Best Software Development Outsourcing UK

Lemberg Solutions vs Zühlke: full comparison for 2026

Quick verdict

Lemberg Solutions (4.7/5) edges ahead of Zühlke (4.1/5) overall. Lemberg Solutions is the better choice for UK product companies, software plus hardware, nearshore rates. Zühlke is the stronger option for regulated industries, medical devices, banking. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.

Lemberg Solutions vs Zühlke: head-to-head summary

Criterion Lemberg Solutions Zühlke
Founded 2007 1968
HQ Lviv, Ukraine (offices in London, Hamburg, Kraków) Schlieren, Switzerland (UK offices in London, Manchester, Edinburgh)
Team size 200+ 1,500–2,000
Rating 4.7 / 5 4.1 / 5
Primary differentiator One team can own firmware, electronics, cloud back end and the user-facing app, managed from a London office Swiss engineering discipline in regulated sectors with a UK team of about 150
Pricing model Time and materials, fixed price, dedicated team Time and materials, fixed price
Min. engagement Not published Not published
Primary tech stack Embedded C/C++, Embedded Linux, RTOS Java, .NET, Azure
Industries served Healthcare and medical devices, Automotive, Energy, Transportation and logistics, Manufacturing Financial services, Healthcare and medical devices, Public sector, Manufacturing

Lemberg Solutions vs Zühlke: overview

Lemberg Solutions

Lemberg Solutions was founded in 2007 and has grown to 200+ engineers working across embedded, cloud, data and AI, and web or mobile product development. UK clients deal with a London office at 25 Adelaide Road in West Ealing, while most engineering happens in Lviv and Kraków, with a further office in Hamburg. Named clients include Astronics, Caltech, Bosch Rexroth, Cellink, Ferno and Speede. The company holds ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 certification and transfers all intellectual property to the client.

Zühlke

Zühlke was founded in Switzerland in 1968 and employs close to 2,000 people, with nearshore centres in Serbia, Bulgaria, Portugal and Vietnam. The UK business marked 25 years in 2025 and has nearly 150 staff across London, Manchester and Edinburgh, led by UK CEO Angela Bishop since October 2024. UK clients include HSBC and NHS England. Its medical-device and regulated-industry engineering background is unusual for a services firm of this size.

Services and capabilities: Lemberg Solutions vs Zühlke

Capability Lemberg Solutions Zühlke
Custom software development ✓ ✓
Mobile app development ✓ ✗
Cloud & DevOps ✓ ✓
Data & AI ✓ ✓
Legacy modernisation ✗ ✗
Embedded & IoT ✓ ✓
Dedicated team model ✓ ✗
Fixed-price projects ✓ ✓

Tech stack comparison: Lemberg Solutions vs Zühlke

Framework / platform Lemberg Solutions Zühlke
.NET N/A ✓
Java N/A ✓
Python ✓ ✓
React ✓ ✓
AWS ✓ ✓
Azure ✓ ✓
Kubernetes N/A N/A
Embedded ✓ ✓

Pricing comparison: Lemberg Solutions vs Zühlke

Criterion Lemberg Solutions Zühlke
Minimum engagement Not published Not published
Engagement models Fixed project, Dedicated team, Team extension, Time and materials Fixed project, Time and materials
Rate transparency Not public Not public
Price tier Mid-market Mid-market

Target audience comparison: Lemberg Solutions vs Zühlke

Dimension Lemberg Solutions Zühlke
Best company size Startup to mid-market Startup to mid-market
Best industries Healthcare and medical devices, Automotive, Energy Financial services, Healthcare and medical devices, Public sector
Best use cases A UK medtech start-up needs firmware, a companion app and a cloud dashboard from one supplier., An industrial equipment maker wants to add connectivity and remote monitoring to an existing product line. A medtech company needs software developed under IEC 62304., A bank wants a regulated customer platform built with strong engineering governance.
Typical project type Fixed project Fixed project

