Freelance software developer in Prestwich
Need a booking system, a customer database, or a tool that automates part of your business? I build custom software that does exactly what you need - and you own all of it. No ongoing licence fees, no dependency on me.
I'm Stef, based in Prestwich, Manchester, with over 20 years of experience. I've built systems handling over $200 million annually at Bandcamp.com, and grew a booking system from startup to 1,200 customers at Bouncy Castle Network. I'm now available for freelance work across Greater Manchester and remotely worldwide.
Everything I build is based on my open source tools and templates (AGPLv3 licensed, no "open core" catches). You get the complete source code via GitHub - though your repository can be private if you prefer. You can hire another developer to work on it, host it yourself, or take it in a completely different direction. No lock-in, no mysterious annual fees.
What I can build for you
Custom web applications
I build web applications designed around your specific business processes - booking systems, customer databases, inventory management, or industry-specific tools. These are built to handle real business requirements, with automated testing and solid infrastructure so they work reliably.
My current project Play-Test is a compliance and inspection system used by bouncy castle inspectors across the UK, with complex assessments, PDF generation, and QR code tracking. See my web application development page for more technical details.
Websites and content management
Not every project needs a full application. For businesses that need a fast, affordable, and easy-to-maintain website, I build sites that load quickly, cost very little to host, and give you complete control over your content.
I've built my own starter template that includes menu systems for restaurants, product listings for shops, event calendars, contact forms with spam protection, and built-in search engine optimisation. I can also help with converting from WordPress or Wix and adding features to existing sites.
Connecting your systems together
Many businesses need their various tools to talk to each other - your customer database to your accounting software, your website to your payment processor, or automating repetitive tasks that eat up your time. I can build the connections between your existing tools or create custom dashboards that pull data from multiple sources.
I use flexible, open source tools (rather than expensive services like Zapier) to wire things together. You'd be surprised how much can be automated without needing anything complicated.
Legacy system maintenance
Got an old system that works but nobody wants to touch? I'm not afraid of legacy codebases. I've inherited and maintained systems written in various languages and frameworks, often without documentation or tests. I can add features, fix bugs, improve performance, or plan migrations to modern platforms.
Sometimes the right answer is to keep what's working and just make targeted improvements. Other times a complete rewrite makes more sense. I'll give you honest advice about which approach suits your situation and budget, and I can work with whatever timeline makes sense for your business continuity.
Microcontroller and IoT programming
Beyond web applications, I work with Arduino, ESP32, and other microcontrollers for automation, monitoring, and IoT projects. This might be custom hardware for your business processes, sensor networks, automated systems, or integrating physical devices with your web applications.
My microcontroller programming services cover prototyping through to production deployments. I can help you spec hardware, write the firmware, and build web interfaces for monitoring and control.
Technical architecture and planning
Sometimes you don't need code yet - you need someone to help you figure out what to build and how to build it. I offer technical consulting to help you evaluate options, choose appropriate technologies, plan database structures, design system architectures, and create technical roadmaps.
Planning sessions can help avoid expensive mistakes early on. I'll explain trade-offs in plain English, recommend solutions that fit your scale and budget, and help you avoid over-engineering or under-engineering your systems. My technical consultancy services cover broader tech advice beyond just software development.
Why work with me?
I've worked at every scale - from fresh startups with zero customers through to international platforms serving millions of users. This means I can advise solutions that suit your current reality and future plans, whether you're a big organisation with established processes or a smaller business just getting started.
You get the complete source code, server setup instructions, and documentation for everything I build. If you want to host it yourself, you can. If you want to hire another developer to add features, they can. You're never locked in.
My pricing is transparent - a flat hourly rate of £200 per hour, or £100 per hour for charities, cooperatives, artists, musicians, vegan businesses, and renewable energy companies. You'll get detailed breakdowns of time spent on different features.
I build systems that are thoroughly tested, automatically deployed, and designed to grow with your business. I'm not afraid of messy problems, server moves, or inheriting someone else's work - I've dealt with pretty much everything web-related over my 20 years.
Manchester and remote work
I'm based in Prestwich, just north of Manchester, and I'm happy to meet local businesses in person to discuss projects properly. Sometimes it's easier to explain technical possibilities face-to-face, especially when planning complex systems. We can meet at a local cafe like Cuckoo or visit your premises to understand your workflows.
For businesses outside Manchester, I work remotely with teams across the UK and internationally. All my development happens remotely anyway, and I'm experienced with distributed teams, code reviews, and collaborative development through Git and modern tooling.
Example projects
My Play-Test inspection system has test coverage, automated deployments, PDF generation, offline capability, and proper infrastructure. I spent five years at Bandcamp.com working on their music platform that processes hundreds of millions in annual sales. As technical lead at Bouncy Castle Network, I grew their booking system and CRM from a startup to serve 1,200 entertainment businesses.
Check out my examples page for more projects, including Vegan Prestwich (community platform I built and maintain), Renegade Solar (solar panel installer site ranking #1 locally), and various restaurant, charity, and business websites I've developed.
Software development pricing
Like all my services, I charge a flat hourly rate - £200 per hour for commercial work, or £100 per hour for charities, cooperatives, artists, musicians, vegan businesses, and renewable energy companies. Initial discussions about your project are free, and I'll provide clear estimates before starting any work.
For hosting, I can set up your application on anything from a £5/month VPS for smaller projects to multi-server deployments for enterprise scale. I charge £60 per month (£30 with discount) for hosting support, which includes uptime monitoring, database backups, quick changes, and help when things go wrong. You can also host everything yourself since you own all the code.
Want an estimate for a static website project? Use my price calculator to get immediate pricing. For custom application development, contact me and we'll discuss your requirements to provide a proper estimate.
Technologies I use
For the technically minded: I work primarily with Ruby on Rails for web applications, JavaScript for frontend work, and Eleventy for websites. I use PostgreSQL or SQLite for databases, Redis for caching, and deploy with Docker on NixOS. I'm comfortable with AWS, Hetzner, Gandi, and various other hosting providers.
I maintain over 90% test coverage on my projects, with automated security scanning, and deployments that go live only after every check passes. I also handle Linux server administration, email setup, domain management, and everything else needed to keep web applications running reliably.
Let's build something
Contact me to discuss your project. If you're local to Prestwich or Manchester, I'm happy to meet for coffee and talk through what you need properly.