The verdict in three sentences
An industrial corporate website of 20 to 30 pages with a CMS costs in 2026 between EUR 18,000 and 32,000 at Standard level, and EUR 40,000 to 70,000 at Premium in Berlin. The items that make the difference: editorial governance in Sanity (+EUR 4,000), bilingual DE/EN (+25%), accessibility WCAG AA (+15%). Choosing an open-source headless CMS over a SaaS licence at EUR 2,400/year can save EUR 7,200 over three years.
The 2026 levels and options
A corporate group expects governance, security and compliance, not just a handsome site. Here are the 2026 ranges.
| Level | Scope | 2026 price (EUR) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 20-30 pages, CMS, DE | 18,000 - 32,000 | 10-12 wks |
| Premium | +micro-services, portal, 3 languages | 40,000 - 70,000 | 12-16 wks |
| Sanity governance | Multi-level approval workflow | +4,000 | +2 wks |
| Bilingual DE/EN | Full second language | +25% | +3 wks |
| WCAG AA accessibility | Audit + remediation | +15% | +2 wks |
Add 19% VAT where applicable: a Premium project at EUR 55,000 net is EUR 65,450 gross. For a VAT-registered group the tax is recoverable.
SaaS vs open-source headless: the real 3-year cost
The CMS choice drives recurring cost. 2026 comparison over a three-year cycle.
| Criterion | Proprietary SaaS CMS | Open-source headless (Sanity/Strapi) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual licence | EUR 2,400/year | EUR 0 - 1,200/year (hosting plan) |
| 3-year cost | EUR 7,200 | EUR 0 - 3,600 |
| Data portability | Limited | Full (standard export) |
| Customisation | Constrained | Unlimited |
| Hosting | Included | Managed, from EUR 40/month |
| Vendor lock-in | High | Low |
For a corporate site meant to last 5 to 7 years, open-source headless lowers total cost of ownership and removes lock-in risk.
Mini case study
Sarah, marketing director of a 350-employee industrial group in Berlin, is scoping a Standard corporate site at EUR 26,000, plus Sanity governance (+4,000) and bilingual DE/EN (+6,500), i.e. EUR 36,500. By picking open-source headless over a SaaS licence, she saves EUR 7,200 over 3 years. Accessibility (+15%, EUR 3,900) secures eligibility for public tenders, where compliance is now a knockout criterion. Expected ROI: two won tenders cover the investment.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
FAQ
Why does a corporate site cost 5 to 10 times a brochure site?
Editorial governance, security (CSP headers, audit), WCAG/GDPR compliance and multilingual delivery multiply the effort. A 25-page site with an approval workflow takes 10 to 16 weeks versus 6-8 for a brochure site.
What does the +EUR 4,000 Sanity governance actually deliver?
A multi-level approval workflow (author, reviewer, publisher) prevents unapproved publishing and logs every change. Essential once several departments feed the site.
Is WCAG AA accessibility mandatory?
For public bodies and delegates, yes. For a private company it becomes a tender criterion and a reputation issue; budget +15% for audit and AA remediation.
How much is annual maintenance?
Plan 8 to 15% of the initial budget per year: a EUR 30,000 site implies EUR 2,400 to 4,500/year for maintenance, managed hosting and enhancements.
Can delivery be phased?
Yes: structure and key pages in phase 1, portal and advanced modules in phase 2. This smooths cash flow and lets the core go live within 10 weeks.
Let's scope your project. Tell us the page count, target languages and your governance and accessibility requirements, and we will price the right corporate site. 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.
