Softwire
Privately owned London software consultancy delivering bespoke builds for UK media, charity and public-sector clients
Founded 2000 | London, United Kingdom | 250–500 employees
custom-softwareweb-appscloud-devopspublic-sector-digitalproduct-design
What is Softwire?
Softwire has been writing bespoke software out of London since 2000; the legal entity was incorporated in 1999. Directory estimates put its headcount anywhere between 240 and 500, with offices in London, Manchester and Bristol. Clients have included the BBC and Channel 5, and the firm also runs a developer training programme. Nearly all of its delivery happens in the UK, so it competes on quality and communication rather than price.
Softwire works primarily with clients in Media, Charities, Public sector, Education, Retail sectors. What sets it apart: Long-standing onshore bespoke development that trains its own graduate engineers.
Softwire tech stack and services
C#.NETJavaTypeScriptReactAWSAzure
| Service area |
|---|
| Custom Software |
| Web Applications |
| Cloud & DevOps |
| Public Sector Digital |
| Product Design |
Softwire pricing
Short answer: Softwire uses a time and materials, fixed price pricing approach. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed; a discovery call is required.
| Engagement model | Typical range | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed project | Quoted per project | Well-defined scope |
| Time and materials | Variable; depends on team size | Large programmes or team augmentation |
Softwire does not publish a public rate card. Contact them directly via their website to get project-specific pricing.
Softwire pros and cons
| Advantages | Things to consider |
|---|---|
| +Twenty-five years of bespoke UK delivery with recognisable media clients | -UK-based delivery means higher rates than nearshore vendors |
| +Onshore teams make workshops and on-site sessions easy | -Headcount and office figures vary widely between directories, so ask for current numbers |
| +Willing to take on fixed-price work for well-scoped projects |
Softwire vs alternatives
How Softwire compares to the other top Software Development Outsourcing companies.
| Company | Best for | Main difference | Rating | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lemberg Solutions | UK product companies, software plus hardware, nearshore rates. | One team can own firmware, electronics, cloud back end and the user-facing app, managed from a London office | 4.7 | Full comparison |
| Future Processing | UK insurers and financial firms, long-term nearshore teams. | Twenty-five years of delivery from Poland with UK-based account leadership in the City | 4.6 | Full comparison |
| Endava | Large UK programmes, payments and banking, nearshore at... | UK headquarters and governance with more than 10,000 engineers in lower-cost nearshore locations | 4.5 | Full comparison |
| Godel Technologies | UK mid-market firms wanting a UK-run nearshore team. | UK management and contracting with engineers spread across four EU and EU-adjacent countries | 4.4 | Full comparison |
| ELEKS | Data-heavy custom software, Ukrainian rates, mature processes. | Three decades of outsourced delivery with an in-house research and development unit | 4.4 | Full comparison |
| Amdaris (Insight) | UK firms on Azure, .NET modernisation, Eastern European... | A UK base in Bristol with delivery from Moldova, one of the lower-cost locations in Europe | 4.3 | Full comparison |
| Scott Logic | Capital markets and government, UK-only delivery required. | Trading-system and capital-markets engineering from teams based entirely in the UK | 4.3 | Full comparison |
| N-iX | Large dedicated teams, data and cloud engineering, Ukrainian... | A 2,400-engineer pool that can staff large data and cloud teams quickly | 4.3 | Full comparison |
| Spyrosoft | Automotive and industrial software, UK-led Polish teams. | Polish engineering capacity with a UK co-founder running the UK business | 4.2 | Full comparison |
| Equal Experts | Senior engineers for complex delivery, government and retail. | Senior-only teams drawn from a large associate network | 4.2 | Full comparison |
| STX Next | Python back ends and data products, Polish rates. | Deep Python specialism across web back ends, data engineering and machine learning | 4.2 | Full comparison |
| Kainos | UK government digital services, Workday programmes. | Combined government digital delivery and Workday partnership, listed on the LSE | 4.2 | Full comparison |
| Infinum | Consumer apps where design quality matters. | In-house product design and mobile engineering with a strong portfolio of consumer apps | 4.1 | Full comparison |
| Made Tech | UK central and local government buyers. | Public-sector-only focus with a growing contracted backlog | 4.1 | Full comparison |
