Check the company before you compare prices
Before comparing quotes, confirm that the company you are about to pay is real, has done similar work, will give you what you need to run the software without them, and has a way of handling problems after launch. These checks take a few hours and can save you from a project that stalls halfway.
This guide covers the company itself: its registration, its evidence, its contract and its support. The questions to put to the delivery team about how they will build your project are in a separate interview question list.
Confirm the legal entity and its registration
Ask for the company's full legal name, its Corporate Identification Number (CIN) if it is a company, and its GSTIN. Then check them yourself rather than relying on a screenshot.
- Company records: the Ministry of Corporate Affairs portal lets you look up a company's master data, including its status, registered office and date of incorporation, by name or CIN.
- GST registration: the GST portal offers a public taxpayer search where you can check that a GSTIN is active and belongs to the same legal name.
- Name match: the name on the quote, the contract, the invoice and the bank account should all be the same entity.
A sole proprietor or partnership can do good work too, and will not have a CIN. In that case, check the GSTIN, the proprietor's identity and the physical address. What matters is that you know exactly who you are contracting with. For a company, payments should go to the company's own bank account, not to a director's or employee's personal account.
Look for proof of similar work you can verify
A row of logos on a website is not proof. Ask for two or three projects similar to yours in size or type, and for each one ask what exactly the company did: design, development, hosting, support, or all of them. Then verify what you can.
- Live systems: if the work is a public website or app, open it yourself. If it is internal software, ask whether the client would agree to a short call or visit.
- Published case studies: these should describe the work done and the roles involved, not only the client's achievements.
- Length of relationship: a client still supported several years after launch says more than a one-off delivery.
Be fair to the company here: many clients do not allow their internal systems to be shown, and protecting their data is a good reason. In that case, ask for a demo on test data instead.
Insist on a live demo, not a slide deck
Ask to see working software, either a ready product the company sells or a demo copy of past custom work loaded with test data. During the demo, ask the presenter to do real tasks rather than click through prepared screens: create an entry, make a mistake and correct it, print a receipt, run a report for a date range, and log in as a junior user to show what that person cannot see.
A company that builds software regularly can do this with little notice. If every demo turns out to be a video or a presentation, ask why.
Read the contract for these terms
Most disputes come from things the contract did not say. Before signing, find each of the following in writing. If one is missing, ask for it to be added; a reasonable company will not object.
| Term | What it should say | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | The agreed requirements, attached or referenced | Defines what finished means |
| Source code and IP | Who owns the code, or what licence you receive | Decides whether another developer can take over |
| Data ownership | Your data belongs to you and is used only to provide the service | Protects customer, patient or staff records |
| Accounts and credentials | Domain, hosting, app store and gateway accounts in your organisation's name, with access shared | Avoids being unable to renew or move |
| Payment milestones | Payments linked to approved deliverables | Keeps payment and progress in step |
| Change requests | How new requests are estimated and approved | Prevents surprise bills |
| Support and AMC | What is covered after launch, the channel, working hours and the annual charge | Sets expectations for fixes |
| Exit and handover | What you receive if the arrangement ends, and how quickly | Lets you leave without losing data |
| Confidentiality | The company keeps your business information private | Basic protection for your records |
Ask how support works after go-live
Software support is a process, not a promise. Ask how you report a problem (WhatsApp, email, phone or a ticket system), who receives it, during what hours, how it is prioritised, and how you will know it has been fixed. Ask what counts as a bug fixed under support and what counts as a change you pay for. If the company offers an AMC, ask for the list of what it includes in writing.
It is also worth asking what happens when the developer who built your system leaves the company. A company with documented code and more than one person familiar with each project handles this better than one where all the knowledge sits in a single head.
Red flags that should slow you down
- A firm price quoted on the first call, before anyone has looked at your process.
- A request to pay a large share upfront with no deliverable attached to it.
- Payment requested into a personal account for a company project.
- Reluctance to put source code, data ownership or exit terms in writing.
- Your domain or hosting registered in the developer's name for convenience.
- No physical address you can visit, or a registered name that does not match the invoice.
- Claims of rankings or awards that cannot be checked anywhere.
One red flag is not always a reason to walk away; sometimes it is a misunderstanding that a direct question clears up. Two or three together are a reason to pause.
Checking MATROP the same way
We encourage you to run these checks on us. MATROP PRIVATE LIMITED is registered with the Registrar of Companies, Jharkhand (Ranchi), CIN U74999JH2016PTC008996, and has been in business since 2016. Our office is in Ranchi, Jharkhand, and you are welcome to visit between 10 am and 7 pm, Monday to Saturday. Company details are on our about page, and our published case study for Eleplasht describes the website and multi-role platform we designed and built for a Ranchi manufacturer.
We ask clients to make payments only to the company account of MATROP PRIVATE LIMITED. For custom software development, we agree scope and milestones upfront, and we can demo our ready products before you decide. If your project needs a specialism we do not offer, or you would rather work with a company you can visit more easily in your own city, that may suit you better; the checks in this article apply to any company you consider.
Questions people ask
How do I find a company's CIN if it is not on its website?
Ask the company directly; it is commonly printed on letterheads, invoices and contracts. You can also search by company name on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs portal.
Is a sole proprietor riskier to hire than a private limited company?
Not necessarily for quality, but it can be for continuity, because everything depends on one person. If you hire a proprietor, make sure you hold the source code, documentation and all account passwords.
What should we do if a company will not show a live system?
Ask for a demo on test data instead. If it cannot show any working software at all, treat that as a serious warning sign before paying anything.
Should hosting and domain accounts be in our name or the developer's?
In your organisation's name, with the developer given access to manage them. That way you can renew or move them even if the working relationship ends.
