Top 10 Outsourcing Software Development Companies in Australia in 2026

If you are a founder, product manager, CTO, or ops lead who needs real development partners, this guide will be highly useful for you in 2026.

2026 on the Australian software development market is nothing but a turbulent continuation of the previous year. We can see that digital change across Australia is moving forward really fast, and it’s evolving by the hour. Businesses are rolling out new tools, and that creates more pressure for in-house staff.

With all that, it is hard not to see why outsourcing is now not even an option, but rather an infrastructural solution across the industries. Everyone uses it: large banks, government agencies and even start-ups. For companies working on digital products, games, or gamified platforms, choosing the right partners from experienced game development outsourcing companies becomes especially important, as delivery quality and production pipelines differ significantly from classic software projects.

Yes, we can safely say that outsourcing is widespread, and that won’t be an exaggeration. And yet…even though there are hundreds of seemingly reliable software development outsourcing companies, the results for Australian clients are not always exactly top-notch.

How to choose the options that will secure the results your business needs?

We asked ourselves that very question, and decided to do research ourselves. That’s how we compiled a list of top software development companies you rely on. All of them are supported by transparent methodology that we applied, AU-specific insights, and RFP template.

Keep reading!

Australian Software Market Snapshot

The Australian software market is going through changes. Just as globally, many things affect the nature of it. Of course, there is AI and LM adoption through the whole market, but that’s not the limit.

According to Garner, IT spending in Australia will exceed AU $172 billion. Interestingly, the software is projected to be the largest spending category at nearly AU $60 billion. Moreover, it grows faster than IT services.

Australian IT Spending Forecast 2025-2026 (Millions of AU Dollars).

SaaS is one of the main models of delivery in Australia. It is also the largest segment of public cloud adoption. Projections were AU $13 billion in 2025 and continuing growth into 2026. SaaS is popular for quite mundane reasons: subscription prices “eat” less of upfront cost. Besides, and that will get us back to ever-present AI, SaaS simply allows us to integrate new capabilities.

Cloud migration is another big trend. Australia’s public cloud spend is growing near 20% year-over-year, so that’s rather a continuation of the same trend.

Did you know?
More than half of Australian companies that outsource software development in 2026 don’t do it to save money first. They do it to access skills they simply can’t hire locally.

An explosion of fintech, healthcare industry, and government-led digital programs are also giving an extra push to these trends.

Australian software market, 2018-2030 (US $M).

In the light of these situations, it is interesting how companies are delivering software in 2026.

Very few Australian organizations rely on a single delivery model anymore. Moreover, nobody builds software in one way. For example, 10 years ago you could build it easier in-house or simply by outsourcing it.

There are four main delivery models popular right now in Australia. These are:

• In-house: You hire developers, designers, and product people as full-time employees, and you own code, timeline, decisions, etc. It is good for teams who want to build deep business knowledge, and keep full control on things. However, hiring in Australia is quite slow, so finding talent might be the biggest issue.
• Nearshore/offshore: These are the teams outside of Australia. It can be Asia-Pacific regions with closer time zones or talent hubs further away. These teams may work full-time for you or on specific projects. But why use the best custom software development companies outside of Australia? The reason is all the same: Australia simply doesn’t have enough engineers. Besides, there’s the question of cost.
• Co-development: Internal teams and external teams build together, sometimes in multiple locations. As simple as that.
• Managed services: In this model, you’re paying for outcomes. What can be managed? Cloud infrastructure, legacy systems, security monitoring. Companies use this because systems need monitoring, and it’s easier to delegate that.

Did you know?
In Australia, In-house teams usually own core systems and business logic, whole outsourced teams cover completely different things. They handle scale and specialized work, while also working on speed of the whole operation.

Top 10 Outsourcing Software Development Companies in Australia in 2026

In this list, we’ve included only Australian headquartered firms and international studios with strong Australian presence and proven client experience.

We aimed to evaluate companies by using a methodology that covers all the important things. That includes delivery track record, technical depth, security practices, and client validation.

In the end, just before you, the list that reflects top software development companies in Australia 2026.

