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Rankings · Australia · the PixelCrayons Index

Best Custom Software Companies in Australia
(November 2026)

By The PixelCrayons team · Updated 2 November 2026 · 8 firms scored

November 2026 edition

PixelForce leads with 64.4 out of 100, followed by StepInsight and PixelCrayons. We scored 8 firms from 20 candidates on the same public evidence. That means Clutch reviews, custom software development case studies, published pricing, track record and recent work. PixelCrayons publishes this list and is scored the same way.

The ranking

8 firms
ranked by their score.

Scored out of 100 by the PixelCrayons Index from 20 candidates. Open a firm's scorecard for every source and the date we checked it.

Best Custom Software Companies in Australia: rank, firm, PixelCrayons Index score, Clutch rating and reviews, minimum project, hourly rate and headquarters
#FirmIndex scoreClutchMin projectHourlyHQ
1PixelForce

Marketplaces, health and ecommerce platforms built from Adelaide and Sydney

64.4out of 100
5.0 · 10 reviews$10,000+$150 - $199Adelaide, Australia (also Sydney)
2StepInsight

Australian businesses that want bespoke web, GIS and IoT software built in Sydney

62.0out of 100
4.9 · 14 reviews$25,000+$50 - $99Sydney, Australia
3PixelCrayons

Australian agencies and businesses that want a custom platform with CRM, project and analytics tools joined

59.7out of 100
4.9 · 18 reviews$5,000+< $25Noida, India
4Elegant Media

Government and large Australian brands that want custom applications across mobile and web

54.8out of 100
4.0 · 29 reviews$10,000+$150 - $199Clayton, Melbourne, Australia
5Moonward (WorkingMouse)

Startups and growth businesses that want a custom platform built by a Brisbane team

48.1out of 100
3.7 · 7 reviews$25,000+$100 - $149Brisbane, Australia
6Airteam

Government and health bodies that want custom platforms built by a Sydney onshore team

47.7out of 100
5.0 · 2 reviews$10,000+$100 - $149Pyrmont, Sydney, Australia
7Soda Digital

Australian businesses and charities that want internal workflow and web applications

31.7out of 100
No profileNot shownNot shownSydney, Australia (offices Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane)
813Labs

Small businesses that want custom workflow automation built in Melbourne

23.7out of 100
No profileNot shownNot shownMelbourne, Australia

Clutch figures as shown on each firm's Clutch profile on the date in its scorecard. Profiles: PixelForce, StepInsight, PixelCrayons, Elegant Media, Moonward (WorkingMouse), Airteam, Soda Digital, 13Labs.

What the data shows

What the figures show
about these firms.

Worked out from the 8 firms on this list, as checked on 2 Nov 2026. They change when the figures change.

4.9
Median Clutch rating across the firms listed
12
Median number of Clutch reviews per firm
1 of 8
Firms that publish prices on their own site
0 of 6
Firms with a Clutch minimum project under $5,000
7 of 8
Firms with a dedicated custom software development service page
4 of 8
Firms with dated work or news in the last 12 months
How to choose

How to choose
the right firm for you.

The score ranks firms overall. Your project decides which one fits. This list is written for businesses in Australia commissioning custom software, from internal tools to customer-facing products.

An internal tool or a product
Look for case studies of the same kind of system, live with users.
Who owns the code
Look for contract terms that put the repository and accounts in your name.
Proof in your market
Look for an office in Australia or named clients there.
Scorecards

Every score,
with its sources.

For each firm: its points on each part of the score, who it suits, one thing to check before you choose, and the pages we read.

  1. 1PixelForce

    64.4 / 100

    Client evidence
    24.1/35
    Discipline depth
    16.3/30
    Transparency
    8.0/15
    Track record
    6.1/10
    Recent activity
    10.0/10
    Best for
    Marketplaces, health and ecommerce platforms built from Adelaide and Sydney
    Check before you choose
    No prices published (fixed-cost statement of work after scoping); about half of its case studies are mobile apps
    Team
    Office in Australia
    Sources
    • Clutch profile: 5.0 from 10 reviews (adjusted 4.67), checked 2 Nov 2026
    • Google reviews: 4.7 from 35 reviews, checked 2 Nov 2026
    • Service page for custom software development on pixelforce.com
    • 3 custom software development case studies counted on the firm's site, for example case 1, 2, 3
    • Most recent: Clutch review, 22 Sept 2026
    • No prices published on the firm's own site.

