The verdict in three sentences
A decision dashboard that aggregates ERP, CRM, accounting and web data costs 8,000-20,000 EUR for a standard version, and 35,000-90,000 EUR for a custom BI platform with a data warehouse. The real budget hides in the ETL pipeline and data quality, not the chart. Plan for 5 to 12 weeks and annual maintenance of 15% of the build.
How much a BI dashboard costs in 2026
Price depends mostly on source complexity and how fresh the data must be. A dashboard on a single database is quick; aggregating 6 heterogeneous systems in real time is an engineering project.
| Level | Scope | 2026 budget (EUR) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard dashboard | 1-2 sources, Metabase/Power BI, 5-8 views | 8,000 - 20,000 | 3-5 weeks |
| Integrated BI | 3-5 sources, ETL, consolidated KPIs | 22,000 - 40,000 | 5-8 weeks |
| Custom platform | Data warehouse, real time, RBAC | 35,000 - 90,000 | 8-12 weeks |
| Extra source add-on | 1 connector + model | 3,000 - 8,000 | 1-2 weeks |
These are 2026 order-of-magnitude estimates for the European market; a multi-country or multi-currency scope adds 20-30%.
Licenses vs self-hosted open-source
The visualization layer drives the recurring cost, often underestimated next to build cost.
| Solution | 2026 license cost | Model | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power BI Pro | ~10 EUR/user/month | Per seat | Microsoft ecosystem |
| Power BI Premium | ~20 EUR/user/month | Per seat/capacity | High volumes |
| Tableau Creator | ~65 EUR/user/month | Per seat | Advanced analysis |
| Metabase (open-source) | 0 EUR (hosting ~150 EUR/mo) | Self-hosted | Cost control |
| Metabase Cloud | ~85 EUR/month (base) | SaaS | SMEs without DevOps |
For 30 users, Power BI Pro costs ~3,600 EUR/year in licenses, while self-hosted Metabase caps at ~1,800 EUR/year of infrastructure. That gap alone funds part of your maintenance.
Mini case study
Claire, CFO of an industrial SME in Lyon (85 staff), wants to consolidate sales (CRM), stock (ERP) and cash (accounting) into a single steering screen. She picks integrated BI at 28,000 EUR, 3 sources, daily refresh, on self-hosted Metabase.
Year 1 cost: 28,000 EUR (build) + 1,800 EUR (hosting) + 4,200 EUR (15% maintenance) = 34,000 EUR. By removing 2 days/month of manual Excel reporting for 3 people (internal day rate ~350 EUR), she saves ~25,200 EUR/year. The project pays back in 16 months, then delivers a recurring net gain.
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FAQ
What is the difference between a dashboard and a real BI platform?
A dashboard displays already-clean data from 1-2 sources (8,000-20,000 EUR). A BI platform models, cleans and historizes data in a warehouse before displaying it (35,000-90,000 EUR).
Does real time change the price?
Yes, significantly. Daily refresh is cheap; a real-time pipeline (streaming, webhooks) typically adds 20-40% to the budget and requires continuous supervision.
How much is annual maintenance?
Budget 15% of build cost per year, i.e. 4,000-13,500 EUR/year on an average project. It covers KPI changes, connector fixes and version upgrades.
Power BI or Metabase?
Power BI if you are already on Microsoft 365 and want turnkey. Metabase if you want to avoid per-seat licenses and keep hosting control, for ~150 EUR/month of infrastructure.
Can we add sources later?
Yes, each extra connector costs 3,000-8,000 EUR depending on API and data-model complexity. A well-designed architecture makes these additions incremental.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your sources (ERP, CRM, accounting), user count and required freshness, with an indicative budget of 8,000-90,000 EUR. 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.