1. Fgfactory Australia

Company Overview

Fgfactory is the top custom software development company in Australia. They provide full-cycle games and custom software development services. Most often, as a leader of the Australian market for years, the company works with complex and scalable digital products.

Fgfactory is known for delivering complex custom digital solutions and is proficient in game production and gamification.

Year Founded & Location

Melbourne, Australia | Founded 2010

Team Size

50+ specialists

Key Expertise

Custom software and digital platforms development, cross-platform game development, gamification solutions creation and integration, game artwork and animation design.

Services Offered

Full project lifecycle delivery (from concept to release), custom game production, gamification system design & integration, character and game assets design, UX/UI for interactive systems.

Notable projects or Clients

Fgfactory delivered a project called Visa Pay City. It is a merchant aggregator web platform powered by Visa, made from scratch. The team covered all stages of production, and included highly interactive elements with gamification.

For the Racer Club GameFi platform, Fgfactory developed a multiplayer racing ecosystem that quickly attracted 10,000 users and drew big investor interest. Racer Club’s design ties NFT communities into gameplay and club administration.

Fgfactory developed a SaaS marketing gamification platform called Winday, which helps e-commerce businesses acquire customers through interactive gaming campaigns. Winday’s no-code platform let users integrate branded games into websites, apps, or reaching new audience on Winday Club to boost engagement, retain customers, and drive sales.

2. DreamWalk

Company Overview

DreamWalk is a Melbourne-based mobile app and UX design studio. They are mostly focused on user-centered experiences and fully transparent development processes which makes them one of the best custom software development companies.

Year Founded & Location

Melbourne, Australia | Founded 2008

Team Size

50+ specialists

Key Expertise

Mobile app development, UX/UI, design strategy

Services Offered

iOS/Android app build, UX strategy, prototyping, web support, post-launch analytics.

Notable projects or Clients

DreamWalk is known as one of the first iOS developers to release applications on the App Store. For example, their ‘DreamWalk’ GPS treasure hunt app once reached the top of the App Store charts.

3. Vrinsoft

Company Overview

Vrinsoft Pty Ltd is a software development company that has been delivering quality services for over a decade. They also act as an app development firm serving businesses across a wide range of industries and needs.

Year Founded & Location

Melbourne/ Sydney, Australia | Founded 2009

Team Size

200 employees

Key Expertise

Custom software solutions, web/mobile development, enterprise platforms.

Services Offered

Custom software, web and mobile apps, Salesforce and cloud integration, digital transformation services.

Notable projects or Clients

For Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne they have created an app that helps clients gather important information and communicate with hospital staff.

4. Appello Software

Company Overview

Appello is a custom software development company, offering custom application development and product design. Among their clients are companies of different sizes, including startups and enterprises.

Year Founded & Location

Sydney, Australia | Founded ~2015

Team Size

200 + specialists

Key Expertise

Mobile and web application development, SaaS platforms.

Services Offered

Custom software, mobile application builds, web development, UX/UI design, product consulting.

Notable projects or Clients

For Valte, a real estate company, Appels software created a comprehensive digital transaction platform for commercial transactions.

5. Working Mouse

Company Overview

Software development and digital transformation partner, this company’s main focus is legacy system modernisation and high-impact custom apps.

Year Founded & Location

Brisbane, QLD, Australia | Founded 2012

Team Size

50–249 employees

Key Expertise

Legacy modernisation, custom software, AI-ready systems.

Services Offered

Full software engineering, talent-as-a-service, strategic consulting, AI solution integration.

Notable projects or Clients

Digital transformation and product delivery for Queensland Government and Australian Defense digital initiatives.

6. EB Pearls

Company Overview

EB Pearls is one of Australia’s largest custom software development agencies, delivering web and mobile digital products with a strong user-experience orientation.

Year Founded & Location

Sydney, Australia | Founded 2004

Team Size

200+ specialists

Key Expertise

Enterprise web/mobile apps, UX/UI design, staff augmentation.

Services Offered

Custom software, mobile applications, web platforms, digital strategy, QA and support.

