies
• Blockchain development firms
• Cloud computing consultants

Industry and Field based software development companies:

• Healthcare software development experts
• Fintech software Application developers
• Travel Software Development consultants
• Real estate software development professionals
• Education software development agencies
• HR software companies
• Retail software development partners
• Manufacturing software development service providers
• Logistics software development vendors
• Entertainment software development engineers
• Telecom software companies

Why does your business need software?

The use of software in our day-to-day lives is increasing rapidly and people are now relying on software to automate their tasks comfortably. Keeping the needs of customers in mind, modern businesses are choosing to invest in building a software now more than ever.

With the advancement in technologies, entrepreneurs are aware of this change and are focusing on a digital transformation. Now, every business, whether it is a small, mid-scale or large-scale enterprise, business needs software to furnish their specific business needs. Here are some of the top few reasons why your business needs software:

• Creates brand awareness
• Improves credibility
• Attracts more customers
• Generates leads
• Improves user experience
• Gives an advantage over competitors
• Helps to increase RoI
• Provides Automation to repetitive tasks and Decreases Human errors
• Saves Time
• Personalized features to business

Different types of software to meet your needs

There are 2 ways in which you can find a solution to your software needs it is, off-the-shelf software and custom software. In the quest for custom software and off-the-shelf software, you must go with the one that suits your business needs and requirements.

Custom software

Custom software is the bespoke software built by a dedicated team of developers exclusively for the set of requirements narrowed down by the businesses targeting a specific group of people, processes, or organizations. The custom software development goes through the procedural steps of the software development life cycle which results into a product that has the potential to take your business to greater heights.

Off-the-shelf software

Off-the-shelf software is built to meet a wide set of requirements and is available in a ready-to-use package. They are quickly installed, commercially marketed, and distributed in less than a week, but lack a high degree of customization, scalability, and modernization as facilitated under a custom software belt. With no access to source code, and security among others remains an issue.

What is the advantage of building custom software?

Custom software development is more favored by businesses rather than mass-produced off-the-shelf software due to the enormous benefits that come with it.

The major advantage of custom-made software are:

• It is unique and innovative product development that meets business-specific needs.
• Easily scale or get updated to accommodate changes as the business grow.
• Enable the team to complete their task satisfactorily, make them productive, and improve their performance.
• Seamlessly integrate with existing systems and processes with zero downtime.
• Continuous technical support from dedicated software professionals makes updates rendering and bug fixing a breeze.
• The upfront custom software development cost and time are higher, but it pays off in the longer run, in terms of benefits.

When choosing a custom software developer for your software development project make sure the talent pool provided by the outsourcing company must be well-versed with the different development methodologies and should be able to guide with the best one that your next project needs.

What are the different types of software development methodologies and why should it matters?

Software development methodology create a structure, builds a development plan, and controls the development process. Adhering to the pre-defined methodology is important to ensure the team members works collaboratively on the project with a clear understanding of tasks allocated and potential pitfalls to come proactively. The stable delivery, meeting deadlines, and no budget overruns are the byproducts of selecting the right methodology.

Before choosing a custom software development company, you must know certain basics about different methodologies of developing software.

The Waterfall Methodology

This is the oldest method of software development. In this method, a rigid linear model of development process is followed which consists of linear sequential phases each focusing on a distinct goal. The problem with this method is that a complete cycle must be finished before the next phase can be started. Modifications are not easy and this is what makes the process slow and costly.

The Agile Methodology

As developers got frustrated with the rigidity and low flexibility of the waterfall method, Agile methodology of software development was introduced. In agile, stress is on maintaining a robust communication with the client about the development process. It easily accommodates changes and it is equipped to handle complexity and variability normally seen during the process of development projects.

Scrum Methodology

Under the scrum methodology, the development team is encouraged to do a close collaboration.
Scrum takes an evidence-based empirical approach and acknowledges the fact that customers will change their minds mid-way about their requirements. Although the method is highly flexible and gives the decision-making power in the hands of the team it is not suitable for big-size projects and requires a highly expert team with no place for novices.

