The verdict in three sentences
For a professional services firm managing 600 clients, a custom client portal (documents, tickets, invoices) costs EUR 25,000 to 60,000 excluding VAT, delivered in 8 to 12 weeks. The return mainly comes from time given back to your team: roughly 6 hours per week per account manager no longer wasted hunting for attachments. A SaaS portal at EUR 15 per user is fine for testing, but it becomes more expensive and more rigid as soon as your processes move beyond the standard.
What EUR 25,000 to 60,000 actually buys
Price depends less on the number of pages than on the number of business flows and integrations. Here is a realistic grid for a consultancy, a technical services firm or a B2B agency.
| Scope | Included features | 2026 budget (excl. VAT) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Document core | Secure login, document upload and download, e-mail notifications | EUR 25,000 to 32,000 | 8 weeks |
| Core + tickets | Request module with statuses, SLAs and history | EUR 32,000 to 42,000 | 9 to 10 weeks |
| Core + tickets + invoices | Invoice viewing and payment, automatic reminders | EUR 40,000 to 50,000 | 10 to 11 weeks |
| Fully integrated version | CRM or ERP connector (Xero, Salesforce, HubSpot), client dashboards | EUR 50,000 to 60,000 | 11 to 12 weeks |
| Multi-site option | Group accounts with subsidiaries and differentiated rights | + EUR 5,000 to 8,000 | + 2 weeks |
| Mobile app option (PWA) | Offline access, push notifications | + EUR 6,000 to 10,000 | + 2 weeks |
Recurring costs come on top: hosting at EUR 80 to 250 per month depending on stored document volume and backup level, and application maintenance usually at 10 to 15% of the initial budget per year. For a EUR 45,000 portal, that means EUR 4,500 to 6,750 per year of corrective and evolutionary maintenance.
Custom build or a SaaS portal at EUR 15 per user
An honest comparison runs over three years, counting internal users billed by the vendor and sometimes the client accounts themselves.
| Criterion | Off-the-shelf SaaS portal | Custom portal |
|---|---|---|
| Start-up cost | EUR 0 to 3,000 of configuration | EUR 25,000 to 60,000 excl. VAT |
| Monthly cost (20 internal users) | EUR 300, i.e. EUR 3,600 per year | EUR 80 to 250 hosting |
| Cost if all 600 clients get a billed seat | up to EUR 9,000 per month | unchanged |
| Fit with your processes | Limited to built-in options | Complete |
| Integration with your CRM or ERP | Standard connectors, often paid | Built to your needs |
| Ownership of code and data | Vendor | You |
| Reversibility | Partial export, often CSV | Full database |
SaaS wins if you have fewer than 30 internal users, standard processes and an urgent need. Custom wins once every client needs access, when billing follows a specific logic (retainers, milestones, expense rebilling) or when brand image matters in the client relationship.
The items that push budgets over
Three topics explain most overruns on this type of project. Migrating historical data (contracts, five years of invoices) can add EUR 3,000 to 7,000 when files are scattered. Integrating with an older ERP without a documented API often requires 5 to 10 extra development days. Finally, GDPR compliance (records, retention periods, access logs) must be scoped at design stage, otherwise it costs twice as much at the end of the project.
Mini case study
Claire, operations director at a technical services firm, manages 8 account managers who look after 600 clients. Each loses about 6 hours a week on e-mail exchanges, document searches and invoice reminders. Over 45 working weeks, that is 8 × 6 × 45 = 2,160 hours per year. At a loaded cost of EUR 38 per hour, the loss reaches EUR 82,080 per year.
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Claire chooses a EUR 48,000 portal (documents, tickets, invoices, accounting connector), plus EUR 150 monthly hosting and EUR 6,000 annual maintenance. First-year cost: 48,000 + 1,800 + 6,000 = EUR 55,800. If the portal recovers only 70% of the lost time, the gain is EUR 57,456: the investment pays back in just under 12 months, and later years cost only EUR 7,800.
FAQ
How much does a custom client portal cost in 2026?
Between EUR 25,000 and 60,000 excluding VAT depending on modules and integrations. A document-only core starts around EUR 25,000; a full version with an ERP connector approaches EUR 60,000.
How long does it take to go live?
A standard portal is delivered in 8 to 12 weeks, scoping included. Add 2 weeks per heavy option, such as a mobile app or multi-site management.
How much does hosting a client portal cost?
Between EUR 80 and 250 per month for European or UK hosting with daily backups. The top of the range covers several hundred gigabytes of documents and high availability.
Is the portal GDPR compliant?
Yes if it is designed for it: hosting in the EU or UK, document encryption, access logs and configured retention periods. This scoping usually takes 3 to 5 days included in the budget.
Can we start small and extend later?
That is the recommended path: a first release at EUR 25,000 to 30,000 validates usage in 8 weeks, then tickets and invoicing arrive in EUR 8,000 to 15,000 increments.
Let's scope your project. Send us your client count, current tools and the three flows to digitise first, and we will propose a costed scope between EUR 25,000 and 60,000 with an 8 to 12 week plan. 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.
