ScienceSoft is the best choice for a mid-size company that wants a fixed scope build from a large firm, because its site names a fixed price model and puts a cap on its time and materials work. Black Badger ranks second as the custom route for a buyer who wants every project run on a fixed written scope after discovery.
The ranking, entry by entry
1 ScienceSoft
Best for buyers who want a fixed price or a capped bill from a large firm
A fixed scope build needs a firm that will commit to a price for a defined piece of work. ScienceSoft is first because its pricing models page names that route in plain words, and its other route, time and materials, comes with a cap. ScienceSoft was founded in 1989 and has over 750 IT professionals, and its site offers calculators and a pricing page with sample cost ranges before you talk to anyone.
Watch for. The same site says more than 90% of its development projects are priced on time and materials. Ask early whether your project qualifies for the fixed price route.
- Based in
- McKinney, Texas, USA
- How it charges
- Time and materials with a cap, or fixed price
- Main limit
- Time and materials is the usual model, and the site publishes no project rates
2 Black Badger Software Solutions
Best for mid-size companies that want the scope and price in writing first
We publish this guide, and fixed scope is the only way Black Badger works. After discovery you get a written scope that names what will be built, and the price and schedule are set in that document. We rank second because we are a small team in the United States, so we suit one well-defined system at a time. We build CRM, project management and operations systems, client portals and integrations, and you own the code and every account.
Watch for. A fixed scope means changes are scoped and agreed as they come up. If you expect the requirements to keep moving, a capped time and materials model may suit you better.
- Based in
- Clearwater, Florida, United States
- How it charges
- One-time build scoped in writing, then running costs such as hosting
- Main limit
- Works mainly with companies of 50 or more employees
What a custom build involves, and how to ask about one
3 Azumo
Best for buyers who want a published unit price before the first call
Azumo ranks third and is the only firm here with prices on its site. Project work is sold per Delivery Unit, with a unit price published for the Starter, Growth and Platform tiers and a Custom tier above those. The site says price and timeline are shared before work begins. It sits behind the top two because a unit price still needs a count of units, which comes from scoping.
Watch for. Its developers are in nearshore locations, mainly across South America, and the pricing page says nothing about who owns the code. Ask for the ownership term in writing.
- Based in
- San Francisco, California, USA
- How it charges
- Per Delivery Unit, by tier, with a Custom tier
- Main limit
- Nearshore developers, mainly in South America, billed in Delivery Units
4 Vention
Best for companies that want a whole project outsourced to a large firm
Vention is fourth. Project outsourcing is one of its four named models, and the site says every project is scoped individually, which is the starting point for a fixed scope. A buyer can use its cost calculator to get a range before a call. It ranks here because the site stops at a range, and three of its four models are about supplying teams and people.
Watch for. Say at the start that you want project outsourcing with a defined scope, since the firm sells several other models as well.
- Based in
- New York, USA
- How it charges
- Scoped individually for each project
- Main limit
- Teams of over 3,000 engineers, and no rates published
5 LeewayHertz
Best for fixed scope builds where the system is mainly an AI application
LeewayHertz ranks fifth. Project-based work is one of its three named engagement models, alongside a dedicated development team and team extension, so a defined build is something it sells. Its services center on AI strategy, AI agents, machine learning, data engineering and software design. It ranks lower on this list only because that focus makes it the right choice for an AI build and a narrower one for a general business system.
Watch for. No rates are published, and the firm is now part of The Hackett Group. Ask who signs the contract and how a project-based price is set.
- Based in
- Not stated on its site, with an India office in Gurugram
- How it charges
- Rates not published
- Main limit
- Now part of The Hackett Group, and no rates published
6 BairesDev
Best for large outsourced builds staffed from Latin America
BairesDev is sixth for fixed scope work. Software outsourcing is the third of the three engagement models on its home page, after staff augmentation and dedicated teams, and with over 4,000 people it can staff a large build quickly. It ranks here because the site leaves budget to the discovery call, so a buyer cannot tell from the site which model a defined project would fall under.
Watch for. Ask which engagement model applies to a fixed scope, and ask about code ownership, which the pages we read do not cover.
- Based in
- Offices include San Francisco, USA and Buenos Aires, Argentina
- How it charges
- Rates not published, set after a discovery call
- Main limit
- Staff augmentation and dedicated teams, with Latin American engineers
7 Chetu
Best for buyers who put code ownership ahead of a fixed price
Chetu ranks seventh on this particular question, and the reason is its model. The site names dedicated development teams, on-demand developers and staff augmentation, which are ways of buying people and time. A fixed scope is not among the models we recorded. It stays on the list because its about page gives the client ownership of the source code, which matters to anyone buying a defined system.
Watch for. If you want Chetu for a fixed scope build, ask whether it will quote one. The site publishes no rates.
- Based in
- Sunrise, Florida, USA
- How it charges
- Rates not published
- Main limit
- Delivery centers in the US, the UK and India, and no published rates