Top Firmware Consultancies

Consult Red vs WebbyLab: full comparison for 2026

Quick verdict

Consult Red (4.3/5) edges ahead of WebbyLab (4.0/5) overall. Consult Red is the better choice for connected-device consulting from a team with direct prior product-company engineering leadership. WebbyLab is the stronger option for full-stack architecture advisory spanning hardware, firmware, and the connected application layer. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.

Consult Red vs WebbyLab: head-to-head summary

Criterion Consult Red WebbyLab
Founded 2003 2011
HQ Shipley, UK Kyiv, Ukraine (also London, UK)
Team size 220+ 120+
Rating 4.3 / 5 4.0 / 5
Primary differentiator Founded by five engineering leaders from Pace Micro, employee-owned since its 2020 rebrand from Red Embedded Full-cycle advisory scope from hardware selection through firmware and the connected application layer under one team
Pricing model Consulting and product development engagements Project-based full-cycle IoT consulting engagements
Min. engagement Not published Not published
Primary tech stack RTOS, Embedded Software, Cloud Platforms C, C++, IoT Connectivity Protocols
Industries served Connected TV, IoT, Industrial, Pay TV / OTT IoT hardware products, Fintech, E-commerce

Consult Red vs WebbyLab: overview

Consult Red

Consult Red was founded in 2003 by five engineering leaders from Pace Micro, initially operating as Red Embedded before rebranding to Consult Red in February 2020. Headquartered at The Wave, Shipley, England, the firm has grown to more than 220 employees across four continents and transferred ownership to an Employee-Owned Trust, applying its embedded, hardware, and cloud technology experience to connected-device consulting across Connected TV, IoT, and industrial sectors. The founding team's direct engineering leadership background at Pace Micro, a real, named prior employer, gives its consulting credibility a specific origin story a buyer can trace.

WebbyLab

WebbyLab was founded in 2011 by Anton Morozov and Viktor Turskyi and operates from Kyiv and London with more than 120 engineers across hardware, firmware, and software disciplines. The firm's full-cycle framing means architecture advisory runs from hardware selection through firmware and the cloud or mobile application layer, with IoT and embedded systems named as a core specialty and Fortune 500 clients cited among its customer base. That framing fits a buyer whose consulting question spans the whole connected-device stack, not firmware in isolation.

Services and capabilities: Consult Red vs WebbyLab

Capability Consult Red WebbyLab
Architecture review
Feasibility assessment
Functional safety consulting
Technical training
Expert-witness services
Hardware co-design
Medical device firmware
IoT connectivity
Staff augmentation

Tech stack comparison: Consult Red vs WebbyLab

Framework / platform Consult Red WebbyLab
C
C++ N/A
RTOS N/A
ISO 26262 N/A N/A
IEC 61508 N/A N/A
MISRA C N/A N/A
FPGA N/A N/A
Embedded Linux N/A N/A
PCB Design N/A N/A

Pricing comparison: Consult Red vs WebbyLab

Criterion Consult Red WebbyLab
Minimum engagement Not published Not published
Engagement models Consulting, Product development, Staff augmentation Project-based full-cycle development
Rate transparency Not public Not public
Price tier Mid-market Mid-market

Target audience comparison: Consult Red vs WebbyLab

Dimension Consult Red WebbyLab
Best company size Startup to mid-market Startup to mid-market
Best industries Connected TV, IoT, Industrial IoT hardware products, Fintech, E-commerce
Best use cases Connected TV or RDK-based embedded software consulting, IoT product architecture consulting from a team with product-company engineering leadership background Whole-stack architecture advisory from hardware selection through the cloud application layer, IoT product feasibility assessment requiring cloud integration
Typical project type Consulting Project-based full-cycle development

