Custom web application development
JasperByte builds custom web applications for companies in Calgary, Alberta and across Canada, using React, Node.js, and Ruby on Rails. We take products from first specification through to a deployed, monitored system running in production — including the database design, authentication, payments, and infrastructure underneath.
What this involves
A web application is not a website. It has accounts, permissions, state, money moving through it, and a database that will still be there in five years. The decisions made in the first fortnight — schema design, auth model, how background jobs work — are the ones you live with longest.
We build with that in mind. Boring, well-understood technology chosen deliberately, tests where they earn their keep, and a codebase your next developer can pick up without a three-week orientation.
What you get
- Customer-facing platformsPortals, marketplaces, and self-service products with real accounts and real permissions.
- Internal tools and dashboardsAdmin systems and operational tooling that replace the spreadsheet everything currently depends on.
- API design and developmentREST and GraphQL APIs, documented, versioned, and built for the clients that will consume them.
- Payments and billingStripe integration done properly — subscriptions, webhooks, retries, invoices, and the edge cases around them.
- Database architecturePostgreSQL and MySQL schema design, indexing, and migrations that will not corner you later.
- Accessibility and performanceWCAG-conscious markup and Core Web Vitals treated as requirements, not an afterthought.
How we work
From scope to production.
Scope
A short discovery that produces a written specification, a schema sketch, and an honest estimate range.
Build
Two-week cycles with something working and deployed at the end of each one, on a staging URL you can use.
Ship
Production deployment, monitoring, backups, and a handover that includes the code and the reasoning behind it.
Operate
Ongoing development, or a clean handoff to your team. Your choice, and the code is yours either way.
Typical stack
Who it is for
Industries we build this for.
SaaS & Startups
From MVP to scale — product engineering that keeps pace with your roadmap.
SaaS & Startups softwareFinance & Fintech
Secure payment flows, automations, and data pipelines built for compliance.
Finance & Fintech softwareE-commerce & Retail
Storefronts, Stripe checkout, and inventory systems that convert and scale.
E-commerce & Retail softwareEducation
Student portals, enrolment automation, and integrations that cut administrative load.
Education softwareInsurance
Quoting flows, claims intake, and broker portals that reduce manual handling.
Insurance softwareLogistics & Supply Chain
Real-time tracking, event streaming, and workflow automation across operations.
Logistics & Supply Chain softwareGot a web application to build?
Send us the outline. We will come back with scope, an approach, and a realistic range.
FAQ
Common questions about web app development.
How much does a custom web application cost?
A focused internal tool or MVP typically lands in the low tens of thousands. A multi-tenant platform with payments, permissions, and integrations is a larger programme. We give you a range after a short discovery, and we would rather tell you a project is too big for its budget than start it and find out together.
How long does it take to build?
Most first releases ship in eight to sixteen weeks. You will see working software on a staging URL within the first two weeks, and every two weeks after that, so you are never waiting months to find out whether it is going the right way.
Do we own the code?
Completely. The repository is yours, the infrastructure runs in your accounts, and there is no proprietary framework you have to keep paying us for. If you want to take it in-house or hand it to another team, nothing stops you.
Which framework will you use?
React with Node.js, or Ruby on Rails, depending on the shape of the problem. Rails is excellent for data-heavy applications with a lot of business logic; a React front end with a Node API suits interactive products and mobile-shared backends. We pick for your project, not for our convenience.
Can you take over an existing codebase?
Yes, and we do it regularly. We start with a short audit that tells you honestly what state it is in, what is worth keeping, and what it would take to make it maintainable — before anyone commits to a rewrite.
Still have questions? Talk to an engineer, not a salesperson — start a conversation or email info@jasperbyte.com.
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