The verdict in three sentences
A vertical license costs 45 to 90 EUR per month per user, roughly 9 000 EUR/year for 12 staff, but you own nothing and the client portal stays standardized. A custom portal is billed 28 000 to 55 000 EUR once, plus 12 to 18 %/year maintenance, and becomes an asset you control. Beyond 4 years, and for a firm that wants to differentiate its client experience, custom pays off and reclaims 6 to 9 hours of data entry per week.
Vertical license: the real 4-year cost
Vertical vendors bill per user, with optional modules (document management, connectors, portal) usually charged extra. Here is the 2026 order of magnitude for a 12-person Amsterdam firm.
| Item | 2026 unit price | Annual cost (12 users) |
|---|---|---|
| Base license | 45-90 EUR/mo/user | 6 480-12 960 EUR |
| Integrated document mgmt | +12 EUR/mo/user | 1 728 EUR |
| Standard client portal | +250 EUR/mo firm | 3 000 EUR |
| E-signature | 1.50 EUR/signature | 900-1 800 EUR |
| Tax/bank connector | included to +900 EUR/yr | 0-900 EUR |
| Annual total | — | 12 100-20 400 EUR |
Over 4 years the cumulative bill reaches 48 000 to 82 000 EUR, and never becomes a firm asset.
Custom portal: the cost structure
A custom build bundles initial development, GDPR hosting and maintenance. The ranges below match a project delivered in 10 to 14 weeks.
| Component | Scope | 2026 budget (EUR) |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping + UX | Workshops, mockups | 3 500-6 000 |
| Client portal + doc mgmt | Uploads, secure vault | 12 000-22 000 |
| E-signature | eIDAS integration | 3 500-6 500 |
| Tax/bank connectors | Filings, statements | 6 000-12 000 |
| EU sovereign hosting | GDPR compliant | 1 200-2 400/yr |
| Maintenance | 12-18 %/yr of build | 4 000-9 000/yr |
| Initial build | — | 28 000-55 000 |
Mini case study
Marc, partner at a 12-person Amsterdam firm, moves from a 15 500 EUR/year vertical license to a custom portal billed 41 000 EUR + 6 500/year maintenance. Year 1: 47 500 EUR versus 15 500 EUR, a 32 000 EUR premium. But the portal removes 7 hrs/week of data entry per staffer on automatically collected documents: 7 hrs × 12 × 45 weeks = 3 780 hrs/year. Valued at 35 EUR internal cost, that is 132 000 EUR of freed capacity. The premium is recouped in under 4 months.
FAQ
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Which host should we pick for GDPR hosting?
EU-sovereign hosts (OVH, Scaleway, or local Dutch providers) are GDPR compliant. Budget 1 200 to 2 400 EUR/year for a 12-person firm, with daily encrypted backups and EU data residency.
Is e-signature really integrable?
Yes, via eIDAS providers (advanced or qualified). Integration costs 3 500 to 6 500 EUR once, then each signature runs 0.50-1.50 EUR depending on negotiated volume.
How long to develop the portal?
Budget 10 to 14 weeks for a scope covering document management, e-signature and tax connectors, including two weeks of testing with your staff.
Is maintenance mandatory?
Strongly recommended: 12 to 18 %/year of the build covers regulatory changes (filings, rates, formats) and security. Without it, the software becomes obsolete within 2 to 3 fiscal years.
From how many users does custom pay off?
From 10-12 active users over 4 years, the custom TCO drops below the license, especially if you bill the client portal as a value-added service.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your firm size, the modules you need (document management, connectors) and an indicative 30-55k EUR budget, and we will scope the ideal portal. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
