Four ways to get an app built. Here's the honest one.
When you want custom software, you have four real options: a dev agency, an offshore freelancer or Fiverr gig, a DIY AI tool like Lovable, Replit, or Bolt — or a studio like Neuron HQ. Each wins at something. This page lays out exactly where, so you can pick on facts, not on the loudest pitch.
Pick by what you actually need.
If raw price is the only thing that matters and you'll do the building yourself, a DIY tool is genuinely the cheapest start. If you want a finished, secured app you fully own — without managing it — that's the lane we built Neuron HQ for. Below is the unvarnished trade-off.
A working first version in ~2 weeks at a fixed price. A senior engineer reviews every line, you get the full code and repo, and there's an optional care plan after.
Real engineering depth and a team behind you. The trade-offs are longer timelines, higher cost, and contracts that often quote on an hourly or change-order basis.
A low headline price and a real person doing the work. Quality, communication, security practices, and code ownership vary a lot from gig to gig — vet carefully.
Lovable, Replit, and Bolt let you generate an app yourself for a low monthly fee — the cheapest way to begin. You own the workload: prompting, debugging, security, and hosting are on you.
Side by side, no spin.
Eight things that decide whether a build is worth it. Green is a clear yes, amber is "it depends / partial," and red is a no. We've given every alternative its genuine wins.
| What matters | Neuron HQ | Typical dev agency | Offshore / Fiverr gig | DIY AI tools (Lovable / Replit / Bolt) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed price (no surprise change-orders) | ✓ Fixed | Often hourly | Per-gig, varies | Flat sub, usage can spike |
| Working first version in ~2 weeks | ✓ ~2 weeks | Weeks to months | Varies widely | ✓ Same day |
| Senior human reviews every line | ✓ Every line | ✓ Usually | Depends on the seller | — You review it |
| You own 100% of the code | ✓ Full code + repo | Read the contract | Read the contract | Export varies by tool |
| Security review before launch | ✓ Included | Often extra | Rarely | — On you |
| Ongoing care / maintenance plan | ✓ Optional plan | ✓ Retainer | Rarely | — Self-serve |
| Real shipped portfolio you can inspect | ✓ 4 shipped | ✓ Usually | Hard to verify | N/A — it's a tool |
| No per-prompt cost spikes | ✓ Fixed price | ✓ Quoted | ✓ Quoted | Risk — usage-billed |
Green = a clear yes. Amber = partial or "it depends" (e.g. agency pricing models and freelancer quality vary; code-export and ownership terms differ by tool and contract). Red = no, or the work falls on you. Where a competitor genuinely wins — DIY tools are the cheapest to start and can produce something the same day — we say so plainly.
Two trade-offs people learn the hard way.
The cheapest start isn't always the cheapest finish. Two real, documented risks sit behind the amber and red cells above — worth understanding before you choose.
Unreviewed AI code carries real security flaws
When you generate an app yourself — or hire someone who ships whatever the model produces — nobody is checking it for vulnerabilities. Veracode's 2025 GenAI Code Security Report found that 45% of AI-generated code contained security flaws. That's the single reason a senior engineer reviews every line we ship, and why a security review is included in every Neuron HQ build rather than sold as an add-on.
DIY tools bill by usage — costs can spike
A low monthly plan is the headline; the bill is the surprise. DIY AI builders often charge per prompt, action, or credit, so an intense debugging session can run far past the sticker price. One widely reported account described racking up about $350 in a single day of Replit usage. A fixed-price Neuron HQ build removes that variable entirely — you know the number before we start.
More upside, less risk, no homework.
The reason to pick a studio over the other three is simple: you get the finished after-state without owning the build, the debugging, or the security. Here's what that looks like.
No prompting marathons, no debugging at midnight, no DevOps. You stay in your business; we turn the idea into real software your customers can use. Then we hand you the keys.
We move at AI speed but ship at human standards. That's how we keep the 45%-of-AI-code-is-flawed problem out of what you launch.
You know the cost before we begin. No change-order creep, no usage spikes — and an optional care plan you can pause or cancel anytime.
When we're not the right call.
We'd rather you choose well than choose us. A studio build isn't the answer for everyone:
- ▸You want the absolute cheapest start and you're technical. Spin up Lovable, Replit, or Bolt yourself — that's the lowest-cost on-ramp, and you'll learn a lot. Come to us when you need it secured, finished, and owned.
- ▸It's a tiny, one-off, well-scoped task. A carefully vetted freelancer may be the most cost-effective path for something small you can manage closely.
- ▸You're running a large, multi-team program with a big budget. A full agency with dedicated teams may fit that scale better than a fixed-price studio build.
If, instead, you want a working app in about two weeks — reviewed, secured, and yours — that's the lane we built. See the full FAQ or look at what we've shipped.
Tell us what to build.
Bring the idea. We'll come back with a fixed price and a plan to ship a working first version in about two weeks — every line reviewed by a senior engineer, and the code is yours.