Default to buying. A supported connector you don't maintain beats bespoke code you do — most of the time. But "most of the time" isn't "always," and knowing the exception saves you from both a brittle hack and an over-engineered platform.
Buy when the connector fits the shape of your data
If a standard integration moves your objects the way you actually use them, use it. You're paying to never think about it again, which is usually the best deal in the building.
Build when the gap is core to how you operate
Custom is worth it when the off-the-shelf option forces you to distort your process, when the logic between systems is genuinely yours, or when the handoff is business-critical and you can't afford a black box.
Tip
Ask: "If this integration broke at 2am, how much would it cost us, and could we fix it?" High cost
- no control is the strongest signal to build something you own and can observe.
Watch out
A custom integration is a product, not a project. If you build, budget for monitoring, error handling, and maintenance — an unowned script that "just runs" is a future outage with your name on it.
We help teams make this call honestly — reliable off-the-shelf where it fits, well-built custom where it matters — as part of a connected architecture your team can actually operate.
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