    PixelForce: full profile and score history

  2. 2StepInsight

    62.0 / 100

    Client evidence
    23.1/35
    Discipline depth
    16.3/30
    Transparency
    8.0/15
    Track record
    4.7/10
    Recent activity
    10.0/10
    Best for
    Australian businesses that want bespoke web, GIS and IoT software built in Sydney
    Check before you choose
    No prices published; the site has no page headed custom software, and its case study pages do not use that label
    Team
    Office in Australia
    Sources
    • Clutch profile: 4.9 from 14 reviews (adjusted 4.68), checked 2 Nov 2026
    • Google reviews: 5.0 from 4 reviews, checked 2 Nov 2026
    • Service page for custom software development on stepinsight.com
    • 3 custom software development case studies counted on the firm's site, for example case 1, 2, 3
    • Most recent: Clutch review, 25 Oct 2026
    • No prices published on the firm's own site.

    StepInsight: full profile and score history

  3. 3PixelCrayons

    59.7 / 100

    Client evidence
    13.9/35
    Discipline depth
    10.8/30
    Transparency
    15.0/15
    Track record
    10.0/10
    Recent activity
    10.0/10
    Best for
    Australian agencies and businesses that want a custom platform with CRM, project and analytics tools joined
    Check before you choose
    One Australian case study only (Workhouse Advertising, Western Australia); the team is in India with no Australian office; Clutch lists 18 reviews
    Team
    Team in India serving Australian clients
    Sources
    • Clutch profile: 4.9 from 18 reviews (adjusted 4.22), checked 12 Oct 2026
    • Google reviews: 3.8 from 63 reviews, checked 13 Oct 2026
    • Service page for custom software development on pixelcrayons.com
    • 1 custom software development case study counted on the firm's site, for example case 1
    • Most recent: Case study page last updated, 21 Oct 2026
    • Published pricing: Pricing page lists projects at $500 to $80K, retainers at $300 to $8K a month and dedicated teams at $4K to $20K a month, with a per-service rate card

    PixelCrayons: full profile and score history

  4. 4Elegant Media

    54.8 / 100

    Client evidence
    13.4/35
    Discipline depth
    16.3/30
    Transparency
    8.0/15
    Track record
    7.1/10
    Recent activity
    10.0/10
    Best for
    Government and large Australian brands that want custom applications across mobile and web
    Check before you choose
    Its case studies are mostly mobile apps with web parts and are not labelled custom software; no prices published
    Team
    Office in Australia
    Sources
    • Clutch profile: 4.0 from 29 reviews (adjusted 4.18), checked 2 Nov 2026
    • Google reviews: 4.3 from 65 reviews, checked 2 Nov 2026
    • Service page for custom software development on elegantmedia.com.au
    • 3 custom software development case studies counted on the firm's site, for example case 1, 2, 3
    • Most recent: Clutch review, 2 Oct 2026
    • No prices published on the firm's own site.

    Elegant Media: full profile and score history

  5. 5Moonward (WorkingMouse)

    48.1 / 100

    Client evidence
    21.9/35
    Discipline depth
    8.3/30
    Transparency
    8.0/15
    Track record
    5.0/10
    Recent activity
    5.0/10
    Best for
    Startups and growth businesses that want a custom platform built by a Brisbane team
    Check before you choose
    No dedicated custom software page and case studies are not labelled by type; no prices published
    Team
    Office in Australia
    Sources
    • Clutch profile: 3.7 from 7 reviews (adjusted 4.55), checked 2 Nov 2026
    • Google reviews: 4.8 from 68 reviews, checked 2 Nov 2026
    • No dedicated custom software development service page found.
    • 3 custom software development case studies counted on the firm's site, for example case 1, 2, 3
    • Most recent: Clutch review, 23 Jun 2025
    • No prices published on the firm's own site.

