Made Tech vs Zühlke: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Made Tech (4.1/5) edges ahead of Zühlke (4.1/5) overall. Made Tech is the better choice for UK central and local government buyers. Zühlke is the stronger option for regulated industries, medical devices, banking. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
Made Tech vs Zühlke: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Made Tech | Zühlke |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2008 | 1968 |
| HQ | London, United Kingdom | Schlieren, Switzerland (UK offices in London, Manchester, Edinburgh) |
| Team size | 400–500 | 1,500–2,000 |
| Rating | 4.1 / 5 | 4.1 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | Public-sector-only focus with a growing contracted backlog | Swiss engineering discipline in regulated sectors with a UK team of about 150 |
| Pricing model | Framework call-offs, time and materials, fixed price | Time and materials, fixed price |
| Min. engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Primary tech stack | Ruby, Python, Java | Java, .NET, Azure |
| Industries served | Public sector, Local government, Healthcare | Financial services, Healthcare and medical devices, Public sector, Manufacturing |
Made Tech vs Zühlke: overview
Made Tech
Made Tech was founded in London in 2008 and listed on AIM in 2021. FY25 revenue (to May 2025) rose 20% to £46.4m with a contracted backlog of £92.2m, and the company reported around 430 employees after a period of hiring. Almost all of its work is for UK central and local government, health and other regulated bodies. Contractor use rose to 19% of the workforce in FY25, and management has said it plans to bring that back toward 10%.
Zühlke
Zühlke was founded in Switzerland in 1968 and employs close to 2,000 people, with nearshore centres in Serbia, Bulgaria, Portugal and Vietnam. The UK business marked 25 years in 2025 and has nearly 150 staff across London, Manchester and Edinburgh, led by UK CEO Angela Bishop since October 2024. UK clients include HSBC and NHS England. Its medical-device and regulated-industry engineering background is unusual for a services firm of this size.
Services and capabilities: Made Tech vs Zühlke
| Capability | Made Tech | Zühlke |
|---|---|---|
| Custom software development | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mobile app development | ✗ | ✗ |
| Cloud & DevOps | ✓ | ✓ |
| Data & AI | ✓ | ✓ |
| Legacy modernisation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Embedded & IoT | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dedicated team model | ✗ | ✗ |
| Fixed-price projects | ✓ | ✓ |
Tech stack comparison: Made Tech vs Zühlke
| Framework / platform | Made Tech | Zühlke |
|---|---|---|
| .NET | N/A | ✓ |
| Java | ✓ | ✓ |
| Python | ✓ | ✓ |
| React | N/A | ✓ |
| AWS | ✓ | ✓ |
| Azure | ✓ | ✓ |
| Kubernetes | N/A | N/A |
| Embedded | N/A | ✓ |
Pricing comparison: Made Tech vs Zühlke
| Criterion | Made Tech | Zühlke |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Engagement models | Fixed project, Time and materials | Fixed project, Time and materials |
| Rate transparency | Not public | Not public |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Mid-market |
Target audience comparison: Made Tech vs Zühlke
| Dimension | Made Tech | Zühlke |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Startup to mid-market |
| Best industries | Public sector, Local government, Healthcare | Financial services, Healthcare and medical devices, Public sector |
| Best use cases | A council wants legacy case-management systems replaced., A government department needs a discovery and alpha phase for a new service. | A medtech company needs software developed under IEC 62304., A bank wants a regulated customer platform built with strong engineering governance. |
| Typical project type | Fixed project | Fixed project |
Made Tech vs Zühlke: pros and cons
| Made Tech | |
|---|---|
| + | Deep familiarity with GDS service standards and government frameworks |
| + | Public reporting makes financial health easy to check |
| + | A growing backlog points to sustained repeat business from government |
| - | Little private-sector experience, so commercial buyers have better options |
| - | No offshore delivery, so rates are UK onshore rates |
| - | Contractor reliance roughly doubled in FY25 |
| Zühlke | |
|---|---|
| + | Experience with medical device software regulations is rare among UK suppliers |
| + | Nearshore hubs give some cost flexibility beyond the UK team |
| + | Long-standing UK presence with named banking and NHS clients |
| - | Swiss rate cards are high, even with nearshore staff in the mix |
| - | The UK team is small relative to the group |
Who should choose Made Tech?
A typical fit: a council wants legacy case-management systems replaced.
Public-sector-only focus with a growing contracted backlog. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Public sector, Local government, Healthcare.
Who should choose Zühlke?
A typical fit: a medtech company needs software developed under IEC 62304.
Swiss engineering discipline in regulated sectors with a UK team of about 150. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Financial services, Healthcare and medical devices, Public sector, Manufacturing.
Decision matrix: Made Tech vs Zühlke
| Your situation | Recommended choice |
|---|---|
| You need full-ownership delivery on a defined project scope | Made Tech |
| You need a large dedicated team for an ongoing programme | Check each company's engagement model |
| Your budget is at the lower end | Compare: Made Tech (Not published) vs Zühlke (Not published) |
| You need specialist depth in a specific vertical | Zühlke |
| You want engineers added to your own in-house team | Neither lists team extension; ask about dedicated teams |
| Your product includes hardware, firmware or connected devices | Zühlke |
Use case fit: Made Tech vs Zühlke
| Use case | Made Tech fit | Zühlke fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| A council wants legacy case-management systems replaced. | Strong | Limited | Made Tech |
| A government department needs a discovery and alpha phase for a new service. | Strong | Limited | Made Tech |
| A medtech company needs software developed under IEC 62304. | Limited | Strong | Zühlke |
| A bank wants a regulated customer platform built with strong engineering governance. | Limited | Strong | Zühlke |
| You need hardware, firmware or IoT work in the same contract | Limited | Strong | Zühlke |
| You want a fixed-price first phase before a longer engagement | Strong | Strong | Both equally |
Verdict: Made Tech vs Zühlke
Made Tech (4.1/5) is the stronger overall choice for most Software Development Outsourcing projects. Public-sector-only focus with a growing contracted backlog.
Zühlke (4.1/5) is worth a look in a scenario like this: a bank wants a regulated customer platform built with strong engineering governance. If your situation matches that, Zühlke is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
Made Tech vs Zühlke FAQ
Is Made Tech better than Zühlke?
Made Tech (4.1/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Made Tech's strongest advantage: deep familiarity with GDS service standards and government frameworks. Zühlke's strongest advantage: experience with medical device software regulations is rare among UK suppliers.
How do Made Tech and Zühlke differ in pricing?
Made Tech uses framework call-offs, time and materials, fixed price pricing. Zühlke uses time and materials, fixed price pricing. Neither firm publishes a full rate card; a discovery call is required for project-specific quotes.
Which is better for enterprise: Made Tech or Zühlke?
Zühlke is the larger team and typically the better enterprise-scale choice. For very large programmes, verify team size and compliance coverage directly with each company before shortlisting.
What are the main differences between Made Tech and Zühlke?
Made Tech's primary differentiator is: public-sector-only focus with a growing contracted backlog. Zühlke's primary differentiator is: swiss engineering discipline in regulated sectors with a UK team of about 150. They also differ in team size (400–500 vs 1,500–2,000), minimum engagement (Not published vs Not published), and primary industries served (Public sector, Local government vs Financial services, Healthcare and medical devices).
Verify all details directly with each company before making a decision.