{"head":{"title":"How to Choose a Software Agency: What to Check | OceanLab","description":"Choose a software agency on relevant work, who will actually build it, how they handle scope and ownership, and a small paid first step. A checklist.","canonical":"https://oceanlab.in/questions/how-to-choose-a-software-agency"},"crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"Questions","path":"/questions"},{"name":"How do I choose a software agency?","path":"/questions/how-to-choose-a-software-agency"}],"question":"How do I choose a software agency?","answer":["Pick on evidence, not pitches: similar work they can show, the actual people who will build yours, how they handle scope changes, and a contract that gives you the code and accounts. Then start with a small, paid first step, such as a prototype, before you commit to the full build."],"sections":[{"heading":"What to check","body":[],"bullets":[["Relevant case studies, ideally in your industry and at your scale, and references you can call."],["The named team: who designs, who builds, who leads, and how much of their time you get."],["Process: how often you see working software, how changes are priced, how quality is tested."],["Ownership: code, IP and accounts assigned to you."],["Security and compliance experience if your data is regulated."],["Overlap with your working hours and how communication works day to day."],["Pricing model and what is not included."]]},{"heading":"Run a small first step","body":[["A paid ",{"href":"/glossary/clickable-prototype","text":"clickable prototype"}," or a short discovery shows you how the agency thinks, communicates and delivers before the big contract. You keep the output either way."],["At OceanLab the clickable prototype is the first step of every build. Our case studies show the product builds we have done for clients, by industry."]],"bullets":[]}],"faqs":[{"question":"Agency, freelancer or in-house?","answer":"An agency gives you a ready team and process, a freelancer suits a small well-defined job, and an in-house team suits long-term core work. Many companies mix them."},{"question":"Does the cheapest quote win?","answer":"Compare what each quote includes and the team behind it. A low quote with vague scope often costs more by the end."},{"question":"Should I send an RFP?","answer":"For larger or public-sector projects, yes. For smaller ones, a clear brief and a short call with each candidate is usually enough."}],"terms":[{"href":"/glossary/clickable-prototype","label":"clickable prototype"},{"href":"/glossary/fixed-price","label":"fixed-price contract"},{"href":"/glossary/time-and-materials","label":"time and materials"},{"href":"/glossary/total-cost-of-ownership","label":"total cost of ownership"}],"tools":[{"href":"/tools/software-rfp-template","label":"Software RFP template","detail":"Free tool"},{"href":"/tools/developer-rate-comparison","label":"Developer rate comparison","detail":"Free tool"},{"href":"/tools/project-brief-template","label":"Project brief template","detail":"Free tool"}],"links":[{"href":"/case-studies","label":"Case studies","detail":"Product builds by OceanLab, by industry."},{"href":"/contact","label":"Talk to OceanLab","detail":"Tell us about the build and we reply by email."}],"related":[{"href":"/questions/how-to-write-a-software-rfp","label":"How do I write a software RFP?","detail":"Question"},{"href":"/questions/fixed-price-or-hourly","label":"Should I pay fixed price or hourly for software?","detail":"Question"},{"href":"/questions/who-owns-the-code","label":"Who owns the code when you hire a software agency?","detail":"Question"},{"href":"/compare/ai-agent-vs-workflow-automation","label":"AI agent vs workflow automation","detail":"Comparison"},{"href":"/compare/rag-vs-fine-tuning","label":"RAG vs fine-tuning","detail":"Comparison"},{"href":"/glossary","label":"Glossary","detail":"Every term, in plain words."}],"sources":[],"legal":false,"updatedAt":"2026-10-25"}