Custom Web Development — when standard isn't enough
Web tools, APIs, headless stacks, bespoke applications. For projects beyond WordPress and Shopify — when your requirements need more than a standard setup.
What I actually build
Three areas where standard systems hit their limits — and custom code is the solution.
Custom Web Tools & Web Apps
from €5,000
Specific tools with their own logic — calculators, configurators, calculation dashboards, industry-specific applications. From concept to production-ready application.
- Concept & UX design
- Custom backend (PHP, Node.js)
- Clean, maintainable frontend
- Data modeling & storage
- Authentication where needed
- Documentation for your team
Ideal for: industry-specific calculations, internal tools, customer-facing web applications.
API Development & Integrations
from €2,500
Connecting external systems — from CRM links and payment providers to specialized APIs. REST, GraphQL, webhooks.
- REST API development
- Webhook integrations
- 3rd-party API connections
- Data transformation
- Authentication setups
- Error handling & logging
Ideal for: linking multiple systems, automation, data flows between tools.
Headless / Modern Stack
from €5,000
Modern web architectures with separated frontend and backend systems. Scalable, performant, future-proof.
- Nuxt / Vue / React frontends
- Directus / Strapi / custom backend
- JAMstack architecture
- Astro static sites
- Build & deployment setup
- CI/CD pipeline
Ideal for: performance-critical projects, scaling needs, technically demanding applications.
When do you need custom code instead of a standard system?
WordPress, Shopify, Webflow — modern standard systems cover 80% of all web projects. But the other 20% are often the most interesting — and the ones where off-the-shelf solutions create more problems than they solve.
You need custom code when your logic is unique. An industry-specific technical calculation to a DIN standard, a configurator for your product, a bespoke dashboard — cases where no standard plugin fits and custom code is the faster, cleaner solution.
When your backend is an API, not a website, you need a different architecture. Headless CMS stacks like Directus or Strapi give you the data-management power of large systems combined with modern frontend performance. Exactly what traditional CMS solutions don't deliver.
When several systems have to work together — your CRM with your shop, your accounting with your customer data, your special tool with everything else — there's no way around custom integrations. Connecting APIs cleanly is craft, not plugin-click work.
Custom Logic
Calculations no standard tool can do.
Integrations
Connecting systems not made for each other.
Headless Stacks
Modern, scalable, performant.
API Development
Clean interfaces for your workflows.
What I work with
Backend
Robust and maintainable — from the small tool to the complex application.
- PHP (Symfony, custom)
- Node.js
- REST APIs
- Directus (headless CMS)
- Databases: MySQL, PostgreSQL
- PDF generation
Frontend
Modern and performant — from the static site to the complex SPA.
- Vue.js / Nuxt
- Astro (static sites)
- Vanilla JS for performance
- Tailwind CSS
- Progressive enhancement
- Accessibility (a11y)
Integration & DevOps
Clean workflows — from setup to production.
- REST / GraphQL APIs
- Webhooks
- CI/CD (GitHub Actions)
- Server setup (Apache, Nginx)
- Monitoring & logging
- Performance optimization
What you get from a direct developer
Real code quality
No spaghetti code, no throwaway solutions. What I build is maintainable — even years later.
You understand what you get
I explain technical concepts in plain terms. In the end you know what works and how.
Fair pricing
Custom code costs — but with me you get an honest effort estimate instead of open-ended invoices.
Available after launch
If something needs adjusting or a bug shows up — I'm reachable. No ticket system, no waiting queue.
How does a custom development project work?
Technical briefing
We discuss what you need — and I ask about details you may not have considered. What data comes in? Which calculations? Which systems are involved? Free and non-binding.
Spec & architecture
I create a technical specification and an architecture proposal. You see how the system will be built — before we start.
Iterative development
You regularly get interim versions, often on a staging environment. We develop in iterations, not in one big bang — so you can give feedback throughout.
Tests & edge cases
Automated tests where it makes sense. Manual tests always. Special focus on edge cases — which in custom code are often the real problem.
Handover & documentation
You get the code, documentation and a setup guide. Plus me as your contact for extensions or questions.
Custom projects that show what's possible
LaizyNote – my own SaaS product
A complete web application for freelancers and solo businesses: projects, time tracking, CRM, business analytics and an AI assistant. Built without WordPress – with Vue 3, Supabase/Postgres, Stripe billing and as an installable app (PWA).
HIH Group – Automated Exposé Generator
Custom tool for automatically generating property exposés as PDFs. Connection to internal data sources, multi-stage validation and multilingual templates: agents maintain the data once, the finished document in corporate design is created at the click of a button.