Extreme programming

Extreme programming was created with the aim of building software without thinking too much about the frequent changes in the requirements. Keeping costs down was another aim with which extreme programming was born.

The major advantage of extreme programming is that it establishes rational plans in schedules and focuses on involving the customer in every stage of development. But the issue with extreme programming is that the exact possibilities and future outcomes are unknown and its effectiveness really depends on the people who are involved.

All of the well-known software development methodologies follow nearly the same set of software development phases that forms a part of the software development life cycle. Based on the methodology to follow there is a variation in the timeline and number of iterations required in  SDLC for the successful completion of the software project.

Which are the different stages of the Software Development Life Cycle?

Every software development company builds software projects that go through various stages of the software development life cycle (SDLC)to ensure smooth releases because the output of one stage work as an input to the next stage. Here are the software development life cycle stages and their description-

Understanding the requirement

In this stage you, a business owner/entrepreneur, and the software consultants will brainstorm to understand the current problems and requirements regarding your business in market. It is best to get inputs from all the various stakeholders like decision-makers, customers, industry experts, developers as well as business developers and other cross-functional teams.

Software Development Planning Phase

In the planning stage, a road map of the software development process is decided. The allocation of resources is determined along with the budget after analysing the requirements of the project with the software development firm that you have hired.

Software Design Phase

The software design specifications are prepared in this phase of SDLC. Once the specifications are prepared then all the team members review the design specifications and offer their feedback and suggestions to make it more user and customer-friendly.

Software Development Phase

This is the stage where the actual development work starts. It is crucial to ensure that the custom software development company sticks to the plan. You should provide your inputs regarding the process of software development and engage with the person in-charge of over-viewing the development of your project as well as software developers to ensure that the end product is as per your specifications.

Software Testing Phase

This is the phase where the top custom software development companies fix the bugs and issues that normally creep in while developing the software. The testing of the software is done to ensure that the end-product meets its intended specifications.

Phase of Deployment and maintenance of the software

Once the product is tested successfully then it is ready to be delivered to you. There are separate deployment and implementation engineers who will ensure that the software is smoothly deployed and any additional information, if required, is provided regarding using the new software.

After the software is deployed, normally some issues come up, which can be due to either human errors or technical errors. To address these issues, the software company hired by you undertakes the maintenance schedule as per the SLA (Service Level Agreement).

The various stages of the SDLC process from software requirements understanding and planning to development and deployment ensure that software gets developed as expected. The importance of technology cannot be overlooked when it comes to building modernized software that meets the needs. It’s essential to find software development company that has a talent pool with expertise in niche technologies.

Top Software Development Technology Stack Experts

Are you looking for dedicated software developers for your project? To solve your problem, we have filtered the top software development companies according to their expertise in different technologies.

Node.js- Find top Node.js development companies on TopDevelopers.co who will build efficient Node.js apps for your business using the asynchronous and event-driven nature of Node.js.

Angular - Achieve effective cross-platform development and a faster development process by hiring dedicated angular developers from our list.
PHP -Hire PHP programmers from our list to build extremely flexible and cost-efficient PHP solutions.

.Net - The leading .NET development agencies listed on TopDevelopers.co will build .NET applications that are cost-effective and support a wide range of software applications.

Laravel - We have assimilated the list of top Laravel development companies for you. These companies will help you build technically robust Laravel applications that have a faster time to market.

Java - The best java development specialists mentioned in our list will help you build stable and platform-independent java solutions for your business.

Ruby on Rails - Contact the remote ruby on rails development service providers mentioned in the list to build economical and easy to maintain solutions for your business.

Python - On TopDevelopers.co, you will find a comprehensive list of high-quality python development solution providers who will build efficient and flexible python apps using the object-oriented nature of python.

WordPress - Hire WordPress experts who can leverage the power of the world’s most popular CMS and build attractive and efficient websites for your business.

