A Perth Software Company Built for Custom Work
Hatchet is a Perth software company, though most of the team would call themselves problem solvers first. For 10+ years we have built custom software for businesses across Perth, Western Australia and the rest of the country: booking platforms for health providers, data platforms for energy companies, volunteer and membership systems for not-for-profits, and the web applications and back-end systems that hold businesses like these together.
Nothing we ship is one-size-fits-all. Whether you need a web application your customers log into or a back-end system your staff live in all day, it gets built around how your business works and designed to keep up as the business grows.
Tailored also means scoped properly. Before we quote a build, a Design Phase puts an agreed scope, a clickable prototype and a real price on the table, so the software we build is the software you need.
What Types of Custom Software Does Hatchet Build in Perth?
Most of our work falls into six kinds of system. All of them are built in Perth by our own team, on a modern and well-supported stack, and integrated with the tools you already run, such as Xero.
CRM Development
A custom CRM fits the way your team sells and services customers, instead of the way a vendor assumes you do. We build CRMs that connect to your existing systems, so customer history, jobs and invoices sit in one view.
ERP Software Development
When spreadsheets and disconnected tools are running the business, an ERP built around your operations brings stock, jobs, people and finance into one system. We design it for your workflows and integrate it with what you already run.
Booking Management Software
Bookings are where your customers meet your operations, so the software has to be easy on both sides. We build booking platforms with a clear customer front-end and a back-end your staff can manage without calling us.
Order Management Software
Order management software that matches your process cuts re-keying and errors, and gives your team and your customers the same picture of every order. We build it to handle the volume you will have, not just the volume you have today.
Why Choose Hatchet as Your Perth Software Company?
There are a few ways to get software built: an offshore team, a large consultancy, a generalist web agency, or a Perth software company like us. Here is how we compare.
Unlike offshore teams, our developers are in Perth, work in your hours and never hand your project to a third party. Unlike large consultancies, we start every build with a Design Phase at a fixed price, so you see an agreed scope, a prototype and a real number before committing to the build. And unlike generalist agencies, custom software is what we do best. With many clients the partnership started with a website and grew into the systems that run their business.
Most of our work comes from clients who have been with us for years. We would rather be judged on that than on adjectives.
Custom or Off-the-Shelf Software: Which Is Right for Your Business?
Off-the-shelf is the right call more often than a software company likes to admit: faster to set up, cheaper up front, well supported. Custom costs more and takes longer, but it fits your workflows exactly, you own the code and the data, and there is no per-seat fee climbing every year.
Choose custom when
Your team keeps building workarounds and side spreadsheets because the packaged tool cannot cope. Your process is what sets you apart, and a generic system flattens it. Or you are paying for a stack of subscriptions to do a job one system should do.
Choose off-the-shelf when
The problem is standard, such as accounting, email or payroll, and a mature product already does it well. You need something running in weeks, not months. Or the budget does not yet justify a build, and a packaged tool will get you to the point where it does.
Usually, it is both
Many businesses run Xero for the books and packaged tools where they fit, with custom software for the workflow that makes them money. We are a Xero Development Partner, so integrating the two is everyday work for us. If off-the-shelf would serve you better, the Design Phase will say so.
Our Approach
Everything we do starts with the relationship. We want to hand over a product you are proud of and an experience you would repeat, so we run a careful process from the first workshop to launch, communicate plainly and send regular updates. Working in short, agile iterations lets us adapt when something changes without the project drifting off track or over budget.
The software we build becomes a working asset for your business because we focus on what the business needs before we focus on the technology. You own the code, the data and the IP.
Staying within budget starts before the budget exists. In the Design Phase we work out what you need with your team, in workshops, before anyone estimates a line of code.
How Does Hatchet's Software Development Process Work?
Building Better Software, in Perth and Beyond
We’re a collective of sharp-minded creators, explorers and innovators, bound together by a shared curiosity and a desire to build better
What Value Does Hatchet's Software Deliver to Perth Businesses?
Custom software earns its keep in three ways: it takes repetitive work off your team, it fixes the bottlenecks that off-the-shelf tools make you work around, and it keeps up when the business grows. Here is what that looks like in practice.
Automation
The re-keying, chasing and reconciling that eats hours every week can be handled by the system instead. Where it makes sense, that includes AI doing the reading and sorting a person used to do, with someone still checking the result. We integrate with the tools you already use, so the gains show up in the first weeks, not after a year of bedding in.
Optimisation
Less overhead means lower running costs. When one system replaces a patchwork of spreadsheets and workarounds, errors drop, hand-offs get faster and your team spends its time on the work that needs a person.
Scalability
Software should grow with the business, not cap it. We design for the volume, users and features you will need in three years, so adding a new location, product line or integration is a change, not a rebuild.
A Track Record People Want to Talk About
- We looked long and hard to find a web dev agency that we could trust and we couldn’t be happier that we found Dan and the local team of experts at Hatchet. Not only did they successfully rebuild and relaunch the website on a state-of-the-art framework, but they also guided us through the 6-month process with frank and accurate advice on all aspects of the complex project. We are excited at the prospect of partnering with them for many years to come.
Luke WhelanPerth is OK! - It’s rare that we find a tech partner who gets it. They’re knowledgeable in their disciplines, on time, and have been an anchoring presence on key projects. We’ve come to see them as an extension of the DrawHistory family, and that’s probably the nicest thing we can say about anyone!
Jeffrey EffendiDrawhistory - I have worked with the team at Hatchet for a long time (8 years). They always provide 1st class solutions and service. I am always amazed (but never surprised) by their deep knowledge, willingness to find a way and speed. I will certainly work with them for many years to come.
David O'DonnellTotal Aviation - We've been working with Hatchet for several years and they always deliver a quality service and product.The software that Hatchet has helped us produce has allowed us to scale our business and reach customers all throughout Australia.
Adam BakerAustralian Vaccine Services - I have worked with Daniel and the Hatchet team through my role at the Fogarty Foundation. They are always helpful, reliable and quick to respond to any questions or requests. Daniel has also been really supportive in helping me improve my website management skills. Fantastic company to work with!
Meghan LevettFogarty Foundation - We've worked with Hatchet for the past 1-2 years to design and manage our corporate volunteering software. From the start, Daniel, Matt, and their team were collaborative and attentive to our needs. Since the launch in early 2024, they've been great at implementing changes and offering ongoing support. We're proud of the software and excited about our partnership with Hatchet.
Catherine KellyVolunteering WA
How Much Does Custom Software Cost in Perth?
We would rather give you real numbers than "it depends". Every build is quoted from the scope agreed in the Design Phase, so the price you sign off on is one we have done the work to stand behind. All figures are ex GST. For a fuller breakdown of what drives cost across Australia, read our 2026 guide to custom software costs.
Design Phase: from $5,500
A fixed fee. Sketch is $5,500 (about two weeks), Plan is $17,500 (about four weeks) and Masterplan is $29,500 (about six weeks). Everything produced is yours to keep, and if you build with us within 60 days, 50% of the fee comes off your first build invoice.
Typical builds: $20,000 to $120,000+
A single-workflow tool or first version usually lands between $20,000 and $60,000. A system with several user types and one or two integrations runs $60,000 to $120,000. Complex or regulated platforms with many workflows and integrations start at $120,000 and are usually delivered in stages.
What moves the price
The number of distinct workflows, how many systems it has to integrate with, user roles and permissions, data migration from what you run today, and any compliance requirements. Hosting and ongoing support are quoted separately, so there are no surprises after launch.
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