    Moonward (WorkingMouse): full profile and score history

  6. 6Airteam

    47.7 / 100

    Client evidence
    21.2/35
    Discipline depth
    13.5/30
    Transparency
    8.0/15
    Track record
    5.0/10
    Recent activity
    0.0/10
    Best for
    Government and health bodies that want custom platforms built by a Sydney onshore team
    Check before you choose
    Only two case studies listed; the Westmead study is described as healthcare app development without a stated platform
    Team
    Office in Australia
    Sources
    • Clutch profile: 5.0 from 2 reviews (adjusted 4.63), checked 2 Nov 2026
    • Google reviews: 4.9 from 19 reviews, checked 2 Nov 2026
    • Service page for custom software development on airteam.com.au
    • 2 custom software development case studies counted on the firm's site, for example case 1, 2
    • Most recent: Clutch review, 20 Dec 2023
    • No prices published on the firm's own site.

    Airteam: full profile and score history

  7. 7Soda Digital

    31.7 / 100

    Client evidence
    7.5/35
    Discipline depth
    16.3/30
    Transparency
    0.0/15
    Track record
    8.0/10
    Recent activity
    0.0/10
    Best for
    Australian businesses and charities that want internal workflow and web applications
    Check before you choose
    Work page shows a 2022 copyright date and no project dates; site says 15+ software experts; no prices published
    Team
    Office in Australia
    Sources
    • No Clutch profile, so no client-evidence points.
    • Service page for custom software development on sodadigital.com.au
    • 3 custom software development case studies counted on the firm's site, for example case 1, 2, 3
    • No dated activity found in the last 12 months.
    • No prices published on the firm's own site.

    Soda Digital: full profile and score history

  8. 813Labs

    23.7 / 100

    Client evidence
    7.5/35
    Discipline depth
    16.3/30
    Transparency
    0.0/15
    Track record
    0.0/10
    Recent activity
    0.0/10
    Best for
    Small businesses that want custom workflow automation built in Melbourne
    Check before you choose
    Case studies name no clients and focus on automation systems; no prices published
    Team
    Office in Australia
    Sources
    • No Clutch profile, so no client-evidence points.
    • Service page for custom software development on 13labs.au
    • 3 custom software development case studies counted on the firm's site, for example case 1, 2, 3
    • No dated activity found in the last 12 months.
    • No prices published on the firm's own site.

    13Labs: full profile and score history

How this list is made

How this list is made,
and our interest in it.

PixelCrayons publishes this list and is a custom software development firm itself. It is scored on the same evidence and weights as every other firm and sits at number 3 with 59.7. ValueCoders, our sister company in the Vinove group, is left out of every list. That way the group never holds two places.

No firm paid to be ranked or listed, or was asked to. We considered 20 firms and ranked those with enough public evidence to score fairly. Firms that offer the service but cannot be scored yet appear under “Also listed”, in alphabetical order with no score. Every figure links to the page we read it from, with the date.

Read the full PixelCrayons Index method, or download this list as CSV. You are free to reuse our scores and this compilation under CC BY 4.0 if you credit PixelCrayons. The figures we read from Clutch and the firms’ own sites remain theirs. A ranked or listed firm can correct its data: send a correction with a source through the request form. A firm that would like to be listed can use the same form; it is free and changes no rank. Firms on this list can get a free Ranked or Listed seal.

If you are weighing PixelCrayons too: Custom software at PixelCrayons. Our work in this area: Workhouse.

Questions

Frequently
asked.

Either can work. A local team is easier for workshops and time zones, while a team elsewhere may cost less. Check each firm's office, named clients and handover terms, then judge fit for your project.

Every firm is scored out of 100 by the PixelCrayons Index: client reviews on Clutch, depth of custom software development work, published pricing, track record and recent activity. The weights are fixed and published, and no firm paid to be ranked or listed.

Only where it qualifies like any other firm: it must offer the service and show at least one case study in it. When it's listed, it's scored on the same evidence and weights as everyone else and sits wherever that score puts it.

Every month. Each firm's figures are checked again, the scores are recalculated, and the changelog on this page says what moved and why.

Yes. Any listed firm can send a correction with a source through the request form on the seals page (pixelcrayons.com/rankings/seal). We check it, update the figure and log the change on this page.

Not sure who fits your custom software development project?

Send us one line. A specialist replies, typically within four business hours. This is PixelCrayons's own offer; it plays no part in any score on this list.

Get quotes
Changelog

What changed
in each edition.

Updated every month. Each edition is checked again from the sources.

  1. First edition: service pages, case studies and recent work read on 2 November 2026, with Clutch and Google figures read by hand. A firm with no Clutch reviews yet is scored on its case studies and recent work.
More rankings

More rankings
scored the same way.

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