What deciding factors to consider when selecting the best software development company?

When you are researching for top software companies to select from, you can choose a company that caters to your specific needs. Here are a few essentials you must focus on before you start your search for a software development professionals:

Technical skills

You must ensure that the company you are hiring has a team of experienced professionals who are well versed with programming languages and full-stack knowledge. Top outsourcing software development companies should help you navigate through the process as they are well versed with all aspects of the software development process including frontend, backend, network, database, and much more.

Time management skills

Reliable software development outsourcing hubs have a good work ethic and are known to get the job done in the given timeframe. When it comes to a fast-paced industry like software development, time is the essence. Thus, you must look out for companies with a track record of managing the time in different phases of the software development procedure.

Great communication skills

One of the most important things you need to look out for is if the remote development team you are researching for is able to communicate clearly and produce results accordingly. They should be able to convey the issues in a simple and understandable way. Communication is the key to the successful development of any software.

Hiring model

Different business projects may have different unique developers’ team hiring needs depending on project term, exclusivity, and engagement level required. Various types of hiring models fulfill the distinct project development needs so that businesses will have the best resources for their projects.

• Dedicated team model
• Extension team model
• Staff augmentation model
• Project-based model

How much does a software development company charge?

Every business looks for an accurate cost estimate for their software development project. Declaring a ballpark cost is implausible because every project is unique in itself in terms of size, functionalities, design complexity, maintenance, continuous support, and other factors. Here’s the breakdown of the average cost to build software based on its type.

Simple: A simple software development with basic MVP functionality and a simple user interface you may need a budget around $40k-120k.

Medium: Medium-scale software development with more sophisticated features and a custom UI may cost approximately $120k-200k.

Complex: Complex software development comes along with a unique user interface and high-level advanced features. It can cost more than $200k.

The cost of software development highly relies on the skill level of developers that will be working on your project. Accordingly, there are two specific aspects through which the software development cost is estimated.

Not to forget, the experience of developers affects the software development cost with changes in developers’ hourly rates. Three titles are given to the developers based on their experience level, that are junior, middle, and senior. The hourly rates of different experience level developers vary in distinct regions of the world.

What are the factors affecting the cost of a software development project?

Software development cost is one of the most important aspects of any software development project whether it is a startup, medium-level business, or a large-scale enterprise. Therefore, knowing about the factors influencing the cost of your software project can help you curate a budget for your dream project. Let's have a look at some of the most important factors affecting it.

Development time

The software project with a large number of features involves design complexity and requires an advanced tech stack, which takes comparatively more time to develop. The extended development time proportionately increases the cost to develop software. The experienced developers can complete the project in reduced time with higher technical expertise in identifying possible bottlenecks and fixing problems. However, the improved hourly rates of experienced engineers balance the cost another way round.

Complexity of the project

The more complex the development of your software is, the time required will also be high and consequently the cost will also increase. The complexity of the project increases with its scope. If you decide to increase the number of features, the number of third-party integrations and the number of user types for your software, then the scope will also increase accordingly. As the scope of the development requirements increase, so will the requirement of resources to develop, hence increasing the total cost to develop the project. Also, more demanding software applications require expert software developers for which the companies charge a higher amount.

Location of the developers

The geographical location of the dedicated software development specialists working remotely influences the development cost due to variations in the hourly rates, tax charges by the nation’s government, and other expenses. The developed countries with stable economies such as North America, Australia, the UK, Europe excluding Eastern Europe, and South America charge more for software development as compared to Asian software development outsourcing hubs like India.

If you are looking for the best software developers from a specific country, we have collated a list of expert software development solution providers in various locations:

Dedicated Custom Software Development Service Providers in USA

The United States of America is a hotbed of innovation and has some of the largest tech firms in the world. We have collated a list of the most efficient software developers in the USA.

Top Software Developers in India

India happens to be the most popular software outsourcing destination in the world today. Find the best Indian developer from our list of top Indian software developers.

