Services

What we do

We build Drupal, for organisations whose content is too complex for an off-the-shelf website: universities, research programmes, NGOs, archives and publishers. Four services, each done properly.

Drupal builds

From content architecture to launch. We plan the data model first, then build the theme, wire the integrations and deliver a site that does what it says it does.

Drupal 11, with content held in structured fields that editors manage in Drupal's own interface
Accessibility to WCAG 2.1 AA built into the theme layer, not added afterwards
Multilingual when a site needs it: this site runs in English, French, Dutch and Malagasy
Live data from outside sources, related reading and rights handling through our own products

Recent builds: the Quercus Project, Biodiversa and Museo Avellonia, three research websites for Prof. Markus Franzén.

Migrations and upgrades

Onto Drupal, or up a version. We map the old content model to the new one before any migration code is written, move content and media cleanly, and make sure editors do not meet a foreign interface on day one.

From WordPress to Drupal: the Quercus Project and Biodiversa sites replaced WordPress sites, and Museo Avellonia's will
Drupal version upgrades: our clients' sites and our own moved from Drupal 10 to Drupal 11 in 2026
Drupal 7 sites, rebuilt on Drupal 11 with a clean content model rather than copied as they are

Care and hosting

Long-term maintenance, done responsibly: security updates, module upgrades, performance work, additions to the content model and support for the editorial team. Care is how we stay close to the sites we build, and how a site avoids months of outdated dependencies.

Hosting is arranged per client: with your preferred provider, with one we recommend, or on servers we administer. We run and maintain the Quercus Project, Biodiversa and Museo Avellonia sites, which have been on servers we administer since July 2026.

AI-augmented delivery

AI is part of how we work: in content modelling, code, testing and documentation. A senior developer directs the work and every change is reviewed before it ships, so the speed comes without a drop in craft.

Where it helps a site's visitors, we build intelligent features into the site itself: data that stays current with authoritative sources, and related reading matched by meaning rather than by tags. Both are among our products.

How we work

In clear phases: a scoping pass that fixes the content model and the brief before the build begins; delivery in milestones, with a working site to inspect at each one; a handover with documentation the editorial team can actually use.

We communicate in writing by default, with video calls for scoping and handover. We work on East Africa Time (UTC+3), which overlaps with business hours in the UK, northern Europe and most of the Middle East and the Gulf.

We quote a fixed price per project. If the scope changes, we tell you before we absorb the cost or bill for it. More on how we work.

FAQ

How much does a Drupal website cost?

A well-built corporate or research Drupal site typically costs €18,000–26,000 with MADDev — compared with €60,000–120,000 from a comparable European agency. The difference is structural: lower cost base in Madagascar, not lower skill or quality. All figures are indicative; scoped projects get a fixed quote.

Can you migrate a Drupal 7 site?

Yes. We map the content model, migrate all content and media, handle multilingual if needed, and deliver a Drupal 11 site with a clean architecture rather than a copy of everything the Drupal 7 site accumulated over the years.

Do you work with NGOs and universities?

Frequently. Research institutes, NGOs, cultural organisations, and academic projects are our core market. We understand the procurement constraints, the accessibility requirements, and the editorial reality of small teams managing large content structures.

How do you handle accessibility?

WCAG 2.1 AA compliance is built into our theme layer — not retrofitted. We treat it as a baseline on every project, not an optional extra. For clients where WCAG is a funder or institutional requirement, we can provide build-time documentation of compliance decisions.

Can you build a multilingual Drupal site?

Yes. Drupal's multilingual architecture (content translation, configuration translation, interface translation) is part of our standard build stack. We set it up properly from the start — retrofitting multilingual to a site that wasn't built for it is expensive and messy.

Do you work with clients in Europe?

Primarily yes, though we work with any organisation with a real project. MADDev is based in Madagascar but founder-trained in the Netherlands, and we operate to European standards in terms of code quality, accessibility, and communication. Time-zone overlap with Europe (EAT/UTC+3) is practical.

How long does a Drupal build take?

A well-scoped corporate or research site runs 8–16 weeks from signed brief to launch, depending on content volume, integrations, and how quickly content and feedback arrive from the client side. We don't compress timelines by skipping steps — but AI-augmented delivery means we cover more ground per week than a comparable agency.

Who builds Drupal in Madagascar?

MADDev — the only enterprise-grade Drupal studio in Madagascar, as far as we know. Based in Diego Suarez (Antsiranana), the northernmost city on the island.

Start a project.

Tell us what your site has to do, and we will tell you honestly what it takes.

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