The verdict in three sentences
A custom client portal costs, in 2026, from 30,000 to 90,000 EUR depending on modules, with a 4-to-7-month timeline. The real return comes from fewer inbound calls and emails: 8 to 15 hours saved per week on support and -30 % chasing. The key is to ship an MVP centred on documents and tracking, then add payment and messaging.
What goes into a client portal
An effective extranet starts with secure authentication (ideally SSO with your customers' existing accounts) and fine-grained roles and permissions. Here are the common modules, their cost and MVP priority.
| Module | Function | 2026 cost (EUR) | MVP priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auth & SSO | Login, roles, permissions | 6,000 - 12,000 | Essential |
| Document management | Upload, versions, secure sharing | 7,000 - 15,000 | Essential |
| Billing | Invoices, due dates, history | 5,000 - 12,000 | High |
| Project tracking | Milestones, statuses, notifications | 6,000 - 14,000 | High |
| Tickets / support | Requests, SLA, history | 5,000 - 11,000 | Medium |
| Online payment | Card settlement, reconciliation | 4,000 - 9,000 | Optional |
| Messaging | Per-case discussion thread | 4,000 - 8,000 | Optional |
| E-signature | Contracts, signed quotes | 3,000 - 7,000 | Optional |
The ROI of self-service
Every request handled in self-service is a request that no longer reaches a human. Here is the typical impact on a B2B support desk after go-live.
| Metric | Before portal | After portal | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inbound calls/emails per week | 120 | 70 | -42 % |
| Support time on tracking | 22 h/wk | 9 h/wk | -13 h |
| Payment chasing | 100 % manual | 30 % manual | -70 % |
| Average time to access a doc | 1-2 days | instant | qualitative |
| Client satisfaction (NPS) | +12 | +34 | +22 pts |
Mini case study
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Marc is head of operations at a 130-person services firm in Dublin. His support team spends endless hours re-sending invoices and certificates by email. MVP portal quote: 48,000 EUR (auth/SSO 9,000, document management 13,000, billing 10,000, project tracking 12,000, deployment 4,000). Support reclaims 11 hours a week, about 19,000 EUR/year, and lower chasing speeds collection by roughly 6 days of working capital. With hosting and maintenance at ~9,000 EUR/year, payback is reached in about 24 months, even before the payment and messaging modules.
FAQ
Do I need to start with every module? No. An MVP of auth + documents + billing at 30,000-40,000 EUR captures most of the support gain; the rest is added once usage is established.
Is SSO really necessary? For a B2B extranet, yes: it avoids yet another password, simplifies access revocation and reassures your customers' IT teams. Budget 6,000 to 12,000 EUR depending on your identity provider.
Can we integrate our CRM and billing tool? Yes, via API. Each integration typically adds 4,000 to 10,000 EUR depending on the remote API's quality and data volume.
What does yearly running cost look like? Hosting 200-800 EUR/month plus maintenance at 10-20 % of build: roughly 8,000 to 14,000 EUR/year for a 48,000 EUR portal.
How long to go live? Expect 4 to 7 months depending on the number of modules and integrations, scoping and acceptance included.
Let's scope your project. Tell us which documents and flows you want to open to clients, and which tools to connect them to, and we'll cost an MVP and a roadmap. 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.
