The verdict in three sentences
For a 40-person accounting practice, the real cost is not the licence but the hours lost between production software, document management and fee spreadsheets. A practice management SaaS at EUR 60-120 per user per month covers most needs if your processes are standard, while a custom module at EUR 25,000-60,000 makes sense once your engagement letters, time tracking and dunning follow firm-specific rules. Either way, API integration with your accounting production software decides the return on investment.
What each option really costs in 2026
The market splits into three families: integrated practice management suites, specialised SaaS tools (time, billing, document management) stitched together, and custom development plugged into what you already run. The amounts below are 2026 orders of magnitude for a 40-user firm in Dublin or elsewhere in the eurozone (excluding VAT).
| Option | Upfront cost | Annual recurring cost (40 users) | Time to go live | Fit with firm rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Integrated practice management suite | EUR 3,000 to 8,000 setup | EUR 28,800 to 57,600 (EUR 60 to 120/user/month) | 2 to 4 months | Medium |
| Stack of specialised SaaS tools | EUR 1,500 to 4,000 | EUR 19,200 to 38,400 | 1 to 2 months | Low, frequent double entry |
| Custom module (engagement letters, time, dunning) | EUR 25,000 to 60,000 | EUR 3,000 to 7,500 (hosting, maintenance) | 3 to 5 months | Full |
| Hybrid: production SaaS + custom fees module | EUR 18,000 to 35,000 | EUR 12,000 to 20,000 | 3 to 4 months | High |
| Status quo spreadsheets + document management | EUR 0 | Hidden cost: 5 h/week per engagement manager | Immediate | None, error-prone |
Over three years, the integrated suite costs EUR 90,000 to 180,000 for 40 seats. Custom development costs EUR 34,000 to 82,500, but requires a solid specification and a vendor able to maintain the tool.
The features that actually save time
Not all modules are equal. The gains concentrate on four pain points: generating compliant engagement letters, tracking time per engagement, billing fees (fixed fee, retainer, time spent) and chasing unpaid invoices.
| Feature | Time lost without a tool (per engagement manager) | Estimated gain with a tool | Technical prerequisite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engagement letters generated from the client file | 1 h/week | 80 % | Approved templates, e-signature |
| Time entry linked to engagements | 1.5 h/week | 60 % | Shared engagement codes |
| Fee and retainer billing | 1 h/week | 70 % | API with production software |
| Automatic dunning of unpaid invoices | 0.75 h/week | 75 % | Access to receipts data |
| Profitability dashboard per client | 0.75 h/week | 90 % | Reliable time and billing data |
| Total | 5 h/week | About 3.5 h recovered | API integration |
The decisive technical point remains API integration: without automatic sync of entries and receipts, the fees module becomes a nicer spreadsheet. Ask for a live demo of the sync with your production software before signing.
Mini case study
Aoife, partner at a 40-person accounting practice in Dublin, has 8 engagement managers. Each loses 5 hours per week to re-keying and chasing payments, which adds up to 40 hours weekly. Over 45 working weeks, that is 1,800 hours. At an internal cost of EUR 55 per hour, the loss reaches EUR 99,000 per year.
She picks a custom module at EUR 48,000, with EUR 6,000 of annual maintenance. If the tool recovers 3.5 hours per engagement manager, the annual gain is 1,260 hours, or EUR 69,300. Payback comes in about 10 months, before counting the drop in unbilled fees, often estimated at 2 to 4 % of revenue.
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FAQ
Does a 40-person firm have to go custom?
No. If your engagement letters and billing follow standard templates, a suite at EUR 60-120 per user per month is enough. Custom becomes worthwhile when requested adaptations exceed EUR 15,000 of configuration or double entry persists.
How long does a custom fees module take to deploy?
Allow 3 to 5 months: 4 weeks of scoping, 8 to 12 weeks of development and 3 to 4 weeks of acceptance testing with two pilot engagement managers. Migrating client data and existing letters often adds 2 weeks.
Can the module connect to our accounting production software?
In most cases, yes, through an API or structured export. Integration usually accounts for 15 to 25 % of the total project budget, or EUR 4,000 to 12,000.
How do we secure the firm's client data?
EU hosting, data encryption, access logs and daily backups are the baseline. Budget EUR 1,500 to 3,000 per year for GDPR-compliant hosting with a 99.9 % uptime commitment.
Who owns the code of a custom tool?
The contract must assign the rights to the firm. That is what lets you change vendor without starting from scratch.
Let's scope your project. Send us your headcount, current tools and billing rules, and we will price a custom fees module or a hybrid setup, with an indicative budget and a 3 to 5 month schedule. 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.
