The verdict in three sentences
For 40 pool cars, an off-the-shelf SaaS at 5-15 EUR per vehicle per month covers the essentials if your booking rules are standard. A custom app (20,000 to 50,000 EUR excl. VAT depending on scope) pays off once you need specific internal rules, HR or directory integration, and a connected key cabinet driven by bookings. Either way, the real gain comes from measuring utilisation, often below 50%, which lets you cut 5 to 10 vehicles.
What the paper logbook really costs
The booking logbook at reception has a hidden cost. Nobody knows which vehicle is actually free, keys travel from office to office, mileage is written from memory and damage is discovered three days later. For management, the most expensive effect lies elsewhere: without data, the company buys or leases extra vehicles while the existing fleet runs at half capacity.
| Cost item (40 vehicles, 2026 order of magnitude) | With paper logbook | With booking app |
|---|---|---|
| Full cost of one pool car (lease, fuel, insurance) | 6,500 to 9,000 EUR per year | 6,500 to 9,000 EUR per year |
| Measured utilisation rate | Unknown, often 35 to 50% | Measured, target 65 to 75% |
| Vehicles deemed necessary | 40 | 32 to 35 after 6 months of data |
| Facilities management time | 6 to 10 h per week | 1 to 2 h per week |
| Lost or unreturned keys | 2 to 4 incidents per month | Near zero with connected cabinet |
| Time to detect damage | Several days | Photo inspection on return |
| Fine traceability (driver designation) | Manual search | Driver identified in 1 click |
Removing 6 vehicles at 7,500 EUR per year saves 45,000 EUR annually. That order of magnitude justifies the investment far more than booking comfort does.
Off-the-shelf, custom or hybrid: the figures compared
Corporate car-sharing software is mature. It covers booking, calendar, inspection and sometimes the telematics box. Its limits show up with unusual business rules: priority for field sales staff, vehicles reserved for certain sites, manager approval above 300 km, internal recharging per cost centre.
| Criterion | Off-the-shelf SaaS | Custom app | Hybrid (SaaS + integration development) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | 0 to 3,000 EUR setup | 20,000 to 50,000 EUR excl. VAT | 8,000 to 15,000 EUR excl. VAT |
| Recurring cost for 40 vehicles | 2,400 to 7,200 EUR per year | Maintenance 10 to 15% of build per year | 2,400 to 7,200 EUR + maintenance |
| Time to go live | 2 to 4 weeks | 3 to 5 months | 6 to 10 weeks |
| Specific business rules | Limited to options | Unlimited | Partial |
| Outlook or Google Calendar integration | Often included | To build (Graph API, Google Calendar API) | Depends on vendor |
| Connected key cabinet | Partner brands only | Any cabinet with an API | Depends on vendor |
| Data ownership | With the vendor | With you | Mixed |
| 5-year cost (order of magnitude) | 12,000 to 39,000 EUR | 40,000 to 85,000 EUR | 25,000 to 60,000 EUR |
For reference, Kolonell's 2026 grid for a medium-complexity app is 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA, i.e. 6,100 to 10,670 EUR, and a complex app 7 M to 15 M+ FCFA, i.e. 10,670 to 22,870+ EUR. The 20,000 to 50,000 EUR figures above reflect prices observed at French agencies.
The functional scope that makes the difference
A good pool car app is more than a calendar. The features that produce measurable savings are: booking from Outlook or mobile with rules per profile, automatic assignment of the best-suited vehicle (electric for short trips), check-in and check-out with photos and mileage, a key cabinet that only releases the key to the booking holder, a utilisation dashboard per vehicle and per site, and an export for driver designation when a speeding or parking fine arrives.
| Building block | Indicative custom budget (excl. VAT) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Web and mobile booking, rules per profile | 8,000 to 15,000 EUR | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Outlook or Google Calendar sync | 3,000 to 6,000 EUR | 2 weeks |
| Photo inspection and mileage | 3,000 to 5,000 EUR | 2 weeks |
| Connected key cabinet integration | 4,000 to 8,000 EUR (hardware 3,000 to 10,000 EUR extra) | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Utilisation dashboard and exports | 3,000 to 7,000 EUR | 2 weeks |
| SSO with Azure AD or Google Workspace | 2,000 to 4,000 EUR | 1 week |
Mini case study
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Illustrative scenario: Nathalie, facilities manager at an 800-employee headquarters in Lyon, runs 40 pool cars. She chooses a custom app at 32,000 EUR excl. VAT with Outlook sync and a 60-slot key cabinet at 7,000 EUR. Total investment: 39,000 EUR, plus 4,000 EUR annual maintenance. After six months, the dashboard shows 41% utilisation. She returns 7 leased vehicles at 7,500 EUR per year, saving 52,500 EUR annually. She also recovers about 7 hours per week of manual admin. Payback: under 10 months, not counting fines now reassigned to the right driver.
FAQ
How much does pool car booking software cost in 2026?
Off-the-shelf SaaS usually charges 5 to 15 EUR per vehicle per month. For 40 vehicles, budget 2,400 to 7,200 EUR per year, plus optional initial setup up to 3,000 EUR.
When is a custom build justified?
As soon as your internal rules go beyond standard options, or you want to own your data and integrate the directory, payroll or cost-centre recharging. Beyond 60 to 80 vehicles or several sites, the 5-year cost of custom becomes competitive.
Is a connected key cabinet mandatory?
No, but it is what eliminates lost keys. A 20 to 60 slot cabinet costs 3,000 to 10,000 EUR and pays back quickly if you lose 2 to 4 keys a month.
Can the app sync with Outlook?
Yes, via Microsoft Graph API for Outlook and Google Calendar API for Google Workspace. Budget 3,000 to 6,000 EUR excl. VAT and 2 weeks of development in a custom project.
How many vehicles can be removed after rollout?
With measured utilisation below 50%, cutting the fleet by 15 to 25% is a common order of magnitude. On 40 vehicles, that is 6 to 10 vehicles and 45,000 to 75,000 EUR per year.
Let's scope your project. Send us your number of vehicles, sites and booking rules: we will price the scope, give an indicative budget and a 3 to 5 month delivery timeline. 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.
