No software company in Egypt is the best choice for every project; the best one for you can prove it delivers your kind of project. Judge it on what you can verify: live work you test yourself, a commercial register and e-invoices, a milestone-based contract, code and accounts in your name, and clear answers on security and support.
What kind of software company does your project need?
Define the project before you shortlist companies. An agency that builds excellent company websites may have no experience with a warehouse system or a sales-rep app. The table maps each project type to what you should see in an agency's past work, and a question that reveals real experience.
| Project type | What to look for in their work | Revealing question |
|---|---|---|
| Company website or landing page | Live sites that are fast on mobile, with well-written Arabic | How do you prepare the site for search engines at handover? |
| Online store | Live stores with Egyptian payments (a gateway such as Paymob or Fawry, plus cash on delivery) and shipping | How are returns and refused orders handled in the dashboard? |
| Mobile app | Apps published on the App Store and Google Play that you can try | Whose developer account will the apps be published under? |
| Management system (ERP, CRM, inventory) | Systems with permissions, reports and approval flows | How will you migrate our current data from Excel? |
| Automation and AI | Use cases connected to real data, not just demos | Where will our customer data be stored, and who can access it? |
Any real commercial product needs several roles, not one developer: requirements analysis, UI/UX design, front-end and back-end development, quality assurance and project management. Ask who, by name, will fill each role on your project.
How do you verify a software company's past work?
Screenshots and slide decks aren't enough. Ask for live links and try them yourself before any pricing meeting:
- Open the sites and apps on mobile data, not office Wi-Fi, and try signing up, ordering and paying.
- Ask exactly which parts the company built on each project: design, development or both.
- Ask to speak with at least one past client whose project resembles yours.
- Read the company's Google reviews and its profile on review platforms such as Clutch's directory of Egyptian software companies, paying attention to review dates and detail.
For example, the projects in Snaabble's portfolio have live demos, such as FoodFlow, a food distribution platform covering sales, purchasing, cash collections and inventory, with manager and sales-rep apps.
What paperwork should you ask an Egyptian software company for?
Contracting with a registered entity protects you legally and preserves your tax position. Ask for the following before you sign:
- Commercial register and tax card for the entity that will sign the contract and receive payments.
- An e-invoice for every payment: the Egyptian Tax Authority required taxpayers to register on the e-invoicing system by 15 December 2022, and since 1 April 2023 only electronic invoices count for VAT deduction or refund. If your company is VAT-registered, a paper invoice costs you that deduction.
- A written data protection commitment: if the company will handle your customers' data, note that Egypt's Personal Data Protection Law No. 151 of 2020 now has Executive Regulations issued by Decree No. 816 of 2025, including a duty to report breaches within 72 hours.
How should you compare quotes from software companies?
Compare scope before price. Ask every company to break the quote down by phase, hours and deliverables, because the cheapest quote may assume a smaller scope. As a reference point, Clutch's Egypt directory (updated September 2026) shows the most common rate is $25–$49 an hour; several of the leading listed firms set a $50,000+ minimum project, while smaller agencies start at $5,000 or $10,000.
- Separate development fees in EGP from anything billed in USD (hosting, app stores, third-party services), especially since the exchange rate was floated on 6 March 2024.
- Make sure post-launch maintenance is priced and itemized, not a vague line.
- Ask how out-of-scope change requests are priced before you sign.
What should a software development contract include?
A good contract states what you'll receive, when, how it will be accepted, and who owns what gets built. The essentials:
| Clause | What it should say | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Scope of work | Screens, features, integrations and deliverables in detail | Prevents disputes over what the price covers |
| Milestones and payments | EGP payments tied to milestones you test and approve | You pay for delivered work |
| Acceptance criteria | What must work, on which devices and browsers | Defines when each phase is done |
| Ownership and handover | Code and design ownership transfers on payment, in a repository you own | You can continue with any team later |
| Accounts | Domain, hosting, app store and payment gateway accounts in your company's name | Your assets can't be held back in a dispute |
| Post-launch bug fixing | A defined period to fix defects in delivered work at no extra cost | Separates bugs from new feature requests |
| Maintenance | A monthly or yearly price and exactly what it covers | A clear running budget |
| Confidentiality | An NDA and data protection obligations | Protects your idea and your customers' data |
Snaabble provides a tailored technical assessment to define the right stack & exact budget.
How can you tell a company runs projects properly?
A well-run company can walk you through its process before starting and shows tangible progress at regular intervals. Ask what you'll receive at each stage:
- Requirements analysis: a document describing users, processes and features that you approve before design.
- Interactive design prototype: clickable screens (in Figma, for example) that you sign off before any code is written.
- Iterative development: a staging link where you follow progress after each work cycle.
- Quality assurance: who tests, on which devices, and how bugs are logged and tracked.
- Launch and support: the release plan, who monitors performance, and how you request support after handover.
Which technical questions reveal a company's real level?
You don't need to be a developer to ask these; what matters is that the answers are specific rather than generic.
- How do you protect against the risks in the OWASP Top 10:2025, such as broken access control, security misconfiguration and injection?
- Where will the data be hosted, how often is it backed up, and have you tested a restore?
- Who has access to the servers and database, and how is access revoked when the contract ends?
- Which technologies do you propose, and why do they suit our project specifically?
- How do you test the Arabic interface and RTL layout on real devices?
When is a freelancer enough, and when do you need a company?
| Option | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Freelancer | Small changes, a simple website, a small prototype | Continuity if they get busy, no independent testing, invoicing |
| Software company | A commercial product that needs design, development, testing and support | Clarity on who actually works on your project |
| In-house team | A product that is the core of your business and changes constantly | Ongoing hiring and management costs |
To evaluate specific options, see how to choose a web development company and how to choose a mobile app development company, and if you're weighing ready-made against custom software, start with off-the-shelf vs. custom business software.
Which red flags should rule a company out?
- No live links to its work, or a refusal to explain its role in the projects it shows.
- A single lump-sum quote with no written scope or milestones.
- Refusing to register the domain, app store accounts or hosting in your company's name.
- No contract, commercial register or e-invoice.
- Promising a short timeline for a complex project before any requirements analysis.
- Slow replies and vague answers during negotiation, which is when a company should be at its most responsive.
Frequently asked questions
Is a big company always better than a small one?
No. A larger firm may have more teams, but your project may not be a priority for it, and some set high minimum project sizes. What matters most is experience with your type of project and knowing who will actually work on it.
Should I hire a local company or work with one remotely?
Being nearby makes meetings and requirements gathering easier on projects that need an on-the-ground understanding of your operations, such as warehouse or sales systems. Remote work also succeeds when there are regular meetings and a staging link where you can follow progress.
How much does a website, app or system cost to build?
It depends on scope, not just the type of project. Most software projects reviewed on Clutch fall between $10,000 and $49,999 according to its pricing guide updated in September 2026, and those are global figures. Ask for phase-by-phase pricing and compare what each quote includes.
Does the company need experience in my exact industry?
It isn't required, but it helps. More important is that they've built similar kinds of systems, such as multi-role permissions, field collections or online payments, and that they ask the right questions about how you work before quoting.
What if the company stops supporting my project?
If the code is in a repository you own, the accounts are in your name and the documentation has been handed over, you can move to another team without starting from scratch. That's why these clauses matter more in a contract than any general promise of support.
If your project is a custom system or business software, see our custom systems development service and reach us on WhatsApp or by phone at +20 103 673 3131, or by email at hello@snaabble.com. We're based in Talkha, next to Mansoura.