Building vs. Buying B2B eCommerce in the AI Era
With AI taking on more development work, the case for building a custom B2B commerce system looks different.
But how much does that move the needle when you're looking at the whole project, from the first architecture decision through years of ownership?
This guide breaks down the build-vs.-buy decision with current AI data, cost benchmarks, and a calculator you can run with your own numbers.
This guide breaks down the build-vs.-buy decision with current AI data, cost benchmarks, and a calculator you can run with your own numbers.
AI Changed the Build- Vs-Buy
Conversation. It Didn’t Settle It.
Three questions the guide answers:
Where does AI make the biggest difference?
See where AI can reduce development effort and where the gains taper off.
What does owning the commerce system cost?
Look beyond launch costs to what it takes to maintain, secure, test, and evolve the system.
When does building still make sense?
See when custom development can be worth the cost for your business.
Inside the Guide
Current AI data, with sources
Current research and benchmarks that show where AI-assisted development delivers the biggest gains.
A TCO calculator for your business
Compare build and buy using your own team, rates, timeline, and costs. Get it as an Excel spreadsheet, interactive calculator, or LLM-ready instructions.
A closer look at B2B-specific work
See how AI performs across the kinds of development work that go into a B2B commerce project.
A framework for the decision
Use the guide to make the case for building, buying, or taking a closer look at both.