Choosing the right software partner can be the difference between a product that ships and a roadmap that stalls. To help, we combed profiles for Australian providers and compiled a practical, side-by-side view of their review strength and fundamentals.
Methodology (quick): We looked at each company’s rating, number of verified reviews, pricing ranges (minimum project size & average hourly rate), team size, and an Australian office location. Data was captured on 7 Nov 2025 (AET).
The Shortlist (Top 10)
- Fingent — Melbourne & Sydney
ISO 27001 certified full-stack custom software & AI solutions with a long track record across startup, enterprise, and mid-market; standout review volume and consistency.
Rating 4.9 (63 reviews), min project $25k+, $25–$49/hr, team size 250–999, AU office Melbourne & Sydney. - Appello Software — Sydney
Product strategy through build and growth; strong mobile and web portfolio.
Rating 4.9 (33), min project $50k+, $100–$149/hr, team size 50–249, AU locations Sydney + Brisbane + Melbourne. - Vokke — Melbourne
ISO-certified consultancy focused on bespoke systems and automation.
Rating 4.8 (10), min project $50k+, $100–$149/hr, team size 10–49, AU office Melbourne. - Airteam — Sydney (Pyrmont)
Human-centred software design & development; compact senior squads.
Rating 5.0 (2), min project $10k+, $100–$149/hr, team size 10–49, AU office Pyrmont (Sydney). - Alliance Software — Melbourne (Nunawading)
Established (since 1999) custom software team with long-running client relationships.
Rating 4.8 (3), min project $25k+, hourly undisclosed, team size 10–49, AU office Nunawading (Melbourne). - Luminary — Melbourne / Sydney / Brisbane
Large Australian digital agency with strong web/CMS and custom dev capability.
Rating 4.7 (9), min project $25k+, $100–$149/hr, team size 50–249, AU locations Melbourne + Sydney + Brisbane. - Atlasopen — Melbourne (Fitzroy)
Data-savvy custom development for web and mobile with lean teams.
Rating 4.8 (12), min project $25k+, $100–$149/hr, team size 2–9, AU office Fitzroy (Melbourne). - Red Ant — Sydney (Surry Hills)
Boutique custom software & consulting; small team, senior attention.
Rating 4.8 (2), min project $10k+, $100–$149/hr, team size 10–49, AU office Surry Hills (Sydney). - StepInsight — Adelaide
Custom software development agency known for client communication and reliability.
Rating (subject to live updates) with strong review satisfaction; min project and hourly rate details visible on Clutch: “$10,000+” min project size and “$150–$199/hr”, team size “2–9”, Adelaide location. - Nuclieos — Melbourne
Engineering partner with focus on AI and staff augmentation.
Rating 5.0 (2), min project $1k+, $25–$49/hr, team size 10–49, AU office Melbourne.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Company | Rating | Reviews | Min Project | Avg Hourly | Team Size | AU Office |
| Fingent | 4.9 | 63 | $25k+ | $25–$49/hr | 250–999 | Melbourne + Sydney |
| Appello Software | 4.9 | 33 | $50k+ | $100–$149/hr | 50–249 | Sydney + Brisbane + Melbourne |
| Atlasopen | 4.8 | 12 | $25k+ | $100–$149/hr | 2–9 | Fitzroy (Melbourne) |
| StepInsight | 4.9 | 11 | $10k+ | $150–$199/hr | 2–9 | Adelaide |
| Vokke | 4.8 | 10 | $50k+ | $100–$149/hr | 10–49 | Melbourne |
| Luminary | 4.7 | 9 | $25k+ | $100–$149/hr | 50–249 | Melbourne / Sydney / Brisbane |
| Alliance Software | 4.8 | 3 | $25k+ | Undisclosed | 10–49 | Nunawading (Melbourne) |
| Airteam | 5 | 2 | $10k+ | $100–$149/hr | 10–49 | Pyrmont (Sydney) |
| Red Ant | 4.8 | 2 | $10k+ | $100–$149/hr | 10–49 | Surry Hills (Sydney) |
| Nuclieos | 5 | 2 | $1k+ | $25–$49/hr | 10–49 | Melbourne |
Company Snapshots (what they’re known for)
- Fingent (Melbourne/Sydney) — Enterprise-grade custom software & AI; consistent 4.9 across 60+ reviews and transparent pricing bands with thorough technology experts.
- Appello Software (Sydney/Brisbane/Melbourne) — End-to-end product development with premium delivery and communication; lots of mobile/web work.
- Vokke (Melbourne) — Bespoke systems, automation, and security/compliance; ISO 9001/27001 noted, strong value-for-cost in reviews.
- Airteam (Sydney) — Human-centred design, lean senior teams, perfect 5.0 from recent higher-ed work.
- Alliance Software (Melbourne) — Long-running shop (since 1999), steady results on complex builds and SaaS platforms.
- Luminary (Melbourne/Sydney/Brisbane) — Large Australian agency with deep CMS and custom dev; strong discovery/UX practice.
- Atlasopen (Melbourne) — Small, data-savvy team praised for honesty and cost transparency.
- Red Ant (Sydney) — Boutique dev & IT consulting; small team with senior attention and precision.
- StepInsight (Adelaide) — Custom software specialists with high client-satisfaction reviews; agile and tightly scoped.
- Nuclieos (Melbourne) — Custom software, AI/RAG builds, and staff aug; both 2025 reviews are 5-star.
FAQs
Is this a ranking or a vetted list?
It’s a vetted shortlist based on Clutch reviews, sized for busy buyers. Clutch’s own “Leaders Matrix” can differ day-to-day; always click through to see the latest view.
Will pricing change?
Yes — Clutch shows bands (e.g., min project and average hourly). Get a scoped proposal for an apples-to-apples comparison.