Software studio · Toronto 🍁
YYZ · Toronto Woman-owned Est. 2026

Your app, in weeks, not months.

You know what you want to build. You don't have the budget for a big team, or six months to wait. We build websites, mobile apps and AI tools for founders and small businesses, like restaurants. You get one fixed price and a delivery date before any work starts. Every product on this page is real, and you can open it and try it.

Example build · how we work Live
How we work: AI writes the first draft, a person checks every step, then we ship.

Brands we've worked with

Our founder, Melanie Baratto, has built software for companies in news, finance, insurance, education and tech.

Who we help

Two kinds of people come to us most. If one of them sounds like you, you are in the right place.

For founders

You know the app you want. You can't pay a big team for months.

Most agencies take three to six months. We use AI tools for the repetitive work, and a senior developer checks all of it. That is how we finish in weeks.

  • We turn your idea into a clear, written plan in the first two days
  • You see the app working every week, not only at the end
  • On the web, the App Store or Google Play
  • One price, agreed up front. You own all the code.
See the app package →
For restaurant owners

You run a restaurant. Let the busywork run itself.

Menus, bookings, reviews and posts eat up your evenings. We build simple tools that take that work off your plate.

  • A fast website with your menu, hours and a booking link, live in 3 days
  • Booking reminders that send themselves, so fewer tables sit empty
  • Replies to reviews, written for you. You approve them before they post.
  • Weekly Instagram and Facebook posts, done for you
See restaurant options →

How it works

AI tools do the repetitive work. A senior developer plans, checks and approves everything before you see it.

STEP 1 / PLAN DAYS 0–2

We agree on the plan

We trade a few emails. Then we write down exactly what we will build, when it will be done and what it costs. Nothing starts until you say yes.

STEP 2 / BUILD THE BUILD

AI plus a real developer

AI tools write the first draft of the code. A senior developer checks every piece before it counts. You see the progress every week.

STEP 3 / LAUNCH ON THE DATE

Live on the day we promised

You get the working product, all of the code, and a simple guide anyone can read. If we are late, you get a discount.

A 30-day app build, start to finish

  1. Day 0Plan and price agreed
  2. Week 1Your first demo
  3. Every weekA new demo and your feedback
  4. Day 30It's live, and it's yours
Case studies

How we build, shown on our own products

Each one starts with a real problem, shows how we solved it, and gives three numbers you can check in the code.

Joseki
Online game · built in 3 days
Open it ↗

A game server has to be right about every single move

Joseki is a place to play the board game Go online. One rules engine on the server checks every move, so no game can ever reach an illegal position. The computer opponents run a real AI model right in your browser, and a test fails if what the website says about that AI stops matching what it actually does.

  • 3days from the first line of code to joseki.online
  • 2,700+automated tests that run on every change
  • 31→92%how sure the AI gets about the same move, from beginner to expert level

What it means for you The rules of your business live in one place, and tests catch mistakes before your customers do.

ZipQuarry
Sales tool · for small businesses
Open it ↗

Owners lose their evenings looking for new customers

ZipQuarry finds businesses within a set distance of any ZIP or postal code. It reads each business's own website for a contact email, then drafts a first message for a person to review. Every address is saved with the page it came from and the date, so you can always check where it came from.

  • 3.6sseconds to find 200 local businesses, on the first real run
  • 58%of businesses found have a public email (1,021 of 1,770)
  • 67groups of automated tests

What it means for you Honest numbers, even when they aren't flattering. When 42% of businesses have no public email, the app says so instead of guessing.

Quotefront
Quoting app · for contractors
Open it ↗

Contractors write quotes at night from job photos

A customer sends photos and measurements. AI looks at the photos and describes what it sees. Then plain code, not the AI, turns that into a price range using the contractor's own rates, with line items that add up exactly. If the photo check fails, the request is still saved and flagged, so no customer is lost.

  • 0prices made up by the AI. Code does all the math.
  • 6trades supported, from roofing to paving
  • 3.2×the most the top of a price range can be over the bottom, enforced by a test

What it means for you AI where it helps, plain code where it has to be exact. That is how we add AI to your product.

Our work

Most studios show you pictures. Everything here is real, and you can open it with one click.

Featured Typecase Font library

Nobody can choose a font from a dropdown list

Typecase reads font files and measures them exactly, down to which letters each font includes. Then it shows every font pairing as a finished design, so you judge a font the way it will really look.

