Three options, in plain words
Most agencies are choosing between three things, not two.
| Option | What it is | Usually starts in | Cost shape |
|---|---|---|---|
| General CRM subscription | A ready-made CRM for any kind of business. You adapt your process to it and use add-ons for the gaps. | Days | Monthly, often per user, so it grows as you hire |
| Industry CRM subscription | A ready-made CRM built for one trade, such as loan advisory, with the trade-specific parts already in. | Days | Monthly, either a flat plan or per user |
| Custom build | Software written for the way you work, then looked after by the builder or by you. | Weeks, once the spec is agreed | One-time build plus a monthly cost to run it |
NexFlows sells both an industry CRM and custom builds, so we are not neutral. Test our advice, and any vendor's, against the five tests below.
Five tests that decide it
1. How unusual is your process?
Write down how a lead moves through your agency: how it arrives, who gets it, what the stages are and how commission is worked out. If a ready-made system covers most of that with settings, buy it. If the part it misses is the part that makes you money, such as an unusual commission rule or a hand-off no product supports, that is a reason to build.
2. How soon do you need to start?
A subscription can start within days. A custom build needs a spec first, then weeks of work. If you need to be working next month, start on a ready-made system. Whatever it cannot do will tell you what to put in a spec later.
3. Who will look after it?
Software never stops needing updates, security fixes and the occasional repair. With a subscription the vendor does that. With a build, you either pay the builder a monthly fee or employ someone yourself.
4. What does it cost over three years?
Add up everything you will pay for 36 months, not only the first invoice. For a subscription that is users times the monthly price times 36, plus setup and add-ons. A per-user price grows with every hire, so at the same price per user, ten people cost twice what five do. For a build it is the build price, plus the monthly running cost times 36, plus the changes you expect to pay for. Our guide on what a custom CRM costs lists the extras.
- Build: RM 15,000 up front, then RM 300 a month
- Subscription: RM 800 a month
Total paid so far, in ringgit
Months since the start
The lines cross at month 30. After that, on these numbers, the build is the cheaper way to pay.
Real lines are not this straight. A subscription steps up each time you add users, and a build steps up each time you pay for a change. Draw yours with your own numbers before you decide.
5. Can you leave with your data?
Whichever you choose, ask for a test export of your leads, notes and history, in a file you can open, before you pay. A subscription you cannot leave and a build you cannot move are the same trap.
Who each option tends to suit
These are tendencies, not rules. Your own answers to the five tests come first.
| If this describes you | This tends to fit |
|---|---|
| A small team with a standard process: leads in, calls, follow-ups and a simple pipeline | A ready-made subscription. You get a working system quickly and give up very little. |
| A loan advisory team that needs credit report checks, DSR work, calling and commission in one place | An industry CRM, because those parts already exist and you do not pay to build them again. |
| A group with several branches, unusual rules, or older systems that must stay connected | A custom build, scoped carefully, because the rules are the business. |
| You are not sure yet | Start ready-made and learn. See the middle path further down. |
What each option tends to hide
| Option | Costs people forget | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Extra users, add-ons, setup fees and price changes at renewal | Your process bends to fit the product. Ask how the price changes as you grow. |
| Industry CRM | Setup, training, and add-ons such as a phone app or extra phone lines | Ask how long the product has run and what happens to your data if the vendor closes. |
| Custom build | Changes after launch, hosting, security updates and your own time during the build | If only one person knows the system, their holiday is your outage. Ask who else could step in. |
A middle path: start ready-made, build the gap
You do not always have to choose once. Start on a ready-made system, use it for two or three months and keep a list of what it cannot do. That list is the start of a one-page spec.
If the list is short, ask the vendor whether they can add those things, or build a small separate tool. If it is long, you now have a precise brief for a custom build and real knowledge of how your team works. Either way you were working in the meantime.
Questions to settle before you sign for either
- What will I pay each month with the number of users I expect in a year?
- What does setup include, and who imports my data?
- Can I export everything, in a file I can open, and does it cost anything?
- Who owns my data, and what happens to it if I leave or you close?
- Who do I call when something breaks, and how quickly will they answer, in writing?
- What does a change or a new feature cost, and how long does a quote take?
Questions people ask next
- Is a ready-made CRM always faster?
- Usually to start, yes, because there is nothing to build. But importing your data, setting up roles and training the team take time with any system, so check who does that and whether it is in the price.
- Can I move from a ready-made CRM to a custom one later?
- Yes, if you can export your data. Ask for a test export before you commit, and check that it opens in a spreadsheet with all the fields, notes and history you expect.
- How many users should I count?
- Count everyone who will log in a year from now, including part-time and freelance agents, not only today's team. Per-user prices grow with that number.
Sources
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and bank policies change, so check the current position with the bank, the regulator or a professional before you act.