About
A small studio that
ships real software.
AelisLabs is an independent web development studio. We partner with small businesses, founders, and teams to design, build, and operate the web presence their work deserves.
Why we exist.
Most small businesses end up with one of two websites: a clunky template stitched together by someone's cousin, or an over-engineered agency build that costs thousands to change a phone number.
We started AelisLabs because there's a gap in the middle — a place for sites and apps that are genuinely well-made, but also practical and affordable to own. Software you can read, modify, and deploy yourself. Admin panels your team actually uses. Code that doesn't rot the moment we walk away.
Every project we take on is bespoke. We don't have a PageBuilder plugin we're trying to sell you. What we have is craft, strong opinions about performance and accessibility, and the willingness to write the few hundred lines of code that make the difference between a site that works and one that delights.
Principles
Four rules that shape every project.
Built by hand, not dropped in
We don't ship the same template twice. Every site is designed and coded for the business it serves — no recycled block libraries, no unused plugin cruft.
Performance is a feature
A site that loads in 500ms converts better than one that loads in 3 seconds. We treat Lighthouse scores and Core Web Vitals as shipping criteria, not nice-to-haves.
Accessible by default
WCAG 2.2 AA is the floor, not a retrofit. Keyboard navigation, screen reader support, and sensible colour contrast come with every build.
Own your content
When we ship a CMS, you get admin access — editable on your laptop, from your phone, at 11pm the night before a launch. No per-seat fees, no vendor lock-in.
Our stack
We pick tools based on the job, not the hype cycle.
Frontend
- Astro
- Svelte
- React
- Tailwind CSS
- TypeScript
Backend
- Node.js
- Cloudflare Workers
- Hono
- PostgreSQL
- KV / R2 / D1
Infra
- Cloudflare
- Vercel
- GitHub Actions
- Terraform
Design
- Figma
- Illustrator
- Custom iconography
Working with us
What it actually looks like.
- 01
Conversation
You tell us what you're building and why. We ask questions until we understand the problem, the constraints, and the people who'll actually use the thing. No jargon, no up-sell.
- 02
Honest proposal
A scoped, fixed-price proposal with a clear timeline. We'll tell you if we think a different approach would serve you better — even if it means less work for us.
- 03
Build, in the open
Daily progress on a live staging URL. Every change visible as we make it. No "the final reveal" — you see the thing growing from day one.
- 04
Ship, then care
Launch day, handover, and optional ongoing support. You own the code — if you want to take it in-house, or hand it to another team, we leave you everything you need.
Want to work together?
We take on a small number of projects each quarter so we can give every one the attention it needs. Get in touch and let's see if we're a fit.
Start a project