Custom software & web apps
Custom software for the work off-the-shelf tools get wrong.
We build web applications, portals and internal tools on the same stack as our websites. We start from the workflow, not a feature list, and ship software your team can run from day one.
In short
Custom software development means building an application around how your business actually operates, with your scheduling rules, intake steps and approvals, instead of bending the business to fit a generic product. Digital Gravity designs, builds, hosts and maintains these applications in Next.js, TypeScript and Postgres, and the client owns the code.
What we build
Scheduling and booking engines
Availability rules, calendar sync, confirmations, reschedules and cancellations, built around how your team actually takes appointments.
Portals
Client, applicant and partner portals with sign-in, role-based access, document intake and status tracking, so people stop emailing to ask where things stand.
Internal tools and CRMs
Dashboards, pipelines and admin screens shaped to your process, replacing the spreadsheet that three people edit and nobody trusts.
Integrations
Connections to Google Calendar and Workspace, transactional email, SMS providers and the APIs your existing tools expose, so data moves without copy and paste.
Correctness in the database
Rules that must never break, such as no double bookings, are enforced by database constraints, not just by the interface, and backed by automated tests.
Hosting and maintenance
We deploy, monitor and maintain what we build, with error handling designed for the day a third-party API fails.
How we work
How a build runs
Workflow interview
We sit with the people who do the work and map each step, exception and handoff. The software follows the real process, not the org chart's version of it.
Data model first
Tables, relationships and constraints are designed before screens. A sound data model is what keeps the application correct as it grows.
A thin working slice
One complete path, from sign-in to the core action to the confirmation, goes to staging early, so you use real software within the first weeks instead of approving wireframes.
Hardening
Authentication, rate limiting, input validation, encryption of stored secrets, automated tests for the edge cases, and graceful failure when a dependency is down.
Launch and iterate
We launch to your team, watch real usage, and ship the second round of changes from what people actually do rather than what we guessed.
Proof in production
The engine behind our own booking links
The Book a call button on this site runs on software we wrote. Each team member signs in with Google, sets weekly availability and shares a booking link. A confirmed booking creates a Google Calendar event with a Meet link and sends confirmation emails with private cancel and reschedule links. Some of the engineering underneath:
- Double bookings are impossible at the database level. A Postgres exclusion constraint rejects overlapping reservations, and the losing request gets a plain 'that time was just taken' message.
- Availability is stored as wall-clock time in the host's timezone and converted per date, so daylight-saving changes never move a slot. Spring-forward and fall-back are covered by automated tests.
- Google refresh tokens are encrypted at rest with AES-256-GCM. If a token is revoked, public pages show 'temporarily unavailable' instead of an error, and the host gets an email to reconnect.
- The public booking form is protected by Cloudflare Turnstile, a honeypot field and per-IP rate limiting.
Software is maintenance as well as code, so we are candid when an existing product would serve you better. The table below is the rule of thumb we use.
| Situation | Our usual advice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The workflow is standard, like accounting or payroll | Buy | Mature products do this well, and their cost is shared across many customers. |
| Staff copy data between three tools by hand | Build the connection | A small integration removes the copy-paste step and the errors that come with it. |
| Your scheduling, pricing or intake rules are unusual | Build | Generic tools force workarounds that staff learn to dread. |
| The data itself is a competitive advantage | Build | Owning the schema and the database keeps it portable and queryable. |
| You need it next week and the need may pass | Buy | Every application you build is one you maintain. |
Proof
Software we run in production
- Booking engineThe scheduler behind every Book a call link on this site, with Google Calendar and Meet integration, conflict-proof reservations and DST-safe availability.See the details
- Careers funnel for a skilled-trades employerJob postings structured for Google, an application flow and screening. It drew 40 distinct applicants in five weeks; the client reports seven hires from it so far.See the details
Tools we build with
- Next.js
- React
- TypeScript
- Postgres
- Drizzle ORM
- Neon
- Google APIs
- Resend
- Cloudflare Turnstile
- Vitest
Frequently asked questions
How much does custom software cost?
It depends on how many workflows, roles and integrations the application needs. We scope one complete working path first and price from there, so you see cost against a specific, demonstrable result rather than a long feature list.
Do we own the code?
Yes. The repository lives in an account you control, and the application runs on hosting you own or can take over.
Can you take over an application someone else built?
Often, yes. We start with a code and infrastructure review covering dependencies, data model, security and deployment, then tell you plainly whether to maintain, refactor or rebuild, and why.
How do you handle security and private data?
Least-privilege access, encrypted secrets, validated input, rate limiting on public endpoints, and no real customer data in demos or screenshots. Sensitive fields are encrypted at rest when the application stores them.
Should we build custom software or buy an existing product?
Buy when your workflow is standard and a mature product exists. Build when your process is a differentiator, when staff are bridging tools by hand, or when owning the data matters. We'll say so if buying is the better call.
What happens after launch?
We monitor errors and usage, fix what breaks, and plan the next round of improvements from how people actually use the software. Ongoing maintenance is scoped with you once the software is live.
Related services and reading
- AI Integration & AutomationDrafting, triage, extraction and role-scoped assistants, with human approval, spending caps and logs built in from the start.
- Web Design & DevelopmentCustom websites in Next.js: fast, accessible, structured for search, and migrated without losing the rankings you already have.
- White-Label DevelopmentNext.js builds, WordPress support, migrations and SEO fulfilment under your agency's brand, with the terms in writing first.
Talk it through with the people who'd build it.
Twenty minutes on Google Meet. Tell us what you need; we'll tell you plainly what we'd do and whether we're the right fit.