Notable projects or Clients

Delivery for campaigns and platforms like NSW Government initiatives, and for many other enterprise digital platforms.

7. Alliance Software

Company Overview

Alliance Software is a Melbourne-based custom software specialist with a focus on database-driven platforms and long-term product builds.

Year Founded & Location

Nunawading, VIC, Australia | Founded 1999

Team Size

25+ specialists

Key Expertise

Custom business systems (CRM, ERP, Scheduling & Logistics Software, Workflow Management Software, etc), Python/Django development, new product development.

Services Offered

Web and cloud applications, API integrations, digital strategy support, existing software support, AI-driven solutions,

Notable projects or Clients

For BrokerEngine, they built one of Australia’s best CRM for Mortgage brokers, and helped the client move to a more efficient platform and save hundreds of thousands in yearly fees.

8. TatvaSoft

Company Overview

TatvaSoft Australia is the Australian arm of a global software development provider, delivering enterprise-scale systems and integrated solutions across industries.

Year Founded & Location

Sydney, NSW, Australia | Founded 2001

Team Size

1,000+ employees globally

Key Expertise

Enterprise custom software, analytics platforms.

Services Offered

Custom software development, e-commerce web development, enterprise solutions, mobile/web apps, QA/testing, cloud and enterprise integration, dedicated staffing.

Notable projects or Clients

TatvaSoft created a solution for a leading airways services provider offering a wide range of passenger services, including bookings, seat selection, luggage options, flight updates, etc. The solution provides a user-friendly, responsive web platform with e-forms, document libraries, internal knowledge sharing, department sites, and event notifications.

9. Hatchet

Company Overview

Hatchet is a Sydney-based digital product and engineering studio focusing on premium web and mobile product builds.

Year Founded & Location

Sydney, NSW, Australia | mid-2010s

Team Size

30–50 employees

Key Expertise

Product engineering, UX-focused platforms.

Services Offered

Custom software, web and mobile development, product strategy, cloud solutions, UI/UX design, services for energy, finance and health industries.

Notable projects or Clients

Web design, web development, and hosting for the Western Australian Marine Science Institution, or WAMSI. The Hatchet team refined the client’s site and created a platform to show their research better.

10. Wave Digital

Company Overview

Wave Digital is an Australian digital agency focused on human-centered design and custom web solutions. They are often working with the public sector.

Year Founded & Location

Melbourne, VIC, Australia | Early 2000s

Team Size

40–60 employees

Key Expertise

App design and development, digital transformation systems, solution architecture, digital consulting for building custom software.

Services Offered

Custom software, service design, web platforms, UX research, API integrations, cloud infrastructure, app support and maintenance.

Notable projects or Clients

Wave Digital collaborated with VicRoads and helped them redo its VicTraffic web app. The web app allows its users to plan journeys, based on real-time information that may impact the journey. For that, they collaborated with Emergency Management Victoria.

Pro Tip:
If a vendor promises they can “do everything,” slow down. The best outsourcing software development companies in Australia are usually very clear about what they don’t do.

Criteria of Selection among the Best Software Development Outsourcing Companies

So, how exactly did we choose the companies that made it to the top in such a dense and competitive market as Australia? We actually followed pretty clear criteria that show whether a certain company has enough expertise and experience to be a good choice for modern clients.

Australian Presence and Client Experience

Yes, first, we have given priority to companies that are physically present in Australia. Surely, in our globalized world with many freelancers working in different time zones, it might seem like an excessive point. And yet, if your company is not facing local regulations and business culture, delivering high-quality work to the local clients will be harder. Or, rather, it will be harder to fit the expectations.

Include those of communication, maybe certain specifics that are impossible to know if you never worked in AU area.

Case Studies

Demonstrating real results, reflected not just in numbers, but in actual names, used frameworks and deliverables, is above important. Especially today, and especially at the level we are talking about, you can’t be a top company in software development without showing project examples in detail.

Case studies of Wave Digital, one of the companies we reviewed.

