The verdict in three sentences
A custom B2B e-commerce platform for a wholesaler costs between 28,000 and 120,000 EUR (excl. VAT) in 2026, driven by pricing-grid complexity (per-customer prices, volume discounts) and depth of ERP integration. A packaged B2B platform (Shopify B2B, BigCommerce B2B) starts lower — 6,000 to 25,000 EUR implementation — but imposes its own limits on approval workflows, multi-buyer accounts and negotiated pricing. The real trade-off isn't the entry price but the cost of friction: every order keyed twice, every wrong price, every misconfigured account is paid in margin.
2026 price grid by scope
A B2B platform budget depends on three variables: number of buyer accounts, complexity of pricing rules, and depth of integration with the management system. Here are the 2026 orders of magnitude seen on the market.
| Scope | Custom build (EUR excl. VAT) | Timeline | Buyer accounts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple catalog portal | 28,000 – 45,000 | 8 – 12 wks | up to 200 |
| Per-customer pricing grid | 45,000 – 70,000 | 12 – 18 wks | up to 1,500 |
| Multi-buyer + workflows | 70,000 – 95,000 | 16 – 24 wks | unlimited |
| Real-time ERP + EDI | 95,000 – 120,000+ | 20 – 32 wks | unlimited |
The B2B-specific features — invisible on the B2C side — account for most of the workload. Here is their isolated development cost, 2026 order of magnitude.
| B2B feature | Dev cost (EUR excl. VAT) | Business impact |
|---|---|---|
| Per-customer / group pricing | 6,000 – 12,000 | Protected margin |
| Volume discounts (tiers) | 4,000 – 8,000 | Avg basket +18% |
| Multi-buyer accounts + roles | 7,000 – 14,000 | Retention |
| Order approval workflow | 5,000 – 10,000 | Budget control |
| Quick order / CSV reorder | 3,500 – 6,000 | Keying time -60% |
| Credit terms & net payment | 6,000 – 11,000 | Cash-flow control |
Custom or packaged?
The tipping point sits around 500 active buyer accounts and 3 distinct pricing grids. Below that, a well-configured packaged platform is enough and pays back faster. Above it, the SaaS platform's monthly fees and rigidities eventually exceed the cost of a custom build amortized over 3 to 4 years.
| Criterion | Packaged B2B | Custom build |
|---|---|---|
| Implementation | 6,000 – 25,000 EUR | 28,000 – 120,000 EUR |
| Monthly subscription | 600 – 4,000 EUR | 0 (hosting only) |
| Pricing grids | limited | unlimited |
| ERP integration | standard connectors | native, real-time |
| Code ownership | no | yes |
| 4-year total cost (est.) | 55,000 – 210,000 | 40,000 – 140,000 |
Mini case study
Claire is sales director of an industrial-supplies wholesaler in Lyon: 380 reseller customers, 4,200 SKUs, 14M EUR revenue. Her reps still key 70% of orders by phone and e-mail — roughly 11,000 orders/year at 9 minutes each. By moving 60% of that volume to a B2B portal with per-customer pricing, she frees up 6,600 orders × 9 min ≈ 990 hours/year, about 0.6 FTE (≈ 33,000 EUR fully loaded). The custom platform, budgeted at 62,000 EUR (excl. VAT), pays back in around 22 months — before counting the higher average basket driven by clearly displayed discount tiers.
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FAQ
How much of the total budget is ERP integration?
Expect 12,000 to 35,000 EUR (excl. VAT) depending on the ERP (SAP, Sage X3, Cegid) and exchange mode (real-time API vs batch files). It's often 25 to 30% of an ambitious B2B platform budget.
Can we start small and expand?
Yes. A V1 "catalog portal + per-customer pricing" at 32,000 EUR (excl. VAT) in 10 weeks, then successive lots (workflows, EDI). That's the recommended path to smooth cash flow and validate adoption before investing more.
Realistic go-live timeline?
Between 8 and 32 weeks depending on scope. A simple portal ships in 2 to 3 months; a platform with real-time ERP and EDI needs 5 to 8 months, integration testing included.
Recurring costs after delivery?
Hosting and maintenance: 250 to 900 EUR (excl. VAT)/month for a custom build. Compare that to 600 to 4,000 EUR/month subscription for a packaged SaaS platform at equivalent volume.
Do we need to migrate historical orders?
Usually you migrate the catalog, accounts and active pricing (2,500 to 6,000 EUR excl. VAT), not the order history, which stays viewable in the ERP. That cuts both cost and go-live risk.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of buyer accounts, your pricing grids and your target ERP, and we'll quote the platform at the right scope. 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.