| Zühlke | Regulated industries, medical devices, banking. | Swiss engineering discipline in regulated sectors with a UK team of about 150 | 4.1 | Full comparison |
| Codurance | Legacy modernisation, engineering-practice improvement. | Craftsmanship-led delivery that also coaches in-house teams | 4.1 | Full comparison |
| Ciklum | Large dedicated teams with a London contract. | London headquarters with a long history of large dedicated teams in Ukraine and Central Europe | 4.1 | Full comparison |
| BJSS (CGI) | NHS and government programmes, large onshore delivery. | Large UK onshore delivery capacity, now backed by CGI's global network | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| AND Digital | Companies building in-house digital capability. | Delivers products while explicitly upskilling the client's own staff | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| SoftServe | Big cloud and data programmes, Ukrainian rates at... | Scale and cloud partner status combined with Eastern European rates | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| DataArt | Travel and finance firms, long-term nearshore teams. | Two decades of London presence and specialist travel-industry engineering | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| Sigma Software | Broad-scope outsourcing, Scandinavian-owned vendor. | Swedish group ownership with Ukrainian and Polish engineering | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| Apadmi | UK brands that need flagship mobile apps. | Mobile-only specialism with a client list of household UK names | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| Thoughtworks | Complex modernisation, engineering culture change. | Thought leadership in software practice, backed by a large global delivery network | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| Hippo Digital | Public bodies wanting user-centred service design. | User research and service design led delivery for UK public services | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| EPAM Systems | FTSE-scale programmes, strict compliance, huge teams. | The largest delivery capacity on this list, with mature compliance and security processes | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| Version 1 | Oracle and Microsoft estates, public-sector managed services. | Managed services for Oracle, Microsoft and AWS estates with Indian and Spanish delivery | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| Box UK | Mid-sized web and e-commerce builds. | Small Welsh team with long-standing enterprise web clients | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| Itransition | Budget-conscious buyers, broad generalist work. | Low rates across a wide catalogue of development and platform services | 3.8 | Full comparison |
Softwire FAQ
What is Softwire?
Privately owned London software consultancy delivering bespoke builds for UK media, charity and public-sector clients
How much does Softwire charge?
Softwire uses time and materials, fixed price pricing. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. A discovery call is required to get project-specific quotes.
What tech stack does Softwire use?
Softwire works with C#, .NET, Java, TypeScript, React, AWS, Azure. Primary industries served include Media, Charities, Public sector, Education, Retail.
Is Softwire right for enterprise?
UK media and charities, bespoke builds, onshore teams. 250–500 team size. Main consideration: UK-based delivery means higher rates than nearshore vendors.
What are the best Softwire alternatives?
The best alternatives to Softwire depend on your use case. Top options are:
- Lemberg Solutions: one team can own firmware, electronics, cloud back end and the user-facing app, managed from a london office
- Future Processing: twenty-five years of delivery from poland with uk-based account leadership in the city
- Endava: uk headquarters and governance with more than 10,000 engineers in lower-cost nearshore locations
Compare Softwire with other Software Development Outsourcing companies
Softwire vs Lemberg Solutions Softwire vs Future Processing Softwire vs Endava Softwire vs Godel Technologies Softwire vs ELEKS Softwire vs Amdaris (Insight) Softwire vs Scott Logic Softwire vs N-iX Softwire vs Spyrosoft Softwire vs Equal Experts Softwire vs STX Next Softwire vs Kainos Softwire vs Infinum Softwire vs Made Tech Softwire vs Zühlke Softwire vs Codurance Softwire vs Ciklum Softwire vs BJSS (CGI) Softwire vs AND Digital Softwire vs SoftServe Softwire vs DataArt Softwire vs Sigma Software Softwire vs Apadmi Softwire vs Thoughtworks Softwire vs Hippo Digital Softwire vs EPAM Systems Softwire vs Version 1 Softwire vs Box UK Softwire vs Itransition
Verify all details directly with Softwire before making a decision.