We included in the list only companies that shipped products with outcomes everyone can see proof of. That includes performance and business impact foremost, but also a room for scalability. For businesses planning interactive platforms or games, choosing among experienced game development outsourcing companies helps better assess production pipelines, and real delivery experience beyond standard enterprise software.

Technical Depth & Stack Coverage

We have mentioned already that the software development industry and tech segment overall is changing at an enormous pace. That’s why it is important today for companies to be able to show what kind of modern technologies they use.

This includes backend and frontend stacks, cloud platforms, mobile frameworks, APIs, integrations, and emerging technologies.

Such up-to-date and high level expertise is important for clients to see because it reduces the risk. Thus, we considered a wide range of technical abilities as a big point for credibility.

Team size & Production Pipeline Maturity

Of course, even small teams can deliver amazing, technically complex projects. And yet, when it comes to years of experience on the market, mostly mature companies tend to grow in size.

They have defined roles in scalable teams that support documented delivery pipelines. What’s the advantage for clients who are exploring top software development companies in Australia?

The reason is simple: it provides understandable production timelines. Besides, you can have real expectations based on the abilities described by the company itself.

Security, Compliance & IP Practices

In the era of cyberattacks and the generally more hazardous state of the online world, even if the companies have everything we have already described, one thing might ruin everything.

The lack of security and IP protection can be critical. For us, these are essential evaluation factors. It makes even more sense for enterprise and regulated industries. Companies must demonstrate NDA readiness and secure development practices. These are the basics for all the best software development companies in Australia.

Along with that, we researched data protection standards, and clear IP ownership transfer terms.

Pro Tip:
When comparing software development outsourcing companies, don’t focus only on hourly rates. Ask how they handle missed milestones, scope changes, and production incidents.

Client Reviews & References

There’s no expertise if it is not proven by third-party validation. Reviews from real clients is one of the pillars of credibility, and we researched companies with positive reviews and testimonials over time.

If software development outsourcing companies showed they have long-term relationships with their clients, it was a huge sign of credibility for us.

Testimonials of Fgfactory’s clients.

Pricing Transparency & Communication

Finally, one of the most important factors is pricing. It can easily become a huge source of distrust and make even a generally positive experience a bad one.

Reliable partners always show clear pricing models upfront. That goes side by side with realistic estimates of the future work, as well as open communication with clients. We have given preference to companies that define scope, milestones, and reporting practices, and never introduced hidden costs out of blue.

The Comparison of Best Outsourcing Software Development Companies in Australia

Now, when you know what each company in this list represents and what it has delivered, let’s take a bit of a different perspective. Let’s make each company’s main characteristics more visible compared to each other.

In the table below, we provide an overview on key operational factors of the top companies we listed in this article. Also, all the data that we share here is indicative and based on publicly available information.

#	Company	Headquarters	Team	Key Expertise	Work Models
1	Fgfactory Australia	Melbourne	50+	Game & interactive development, cross-platform software, SaaS, gamification	Project-Based (Fixed-Price) Dedicated Development Team Agile & Iterative Delivery
2	DreamWalk	Melbourne	50+	Mobile app development, UX/UI, design strategy	Fixed-Price Projects Time & Materials / Agile Sprints
3	Vrinsoft	Melbourne	200+	Custom software solutions, web/mobile development, enterprise platforms	Dedicated Development Team Fixed-Price Contracts Time & Materials – Agile Engagement
4	Appello Software	Sydney	200+	Mobile and web application development, SaaS platforms	Full-Cycle Agile Delivery Project-Based (Scope + Price) Co-development with Client Team
5	Working Mouse	Brisbane	50+	Legacy modernisation, custom software, AI-ready systems	Project-Based (Fixed Price) Time & Materials (Agile) Collaborative / Co-dev
6	EB Pearls	Sydney	200+	Enterprise web/mobile apps, UX/UI design, staff augmentation	Dedicated Development Team Staff Augmentation Project-Based / Fixed-Price
7	Alliance Software	Nunawading	25+	Custom business systems, Python/Django development	Dedicated Development Team Fixed-Price Projects Time & Materials
8	TatvaSoft	Sydney	1000+	Enterprise custom software, analytics platforms	Dedicated Development Teams (Onshore & Offshore) Fixed-Price Projects Long-Term Partner Contracts
9	Hatchet	Sydney	30+	Product engineering, UX-focused platforms	Fixed-Price Project Delivery Time & Materials / Agile Sprints Co-development
10	Wave Digital	Melbourne	40+	UX research, digital transformation systems	Project-Based (Fixed Scope & Price) Time & Materials (Agile) Collaborative Development

