The verdict in three sentences
For a consulting firm unifying staffing, time tracking and day-rate billing, custom software costs 45,000 to 95,000 EUR in 2026 and ships in 12 to 18 weeks. A market PSA (25 to 60 EUR/user/month) starts fast but constrains your staffing and multi-rate billing rules. From 20-30 consultants, custom pays off through utilization gained and CRM/accounting/payroll integrations.
Custom vs market PSA: the 3-year cost
At 40 consultants, a PSA at 45 EUR/user/month is already 21,600 EUR/year, before advanced modules. Custom recoups its investment by capturing billable time lost today.
| Item (2026 order of magnitude) | Custom | Market PSA |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront investment | 45,000 - 95,000 EUR | 3,000 - 8,000 EUR (setup) |
| Subscription | hosting 150-400 EUR/month | 25 - 60 EUR/user/month |
| Go-live time | 12 - 18 weeks | 4 - 8 weeks |
| Maintenance / year | 10 - 14 % of investment | included |
| 3-year cost (40 users, estimate) | 70 - 130 K EUR | 90 - 150 K EUR |
| Fit to staffing rules | Full | Partial |
The scope that drives utilization
A firm's hidden cost is untracked time and suboptimal staffing. These features attack margin directly.
| Feature | Margin effect | Effort (person-days) |
|---|---|---|
| Forecast staffing + capacity plan | Cuts bench time | 12 - 20 |
| Mobile time entry | +5 to 9 pts utilization | 8 - 14 |
| Multi-rate / fixed-fee billing | Zero billing leakage | 10 - 16 |
| CRM integration | Pipeline into staffing | 6 - 12 |
| Accounting/payroll integration | Faster close | 8 - 14 |
| GDPR compliance | Calm audits | 4 - 8 |
Mini case study
Claire, partner-CFO of a 42-consultant firm in Montreal, average day rate 750 EUR-equivalent. Before the project: utilization 68 %, 12 h/consultant/month of entry and Excel rework. She invests 72,000 EUR in custom staffing + time + billing software. One year later: utilization +9 points (68 % to 77 %) and 8 h/consultant/month less entry. Those 9 points across 42 consultants at a 750 day rate and ~200 billable days represent several hundred thousand in additional annual revenue, against maintenance of ~9,000 EUR/year (12 %).
FAQ
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
How much does custom consulting software cost in 2026?
From 45,000 to 95,000 EUR depending on scope: staffing, time entry, multi-rate billing and integrations. An MVP focused on time + billing can start near 40,000 EUR.
What is the delivery timeline?
Expect 12 to 18 weeks: 3 framing, 7-10 development, 2-3 testing, 1-2 rollout and training. A SaaS PSA installs in 4-8 weeks but bends your process to the tool.
What is the maintenance cost?
A support plan of 10 to 14 %/year of investment covers fixes, evolutions and support, roughly 5,000 to 13,000 EUR/year. It also funds payroll- and regulation-driven changes.
Does custom handle GDPR?
Yes: data minimization, consent management, logging and EU hosting. It is a framing deliverable, not an add-on bolted on later.
At what size does custom pay off?
Usually from 20 to 30 consultants, when utilization points gained and integrations exceed cumulative PSA license costs.
Let's scope your project. Share consultant count, average day rate and tools to integrate (CRM, payroll): we price a scope between 45,000 and 95,000 EUR. 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.
