For UK businesses

Offshore Software Development for UK Businesses, Done Transparently

AI Dev Planner is a software development team in Islamabad, Pakistan. We do not have a UK office. This page sets out how UK businesses work with us, what it costs in GBP, what to check on data protection, and when an offshore partner is not the right choice.

Where we are, and what that means for you

Our engineering team is based in Islamabad. We work with founders and businesses in the UK, the US and the Gulf, all remotely. Islamabad is four hours ahead of the UK in summer and five hours ahead in winter, because Pakistan does not change its clocks.

In practice, working with us means less in-person contact than a local agency and more reliance on a written scope, a shared chat channel and scheduled video calls. Some UK businesses prefer that model; some need someone in the room. Both are reasonable, and this page should help you decide which you are.

How UK clients work with us

A dedicated Slack channel

Each project gets its own Slack channel with direct access to the engineers building your product.

Bi-weekly video walkthroughs of working software

Every two weeks we walk you through what has been built, running, so you can catch changes early instead of reading status reports.

A written scope before the build

We scope the project in a discovery phase, mapping workflows, data model and integrations, then set fixed 2-week sprint costs against the agreed scope. Features left out go on a written cut list, and larger additions are scheduled as separate phases.

Your code, in your accounts

You get full IP ownership of the code, database design and documentation. We recommend the repository lives in your own GitHub or GitLab organisation from day one, and hosting sits in cloud accounts you control.

Support after launch

A 60–90 day warranty after launch covers defects in what we delivered. After that, a maintenance retainer can be scoped separately, or your own developers can take over using the documentation and handover.

Prices in GBP

These are the planning ranges published in our UK custom web application cost guide. A “+” means the figure can be exceeded. Hosting, third-party licences and maintenance are separate.

AI Dev Planner published planning ranges in GBP
Product type	Planning range (GBP)	Note
MVP (SaaS or web app)	£25,000–£45,000	8–12 weeks for a focused SaaS MVP; 12–16 weeks for a standard operational web-app MVP
Internal tools	£40,000–£80,000+	From one department to company-wide systems
Customer portals	£60,000–£120,000+	Extra security review, device testing and CRM sync

For an indicative range for your own product, use the free UK MVP cost calculator.

UK GDPR: what to check with any offshore supplier

This is a checklist, not legal advice and not a compliance certification. Ask any supplier outside the UK, including us, to answer these points in writing before the build starts, and take professional advice if your data is sensitive or regulated. The ICO’s guidance on international transfers and its wider UK GDPR guidance are the places to start.

Where personal data is hosted
Agree the hosting region and whose cloud account it sits in. A UK or EU region in an account your business controls keeps the data in hosting you own.
Who can access production data, and from where
Development rarely needs real personal data. Agree whether the supplier's team needs any access to production, and use test data where possible.
A written controller-processor contract
UK GDPR expects a written contract with any supplier that processes personal data on your behalf. Ask for it before the build starts, whoever the supplier is.
International transfer rules
If anyone outside the UK can access personal data, check what the ICO guidance on international transfers requires for that country, and record the decision.
Security measures in writing
Ask how access is controlled, how secrets are stored and how incidents are reported, and keep the answers with your records.

Security practices are described on our trust page.

UK agency, offshore partner or freelancer: the working model

A general comparison of how the working relationship differs, not a ranking. Individual suppliers vary more than these categories do, so verify each point with the supplier you are considering.

Working model compared: UK-based agency, offshore partner and freelancer
Aspect	UK-based agency	Offshore partner	Freelancer
In-person meetings	Usually easy to arrange	Rare; most contact is remote	Depends on where the freelancer lives
Time zone	Same as yours	Varies by country; check how much of your working day overlaps	Varies
Day-to-day communication	Calls, meetings and chat	Written scope, chat and scheduled video calls carry more of the load	Usually direct with one person
Price level	Typically the highest of the three	Often lower than a UK agency for a comparable team	Varies widely by individual
Data protection to check	Controller-processor contract	Controller-processor contract, plus the international transfer rules if anyone outside the UK can access personal data	Controller-processor contract, and transfer rules if they are outside the UK
If a key person leaves	The agency replaces them	The partner replaces them; ask how handover works	Work can stop until you find someone new
What to verify before signing	Who actually does the work, and whether parts are subcontracted	Who does the work, where they are, who can access your data, and who owns the code	Availability, code ownership and contractor status

Also weighing an in-house hire? Our agency vs freelancer vs in-house guide compares cost shape, speed, skill coverage and risk for UK startups.

What we will not pretend, and when we are not the fit

We do not have a UK office or a UK address, and we will not imply one.
We do not claim compliance certifications on this page. Data protection is handled through the specific contract, hosting and access arrangements agreed for your project.

We are probably not the right partner if:

you need a supplier on site in the UK on a regular basis;
your contracts, insurer or regulator require that only UK-based staff can access your systems or data;
you need a quote before anyone has looked at the scope.

If those do not apply, start with the software development company overview or a service page: MVP development, SaaS development, custom software or customer portal development. You can read more about us.

Offshore software development FAQs for UK businesses

Do you have a UK office?

No. We do not have a UK office. Our engineering team is based in Islamabad, Pakistan, and we work with UK businesses, as well as clients in the US and the Gulf, remotely. Projects run through a dedicated Slack channel and bi-weekly video walkthroughs of working software.

What is the time difference, and how do we communicate during a project?

Islamabad is four hours ahead of the UK in summer and five hours ahead in winter, because Pakistan does not change its clocks. Day to day, you get a dedicated Slack channel with direct access to the engineers working on your product, and every two weeks a video walkthrough of working software, so you see progress rather than status reports. Meeting times are agreed at the start of the project.

How should a UK business approach UK GDPR when the development team is in Pakistan?

Treat it as a checklist for any supplier outside the UK, including us. Agree where personal data will be hosted and who can access it, put a written controller-processor contract in place, and check what the ICO guidance on international transfers requires if anyone outside the UK can access personal data. Ask for these in writing before the build starts, and take professional advice if your data is sensitive or regulated.

Can our data stay in the UK or EU?

Hosting can be set up in a UK or EU region, in cloud accounts your business controls, so personal data stays in hosting you own. Whether the development team needs any access to production data, and on what terms, is something to agree explicitly during scoping.

Do you price projects in GBP?

Yes. Our published planning ranges are in GBP: roughly £25,000–£45,000 for an MVP, from about £40,000 to well over £80,000 for internal tools, and from around £60,000 to over £120,000 for customer portals. A fixed price follows a scoping conversation, with fixed 2-week sprint costs against the agreed scope. The free UK MVP cost calculator gives an indicative range for your product.

Who owns the code if we work with an offshore team?

You do. You get full IP ownership of the source code, database design and documentation, with no licence fees or lock-in. We recommend the code lives in your organisation's own GitHub or GitLab account from day one, so you always have access to the latest work. A 60–90 day warranty after launch covers defects in what we delivered.

Talk it through first

Tell us what you are building and how you prefer to work. If an offshore team is not the right fit, we will say so.

Discuss your project Estimate your MVP cost