How to Choose the Right Software Development Partner

• Clear NDA & IP assignment. It’s not possible for a professional company to avoid this step. It is, again, basic. So any reliable partner always starts with a simple step of an NDA signing. Then, you will normally have detailed discussions and clearly define IP ownership in the contract. What does this document say, though? Essentially, all source code, documentation, and deliverables must be owned by the client once the payment is done. There should be no hidden restrictions or limitations clients are not aware of.
• SLAs and testable deliverables. Clients don’t go to software development outsourcing companies to gamble. That’s why vendors define success upfront. There are measurable things to apply like service-level agreements, milestone-based deliverables, and acceptance criteria. So, before the work is even started, clients should know who owns the code repositories and how deliverables are approved. However, and it is a normal human condition, sometimes deadlines and milestones are missed due to external factors. Yet, these cases should be also mentioned and clients should know what happens if milestones are missed.
• Dedicated project manager and clear communication channels. Top software development companies always assign a dedicated project manager or delivery lead responsible for timelines and coordination. Usually this is also a person that is handling risk management. Besides, all the communication channels should be defined and approved with the client from the start. It may seem like not a very important thing compared to what we have mentioned, but it affects the quality and speed of work.
• Access to code repository, CI/CD, and regular builds. One of the things that can not be underestimated is the importance of transparency in development. Clients simply should have continuous access to code repositories and automated build pipelines, otherwise it is not really right. Dependable custom software development companies in Australia allow their clients monitor progress and quality in real time.
• Security & compliance checks for regulated sectors. Not every sector is the same, and many of them require a lot of regulations. For example, growing industries like healthcare, finance, or government require additional security and compliance checks. One certain way to understand that you have a qualified partner is to make sure that company is familiar with data protection standards and secure development practices.

Red Flags to Watch For:

• No contract clarity / vague IP terms. Any evasiveness about important things we have just described should be a big signal to review your decision regarding that vendor. Any unclear contracts can lead to legal and operational risk, and that’s definitely not what you want.
• Lack of references or case studies. Any experienced and reputable company can easily demonstrate how they worked successfully thanks to client references and testimonials. However, if there are zero documented case studies, companies either are too young or they simply don’t have anything they claim to possess.
• No access to playable demos, prototypes, or code samples. If a company you are negotiating with doesn’t want to share technical evidence, it is a red flag. It may indicate limited real-world delivery experience or, what’s even worth, serious quality issues. In any case, no matter how big your expectations are, we don’t recommend continuing working with this vendor.
• Unrealistic fixed-price guarantees without discovery. Top software development companies in Australia, (and in any market in fact) provide a clear range of prices based on scope of work and risk they assess. But if vendors promise fixed pricing or aggressive timelines without a proper discovery or requirements phase.

Final Takeaways & Recommendations

Now, you have the whole picture: you know how to choose the best vendors, and you know who are the best software development companies in Australia. At this point, you just have to narrow down vendors based on industry experience that is relevant to you. Besides, make sure their delivery model fits you. Brand recognition is good, but it might be too little to base on.

What you can also do is to run a discovery phase and validate all the technical details before you decide to commit. You might also contact past clients or just review case studies.

There’s always a possibility to do a small paid pilot to access code quality and understand team collaboration. Also, finalize IP ownership, communication cadence, and acceptance criteria. All that will let you avoid misunderstandings.

Finally, when choosing the best software development companies in Australia, look for long term effects. If you see realistic estimates and transparent processes, you might be looking at a reliable partner. Besides, if there’s the right mindset from the vendor’s, it is always more valuable than just lower cost.