The verdict in three sentences
A Miami agency that assembles 40 PDF reports by hand every month loses 20 to 40 hours of skilled production time, roughly 1,600 to 3,200 USD in loaded cost. A custom client reporting portal from Kolonell costs 6,100 to 10,670 EUR (about 6,600 to 11,500 USD), is delivered in 8 to 12 weeks and usually pays back in 4 to 7 months. A reporting SaaS at 200 to 800 USD a month remains a sound choice as long as your data sources are standard and white-label delivery is not a selling point.
Custom build or reporting SaaS: the numbers
Market tools (Looker Studio with paid connectors, AgencyAnalytics, Whatagraph, DashThis) handle classic marketing sources well. They hit their limits as soon as you need to blend internal business data (timesheets, tickets, facility service logs) or manage fine-grained permissions per client. The figures below are 2026 orders of magnitude.
| Criterion | Reporting SaaS | Kolonell custom portal |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | 0 to 1,500 USD setup | 6,100 to 10,670 EUR |
| Recurring cost | 200 to 800 USD a month, often per client | 50 to 180 EUR a month maintenance |
| 3-year cost (40 clients) | 7,200 to 28,800 USD | 7,900 to 17,150 EUR |
| Data sources | Standard connectors (Google Ads, Meta, GA4, LinkedIn) | Standard plus internal APIs, ERP, spreadsheets, SQL |
| White label | Partial, custom domain often an add-on | Full: domain, logo, colors, emails |
| Access rights | Per dashboard | Per client, per user, per metric |
| Ownership | Subscription, data held by vendor | Code and data are yours, US or EU hosting |
| Time to go live | 1 to 3 weeks | 8 to 12 weeks |
The switch to custom usually makes sense above 25 to 30 active clients, or as soon as an agency-specific data source must appear in the report.
What a 6,100 to 10,670 EUR portal includes
The budget depends on the number of sources and how granular the permissions are. Our custom application grid places this kind of portal at the intermediate level.
| Module | Base version (about 6,100 EUR) | Full version (about 10,670 EUR) |
|---|---|---|
| Data sources | 3 to 4 connectors (GA4, Google Ads, Meta, spreadsheet) | 6 to 10 connectors including an internal API or database |
| Client access | One space per client, 3 users | Unlimited users, viewer, approver and admin roles |
| White label | Logo and colors | Dedicated domain, emails, branded PDF export |
| Reports | Automatic monthly dashboard | Scheduled reports, team commentary, 24-month history |
| Exports | PDF, CSV, secure share link | |
| Compliance | Access log, encrypted storage | Full audit trail, retention rules, data export on request |
Scoping clarifies three points that move the quote: the number of sources without an official API, the refresh frequency (daily or hourly) and how much human commentary your account managers want to keep in each report.
Mini case study
Sarah, COO of a 22-person marketing agency in Miami, produces 40 monthly reports. Each one takes 45 minutes of extraction, layout and review: 40 × 45 min = 30 hours a month, at a loaded cost of 65 USD an hour, or 1,950 USD a month.
- Custom portal: 8,500 EUR (about 9,200 USD), Standard maintenance at 110 EUR (about 120 USD) a month. Remaining time: about 6 hours a month for commentary, or 390 USD.
- Net monthly saving: 1,950 − 390 − 120 = 1,440 USD.
- Payback: 9,200 / 1,440 = about 6.4 months.
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With a SaaS at 450 USD a month, the net saving would be close to 1,110 USD, but without full white label or the agency timesheet integration her clients ask for to justify retainers.
FAQ
Can we keep our current tool during migration?
Yes. We run both side by side for 1 to 2 monthly cycles, so you can compare figures line by line before cancelling the subscription.
Where is our clients' data hosted?
In the region you choose, US or EU, with encryption at rest and an access log. For EU clients of your agency, we deliver the GDPR processing record with the portal.
What happens when Google or Meta changes its API?
That is the main maintenance risk: 1 to 3 notable changes a year. Standard maintenance (about 110 EUR a month) covers these adaptations within 5 business days.
Can clients log in themselves?
Yes, each client gets a named space with email and password or magic link login, and optional two-factor authentication. You decide which metrics each client sees.
How long until the first report is live?
Allow 8 to 12 weeks overall, with a pilot client connected around week 6. The other 39 are then migrated in batches of 10.
Let's scope your project. Share your data sources and the number of clients to serve: we price your portal at 6,100 to 10,670 EUR, delivered in 8 to 12 weeks, through our free quote request. 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.
