The verdict in three sentences
For a 25-person accounting firm, a vertical SaaS suite costs in 2026 between 40 and 120 EUR/staff member/month, i.e. 12,000 to 36,000 EUR/year before options. The real profitability lever is not the licence price but the 2 to 4 hours saved per file through OCR, DMS and e-invoicing. The line item that blows the budget is the dedicated client portal (+5,000 to 15,000 EUR) and data migration when switching vendors.
What a practice suite really costs in 2026
The headline per-seat price hides tiers: bookkeeping, review, DMS and billing are often billed as separate modules. Here are the 2026 orders of magnitude on the French market.
| Vendor / suite | Price/staff/month | Annual cost (25 people) | Positioning |
|---|---|---|---|
| MyUnisoft | 40-60 EUR | 12,000-18,000 EUR | Full web, collaborative review |
| ACD (Expert Suite) | 55-85 EUR | 16,500-25,500 EUR | Production + payroll |
| Sage Génération Experts | 60-95 EUR | 18,000-28,500 EUR | Broad ecosystem |
| Cegid Loop / Quadra | 70-120 EUR | 21,000-36,000 EUR | Market leader, very complete |
| Custom tool (overlay) | 40-90k EUR amortised | 13,000-22,000 EUR/yr* | No per-seat licence |
*Amortised over 5 years + 15%/yr maintenance, independent of headcount.
On top of licences, firms systematically underestimate recurring line items at renewal.
| Line item | 2026 range | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Dedicated client portal (upload, signature) | 5,000-15,000 EUR | Setup + hosting |
| 2026 e-invoicing compliance (platform) | 2,000-6,000 EUR | Project |
| Legacy data migration | 3,000-9,000 EUR | Migration |
| Staff training (25 people) | 4,000-8,000 EUR | Year 1 |
| Maintenance / premium support | 12-18% of build | Annual |
The deciding calculation: hours saved per file
Mandatory e-invoicing in 2026 changes the equation. A firm automating supplier-invoice OCR and reminders recovers 2 to 4 hours per monthly file. Let us compare over 600 files/year.
| Scenario | Hours/file | Loaded hourly cost | Annual production cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual entry | 3.5 h | 45 EUR | 94,500 EUR |
| Standard practice suite | 2.3 h | 45 EUR | 62,100 EUR |
| Suite + advanced OCR automation | 1.6 h | 45 EUR | 43,200 EUR |
The gap between manual entry and a well-configured tool reaches 51,300 EUR/year of productive time — more than double the licence cost. That delta, not the monthly price, justifies the investment.
Mini case study
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Martine, partner in a 25-person firm in Marseille's 8th district, is torn between renewing Cegid (28,000 EUR/yr) and switching to MyUnisoft (15,000 EUR/yr) with a custom client portal at 11,000 EUR. Over 3 years, Cegid costs 84,000 EUR; MyUnisoft + portal costs 45,000 + 11,000 = 56,000 EUR. Meanwhile, OCR automation saves 1.5 h across 600 files, i.e. 40,500 EUR of billable capacity recovered per year. The decision hinges less on the licence than on configuration and portal: she picks the custom overlay, paid back in 20 months.
FAQ
What does accounting practice software really cost for 25 people?
Expect 12,000 to 36,000 EUR/year in licences depending on vendor, plus 5,000 to 15,000 EUR for a dedicated client portal. First-year budget, training and migration included, often lands between 25,000 and 55,000 EUR.
Do we need to switch vendors for 2026 e-invoicing?
Not necessarily: major vendors ship a platform gateway. But compliance costs 2,000 to 6,000 EUR and a poorly designed connector can slow production; audit before renewing.
Packaged or custom client portal?
A packaged vendor portal is quick but rigid. A custom portal (5,000-15,000 EUR) connects via API to your production and stands out visually — useful for retaining SME clients.
What ROI from OCR automation?
Between 2 and 4 hours saved per monthly file. Across 600 files/year at 45 EUR loaded, that is 27,000 to 54,000 EUR of productive capacity — well above software cost.
How much is annual maintenance?
Expect 12 to 18% of build cost for a custom tool, or the premium support subscription with a vendor. Budget this line from day one; it drives long-term viability.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your headcount, current vendor and client-portal needs: we price the overlay or integration that fits. 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.