Remote Software Development Agencies in UK

The United Kingdom happens to be one of the largest producers of top-notch software developers in Europe. You will find some of the best software developers in the UK from our list of the top software development companies in the UK.

Documents in software development outsourcing

One of the most important aspects of outsourcing your requirements to an offshore development company, which is often neglected, is the documentation for software development outsourcing. These documents play a vital role in specifying the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders as well as establishing required terms and conditions. Here are the key documents in software development:

• NDA- Non Disclosure Agreement
• MSA- Master Service Agreement
• DPA- Data Processing Agreement
• SOW- Statement of Work

How to outsource your Custom Software Development requirements to the best company?

The selection of a custom software development company for outsourcing project Outsourcing software development project rightly, by selecting a company to build your software, is a critical decision that can make or break the project’s success. You should consider a few aspects in mind before narrowing down the choice to ensure the project is outsourced to the right hands.

Well-versed with multiple technology stacks

Understand that a software development firm should have proper knowledge about various technology stacks to develop the most appropriate software product. Have a clear discussion about the type of platform and the technology stack that the remote software developers from the selected software development outsourcing service providers intend on using to build your project. If they are going to use the Java programming language in your project then they must have expert Java developers who have good knowledge of the language.

Robust process of software development

Software development is all about handling the process of developing a software product. All the experienced software development companies providing outsourcing services will have a robust process. Ask the representative about the plan to proceed with your project. A company that does not have a process will beat around the bush when you ask this question. Such a company should be avoided at all costs.

Dedicated software development team

Software development is a team game and no agency can produce high-quality software without having an experienced dedicated team of software developers.

Understand that there are many companies in the industry that claim to have a dedicated team but outsource their work to other smaller companies or freelancers. This is a clear Red flag as the quality is compromised. Hence before entrusting the project, check the credentials of the team and make it a point to have a one-on-one discussion with all the important team members who will be working on your project.

An experienced dedicated software development team working from a remote location has in store all the advantages of nearshoring to your organization. When you choose to hire dedicated developers for your software project, you have a team of professionals working exclusively for your business.

Provide post-development support

Many businesses and organizations believe that once the software is developed, the work is finished. On the contrary, the work has just begun. You will need constant support from the software development partner, as many bugs start surfacing when you start using the software in the real world. You do not want to end up with software that does not serve the purpose. Hence the software development agency that you have hired should be able to provide the required maintenance and support.

Be very clear to ask the software development company about the time duration and the extent of support that they will provide once the software is deployed. Ask about annual maintenance contracts, and what things will be included in these contracts. It is found that the efficient software development companies are more confident in its work and will generally give you a more extensive warranty.

Questions To Ask Custom Software Development Companies Before You Make Your Choice

When you are searching on google or any other search engine for a custom software development company, it is vital to know the questions you should be asking them. Software development is a considerable investment and thus, we have comprehended a list of questions to ask to make sure you are choosing the right software development company for your brainchild.

• What are your areas of expertise?
• Which is better project-based or dedicated team model for my software development?
• Have you developed software solutions for our industry before?
• How do you handle intellectual property and its issue?
• What to do if I am not satisfied with your product or service?
• What to do after a product is launched?
• What is your software maintenance plan?
• How do you develop project KPIs?
• What is your project management approach?
• What are your go-to tools for project management?
• How do you communicate with clients and customers?
• How much does custom software development cost?
• How do you estimate project timelines?
• Which programming language do you specialize in?
• What’s your preferred methodology and approach for the software development process?
• How are the intellectual rights handled?
• Can I scale the team working on my software project?
• Can you provide references to your previous clients and your portfolio?

How TopDevelopers.co help you in selecting the best software development company?

The list of top software development companies provided here will serve as a guiding light for selecting the best custom software developers to hire for your next project. While preparing this list our analysts have ensured that only the proven performers are selected.

Still, if you need assistance, our team is there to help you through the right company selection and hand-picking the seasoned pros for the project. Get connected with us by submitting business project requirements.