FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Footility.
From spreadsheet to business system, costs, timing, data safety, AI, lock-in: straight answers before you even write to me.
You send me your spreadsheet (Excel, Google Sheets, CSV): its columns and tabs become the structure of the system. Within one week you get back a working web version running on your real data — multi-user access, search, record pages, history, on phone and desktop. You rewrite nothing: the file you use today is the specification. Start from From spreadsheet to business system.
The working prototype costs €500 one-off (online in one week). After that a monthly fee from €50 covering hosting, security and further work — you pick the band (€50 / 90 / 150 / 190 a month) based on how much change you need. No hidden costs: the price is clear before we start.
A spreadsheet is a file: one person at a time, formulas that break, no control over who changes what, no history, awkward to open on a phone. A business system is an application: several people at once with different permissions, instant search, an audit trail of changes, data validation, access from any device, exports. Same data, without the weak points of a file.
No. I import the data from your spreadsheet into the system and the original stays yours: nothing is deleted. The file you send stays confidential and the data in the system is yours — backups, export whenever you want, no lock-in. You can keep using the spreadsheet in parallel until you are confident about the switch.
The first working version with your data is online in one week. You see it and actually use it before deciding on the rest: see first, decide after. Everything that follows goes into the monthly cycle, in short iterations.
The price is per iteration, not per hour and not a blanket retainer. An iteration is a closed block of work (a new module, an integration, a fix, an automation) with scope, output and price agreed up front. The module list gives an indicative range: the final price depends on how wide the iteration is, not on an opaque timesheet.
It depends on the tier: Starter (prototype, 3–7 days), Pro (7–15 days), Business (15–45 days), AI (10–40 days). Each following iteration is its own cycle, normally 2 to 10 working days. No endless building sites: every iteration closes, ships and gets invoiced.
Yes — it is the whole idea behind Footility: modules are independent building blocks. Start with the minimum you need (even just Starter) and add bookings, e-commerce, AI or whatever else when the business asks for it. Each module added is a new iteration, with a clear price in the list.
AI is a multiplier on top of the modules you already have: automatic document summaries, semantic search across your own data, request classification, drafting replies, a RAG chatbot on your knowledge base. LLM routing handled on the backend (Claude/GPT/Mistral), no API keys in the client's hands, PII masking, token auditing. It is not a decorative chatbot, and it is not an opaque premium tier.
The code is yours, the domain is yours, the data is yours. No lock-in: leave whenever you want and take everything with you. Standard stack (Laravel, PostgreSQL/MySQL, Vue/Bootstrap) — any developer can pick the project up, you are not tied to me.
No, no compulsory retainer. You pay for the iterations you do. Monthly maintenance is optional and only worth it where it makes sense (for example the AI tier, for knowledge-base re-ingestion, drift monitoring, prompt iteration). On Starter/Pro/Business you can run with no monthly cost at all and come back when you need a new iteration.
Yes. The Starter tier begins at €1,500 (prototype) — a compliance-grade landing or brochure site (GDPR, SEO, anti-spam forms). Payment is typically 50% at kick-off and 50% on release of the iteration, with a proper Italian electronic invoice (SDI). For small follow-up iterations, a single payment on delivery works too.
Yes: send your spreadsheet from the From spreadsheet to business system page and you get back a concrete proposal on timing and cost, with no obligation. You see the first version working on your own data within a week: see first, decide after.
It is built for small and mid-sized companies, professionals, practices, e-commerce, B&Bs and hotels, gyms, restaurants that take bookings, rental businesses, agencies and software houses. If you need a site that converts plus an operational area (clients, bookings, orders, invoices, AI support), the fit is strong. For purely enterprise work (200+ internal users, heavy IT audit) I am not the right supplier.
I am Paolo Mistretta, a developer. No call centre, no account manager, no filters: you write and I answer. European stack, local development, one direct contact — that is what "Made in Italy" means in the manifesto.
«Excel» è un marchio registrato di Microsoft Corporation e «Google Sheets» di Google LLC; li citiamo solo per indicare i comuni fogli di calcolo. Footility non è affiliata né sponsorizzata da Microsoft o Google.
Question not answered here?
Send me your spreadsheet or just write: we design the first iteration together.