The verdict in three sentences
A custom client portal (documents, invoices, tickets, project tracking) costs between 18,000 and 35,000 EUR for an MVP and 40,000 to 90,000 EUR for a full version in 2026. The dominant cost is development effort, billed at 500-700 EUR/day for a senior in Western Europe or 250-400 EUR nearshore. Below 40 internal users, a SaaS block like Zendesk or Salesforce Experience Cloud often stays cheaper; beyond that, custom regains the advantage.
Budget module by module
A portal breaks down into independent functional blocks. Costing each in person-days avoids surprises and lets you prioritise a realistic MVP. The efforts below are a 2026 order of magnitude for full-stack development (React/Node or equivalent) with a part-time UX designer.
| Module | Effort (person-days) | Cost West EU (600 EUR/d) | Cost nearshore (350 EUR/d) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSO authentication + role management | 8-12 d | 4,800-7,200 EUR | 2,800-4,200 EUR |
| Document upload and vault | 10-15 d | 6,000-9,000 EUR | 3,500-5,250 EUR |
| Invoicing and payment history | 12-18 d | 7,200-10,800 EUR | 4,200-6,300 EUR |
| Messaging / support tickets | 10-16 d | 6,000-9,600 EUR | 3,500-5,600 EUR |
| Email / SMS / push notifications | 5-8 d | 3,000-4,800 EUR | 1,750-2,800 EUR |
| Project tracking dashboard | 8-14 d | 4,800-8,400 EUR | 2,800-4,900 EUR |
| QA, security, go-live | 10-15 d | 6,000-9,000 EUR | 3,500-5,250 EUR |
An MVP usually covers authentication, the document vault and notifications, i.e. 23 to 35 person-days. The full version adds invoicing, messaging and advanced dashboards, bringing the total to 63-98 person-days.
Build custom or buy a SaaS block?
The question is arithmetic, not ideological. A SaaS licence is paid per user per month; custom is a one-shot investment amortised over time. The table below compares the cumulative cost over 3 years for different volumes.
| User volume | SaaS (60 EUR/user/mo) over 3 yrs | Custom MVP (28,000 EUR + 15% maint./yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 10 users | 21,600 EUR | 40,600 EUR |
| 25 users | 54,000 EUR | 40,600 EUR |
| 40 users | 86,400 EUR | 40,600 EUR |
| 75 users | 162,000 EUR | 40,600 EUR |
| 150 users | 324,000 EUR | 40,600 EUR |
The tipping point sits around 25-30 users for SaaS at 60 EUR/month. But the calculation also depends on business specificity: the more unusual your process, the more SaaS customisation costs (connectors, custom fields, billed developments) and the earlier custom makes sense.
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Mini case study
Marc, operations director of a technical services SME, equips 55 internal users plus 400 clients. A SaaS solution at 55 EUR/user/month for the 55 internal users would cost 36,300 EUR/year, i.e. 108,900 EUR over 3 years. A full custom portal at 48,000 EUR plus 15% maintenance (7,200 EUR/year) comes to 69,600 EUR over 3 years. Saving: 39,300 EUR over 3 years, plus no lock-in and full control of client data.
FAQ
What is the cheapest possible MVP? A minimalist portal (SSO, document vault, notifications) starts around 18,000 EUR by mixing nearshore work and local steering. Below that you fall into non-differentiating templates.
What day rate should I budget for in 2026? Count 500-700 EUR/day for a senior developer in Western Europe, 250-400 EUR nearshore, plus 15-20% for project management.
Should I plan for recurring costs? Yes: maintenance and evolution represent 12 to 18% of the build cost per year, plus hosting (100-400 EUR/month depending on load).
When does custom become profitable? From 40 internal users on a SaaS at 50-60 EUR/month, or earlier if your business needs heavy customisation.
Can payment be staged? Yes, a 30/40/30 milestone split (scoping / development / QA-delivery) is standard and protects both parties.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your priority modules, user volume and target budget, and we'll tell you whether custom or a SaaS block is the right call. 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.
