The verdict in three sentences
A B2B e-commerce platform does not stop at the build invoice: its annual run costs 15,000 to 40,000 EUR in 2026 for a 60,000 to 90,000 EUR platform. Maintenance represents 6 to 18% of the build per year, plus hosting, licences, security and evolutions. Under-investing in run always costs more at 2-3 years: technical debt, vulnerabilities, lost conversion.
What the annual run really covers
Budgeting a B2B platform means budgeting two envelopes: the build (one-off) and the run (recurring). The CFO who only anticipates the build discovers the run at the worst moment — when a vulnerability or outage strikes. Here is the breakdown of a typical run.
| Run item | 2026 range | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance (corrective + adaptive) | 6 – 18% of build/year | 4,000 – 16,000 EUR/year |
| Hosting & infrastructure | 100 – 1,000 EUR/month | 1,200 – 12,000 EUR/year |
| Licences & SaaS apps | 0 – 2,500 EUR/month | 0 – 30,000 EUR/year |
| Security & updates | Included or dedicated | 2,000 – 8,000 EUR/year |
| Monitoring & backups | 50 – 300 EUR/month | 600 – 3,600 EUR/year |
For a 75,000 EUR platform without heavy licences, a healthy run sits around 18,000 to 28,000 EUR/year. Below 10%, it is risky under-maintenance.
Typical run by platform size
The run is not linear: it depends on order volume, integrations and expected service level. Here are three representative B2B profiles for 2026.
| Platform profile | Build | Annual run | Share of build |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple catalogue, 1 integration | 45,000 EUR | 9,000 – 14,000 EUR | ~24% |
| Multi-price + ERP | 75,000 EUR | 18,000 – 28,000 EUR | ~30% |
| Multi-site + PIM + SLA | 120,000 EUR | 35,000 – 55,000 EUR | ~38% |
| Under-maintained platform | 75,000 EUR | 5,000 EUR | ~7% (risky) |
The last row shows the trap: saving 15,000 EUR/year of run usually leads to a premature rebuild at 2-3 years, far costlier than the run avoided.
Mini case study
Sarah, CFO of an industrial SME in Toronto, delivered a B2B platform at 80,000 EUR and budgeted only 6,000 EUR/year of maintenance. In year 2, an unpatched vulnerability causes 3 days of downtime and an emergency recovery at 22,000 EUR.
Her retrospective calculation: a proper run at 20,000 EUR/year would have cost 40,000 EUR over 2 years. The under-investment cost her 12,000 EUR run + 22,000 EUR emergency + ~35,000 EUR lost revenue during the incident, nearly 69,000 EUR. The lesson: provisioning 20 to 30% of the build per year avoids far heavier shocks.
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FAQ
How much should you budget for a B2B platform's annual run?
15,000 to 40,000 EUR/year in 2026 for a 60,000 to 90,000 EUR platform, i.e. roughly 20 to 30% of the build. Below 10%, you accumulate technical debt.
What exactly does maintenance cover?
Bug fixing (corrective) and small evolutions (adaptive), usually 6 to 18% of the build per year. It excludes large projects, quoted separately at a fixed price.
Can the licence cost be reduced?
Yes, by favouring open-source or native building blocks over monthly-billed SaaS apps. Licences can drop from 2,500 to under 500 EUR/month depending on architecture choices.
What is the risk of under-investing in run?
A premature rebuild at 2-3 years, security vulnerabilities and lost conversion. The cumulative cost almost always exceeds the run saved, as Sarah's case shows.
Does the run include major evolutions?
No. The run covers keeping the platform operational. An important new feature (new funnel, ERP integration) is a separate project, budgeted apart.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your build amount, your integrations and your expected service level, and we'll calibrate a realistic 3-year run budget. 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.