Custom Software Development VS White Label Development

It is a well-established fact that companies often feel the pressure to launch their mobile application, no matter if it is in their budget or not. It has made them turn to white label apps which are becoming more popular in these years as more companies are recognizing the need of having an app. While label apps are often favoured over custom software development as they are affordable and can be easily implemented within a few days. However, you get what you pay, and in case of white label solutions, this isn’t much. They seem to be a great option, but they do fall short in different key areas. So, let’s compare white label development with custom software development.

What are White Label Apps?

White label development refers to generic application development which can easily be customized according to the company’s name, logo as well as product or even service information. You may even have limited control or no control over the features of the app as well as its functions, design, layout and other elements. Mobile apps in this particular category are generally basic, and you aren’t getting a cutting-edge and innovative interface with a highly refined UI or user interface. Most of the white label apps are generally hybrid which means that they can easily be used on different operating systems. But, since these apps aren’t actually meant to be innovative, they generally don’t have the native plugins which are required to create a hybrid app shine. Most of the while label applications developed by any web and mobile app development company are simple and straightforward, so the overall impact to the usefulness of the app is quite minimal

Customization is where white label development provides you with the most benefit. However, a custom software development company often charge you with exorbitant fees in order to customize the app. Also, you are never the owner of the white label app. The source code still remains with the company which puts you in quite a vulnerable position. If the company were to disappear or start charging you more, you would certainly don’t have an option. You would even lose all the time that you have invested in the curation of the content of the app. This is quite an important consideration for those who seek an e-commerce app as putting the entire shop’s products needs a significant investment of time. The fee for white label apps also varies depending on the actual nature and type of the app.

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 A major portion of these white label apps are often aimed at the e-commerce industry and in this case, it is typical of the application development company to charge a hefty monthly fee along with a percentage of your sales profits. In the case where company deals majorly in services, you may have to pay a monthly fee in order to keep the application up and running. You are also expected to pay up a significant upfront fee for the entire initial setup which can be quite perplexing as most of the white label development companies need the clients to actually configure and even set up the app all by themselves. Using a given client portal, you have to fill in the blanks by means of inputting your company’s text, logo and products. Some of these development companies do allow you to chose layouts, skins, and colour pallets from different pre-made options.

How does White Label Development compare to Custom Software Development?

There is a great difference between white label development and custom software development from the ground-up with the different precise specifications that you have in mind. In the case of white label apps, you are actually limited to a set of features and functions that the software design company offers. Some of these companies create a particular module system where you can easily choose the different modules that you require to include in the app. It is also quite common that few of the most useful models or the features are premium and often associated with a higher monthly fee.

When it comes to overall user-experience and user-friendliness, white label apps tend to fall short in comparison to custom software counterparts. A typical custom software development company generally integrates different comprehensive user analytics collecting tools in the interface of the app. This particular data can easily be analysed, interpreted and even used to refine the given UI such that it often meets the requirements of the given user base.

In case of white label interface, you are actually limited to different UI updates that are performed on the timeframe of the development company which deliver the best benefits to the most number of users across all of the clients of the company. Your users may even find these updates quite beneficial, but they might even skip over many of the various pain points of the customers. At best, most of the white label apps have a particular UI which is usable but not that ideal. At worst, you may even find the entire interface quite clunky as well as hard to use.

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Also, some of these apps don’t actually meet the set guidelines for the inclusion in the various app stores. This actually means that you are limited in terms of different potential distribution channels. Hence establishing a user base can be quite challenging.

Conclusion

In short, in case you require a most basic app features but don’t have the money in order to invest in the custom software development, then white label development is a great choice. Still, there are some white label products which are poorly developed and often deliver unrefined UX which you may actually serve better by investing the money in impressive and highly optimized mobile website.

In case you are looking for a high-quality app which can be a true asset to the business, then custom software development is the way to go. A well-crafted app can easily generate an ROI which can far exceed the overall development costs. For companies on a strict budget, you should consider working with web and mobile app development company which can create the app in phases. Hence, custom software development is better suited for improved mobile apps while in case you have a limited budget, then white label development is the best option.