Side by side
| Off-the-shelf portal | Custom portal | |
|---|---|---|
| Getting started | Configure and invite clients | Designed and built first |
| What clients see | Files, messages, invoices, forms, tasks | Whatever your business tracks, from your own data |
| Branding | Logo, colours and often a custom domain | Fully your own design |
| Data source | Data entered or uploaded into the portal | Live data from your CRM, job software, database or accounting |
| Cost over time | Subscription, often per user or client | Build cost, then hosting and agreed upkeep |
| Logins and security | Handled by the vendor | Built in, with access rules set for your clients |
| Changes | Limited to the product's settings | Changed as your service changes |
Choose off the shelf when
- Clients mainly need files, messages, invoices and a few forms
- Your practice or job software already includes a portal that covers it
- You want it working this month
- Your team is happy to keep the portal updated by hand
Choose custom when
- Clients need to see live status from systems you already run, without staff copying it in
- The portal is part of what you sell, so it must look and work like your product
- Clients approve, order or configure things, not just read
- You have many clients and per-client fees add up
A common middle route
Keep the off-the-shelf portal for files and messages, and feed it from your other systems with an integration. Or build a small custom page for the one view your clients ask for most, and link to it from the portal you already have.
What to decide first
List the three questions clients email you about most. If the answers already live in software, a portal can answer them on its own. Then check whether any product shows those answers without someone retyping them. If none does, that is the case for custom.
Updated 2026-10-23. General guidance, not advice for your situation; we scope each project in writing before any work starts.
Questions people ask first
How do clients log in to a custom portal?
With an email link or a password, and two-step sign-in where it matters. Each client sees only their own records.
Can a portal pull from our CRM or job software?
Yes, if that software has an API or exports. That is usually the main reason to build one.
Can you add to the portal we already have?
Often, yes. Many portal tools accept data through an API or Zapier, so we feed them from your other systems.
Who owns a custom portal?
You do. It runs in your accounts, with documentation, and you can change who maintains it.
Tell us what you need built.
Tell us the process and the tools involved, or call. We reply with questions or a written scope.
hello@pushbuild.com