Tampa’s Biggest and Best Custom Software Company? Let’s Look at the Numbers!

If you live and work in Tampa Bay, you already know that we love our lists. Fastest growing,  best places to work, top innovators, and, of course, the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s annual ranking of the largest software developers.

When we saw the 2025 list, we did what any self-respecting engineering firm would do: opened a spreadsheet, crunched the numbers, and asked, “So, are we actually the biggest custom software development company in Tampa?” Turns out, depending on how you define “custom,” we might be. (And yes, we’re squinting a little, but it’s still fun math.)

The TBBJ list ranks the “largest software developers” in the region by number of local employees. But here’s the thing: every single company above Sourcetoad on that list is a product company.

These companies build, market, and sell their own software products, such as subscription platforms, SaaS tools, and enterprise systems, which is a different business model entirely. None of the companies that rank above Sourcetoad are custom software developers. They’re great companies, but they don’t do what we do: build one-of-a-kind software for clients from scratch. So when you filter out the product companies, you’re left with a smaller pool, and Sourcetoad sits right at the top of it.

Let’s be honest: we probably looked for the column that would make us look best. But if you only count companies that build custom software for clients, the picture gets a lot clearer.

Every company above us is a product company. Every. Single. One. So yes, the math might be biased, but we can say with a straight face that Sourcetoad is the largest custom software development company headquartered in Tampa Bay.

Here’s what we’re working with as of the writing of this article:

• • 65 total employees
  • 32 based in Tampa
  • The majority are engineers, designers, or product specialists

That’s more local engineering power than any other custom development firm in the area. And unlike firms that lean heavily on contractors or external partners, Sourcetoad’s core team is in-house, collaborative, and Tampa-grown.

In many companies, “local” means “sales office here, developers elsewhere.” But at Sourcetoad, you can literally meet the engineers who built your app, probably wearing shorts and sandals while they do it. Our approach is engineering-led, not marketing-led. We believe that being close to the client matters. It means faster feedback, clearer communication, and fewer timezone headaches.

We’d be lying if we said every single Sourcetoad employee lives within a five-mile radius of the office. We have a development team in Perth, Australia, and a support team in the Philippines. Our global structure means we can support our clients around the clock. But our leadership, project management, and most of our engineering firepower remain right here in Tampa Bay.

“Best” is a word that gets thrown around a lot. For us, it has a very specific meaning.

Best means:

• • The most capable of solving difficult problems. We love complexity. The tougher the project, the more our engineers shine.
  • The most respectful of our clients’ time, customers, and goals. We don’t waste meetings or push features no one asked for.
  • The easiest to partner with for long-term success. Many of our clients have been with us for years because we act like an extension of their team.
  • The best internal team. We care deeply about our people (probably more than anyone else in this business), and that care shows up in our work.

Those are the metrics that matter to us. Not just headcount, not just rankings, but quality, empathy, and genuine partnership.

Of course, size doesn’t matter if clients aren’t happy. Fortunately, they are. We hold a 5-star rating on Clutch based on verified enterprise reviews, and a 4.7-star average on Google. Clients like Sony, Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting, Boy Scouts of America, and Activate Learning consistently call out our technical depth, responsiveness, and long-term collaboration.

As one review puts it: “Sourcetoad is definitely the best product development agency I’ve ever worked with.” We didn’t write that (promise). But we’ll gladly frame it.

Sure, we’re poking fun at ourselves here, but the underlying point is serious. Tampa’s tech scene has matured. We’re no longer just a satellite office market, we’re building real products and platforms for global clients, right here at home. Being able to say that we are the largest custom software development company in Tampa isn’t just good for us. It’s good for local startups, tech workers, and executives betting on local innovation.

We’ll call it like it is: by our count, Sourcetoad is Tampa’s biggest and best custom software company. If someone wants to challenge us, we’ll happily compare org charts, project portfolios, and client satisfaction scores.

Until then, we’ll be here, building the next round of complex, high-stakes, highly-engineered software projects right from our sunny corner of Tampa Bay.

What makes Sourcetoad different from other Tampa software companies?
We focus exclusively on custom development, not selling licenses or SaaS products. Our team is engineering-led and built around long-term client partnerships.

How many people work at Sourcetoad?
We have 65 total employees, including 32 based in Tampa, making us the largest service-based software firm in the region.

Does Sourcetoad outsource its development?
No. We have full-time engineers in Tampa and Perth, with a support team in the Philippines. Everything we build is led by Sourcetoad employees.

What industries does Sourcetoad specialize in?
We build enterprise software for hospitality, education, healthcare, and transportation, often in regulated or high-complexity environments.

How can a company work with Sourcetoad? Start with a discovery or product strategy engagement. We’d be happy to have a call with you to answer any questions! Let’s talk.