If a font is missing a letter, Typecase says so instead of hiding it. It never shows you something prettier than the truth.

  • 50font families, measured from the file
  • 44font pairings shown as finished designs
  • 12articles with live examples

Nobody paid us to build this. We still held it to the same standard your project gets.

Open Typecase ↗
New · For small businesses

Stop doing it twice

Most small businesses don't need new software. They need to stop copying, chasing and retyping the same things. We measure where your hours go, automate the worst of it in the tools you already use, and hand it over working within 60 days.

Where the time goes

Restaurants & cafés

  • Confirming bookings by phone, and empty tables from no-shows
  • Answering the same questions about hours, allergies and parking
  • Typing sales and supplier orders into spreadsheets

What we would build: booking reminders that send themselves, review replies you approve, and one place to see your numbers.

Trades & home services

  • Writing quotes at night from job photos
  • Chasing deposits, confirmations and reviews
  • Typing job details again for the invoice

We built this: Quotefront turns job photos into a price estimate.

Bookkeeping & accounting

  • Asking clients for the same documents every month
  • Tracking deadlines in a spreadsheet, or from memory
  • Setting up the same monthly work by hand

We built this: DueBook tracks monthly work, documents and deadlines for a whole firm.

Agencies & consultants

  • Finding new clients by hand
  • Writing first drafts of emails and proposals
  • Building status reports from five different apps

We built this: ZipQuarry finds local businesses and writes the first email.

PHASE 1 / MEASURE DAYS 1–10

We time it first

We sit with the people doing the work and time each task: how long it takes, how often, and who does it. You get a clear picture of where the hours go, and what fixing it is worth in dollars.

PHASE 2 / BUILD DAYS 11–45

Built into the tools you already use

We automate the two or three tasks that save the most time. They connect to your email, calendar, forms, accounting and customer lists. AI writes drafts where it helps. A person approves anything that goes to a customer.

PHASE 3 / HAND OVER BY DAY 60

Measured again, then it's yours

We time the same tasks again, train your team, and give you the code, the logins and a how-to guide. The result fits on one page: before, after, and how much time you saved.

Your way out on day 10

If the numbers show it isn't worth it, we tell you on day 10 and stop. You pay for those ten days only, and you keep the notes and measurements. We would rather lose the job than sell you something that won't pay off.

Before you hire

Hire an office assistant

~$51,700 a year in pay, every year

  • Plus payroll costs, benefits, vacation and a desk
  • Weeks to find and train someone
  • What they know leaves when they do

Automate

Once one fixed price, set after day 10

  • Working by day 60, on a set date
  • Everything written down. The code, logins and guide are yours.
  • Optional monthly support. Cancel anytime.

Based on the median wage for office assistants (NOC 13110) in the Toronto area: $26.50 an hour, 37.5 hours a week. Source: Job Bank, Government of Canada, 2023–2024. Automation doesn't replace good judgment. It replaces the typing, so your people can spend their day on the work that needs them.

WAYBILL № NB-006NEW

Automate

Business automation · working in 60 days
A good fit if you are
  • An owner who still has to approve every quote, bill or order
  • A team of 3 to 50 people copying the same information between apps
  • A business about to hire for office work, wondering if it has to
  • You tried Zapier and it became one more thing to fix

You work with the founder. Melanie Baratto does the measuring herself and approves every automation before it goes live.

By quote Fixed price · set after day 10
Start with the 10-day check →

Our packages

Five packages, one add-on and two monthly plans. Each package has a set scope and a set timeline. Pick one, send us a note, and we plan it with you on day one.

