Who we work with and which tools we use.
An honest overview of our strategic partners, the platforms we build on every day and the criteria we use to choose them. No marketing stickers, no invented partner status, just what we actually use for your custom software.
A partner page, not a logo wall.
Most partner pages are a collection of logos, and you can't tell what the actual relationship means. "Cloud Partner" might mean the company gained two certifications last year, or that there was once a sales conversation. Here you can see which collaborations are strategic, which tools we use every day, and which we deliberately do not position as partnerships.
Our strategic partners, InfoPeople and Data Science Lab, together with us form a data and AI collective of around 75 professionals that we internally call the Data Hub. Beyond that, we use a broad range of cloud, payment, design and development tools. We do not claim tier status or badges we cannot demonstrably back up, because our clients and their due-diligence teams rightly check such claims. Below, we do describe which platforms we use daily and why.
This page is intended for clients who want to know, before a project starts, which tooling we would build their project with; for procurement departments running an RFP or supplier acceptance process; and for IT departments who want to think ahead about integrations with their existing landscape. If something is inaccurate or missing, we would be glad to hear about it so this overview stays up to date.
Three types of relationship we distinguish.
Not every collaboration is the same. A strategic partner is fundamentally different from a platform we use daily, or a vendor we happen to integrate with. On this page we distinguish three levels, so you know exactly what kind of relationship it is before you accept dependencies in your project.
Strategic partners
Companies with which we maintain a long-term collaboration, write joint proposals, form teams and share knowledge. For our clients, this means that through Appfront you have direct access to capacity and specialism beyond our own walls.
InfoPeople, Data Science LabPlatforms and tools we use
The cloud, payment, AI, design and developer platforms we build on every day. We are a customer or user of these platforms, not their reseller. This keeps our choices unbiased and avoids commission-driven advice.
Cloud, CRM, payments, AI, design, dev toolsIntegrations at your request
Specific vendors we integrate with because you already use them. We have no preferred-partner arrangement with these parties; we follow your landscape. We do not claim partner status here, even though we often have deep technical experience with the system.
ERP, HRM, industry-specific, legacyStrategic partners: the Data Hub.
Appfront forms a data and AI collective together with InfoPeople and Data Science Lab, which we internally call the Data Hub. Together we have around 75 professionals with complementary specialisms: data engineers and BI specialists through InfoPeople, data strategy and machine learning through Data Science Lab, and application development through Appfront. For clients, this means you have access to the full spectrum through a single point of contact, without having to coordinate with three separate suppliers.
Appfront
We design, build and maintain custom software, web applications and mobile apps, often with AI or data components. Within the Data Hub, we are the party that turns data and models into working products: portals, dashboards, automation and integrations. We close the gap between raw data and the user who needs to act on it.
- Custom web applications and native apps
- AI-driven dashboards and interfaces
- API integrations and middleware
- Ongoing maintenance and further development
InfoPeople
Specialising in matching data engineers, data scientists and BI specialists with organisations that need capacity. For our clients, this means we can quickly add a data engineer to a team, or provide an interim BI specialist for a specific phase, without a separate recruitment process. InfoPeople knows the Dutch data landscape and understands which profiles work best for which type of project.
- Data engineers and data scientists
- BI specialists and data analysts
- Secondment, interim, project-based
- Knowledge of the Dutch ecosystem
Data Science Lab
Helps organisations with data strategy, machine learning and turning raw data into actionable insights. For clients who do not yet have a clear data roadmap, or an existing AI initiative that is running into constraints, Data Science Lab is the partner we bring in for strategy and model development. We then ensure those models actually go live in production through the applications we build.
- Data strategy and roadmaps
- Machine learning and predictive analytics
- Data maturity assessments
- Translating data into action
Platforms and tools we use.
Below are the platforms we build on every day. We are a customer or user of these services, not a reseller or affiliate. This keeps our advice neutral: we choose what suits your project, not what earns us a commission. For cloud questions, we also have dedicated pages for AWS consulting, Azure consulting and Google Cloud consulting, where we go into more depth on when each platform is the right choice.
Cloud infrastructure
IaaS · PaaSWe host and run applications on the three major hyperscalers and on smaller European providers where that fits. For projects with strict EU data residency requirements, we deliberately choose European regions or local alternatives. We do not claim a specific partner tier; however, for each platform we have consulting pages that explain when we recommend which variant.
Hosting, CDN and edge
Edge platforms · CDN · WAFFor frontends, edge functions and global delivery, we use Cloudflare and Vercel. We also use Cloudflare for DDoS protection, web application firewall and DNS management; Vercel for projects where Next.js or similar frameworks deliver the most value. For traditional web hosting of content sites we often work with TransIP or Hetzner, depending on what your IT department already has in place.
Payments
PSP · iDEAL · SEPAFor Dutch clients whose main payment methods are iDEAL and SEPA, Mollie is usually the logical choice, as its Dutch documentation and level of support are strong. For clients with international or enterprise requirements (fraud models, tokenisation, recurring direct debits at scale), we typically recommend Adyen or Stripe. We always make the payment provider decision in consultation with your finance team and based on your volume and risk profile.
