Best Software Development Outsourcing UK

Made Tech vs Apadmi: full comparison for 2026

Quick verdict

Made Tech (4.1/5) edges ahead of Apadmi (3.9/5) overall. Made Tech is the better choice for UK central and local government buyers. Apadmi is the stronger option for UK brands that need flagship mobile apps. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.

Made Tech vs Apadmi: head-to-head summary

Criterion Made Tech Apadmi
Founded 2008 2009
HQ London, United Kingdom Manchester, United Kingdom
Team size 400–500 250–300
Rating 4.1 / 5 3.9 / 5
Primary differentiator Public-sector-only focus with a growing contracted backlog Mobile-only specialism with a client list of household UK names
Pricing model Framework call-offs, time and materials, fixed price Time and materials, fixed price
Min. engagement Not published Not published
Primary tech stack Ruby, Python, Java Swift, Kotlin, Flutter
Industries served Public sector, Local government, Healthcare Retail, Media, Healthcare, Public sector

Made Tech vs Apadmi: overview

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%.

Apadmi

Apadmi was founded in 2009 in Manchester and has its headquarters at MediaCity. It reported more than 300 employees in 2024, with hubs in London, Edinburgh, Lisbon and Amsterdam. The company builds and maintains mobile apps for large UK brands, including Argos, the BBC, Co-op, Asda and the NHS. Its Lisbon hub adds a lower-cost option within Western Europe.

Services and capabilities: Made Tech vs Apadmi

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

Tech stack comparison: Made Tech vs Apadmi

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

Pricing comparison: Made Tech vs Apadmi

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

Target audience comparison: Made Tech vs Apadmi

Dimension Made Tech Apadmi
Best company size Startup to mid-market Startup to mid-market
Best industries Public sector, Local government, Healthcare Retail, Media, Healthcare
Best use cases A council wants legacy case-management systems replaced., A government department needs a discovery and alpha phase for a new service. A retailer needs a high-traffic shopping app rebuilt., An NHS body wants a patient app.
Typical project type Fixed project Fixed project

Made Tech vs Apadmi: pros and cons

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
Apadmi
+ Mobile focus brings deep iOS and Android expertise
+ Recognisable UK client list gives reassurance on quality
+ Lisbon hub offers some rate flexibility
- Narrow focus; back-office and enterprise systems are not its core
- Mostly UK delivery, so pricing is close to onshore rates

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.

Who should choose Apadmi?

A typical fit: a retailer needs a high-traffic shopping app rebuilt.

Mobile-only specialism with a client list of household UK names. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Retail, Media, Healthcare, Public sector.

Decision matrix: Made Tech vs Apadmi

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: Made Tech (Not published) vs Apadmi (Not published)
You need specialist depth in a specific vertical Apadmi
You want engineers added to your own in-house team Neither lists team extension; ask about dedicated teams
Your product includes hardware, firmware or connected devices Neither; consider an embedded specialist

Use case fit: Made Tech vs Apadmi

Use case Made Tech fit Apadmi fit Winner
A council wants legacy case-management systems replaced. Strong Limited Made Tech
A government department needs a discovery and alpha phase for a new service. Strong Limited Made Tech
A retailer needs a high-traffic shopping app rebuilt. Limited Strong Apadmi
An NHS body wants a patient app. Limited Strong Apadmi
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 Strong Strong Both equally

Verdict: Made Tech vs Apadmi

Made Tech (4.1/5) is the stronger overall choice for most Software Development Outsourcing projects. Public-sector-only focus with a growing contracted backlog.

Apadmi (3.9/5) is worth a look in a scenario like this: an NHS body wants a patient app. If your situation matches that, Apadmi is a competitive option.

Related comparisons

Made Tech vs Apadmi FAQ

Is Made Tech better than Apadmi?

Made Tech (4.1/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Made Tech's strongest advantage: deep familiarity with GDS service standards and government frameworks. Apadmi's strongest advantage: mobile focus brings deep iOS and Android expertise.

How do Made Tech and Apadmi differ in pricing?

Made Tech uses framework call-offs, time and materials, fixed price pricing. Apadmi 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: Made Tech or Apadmi?

Made Tech 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 Made Tech and Apadmi?

Made Tech's primary differentiator is: public-sector-only focus with a growing contracted backlog. Apadmi's primary differentiator is: mobile-only specialism with a client list of household UK names. They also differ in team size (400–500 vs 250–300), minimum engagement (Not published vs Not published), and primary industries served (Public sector, Local government vs Retail, Media).

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