Lemberg Solutions vs Zühlke: pros and cons

Lemberg Solutions
+ Covers the whole product, from electrical engineering and firmware through cloud and app development, so a UK buyer manages one supplier instead of three
+ ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 certification gives procurement teams documented security and quality processes to review
+ Established partnerships with NXP, Microchip and STMicroelectronics help when a product depends on specific silicon
+ All intellectual property passes to the client, which removes a common sticking point in outsourcing contracts
+ An in-house hardware lab lets the team prototype and test devices without waiting on third-party facilities
+ Engineering rates in Ukraine and Poland sit well below London consultancy day rates, while the London office keeps account management local
- Mass production is not handled in-house, so you will need a separate manufacturing partner for physical products
- Lemberg does not obtain regulatory certification for clients; it supplies the documentation and engineering support for approvals
- At 200+ people it cannot staff the very large programmes that Endava or EPAM can
- Some reviewers mention early friction over working hours before schedules were aligned with the client's time zone
Zühlke
+ Experience with medical device software regulations is rare among UK suppliers
+ Nearshore hubs give some cost flexibility beyond the UK team
+ Long-standing UK presence with named banking and NHS clients
- Swiss rate cards are high, even with nearshore staff in the mix
- The UK team is small relative to the group

Who should choose Lemberg Solutions?

A typical fit: a UK medtech start-up needs firmware, a companion app and a cloud dashboard from one supplier.

One team can own firmware, electronics, cloud back end and the user-facing app, managed from a London office. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Healthcare and medical devices, Automotive, Energy, Transportation and logistics, Manufacturing.

Who should choose Zühlke?

A typical fit: a medtech company needs software developed under IEC 62304.

Swiss engineering discipline in regulated sectors with a UK team of about 150. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Financial services, Healthcare and medical devices, Public sector, Manufacturing.

Decision matrix: Lemberg Solutions vs Zühlke

Your situation Recommended choice
You need full-ownership delivery on a defined project scope Lemberg Solutions
You need a large dedicated team for an ongoing programme Lemberg Solutions
Your budget is at the lower end Compare: Lemberg Solutions (Not published) vs Zühlke (Not published)
You need specialist depth in a specific vertical Lemberg Solutions
You want engineers added to your own in-house team Lemberg Solutions
Your product includes hardware, firmware or connected devices Lemberg Solutions

Use case fit: Lemberg Solutions vs Zühlke

Use case Lemberg Solutions fit Zühlke fit Winner
A UK medtech start-up needs firmware, a companion app and a cloud dashboard from one supplier. Strong Limited Lemberg Solutions
An industrial equipment maker wants to add connectivity and remote monitoring to an existing product line. Strong Limited Lemberg Solutions
A medtech company needs software developed under IEC 62304. Limited Strong Zühlke
A bank wants a regulated customer platform built with strong engineering governance. Limited Strong Zühlke
You need hardware, firmware or IoT work in the same contract Strong Strong Both equally
You want a fixed-price first phase before a longer engagement Strong Strong Both equally

Verdict: Lemberg Solutions vs Zühlke

Lemberg Solutions (4.7/5) is the stronger overall choice for most Software Development Outsourcing projects. One team can own firmware, electronics, cloud back end and the user-facing app, managed from a London office.

Zühlke (4.1/5) is worth a look in a scenario like this: a bank wants a regulated customer platform built with strong engineering governance. If your situation matches that, Zühlke is a competitive option.

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Lemberg Solutions vs Zühlke FAQ

Is Lemberg Solutions better than Zühlke?

Lemberg Solutions (4.7/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Lemberg Solutions's strongest advantage: covers the whole product, from electrical engineering and firmware through cloud and app development, so a UK buyer manages one supplier instead of three. Zühlke's strongest advantage: experience with medical device software regulations is rare among UK suppliers.

How do Lemberg Solutions and Zühlke differ in pricing?

Lemberg Solutions uses time and materials, fixed price, dedicated team pricing. Zühlke uses 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: Lemberg Solutions or Zühlke?

Zühlke 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 Lemberg Solutions and Zühlke?

Lemberg Solutions's primary differentiator is: one team can own firmware, electronics, cloud back end and the user-facing app, managed from a London office. Zühlke's primary differentiator is: swiss engineering discipline in regulated sectors with a UK team of about 150. They also differ in team size (200+ vs 1,500–2,000), minimum engagement (Not published vs Not published), and primary industries served (Healthcare and medical devices, Automotive vs Financial services, Healthcare and medical devices).

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