CRM and marketing stack
Sales and marketing platformsWe integrate with almost any CRM commonly used in the Netherlands. We often see HubSpot at fast-growing B2B companies because it keeps sales and marketing functionality closely together. Salesforce comes up as soon as organisations have enterprise reporting, complex role structures or an existing Salesforce investment. For email and automation, Mailchimp, Brevo and ActiveCampaign come into play. We do not have partner status here; we are integrators.
AI and LLM platforms
Model APIs · ML infrastructureFor AI functionality we use models from Anthropic, OpenAI and Mistral via their official APIs. Which we choose depends on the use case and data residency: for projects where European processing is essential, we more often choose Mistral or self-hosted variants. For production, we add guardrails, observability and cost monitoring on top of these APIs. We are customers of these platforms; we have no reseller agreement steering us towards any particular model.
Design and research tools
UI/UX · Prototyping · ResearchOur designers work in Figma for interface design, design systems and prototypes. For user research we use Maze, Lookback or Lyssna, depending on whether the focus is on moderated interviews or asynchronous testing. For analytics and behaviour measurement after launch, Plausible, Matomo or Google Analytics come into play; for GDPR-conscious clients we usually recommend a privacy-friendly option.
Development and delivery
Versioning · CI/CD · ObservabilityWe manage our source code in Git, hosted on GitHub or GitLab depending on the client's preference. For builds, tests and deployments we work with GitHub Actions, GitLab CI or platform-native pipelines. We catch error reports and performance issues with Sentry, and monitor application performance with Datadog, New Relic or native cloud tools. The source code and CI/CD environment are always registered in the client's name, not Appfront's.
Identity, security and compliance
SSO · IdP · AuditFor authentication and single sign-on, we integrate with your existing identity provider, often Azure AD or Google Workspace. For consumer-facing apps we use Auth0, Clerk or Cognito, with iDIN or DigiD where the target audience requires it. For the security layer we deploy Cloudflare WAF, rate limiting and bot management. We carry out compliance checks in-house based on our information security policy, with penetration tests performed by an external specialist party in the final phase of a project.
How we select partners and tools.
We make deliberate choices, not ad hoc ones and not based solely on marketing promises. Our clients often face procurement, compliance or security questionnaires, and we want to be able to justify every tool we propose. The criteria we apply are set out below.
GDPR compliance and EU residency
We prefer suppliers that offer EU data residency or can run in a European region for your use case. For data containing personal data of EU citizens, we will not accept merely a Standard Contractual Clauses reference without further measures.
Code ownership and freedom to exit
A platform or supplier should not be the only place where your business logic lives. We choose tools from which you can export your data at any time, and whose configuration we can reconstruct should we ever need to switch.
No vendor lock-in at the data layer
At the data layer, we work with open standards wherever possible: PostgreSQL or a comparable database as the primary store, S3-compatible storage for objects, and JSON or Parquet as exchange formats. That way, migrating between cloud providers remains a planned project rather than a disaster.
Proven documentation and support channels
We would rather choose a well-documented, somewhat less well-known supplier than a much-discussed platform with chaotic API documentation. For clients, this means a lower maintenance burden and less dependence on consultancy.
Transparent pricing model
We avoid suppliers with unpredictable cost models or heavy "talk to sales" components without a public price list, unless the use case makes that unavoidable. For your operations, predictable OPEX is essential.
Compatibility with your landscape
A partner or tool must fit with what you already have. We do not try to rebuild your stack to suit our preferences; we step in where you are. You can read how this works in practice on our page about our process.
Vendor-independent, with no hidden agenda.
A question our clients regularly ask during introductory meetings is: "Do you receive commission-driven advice?" The short answer is no. We deliberately have no reseller or affiliate relationships with the platforms listed above. We are a customer of Mollie just as you would be, a customer of AWS just as any start-up is, and a customer of Figma just as any other studio is. As a result, our advice is driven by substance rather than commercial interest.
This also has a practical implication: if we direct you towards a specific platform, it is because it suits your situation, not because we would earn a discount on it. Conversely, if you already use a platform with which we have less experience, we will say so. We do not claim expertise we lack, nor do we enter into partner status that is not genuine. For due diligence and RFP processes, this delivers sharper, verifiable answers than a wall of logos where each badge carries a different weight.
Finally, for every project we hand over the source code, configuration and accounts in the name of your organisation. You are free at any time to continue with someone else, or to bring the management in-house. For us, avoiding lock-in is not a marketing claim but a design choice in how we set up projects.
Frequently asked questions.
Procurement, IT and compliance teams usually ask the same questions before we begin. Below are the answers we give most often.
Is Appfront an official cloud partner of AWS, Azure or Google Cloud?
Which fixed partners does Appfront work with strategically?
Will we get locked in to tools that Appfront chooses?
Can I bring my own preferred suppliers?
How do you handle data residency and sub-processors?
Do you also work with other agencies or freelancers?
What if one of your partners or tools falls away?
How does all of this fit into your process?
Question about a specific partner or tool?
Talk to us about which collaboration and which stack would suit your project. An introductory call is non-binding and lasts half an hour. We listen to your situation, think along about alternatives, and give you honest advice based on what your question really needs.