The verdict in three sentences
A corporate institutional website in Berlin costs between 15,000 and 45,000 EUR in 2026 for 20 to 40 pages with editorial governance. The CMS choice weighs heavily: an open-source headless CMS (Sanity, Strapi) costs 0 EUR in licence where Adobe AEM starts at 50,000 EUR+/year. Budget +15 to 20 % for WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility, a 10-to-16-week timeline and maintenance of 400 to 900 EUR/month.
Budget by scope
A corporate site is not a brochure site: validation workflow, multilingual support, dedicated areas and compliance push the cost up. Here are the 2026 ranges.
| Scope | Pages | 2026 budget | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential corporate | 20-25 | 15,000 - 22,000 EUR | 10-12 weeks |
| Advanced corporate | 25-35 | 22,000 - 35,000 EUR | 12-14 weeks |
| Premium corporate | 35-40+ | 35,000 - 45,000 EUR | 14-16 weeks |
Content governance workshops (who approves what, in what order) and DE/EN multilingual support are the two most underestimated line items in initial quotes.
CMS: proprietary licence versus open-source
The CMS cost over 3 years can exceed the cost of the site itself. Here is the raw 2026 comparison.
| Criterion | Open-source headless CMS | Adobe Experience Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Annual licence | 0 EUR | 50,000 EUR+ |
| 3-year cost (licence only) | 0 EUR | 150,000 EUR+ |
| Hosting / infrastructure | 40 - 150 EUR/month | On quote, high |
| Implementation timeline | 10-16 weeks | 6-12 months |
| Best for | Mid-market, structured SMEs | Large groups, dedicated IT dept |
For a Berlin mid-market company, a headless CMS covers 95 % of governance needs without the AEM entry ticket. Reserve AEM for organisations with a dedicated IT department and dozens of contributors.
Line-item split on a 30,000 EUR project
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| Line item | Share | Indicative amount |
|---|---|---|
| UX/UI, design system | 26 % | 7,800 EUR |
| Development & CMS integration | 30 % | 9,000 EUR |
| WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility | 15 % | 4,500 EUR |
| Content & DE/EN multilingual | 17 % | 5,100 EUR |
| Project management & QA | 12 % | 3,600 EUR |
Mini case study
Sylvie, communications director of a 320-person industrial mid-market company in Berlin, must rebuild a 30-page corporate site, bilingual DE/EN, WCAG 2.1 AA compliant to answer public tenders. Chosen quote: 30,000 EUR, maintenance 600 EUR/month, Sanity CMS (0 EUR licence). By staying headless rather than AEM, she saves 50,000 EUR/year in licence, i.e. 150,000 EUR over 3 years. The accessibility premium (+4,500 EUR) opens access to public markets worth several hundred thousand euros in potential revenue. Estimated payback: under 12 months if a single tender is won.
FAQ
Why does a corporate site cost more than a brochure site? Because of volume (20-40 pages), multi-level validation workflow, multilingual support and WCAG compliance. Each adds person-days, which pushes the budget to 15,000-45,000 EUR.
Do I really need to pay a CMS at 50,000 EUR/year? No in most cases. An open-source headless CMS like Sanity or Strapi covers editorial governance at 0 EUR licence. AEM is only justified for very large organisations.
How much does WCAG 2.1 AA compliance cost? Budget +15 to 20 % of the project cost, i.e. 3,000 to 8,000 EUR on an average project. It is a mandatory investment for public tenders and large accounts.
What maintenance should I plan for an institutional site? Between 400 and 900 EUR/month depending on publishing pace and number of languages. It covers security, backups, evolutions and contributor support.
What is a realistic go-live timeline? From 10 to 16 weeks depending on page and language count. Bilingual content production is the top cause of delay: mobilise your teams from the scoping phase.
Let's scope your project. Tell us the page count, languages and compliance requirements, and we'll propose a fitting CMS architecture. 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.
