Your ERP must talk to the store, the CRM to emailing, accounting to the bank, the warehouse to carriers. Build your own connectors or buy a tool? It depends on how critical, large and specific each flow is.
Three options
A vendor’s ready-made connector, an integration tool (iPaaS, specialised aggregator), or a custom connector calling the APIs directly.
Buy when…
Both apps are popular, the flow is simple, volumes are modest, and you have no technical resource — see iPaaS vs custom development.
Build when…
The flow is critical (orders, stock, invoices), rules are specific, volumes are high, no tool covers the partner, or traceability is required.
Judge a connector on the day it fails: does anyone know, and can the flow be replayed?
A good custom connector includes
Automatic retries, exchange logs, failure alerts, tests and documentation, and code you own. Even better: fewer connectors thanks to a shared database — see build or buy software.
Build or buy connectors: FAQ
What does a custom connector cost?
From a few days for a simple flow between documented APIs to several weeks for a two-way sync with business rules, retries and monitoring.
Is a native connector always enough?
For standard cases, often. It shows its limits as soon as your rules differ from the vendor’s.
Your connectors
Our Symfony agency builds robust, documented, monitored connectors and APIs. Let’s talk.