WAYBILL № NB-0013 DAYS

Spark

A website on your own web address · 3 days
A good fit if you are
  • A restaurant owner who needs a website before the weekend rush
  • A photographer launching a portfolio before a busy season
  • A freelancer going solo who needs a page today
  • A pop-up or market vendor who needs a link for Instagram
By quote Fixed price · agreed before we start
Start Spark →
WAYBILL № NB-0027 DAYS

Launch

A custom website + 3 rounds of changes · 7 days
A good fit if you are
  • A startup heading into investor meetings that needs a site people trust
  • A consultant going solo who needs a brand that brings in clients
  • A team launching a campaign this week
  • A small business ready to replace its do-it-yourself site
By quote Fixed price · agreed before we start
Start Launch →
WAYBILL № NB-003MOST POPULAR

Build

A full web or mobile app · live in 30 days
A good fit if you are
  • A founder who knows the app they want but can't pay a team for months
  • A business ready to turn how it works into an app customers can book or order from
  • A marketplace idea that needs a working version before talking to investors
  • A team that has planned too long and needs to ship something
By quote Fixed price · agreed before we start
Start Build →
WAYBILL № NB-00414 DAYS

Augment

Add AI to your product · 14 days
A good fit if you are
  • You added AI to your product and don't know what it costs per customer
  • It worked in the demo but makes mistakes with real users
  • You need the AI to give answers your app can use, not long paragraphs
  • You are adding AI to a product that stores many customers' data
By quote Fixed price · agreed before we start
Start Augment →
WAYBILL № NB-005ADD-ON

Discovery Sprint

Add to any package · +10 days of building
A good fit if you are
  • Adding it to a website package to plan what comes next
  • Adding it to an app package to agree on features before we start
  • Adding it to an AI package to check the AI feature is the right one
  • Anyone who wants expert product advice as part of the build
By quote Fixed price · add to any package
Start Discovery →
WAYBILL № NB-0075 DAYS

Salvage

Fix software you inherited · 5 days
A good fit if you are
  • Your developer left and nothing is written down
  • You bought a business and its software came with it
  • Your team wants to rebuild everything and you can't tell if they're right
  • You want a second opinion before paying for a rebuild
By quote Fixed price · agreed before we start
Start Salvage →
Subscription
Moorage
Care for software we built · monthly
  • Security updates, tested before they go live
  • We watch that your site stays up and fast, so we spot problems first
  • Time each month for small changes, no meeting needed
  • Backups we actually test by restoring them
A good fit if you are
  • You launched with us and don't want to think about it again
  • You have one website, no developer, and no time to watch it
  • Your last developer left and nothing has been updated since
  • You want someone to call who already knows your software
By quote Monthly subscription
Optional · cancel any month
Start Moorage →
Subscription
Pulse
Social media · monthly
  • 12–15 posts a month on your channels
  • Writing and branded graphics
  • We schedule and post for you
  • A short monthly report
A good fit if you are
  • A restaurant owner who needs weekly Instagram and Facebook posts
  • A boutique that wants to stay active on TikTok without hiring
  • A coach or consultant building a steady LinkedIn presence
  • Any local business that wants social media handled, so they can focus on customers
By quote Monthly subscription
Cancel anytime
Start Pulse →

How we compare

Three ways to get software built. Only one gives you a set date and a set price up front.

NORTHBOUND AI-powered studio Traditional agency Freelancer
How long 3–30 days promised 3–6 months estimated It depends on their schedule
Price Fixed price agreed up front Billed by the hour final bill unknown Hourly rate can keep growing
Surprise extra work Can't happen: the plan is fixed Common Common
Who owns the code You do, right away Often locked into a contract Yes
Help after launch 30 days included Monthly contract needed Costs extra
Uses AI to build faster Yes, every project Rarely Rarely

Our Manifesto

Our mission, our values and the studio mascots have their own page. Read the manifesto →

How we work, in writing

Lots of companies say they use AI. We write about exactly how we do it, in public, so you can check.

Featured article AI and the 30-day build Jun 2026

How AI lets a small team build an app in 30 days

Most agencies quote 90 days because they add extra time for surprises. Today's AI tools can plan a task, do it and check the result on their own. That speeds up the routine work that fills most of those 90 days.

The bigger change isn't speed. It's knowing the plan will hold. AI helps us spot problems before we write the code, runs tests as we go, and keeps a large project consistent. That is why we can promise a fixed price and a fixed date.

Read the article →

Lots of agencies added "AI" to their website last year. We have been building with AI since before it was in the news, and writing about it the whole time.

Why that matters: when your project hits a hard problem, you want a team that knows why the tools work, not one learning them for the first time on your bill.

Read our articles. Judge for yourself. Then send us a note.

Common questions

Answers to what people ask before they email us.

