The verdict in three sentences
Launching a B2B SaaS in 2026 costs between 40,000 and 90,000 EUR for the initial build, plus 300 to 1,500 EUR/month for infrastructure and tools. The path from scoping to the first paying customer takes 4 to 7 months. The real question is not the build cost but the break-even MRR: how many subscribers you need to cover your recurring charges.
Budget by item
A SaaS is not just an app: it also means billing, GDPR compliance and acquisition. Here is the breakdown for a launch around 62,000 EUR.
| Item | Content | Estimated cost |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping & design | Specs, UX, UI system | 8,000 - 14,000 EUR |
| Core application | Front + back, multi-tenant | 22,000 - 45,000 EUR |
| Stripe billing | Subscriptions, invoices, VAT | 4,000 - 8,000 EUR |
| GDPR compliance | Consent, DPA, security | 3,000 - 7,000 EUR |
| Onboarding & emails | Flow, transactional templates | 3,000 - 6,000 EUR |
| Landing & acquisition | Site, SEO, analytics | 4,000 - 10,000 EUR |
Recurring costs and break-even
Once live, the SaaS generates monthly costs that MRR must cover. Here is a 2026 example for an early-stage product.
| Monthly item | Estimated cost | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure (hosting, database) | 150 - 600 EUR | Depends on traffic |
| Stripe (fee ~1.5% + 0.25 EUR) | Variable | On collected revenue |
| Tools (email, support, monitoring) | 100 - 400 EUR | SaaS stack |
| Dev maintenance | 800 - 2,000 EUR | Fixes, small features |
| Total charges | 1,200 - 3,500 EUR | Excluding acquisition |
At an average subscription of 79 EUR/month, break-even sits around 20 to 45 customers. With a customer acquisition cost (CAC) of 250 to 600 EUR per B2B customer in 2026, paying back CAC takes 4 to 8 months: retention is everything.
Mini case study
Sarah, founder of an HR SaaS in Dublin, targets SMEs. Initial build: 58,000 EUR, recurring charges: 2,100 EUR/month. Average subscription: 89 EUR/month. Break-even at 24 customers. With a CAC of 380 EUR and a demo-to-paid conversion of 22%, she reaches 24 customers in 5 months on a marketing budget of 9,100 EUR. From the 25th customer, every new subscriber contributes directly to margin, and the product becomes self-funded.
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FAQ
Do you need to build everything before selling?
No. Start with an MVP at 25,000-35,000 EUR, sell to pilots, then reinvest revenue into the full SaaS. Selling early validates pricing and positioning.
Why Stripe for billing?
Because it handles subscriptions, trials, invoices, intra-EU VAT and failed-payment retries natively. Building it yourself would cost 8,000 to 15,000 EUR for a less reliable result.
What is the most underestimated item?
Acquisition. Many budget the build and forget the CAC. Plan 15 to 25% of the total budget to test your channels before a broad launch.
How long until profitability?
Between launch and an MRR covering charges plus founder salaries, expect 12 to 24 months depending on acquisition pace and retention.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your B2B target, your planned pricing and your budget (40,000 to 90,000 EUR): we frame a launch through to first paying customer in 4 to 7 months. 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.