Consult Red vs WebbyLab: pros and cons

Consult Red
+ Founded by five engineering leaders from Pace Micro, a specific, verifiable prior employer that grounds the firm's founding expertise claim
+ 22 years of operating history, with employee ownership since its 2020 rebrand aligning staff incentives with long-term client relationships
+ 220-plus employees across four continents give substantial bench depth for concurrent consulting and development engagements
+ Connected TV and RDK-V/RDK-B specialization is a specific, differentiated niche within broader embedded consulting
- Connected TV and OTT specialization is a narrower fit for a buyer whose product has no video or pay-TV component
- No published pricing or minimum engagement figure
- The 2020 rebrand from Red Embedded to Consult Red is worth confirming doesn't create confusion with unrelated firms using similar names
WebbyLab
+ Full-cycle advisory scope from hardware selection through the connected application layer suits whole-stack architecture questions
+ 120-plus engineers gives more concurrent-program capacity than most boutique advisory firms
+ Fortune 500 client relationships indicate prior experience with large-organization procurement and advisory processes
+ 14 years of operating history under its original two founders
- IoT and embedded is one specialty alongside fintech and e-commerce work, not the firm's sole advisory focus
- Specific named case studies with verifiable project details are limited in public materials
- No published pricing or minimum engagement threshold

Who should choose Consult Red?

A typical fit: connected TV or RDK-based embedded software consulting.

Founded by five engineering leaders from Pace Micro, employee-owned since its 2020 rebrand from Red Embedded. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Connected TV, IoT, Industrial, Pay TV / OTT.

Who should choose WebbyLab?

A typical fit: whole-stack architecture advisory from hardware selection through the cloud application layer.

Full-cycle advisory scope from hardware selection through firmware and the connected application layer under one team. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in IoT hardware products, Fintech, E-commerce.

Decision matrix: Consult Red vs WebbyLab

Your situation Recommended choice
You need full-ownership delivery on a defined project scope Both offer fixed-price models
You need a large dedicated team for an ongoing programme Check each company's engagement model
Your budget is at the lower end Compare: Consult Red (Not published) vs WebbyLab (Not published)
You need specialist depth in a specific vertical Consult Red
You need staff augmentation or team extension Consult Red
You need consulting before committing to a build Consult Red

Use case fit: Consult Red vs WebbyLab

Use case Consult Red fit WebbyLab fit Winner
Connected TV or RDK-based embedded software consulting Strong Strong Both equally
IoT product architecture consulting from a team with product-company engineering leadership background Strong Strong Both equally
Whole-stack architecture advisory from hardware selection through the cloud application layer Limited Strong WebbyLab
IoT product feasibility assessment requiring cloud integration Strong Strong Both equally
Fixed-price build Limited Limited Both equally
Staff augmentation Strong Limited Consult Red

Verdict: Consult Red vs WebbyLab

Consult Red (4.3/5) is the stronger overall choice for most Firmware Consulting projects. Founded by five engineering leaders from Pace Micro, employee-owned since its 2020 rebrand from Red Embedded.

WebbyLab (4.0/5) is worth a look if you need IoT product feasibility assessment requiring cloud integration. If your situation matches that, WebbyLab is a competitive option.

Related comparisons

Consult Red vs WebbyLab FAQ

Is Consult Red better than WebbyLab?

Consult Red (4.3/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Consult Red's strongest advantage: founded by five engineering leaders from Pace Micro, a specific, verifiable prior employer that grounds the firm's founding expertise claim. WebbyLab's strongest advantage: full-cycle advisory scope from hardware selection through the connected application layer suits whole-stack architecture questions.

How do Consult Red and WebbyLab differ in pricing?

Consult Red uses consulting and product development engagements pricing. WebbyLab uses project-based full-cycle iot consulting engagements pricing. Neither firm publishes a full rate card; a discovery call is required for project-specific quotes.

Which is better for enterprise: Consult Red or WebbyLab?

Consult Red is the larger team and typically the better enterprise-scale choice. For very large programmes, verify team size and compliance coverage directly with each consultancy before shortlisting.

What are the main differences between Consult Red and WebbyLab?

Consult Red's primary differentiator is: founded by five engineering leaders from Pace Micro, employee-owned since its 2020 rebrand from Red Embedded. WebbyLab's primary differentiator is: full-cycle advisory scope from hardware selection through firmware and the connected application layer under one team. They also differ in team size (220+ vs 120+), minimum engagement (Not published vs Not published), and primary industries served (Connected TV, IoT vs IoT hardware products, Fintech).

Verify all details directly with each consultancy before making a decision.