Show questions about
I have an app idea but no tech team. Can you help?
Yes. This is the most common reason people email us. You tell us what the app should do, in your own words. In the first two days we turn that into a written plan with a fixed price and a launch date. You don't need to know how to code, and you own everything we build.
Do you work with restaurants?
Yes. We build fast restaurant websites in 3 days, automate booking reminders and review replies, and run your social media with Pulse. We start by timing where your hours go, so we only build what will really save you time.
How long does it take?
It depends on the package. A website (Spark) takes 3 days. Fixing software you inherited (Salvage) takes 5 days. A custom website (Launch) takes 7 days. Adding AI to your product (Augment) takes 14 days. A full app (Build) takes 30 days. Automate is done by day 60, with a go or stop decision on day 10. Moorage and Pulse are monthly plans with no end date. These are promised dates, not guesses. If we are late, you pay less.
What is the Discovery Sprint? Do I need it?
It's an add-on for any package. We look at your business the way an experienced product leader would: your competitors, your customers and where your product should go next. It adds 10 days of building, three calls (start, middle and end), and a written plan you keep. If you're not sure what to build next, or you want an outside opinion before we start, this is for you.
What does fixed price mean?
We agree on one price before we build anything, and that's what you pay. No hourly billing and no surprise charges. Launch includes three rounds of changes after delivery. If something turns out harder than we expected, that's our problem, not yours. If you want to add something new, we give you a new fixed price for it.
Can you add AI to a product we already have?
Yes, that's the Augment package (14 days). Adding AI is the easy part. The hard part is what goes wrong later: the AI makes things up, the bill grows too fast, nobody can tell if a change helped, and your team can't maintain it. We fix all four. We check every AI answer, set spending limits for each customer, build tests that score quality, and teach your team how it all works.
How do you use AI to build faster?
AI tools handle the repetitive parts of building software, which is most of the work. They can plan a task, do it and check it. They also spot problems early and run tests as we go. A senior developer designs the product and checks everything before it ships. The result is faster builds, lower cost and fewer surprises after launch.
What do I get at the end?
A working product that real customers can use, not a test link. You also get all of the code, which you own forever, and a simple guide that someone who doesn't code can read. No ongoing contract required.
What is Pulse?
Pulse is a monthly social media plan with no long contract. Cancel anytime. We write and design 12 to 15 posts a month for your channels, then schedule and post them. It's made for restaurants, shops, coaches, consultants and any local business that wants to stay active online without hiring someone. Email us and we'll agree on your channels and style before the first post.
Why is there no chatbot on your site?
Because we think it would make your visit worse. Chatbots on websites often give generic answers and make people feel brushed off. We use AI where it really helps: building faster, writing better code and making clearer plans. To talk about your project, a real email from a real person works better. That's why this page asks you to email us.
Where are you based? Do you work outside Toronto?
We're based in Toronto and work with clients anywhere. Everything can be done remotely: planning, weekly demos and handover.
What can Automate actually do?
It takes over the repetitive work between your apps: new requests, quotes, reminders, chasing documents, data entry, reports and first drafts of routine emails. We start by timing how you do it today, so we pick what to automate based on real numbers. When a task needs judgment, the automation gets it ready and a person decides.
What if automation isn't worth it for us?
Then we tell you on day 10. You only pay for the first 10 days, and you keep the notes and measurements. We only build when the numbers show it will pay for itself.
We have software nobody understands. Can you help?
Yes, that's Salvage (5 days). You get a written map of how your software works, a safe way to make changes, a check of security risks, and our advice on whether to fix it or replace it, with a price for each option. You don't have to hire us for the next step.
What is Moorage? Do I have to buy it?
No. Moorage is an optional monthly care plan for software we built for you. We keep it updated and secure, check that it stays up and fast, test your backups, and make small changes each month. You own the code either way, and you can cancel any month.
Free · 20 minutes · No obligation

Book a call.
Tell us your idea.

Pick a time that works for you and talk it through with the founder, in plain words. You don't need anything prepared.

  1. Pick a timeAny open time from five days out, so we come to the call prepared. It's booked right away.
  2. Tell us your ideaTwenty minutes on a video call, in your own words. No slides needed.
  3. Get a planWithin one business day: what we would build, the price and the date.

Melanie BarattoFounder, Northbound

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an email instead.

Tell us what you want to build. In our reply you'll get the plan, the price and the launch date.

What is it about?

Or write to us directly: hello@northboundsoftwarestudio.com