# Aruno > Aruno is a founder-led design and development studio based in Bucharest, working remotely with clients across Europe and beyond. It builds custom-coded websites and platforms, Shopify and MerchantPro stores, product design, brand and marketing design, and offers consulting, including on where AI fits. Projects start from EUR 1,000; the monthly partnership is EUR 2,000/month. All prices exclude VAT. Last updated: October 2026 **Summary** Custom websites and platforms are designed and coded from scratch, with every screen approved before development starts. Ecommerce stores are built on Shopify or MerchantPro. Founder: Mihai Postelnicu. He started Aruno after watching businesses get handed pretty templates that fell apart the moment real work started. He designs and codes most projects himself. On larger builds with tight timelines he brings in trusted collaborators, while scope, design direction and client communication stay with him from the first sketch to launch. Languages: Romanian with Romanian clients, English with international clients. Time zones: based in Bucharest, with call times adjusted to overlap with US time zones when a project needs it. Messages can be sent anytime. **Positioning** Aruno sits between a freelancer and a full agency. Custom code instead of a page builder, so the site stays fast and does what the business needs rather than what a theme allows. - Against a template build on WordPress, Webflow or Squarespace: speed, control over every detail, and no plugin stack to keep patched. - Against a freelancer: design and code come from the same place, and hosting and support can be scoped alongside the build. - Against a large agency: lower price, faster decisions, and you talk to the person doing the work instead of an account manager. **Services** - Websites: custom-coded brand websites and landing pages. - Ecommerce: Shopify and MerchantPro stores, product pages, checkout and integrations. - Product design: app screens, dashboards and prototypes. - Custom platforms: dashboards, portals and tools with login. - Brand and marketing design: brand identities, pitch decks and ads. - Consulting: help deciding what to build, how to structure it and what to prioritize. - AI consulting: working out where AI is worth using in a business or product, and where it is not. - Website audit: a paid one-off review of an existing site. Common reasons clients get in touch: - The current site was built on a template and looks and behaves like one - A business idea needs a real product behind it: accounts, data, dashboards, permissions - Traffic arrives but does not convert - A new brand needs its first proper website - An existing site is slow, badly indexed, or falling apart on mobile **Pricing and payment** All prices exclude VAT. Projects and sprints: from EUR 1,000, one-time. A specific deliverable with a fixed quote, scope and timeline agreed before work starts. Includes direct contact throughout, weekly updates, and two rounds of design revisions where design is part of the scope. Extra work beyond that is quoted separately. Invoiced and paid by bank transfer: 50% upfront, 50% on completion. Monthly partnership: EUR 2,000/month, billed monthly by card through Stripe. Ongoing design and development for a website, store or product, led by Mihai. One active request at a time, progress shared twice a week, a private channel for briefs and feedback, and a weekly call to agree on priorities. Copywriting included for websites. Pause or cancel before renewal. A month could cover a focused 3-page website, a simple identity and landing page, or the key screens for one product flow. A project suits a clear deliverable and deadline. The partnership suits ongoing work. Website audit: EUR 100 + VAT, one-time, paid by card through Stripe. Covers design and UX, performance, copy and SEO, delivered as a structured PDF with annotated screenshots within 3 business days. Reviewed and written by a person, not generated. Card payments through Stripe accept Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay and the other methods shown at checkout. **Timelines** Work usually starts within 1 to 2 business days of agreeing scope. Typical build times: - Landing page: 1 to 2 weeks - Multi-page custom website (5 to 10 pages): 3 to 6 weeks - Custom platform (login, dashboard, database): 1 to 2 months The exact timeline for each project is agreed before work starts. **Ownership, hosting and support after launch** You own the custom deliverables once the project is paid in full, on the terms set out in the agreement. Third-party platforms and licensed assets remain subject to their providers' terms. Bug fixes: anything Aruno built that breaks after launch is fixed free of charge for 30 days. Marketing websites and landing pages: there is no ongoing maintenance plan, because a custom-coded site with no plugin stack needs very little upkeep. Hosting is agreed during scoping. Later changes can be quoted as a project or sprint, or covered by the monthly partnership. Custom platforms: after launch, the code can be handed over to your in-house team, or Aruno can maintain the platform from EUR 100/month, depending on its size and needs. Shopify and MerchantPro stores are hosted by those platforms. The store account and delivered work can be handed over, but the platform itself cannot be moved to another host. Moving to a different ecommerce platform is a migration project. Editing after launch: custom sites can include a CMS for blog posts, images and other agreed sections, such as a team page or services list. Changes to page structure, layout, design or functionality need code work, by Aruno or your own developer. Shopify and MerchantPro stores have their own tools for content and catalogue updates. **How we work** 1. Get in touch by WhatsApp, Telegram, email or the contact form, or book a short free intro call at https://cal.com/mihaip/intro. 