Contents of this guide
THE SHORT ANSWER
A due-diligence framework for evaluating a software agency, validating evidence, defining ownership and comparing proposals on equal terms.
Define what you are buying
Describe the users, essential workflows, integrations, launch constraints and ongoing support needs. A marketing website, internal tool and customer platform require different experience. Give each shortlisted agency the same brief so proposals can be compared on scope rather than presentation.
Inspect relevant work
Request a working example with similar constraints and ask what the team actually delivered. Review usability and maintenance requirements, not just screenshots. References should be shared with permission. Claims about revenue, ranking or performance need a baseline, measurement period and attributable evidence.
Understand the delivery team
Ask who handles discovery, design, engineering, testing and communication. Confirm how decisions are approved and how changes affect cost and timing. A useful delivery plan identifies dependencies on your own team, including content, system access and stakeholder review.
Compare proposals consistently
Record included features, exclusions, acceptance criteria, review rounds, payment milestones and support. Clarify responsibility for hosting, third-party fees, security updates and defects. Resolve ambiguous requirements before signing rather than expecting both sides to interpret them the same way.
Confirm ownership and handover
Check source-code rights, domain and hosting access, credentials, documentation and data export. Agree on the handover process and what happens if support ends. Keep essential business accounts under your control and grant access according to role.
Use a discovery step when scope is uncertain
A bounded discovery engagement can clarify risks before a larger commitment. Read our custom software delivery guide, inspect Appiex project examples and review the team when evaluating fit.
Five due-diligence questions for agencies
Give each shortlisted supplier the same project brief. Ask for a relevant demonstration rather than an unrelated logo wall, and request clarity about who actually did the work. A reputable agency should be able to describe trade-offs, limitations, testing standards and the point at which it recommends a simpler solution.
- Relevant evidence: a working example, exact delivered scope and a client reference where approved.
- Delivery team: named product lead, engineers, designers and review cadence.
- Acceptance: milestone demos, written change requests and defect severity levels.
- Ownership: repository, domain, hosting, third-party accounts and licensed components.
- Handover: documentation, deployment access, training and agreed support boundaries.
Score proposals against these answers, not presentation polish alone. The software implementation guide and build-versus-buy comparison provide useful questions for discovery.
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Frequently asked questions
What proof should I ask from an agency?
Request a relevant walkthrough, a clear statement of the team's role and verifiable evidence where publishing permissions allow.
Who should own the source code?
Agree in writing who receives repository, design, hosting and domain access and which third-party licences cannot transfer.
How do I compare different proposals?
Match deliverables, exclusions, acceptance tests, support and assumptions before comparing the total price.
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Founder and solutions architect covering software architecture, web engineering and product delivery.