Made Tech vs Thoughtworks: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Made Tech (4.1/5) edges ahead of Thoughtworks (3.9/5) overall. Made Tech is the better choice for UK central and local government buyers. Thoughtworks is the stronger option for complex modernisation, engineering culture change. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
Made Tech vs Thoughtworks: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Made Tech | Thoughtworks |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2008 | 1993 |
| HQ | London, United Kingdom | Chicago, United States (UK offices) |
| Team size | 400–500 | 10,000+ |
| Rating | 4.1 / 5 | 3.9 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | Public-sector-only focus with a growing contracted backlog | Thought leadership in software practice, backed by a large global delivery network |
| Pricing model | Framework call-offs, time and materials, fixed price | Time and materials |
| Min. engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Primary tech stack | Ruby, Python, Java | Java, Kotlin, TypeScript |
| Industries served | Public sector, Local government, Healthcare | Financial services, Retail, Public sector, Healthcare, Media |
Made Tech vs Thoughtworks: 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%.
Thoughtworks
Thoughtworks was founded in Chicago in 1993 and has had a significant UK presence for decades. Apax Partners took it private in a deal valued at about $1.75bn that closed in late 2024, after a NASDAQ listing in 2021, and the transaction came with job cuts affecting about 6–7% of its 10,500 staff. It is known for its Technology Radar and for shaping agile and continuous-delivery practice. It has delivery centres in India, China, Brazil and elsewhere, but UK engagements usually lean on senior onshore consultants.
Services and capabilities: Made Tech vs Thoughtworks
| Capability | Made Tech | Thoughtworks |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Thoughtworks
| Framework / platform | Made Tech | Thoughtworks |
|---|---|---|
| .NET | N/A | N/A |
| Java | ✓ | ✓ |
| Python | ✓ | N/A |
| React | N/A | N/A |
| AWS | ✓ | ✓ |
| Azure | ✓ | ✓ |
| Kubernetes | N/A | ✓ |
| Embedded | N/A | N/A |
Pricing comparison: Made Tech vs Thoughtworks
| Criterion | Made Tech | Thoughtworks |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Engagement models | Fixed project, Time and materials | Time and materials, Team extension |
| Rate transparency | Not public | Not public |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Mid-market |
Target audience comparison: Made Tech vs Thoughtworks
| Dimension | Made Tech | Thoughtworks |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Enterprise |
| Best industries | Public sector, Local government, Healthcare | Financial services, Retail, Public sector |
| 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 bank wants to break up a core monolith., A retailer needs to rebuild its platform and change how teams work. |
| Typical project type | Fixed project | Time and materials |
Made Tech vs Thoughtworks: 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 |
| Thoughtworks | |
|---|---|
| + | Very strong senior consultants and engineering practices |
| + | Global delivery network for blended teams |
| + | Well suited to modernisation programmes that need cultural change |
| - | Taken private by Apax in 2024 alongside a restructuring that cut 6–7% of staff |
| - | Premium pricing, especially with senior UK consultants |
| - | Overkill for straightforward builds |
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 Thoughtworks?
A typical fit: a bank wants to break up a core monolith.
Thought leadership in software practice, backed by a large global delivery network. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Financial services, Retail, Public sector, Healthcare, Media.
Decision matrix: Made Tech vs Thoughtworks
| 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 Thoughtworks (Not published) |
| You need specialist depth in a specific vertical | Thoughtworks |
| You want engineers added to your own in-house team | Thoughtworks |
| Your product includes hardware, firmware or connected devices | Neither; consider an embedded specialist |
Use case fit: Made Tech vs Thoughtworks
| Use case | Made Tech fit | Thoughtworks 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 bank wants to break up a core monolith. | Limited | Strong | Thoughtworks |
| A retailer needs to rebuild its platform and change how teams work. | Limited | Strong | Thoughtworks |
| 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 | Limited | Made Tech |
Verdict: Made Tech vs Thoughtworks
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.
Thoughtworks (3.9/5) is worth a look in a scenario like this: a retailer needs to rebuild its platform and change how teams work. If your situation matches that, Thoughtworks is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
Made Tech vs Thoughtworks FAQ
Is Made Tech better than Thoughtworks?
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. Thoughtworks's strongest advantage: very strong senior consultants and engineering practices.
How do Made Tech and Thoughtworks differ in pricing?
Made Tech uses framework call-offs, time and materials, fixed price pricing. Thoughtworks uses time and materials 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 Thoughtworks?
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 Thoughtworks?
Made Tech's primary differentiator is: public-sector-only focus with a growing contracted backlog. Thoughtworks's primary differentiator is: thought leadership in software practice, backed by a large global delivery network. They also differ in team size (400–500 vs 10,000+), minimum engagement (Not published vs Not published), and primary industries served (Public sector, Local government vs Financial services, Retail).
Verify all details directly with each company before making a decision.