The verdict in three sentences
A custom B2B booking platform costs USD 19,000 to 45,000 (60,000 to 140,000 TND) with a nearshore team in 2026 and USD 60,000 to 150,000 with an agency in Dubai or Singapore, delivered in 4 to 5 months, versus 2 to 5 % commission or USD 330 to 980 a month for a SaaS. For a network of 6 meeting and business centres selling mainly to corporate accounts, custom makes sense once monthly invoicing of company accounts, negotiated rates and local payment become core to the business. The main financial lever is occupancy, which can rise from 48 % to 66 % with reliable self-service booking.
What the platform must cover
A corporate client must book a meeting room, a day office or an event space at any of the 6 sites, on web or mobile, seeing contract rates and remaining credit balance. The operator must track occupancy by site and invoice each account at month end without spreadsheets.
| Module | Scope | 2026 budget, nearshore (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-site booking engine | Real-time availability, slots, add-ons (catering, equipment) | 4,800 to 9,600 |
| Corporate accounts | Contracts, negotiated rates, hour bundles, multiple users per company | 3,200 to 8,000 |
| Online payment | Stripe or Checkout.com cards, local gateways (Network International, Adyen) | 1,900 to 4,800 |
| Monthly invoicing | Consolidated statement, compliant tax invoice (5 % UAE VAT, 9 % Singapore GST), accounting export | 2,600 to 6,400 |
| Back office and dashboards | Occupancy per site, revenue per room, active clients | 2,900 to 7,000 |
| Integrations | Badge access control, Outlook and Google calendars, door displays | 1,900 to 5,800 |
| PWA mobile app | Booking, QR access code, notifications | 1,900 to 3,200 |
| Total | Full version | 19,000 to 45,000 |
Custom vs SaaS: the 5-year view
Coworking and meeting space SaaS tools go live in a few weeks. Their limits for a multi-site corporate operator: commission on every booking, rigid account invoicing, and limited control over brand, data and integrations.
| Criterion | Commission SaaS | Subscription SaaS | Custom platform (nearshore) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial cost | USD 0 to 1,000 | USD 1,000 to 2,600 setup | USD 19,000 to 45,000 |
| Recurring cost | 2 to 5 % of booked revenue | USD 330 to 980/month | USD 480 to 1,100/month maintenance |
| 5-year cost (USD 770,000 bookings/year) | USD 77,000 to 192,000 | USD 20,800 to 61,400 | USD 48,000 to 111,000 |
| Local payment and currency | Varies | Partial | Native |
| Monthly corporate invoicing | Limited | Adequate | Bespoke |
| Client data ownership | Shared | With the vendor | Full |
Subscription SaaS stays cheapest over 5 years if standard processes fit. Custom takes the lead when the operator wants a branded journey, native local payment and a platform it can white-label for other centres. In Dubai and Singapore, where agency day rates run USD 700 to 1,100, the nearshore route cuts the build cost by 60 to 70 %.
The specification in 8 points
- Space inventory: rooms, capacities, equipment, pricing rules per site.
- Booking rules: minimum duration, cancellation window, penalties, waitlists.
- Client types: corporate accounts, individuals, partners, admins.
- Payment: local gateways, international cards, bank transfer, pay on invoice.
- Invoicing: frequency, local legal mentions and VAT or GST, export to accounting software.
- Integrations: badges, calendars, CRM.
- Technical requirements: hosting, backups, 99.5 % availability, response times.
- KPIs: occupancy, average booking value, cancellation rate, repeat clients.
A complete specification keeps the gap between quote and final invoice under 10 %, versus 30 to 50 % on a poorly framed project.
Mini case study
Omar runs a network of 6 business centres in Dubai (Business Bay, DIFC, JLT) with 42 bookable rooms and offices. Booking revenue reaches USD 770,000 a year at 48 % occupancy. Bookings go through phone and email, and monthly invoicing ties up 2 people for 4 days.
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He invests USD 35,000 in a nearshore-built custom platform with USD 800 of monthly maintenance. With 24/7 self-service booking and better visibility of free slots, occupancy rises to 66 % within 12 months. At constant rates, booking revenue climbs to about USD 1,060,000, i.e. USD 290,000 more. Counting only a 25 % incremental margin, the gain is USD 72,500 a year: the project pays back in 6 to 7 months after ramp-up. A Singapore operator with the same profile would see comparable ratios in SGD.
FAQ
How much does a custom booking platform cost?
Between USD 19,000 and 45,000 with a nearshore team, and USD 60,000 to 150,000 with a Dubai or Singapore agency, depending on sites, integrations and invoicing. A first multi-site version with online payment starts around USD 19,000 nearshore.
What timeline should we expect?
Allow 4 to 5 months, including 3 to 4 weeks of scoping and a 3-week pilot on 1 or 2 sites. Rollout to all 6 sites follows in 2 to 3 weeks.
Which payment methods should we integrate?
International cards via Stripe or Checkout.com, local acquirers where needed, and pay-on-invoice for corporate accounts. Fees range from 1.5 % to 3 % per transaction.
Isn't a SaaS enough?
If your clients are mostly individuals and invoicing stays simple, a SaaS at USD 330 to 980 a month is enough. Custom becomes relevant once more than 60 % of revenue comes from corporate accounts invoiced monthly.
Who owns the platform?
The operator, if the contract assigns the rights and delivers the source code. That also lets you resell the platform as white-label to other business centres.
Let's scope your project. Share your number of sites, spaces and invoicing rules, and we will price a B2B booking platform with a specification and a 4 to 5 month plan. 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.