Resuscitation Learning Tool
Interactive learning game for chest compressions with real-time feedback on frequency and compression depth. A standalone web application built with vanilla JS and Web Audio — developed for the First Medical School to train first-aid skills playfully.
Custom PHP Backend for Seminar Management
Bespoke PHP backend for managing seminars, participants and bookings. A complete custom solution instead of a standard CMS — for a client from Halstenbek near Hamburg.
Reporting Tool for a Surveyor's Office
Bespoke backend for an ecological surveyor's office: nine report types with their own data model and guest access for external staff. Forms are filled in on site on a phone, the finished PDF is generated on company letterhead and backed up to the cloud.
What clients say about working together
Joshua built my complete website and digital forms for environmental planning. From the start, he understood my field and what I need as a freelancer. The digital forms have significantly simplified my workflows. Communication was always straightforward and on equal footing. Highly recommended.
Google ReviewSearched for ages for an agency that could reliably integrate OnOffice on my website. Recommended by my friend Friederike Lindecke, HafenPixel was my absolute lifesaver. Many thanks to Joshua Maurer for the quick and confident solution! I look forward to our future collaboration!
Google ReviewJoshua understood right away what matters. Ideas were implemented quickly and competently – even on short notice. Working with him is simply fun because he approaches every project with creativity and humor. Absolutely reliable and fair in handling. Clear recommendation.
Google ReviewJoshua Maurer took on the creation and redesign of my homepage and exceeded my expectations! Great communication, confident, competent, friendly and fast. I recommended him immediately! A heartfelt recommendation!
Google ReviewWhat kind of custom development do you need?
Web tool or calculator
You need a specific calculation or logic as a web tool — industry-specific, with its own business logic. From a DIN-standard calculator to a product configurator.
System integration
You have several systems that need to work together — CRM, shop, accounting, special tool. I connect them cleanly via API and webhooks.
Modern stack / headless
Your project needs a modern architecture: Nuxt frontend with Directus backend, JAMstack site with custom logic, headless WordPress. This is my focus area.
Which companies do I build custom solutions for?
B2B with special requirements
Your company has requirements no standard system covers — industry-specific calculations, bespoke workflows, special logic. Custom development is often cheaper here than bending standard tools.
Surveyors, planners & industries with specialist logic
Like the ecological survey office DerOekologe or a structural load calculator for a canopy manufacturer: industries with their own standards, calculations and norms. I translate complex specialist logic into clean web applications.
Corporates with automation needs
Like HIH Group: automating routine processes, industrializing PDF generation, supplying several sites with shared tools.
Startups & tech companies
You're building a product and need technical help with specific components — API layer, custom frontend, technical architecture consulting.
I take on custom development projects for clients across Hamburg, the DACH region and internationally remote. Corporate clients on site, technical projects often fully remote.
Frequently asked questions about custom web development
Highly variable. Simple API integrations: €2,500–4,000. Custom web tools of medium complexity: €5,000–8,000. Larger custom applications: €10,000–30,000+. In the briefing we clarify the actual scope and you get a transparent estimate.
No-code tools are great for 80% of cases. As soon as it comes to complex logic, high data volumes, specific authentication or performance-critical requirements, they quickly hit their limits. Custom code is often cheaper there than the effort of bending a no-code tool.
You get full code access, documentation and a setup guide. No lock-in with me — you can hire another developer at any time. Most clients stay anyway, because I know the system.
Yes, regularly. Code reviews of existing solutions, technical analysis, step-by-step modernization. Sometimes extending makes more sense, sometimes a rebuild — we look at that together.
I often approach longer projects in iterations with clear milestones. Also feasible alongside existing clients. We discuss what's realistic in the briefing.
Probably yes. My focus is on PHP, Node.js, Vue/Nuxt, Astro and Directus — but custom development also means pragmatically choosing the right tool. Write to me with your stack and we'll take a look.
No. The technology follows the project, not the other way round. My own SaaS LaizyNote runs on Vue 3, Supabase/Postgres and Stripe. The seminar management for Friederike Lindecke is plain PHP without a CMS, Tom's Friseure runs on Kirby, and for headless projects I use Nuxt with Directus. I use WordPress where it is the best choice – for example at the HIH Group, whose websites already run on it.
WordPress is a world of its own. I also build custom WordPress plugins and WordPress-specific development — but there's a dedicated page for that: WordPress Development. If your project is purely WordPress, you're better off there.
You might also be interested in
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Learn moreWebsites & complete projects
You need a complete new website — not just a custom tool? Here you'll find my web packages.
Learn moreAI Integration
Chatbots, automated content or smart forms — AI solutions right inside your website or application.
Learn moreReady for your custom project?
Let's talk about your requirements. In the first call we clarify whether custom development is the right way — or whether a simpler solution is enough.
Free initial consultation