Best Software Development Outsourcing UK

Equal Experts vs Made Tech: full comparison for 2026

Quick verdict

Equal Experts (4.2/5) edges ahead of Made Tech (4.1/5) overall. Equal Experts is the better choice for senior engineers for complex delivery, government and retail. Made Tech is the stronger option for UK central and local government buyers. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.

Equal Experts vs Made Tech: head-to-head summary

Criterion Equal Experts Made Tech
Founded 2007 2008
HQ London, United Kingdom London, United Kingdom
Team size 1,000–4,000 (staff and associates) 400–500
Rating 4.2 / 5 4.1 / 5
Primary differentiator Senior-only teams drawn from a large associate network Public-sector-only focus with a growing contracted backlog
Pricing model Time and materials, capability-based Framework call-offs, time and materials, fixed price
Min. engagement Not published Not published
Primary tech stack Java, Kotlin, TypeScript Ruby, Python, Java
Industries served Public sector, Retail, Financial services, Telecoms Public sector, Local government, Healthcare

Equal Experts vs Made Tech: overview

Equal Experts

Equal Experts launched in London in 2007 with a flat structure built around experienced engineers. The company lists a network of around 4,000 people, a mix of permanent staff and independent associates, and a consultancy directory reports that it is owned by its consultant and customer network through the Equal Experts Trust. UK clients have included HMRC, Defra and John Lewis. Teams are mostly senior and onshore, and its pricing reflects that.

Made Tech

Made Tech was founded in London in 2008 and listed on AIM in 2021. FY25 revenue (to May 2025) rose 20% to £46.4m with a contracted backlog of £92.2m, and the company reported around 430 employees after a period of hiring. Almost all of its work is for UK central and local government, health and other regulated bodies. Contractor use rose to 19% of the workforce in FY25, and management has said it plans to bring that back toward 10%.

Services and capabilities: Equal Experts vs Made Tech

Capability Equal Experts Made Tech
Custom software development ✓ ✓
Mobile app development ✗ ✗
Cloud & DevOps ✓ ✓
Data & AI ✓ ✓
Legacy modernisation ✓ ✓
Embedded & IoT ✗ ✗
Dedicated team model ✗ ✗
Fixed-price projects ✗ ✓

Tech stack comparison: Equal Experts vs Made Tech

Framework / platform Equal Experts Made Tech
.NET N/A N/A
Java ✓ ✓
Python N/A ✓
React N/A N/A
AWS ✓ ✓
Azure N/A ✓
Kubernetes ✓ N/A
Embedded N/A N/A

Pricing comparison: Equal Experts vs Made Tech

Criterion Equal Experts Made Tech
Minimum engagement Not published Not published
Engagement models Time and materials, Team extension Fixed project, Time and materials
Rate transparency Not public Not public
Price tier Mid-market Mid-market

Target audience comparison: Equal Experts vs Made Tech

Dimension Equal Experts Made Tech
Best company size Mid-market to enterprise Startup to mid-market
Best industries Public sector, Retail, Financial services Public sector, Local government, Healthcare
Best use cases A government department needs senior engineers to rescue a struggling platform., A retailer wants a cloud platform team to build internal developer tooling. A council wants legacy case-management systems replaced., A government department needs a discovery and alpha phase for a new service.
Typical project type Time and materials Fixed project

Equal Experts vs Made Tech: pros and cons

Equal Experts
+ Consultants are typically very experienced, which reduces the need for close supervision
+ Proven track record on large UK government platforms such as HMRC's
+ Ownership structure aligns consultants with long-term client outcomes
- Associate-heavy model means team members may change between engagements
- Mostly onshore and senior, so day rates are among the higher ones on this list
Made Tech
+ Deep familiarity with GDS service standards and government frameworks
+ Public reporting makes financial health easy to check
+ A growing backlog points to sustained repeat business from government
- Little private-sector experience, so commercial buyers have better options
- No offshore delivery, so rates are UK onshore rates
- Contractor reliance roughly doubled in FY25

Who should choose Equal Experts?

A typical fit: a government department needs senior engineers to rescue a struggling platform.

Senior-only teams drawn from a large associate network. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Public sector, Retail, Financial services, Telecoms.

Who should choose Made Tech?

A typical fit: a council wants legacy case-management systems replaced.

Public-sector-only focus with a growing contracted backlog. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Public sector, Local government, Healthcare.

Decision matrix: Equal Experts vs Made Tech

Your situation Recommended choice
You need full-ownership delivery on a defined project scope Made Tech
You need a large dedicated team for an ongoing programme Check each company's engagement model
Your budget is at the lower end Compare: Equal Experts (Not published) vs Made Tech (Not published)
You need specialist depth in a specific vertical Equal Experts
You want engineers added to your own in-house team Equal Experts
Your product includes hardware, firmware or connected devices Neither; consider an embedded specialist

Use case fit: Equal Experts vs Made Tech

Use case Equal Experts fit Made Tech fit Winner
A government department needs senior engineers to rescue a struggling platform. Strong Limited Equal Experts
A retailer wants a cloud platform team to build internal developer tooling. Strong Limited Equal Experts
A council wants legacy case-management systems replaced. Limited Strong Made Tech
A government department needs a discovery and alpha phase for a new service. Limited Strong Made Tech
You need hardware, firmware or IoT work in the same contract Limited Limited Both equally
You want a fixed-price first phase before a longer engagement Limited Strong Made Tech

Verdict: Equal Experts vs Made Tech

Equal Experts (4.2/5) is the stronger overall choice for most Software Development Outsourcing projects. Senior-only teams drawn from a large associate network.

Made Tech (4.1/5) is worth a look in a scenario like this: a government department needs a discovery and alpha phase for a new service. If your situation matches that, Made Tech is a competitive option.

Related comparisons

Equal Experts vs Made Tech FAQ

Is Equal Experts better than Made Tech?

Equal Experts (4.2/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Equal Experts's strongest advantage: consultants are typically very experienced, which reduces the need for close supervision. Made Tech's strongest advantage: deep familiarity with GDS service standards and government frameworks.

How do Equal Experts and Made Tech differ in pricing?

Equal Experts uses time and materials, capability-based pricing. Made Tech uses framework call-offs, time and materials, fixed price pricing. Neither firm publishes a full rate card; a discovery call is required for project-specific quotes.

Which is better for enterprise: Equal Experts or Made Tech?

Equal Experts is the larger team and typically the better enterprise-scale choice. For very large programmes, verify team size and compliance coverage directly with each company before shortlisting.

What are the main differences between Equal Experts and Made Tech?

Equal Experts's primary differentiator is: senior-only teams drawn from a large associate network. Made Tech's primary differentiator is: public-sector-only focus with a growing contracted backlog. They also differ in team size (1,000–4,000 (staff and associates) vs 400–500), minimum engagement (Not published vs Not published), and primary industries served (Public sector, Retail vs Public sector, Local government).

Verify all details directly with each company before making a decision.