What pushes teams to consider an alternative to Netguru
Honest reasons teams shopping in this category move on. None of these mean Netguru does bad work, just that the fit is wrong for the project.
You want AI at every step, not as one capability among many
Netguru is a broad digital product partner: design, engineering, data, cloud, mobile, web. AI is one practice inside a wide menu. If your product's differentiator is the AI itself, you want a team where AI shapes architecture, evaluation, and delivery cadence from day one.
You need transparent scope before you start
Generalist consultancies typically anchor on bespoke scoping calls. That is fine for enterprise procurement, but it slows mid-market product teams who want a clear discovery sprint with named deliverables and a timeline they can show their board.
You want production-grade AI proof, not portfolio breadth
Strong portfolios show range. They do not always show what AI looks like in production: evaluation harnesses, fallback behaviour, monitoring, the human-in-the-loop patterns that keep features reliable. Teams shipping AI to real users want to see the operating system, not the highlight reel.
You want weeks-to-production, not a transformation programme
Enterprise digital transformation runs in quarters. AI features that deliver business value can ship in weeks if the team is set up for it. The rhythm matters. A partner optimised for transformation programmes works differently from one optimised for fast, iterative AI launches.
How Clarvia Dev approaches AI product delivery
Not better than Netguru. Different. Built for AI-first product delivery in weeks, with named artifacts and transparent partnership.
AI-first at every step
Discovery is AI-first: we map data and PII upfront, define evaluation criteria, and choose the model and architecture together. Build is AI-first: an evaluation harness exists from week one, not after launch. Deployment is AI-first: monitoring, fallbacks, and human review are part of the release, not a follow-on project.
Productized delivery with named artifacts
Discovery Sprint, Build Sprint, Automation Rollout, and Audit & Hardening, each with clear deliverables, week-by-week cadence, and exit ramps. You see exactly what you get and when. Pricing is bespoke per project because every AI build is different, but the scope and shape of work is never opaque.
Built by developers, with you
A dedicated team that designs, builds, and ships with you, not a layered consultancy stack of strategists, designers, and engineers handing off between phases. Smaller teams, deeper context, faster decisions.
UK and US focus
We work with mid-market product teams and forward-thinking businesses across the UK and US. Time zones, contract law, and regulatory realities (UK GDPR, EU AI Act, US sector rules) are part of how we deliver, not a cross-cultural friction point.
When Netguru is still the right choice
You need a single partner across design, engineering, data, mobile, and web, with AI as one component of a broader build
You are running a multi-quarter digital transformation programme that requires a large, multi-discipline consultancy
You want enterprise-scale delivery with established global offices and a long client roster
Your project is not primarily AI-driven and you want a generalist digital product partner
Clarvia Dev vs Netguru
If you want a fair, category-by-category comparison covering offering, delivery model, pricing structure, speed, and AI specialisation, read the full comparison page.
Common questions
How is this different from your Clarvia Dev vs Netguru comparison page?
The /compare/clarvia-dev-vs-netguru page is a fair side-by-side covering offering, delivery model, pricing structure, and speed. This page is for teams who have already considered Netguru and are looking for an AI-first alternative. It focuses on what choosing differently looks like and why teams sometimes do.
Are you cheaper than Netguru?
We do not publish pricing because every AI project is bespoke. We are not optimised to be the cheapest option. We are optimised to ship production-grade AI products in weeks rather than quarters. Our scope, deliverables, and timeline are transparent before we start, so you can compare value cleanly.
Do you work with companies outside the UK and US?
Our core focus is UK and US mid-market product teams. We occasionally work with teams elsewhere when the project fits, but our delivery rhythm, contract templates, and time zone coverage are built around UK and US working hours.
Can you migrate a project we started with another agency?
Yes. We regularly pick up AI projects that stalled with another partner, usually because the architecture, evaluation harness, or deployment plan was missing. Our Audit & Hardening package exists for exactly this kind of handover.
How do I know if AI-first delivery is right for our project?
Book a free 15-minute feasibility call. We will tell you honestly whether your project benefits from an AI-first delivery model or whether a generalist partner is the better fit. We turn down projects that are not AI-led, because it is not what we are built for.
Compare us properly. Then decide.
Book a free 15-minute call. We will discuss your project, show you exactly how we would deliver it, and tell you honestly if we are the wrong fit.