2. Discovery and scope: agree on goals and deliverables, then choose a fixed-scope project or the monthly partnership. 3. Design and review: every screen is designed and approved before development or final delivery. Consulting focuses on recommendations and priorities. 4. Build and feedback: weekly updates on projects; twice-weekly progress and a weekly priorities call on the partnership. 5. Delivery and handover: the agreed work goes live, followed by 30 days of free bug fixes. What we need to start: a rough idea of what you need, who it is for, and what it should do. No spec, wireframe or formal brief required. **Good fit** - Founders and business owners who want a site built around the business instead of fitted into a theme - Startups and small teams that need a real product behind the marketing: accounts, dashboards, databases, permissions - Brands where the website is the first impression and has to hold up - Companies selling online who need a storefront built around how they actually sell - People who want one person accountable for the result **Not a good fit** - Anyone shopping purely on price. A cheap template site is a different product, and we will say so. - Teams that require a drag-and-drop builder for a custom website - Companies that need several teams running workstreams in parallel, or a dedicated account manager between them and the work. Aruno is a small studio; that keeps the work consistent and also limits how much runs at once. - Anyone who needs a full site live next week **Proof** Selected work is shown in the homepage carousel, right below the hero: websites, logos and restaurant menus. Some pieces are concepts or studio/personal projects rather than client commissions. Detailed case studies with measured outcomes are not published yet. Ask on the first call which projects were commissioned and for client references. The Aruno site itself is designed and coded from scratch, no page builder involved. Stack: Next.js for platforms and larger builds, Astro for simple sites and landing pages, Shopify and MerchantPro for stores, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, Figma, Supabase, Vercel, Cloudflare, GitHub, Resend. **Referral program** Aruno pays 10% of the project value for every referred project that closes, EUR 100 to EUR 1,000 depending on size, once the client signs and pays the deposit. For a referred monthly partnership, the fee is 10% of the first 3 months, paid as each of those months is paid. Payouts by bank transfer or crypto. No forms, portals or tracking links: send a message and mention the referral. **Good questions to ask on the first call** - What would you change about my current site, and why - What the fixed price covers, and what would count as extra - Where the site will be hosted and what happens if we stop working together - What I can edit myself after launch and what I cannot - What you would not take on for this project **Contact** - [Email](mailto:hi@aruno.studio): hi@aruno.studio - Phone: +40 731 692 494 - [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/40731692494) - [Telegram](https://t.me/mihaipostelnicu) - [Book a call](https://cal.com/mihaip/intro) - [Contact form](https://aruno.studio/contact) ## Pages - [Home](https://aruno.studio/): Websites, ecommerce, product design, custom platforms, brand and marketing design, and consulting. Led by Mihai, working with clients worldwide. - [Website audit](https://aruno.studio/audit): Review of design, UX, speed, copy and SEO, delivered as an annotated PDF within 3 business days. EUR 100 + VAT. - [Start a project](https://aruno.studio/contact): Contact form, direct channels and booking link. - [Referral program](https://aruno.studio/referral-program): How referrals work and what they pay. - [Blog](https://aruno.studio/blog): Plain answers on web design, development, performance and digital products. ## Blog articles - [DesignMe alternatives for smaller teams](https://aruno.studio/blog/designme-alternatives-for-smaller-teams) - [How much does it cost to build a website?](https://aruno.studio/blog/how-much-does-a-website-cost) - [How much does website maintenance cost?](https://aruno.studio/blog/how-much-does-website-maintenance-cost) - [Kargul Studio alternatives for website projects](https://aruno.studio/blog/kargul-studio-alternatives-for-website-projects) - [Why does my website say “Not secure”?](https://aruno.studio/blog/why-does-my-website-say-not-secure) - [Why is my website contact form not sending emails?](https://aruno.studio/blog/why-is-my-website-contact-form-not-sending-emails) - [Why does my website look ugly when I share it on WhatsApp?](https://aruno.studio/blog/why-does-my-website-look-ugly-when-i-share-it-on-whatsapp) - [Why is my website loading slowly on mobile?](https://aruno.studio/blog/why-is-my-website-slow-on-mobile) - [Why is my website not showing up on Google?](https://aruno.studio/blog/why-your-website-doesn-t-show-up-on-google-and-how-to-fix-it) ## Optional - [Privacy policy](https://aruno.studio/privacy-policy) - [Terms of service](https://aruno.studio/terms-of-service) - [Cookie policy](https://aruno.studio/cookie-policy)