The verdict in three sentences
A custom BI dashboard in Amsterdam costs between EUR 12,000 and 30,000 in 2026, depending on the number of data sources, ETL complexity and alerting depth. Versus a Power BI subscription or a Metabase instance, custom pays off once your KPIs are scattered across more than three tools and manual reporting becomes a time sink. Expect 6 to 10 weeks of build time and a reporting-time saving of 60 to 80 %, meaning payback in under ten months for a mid-sized firm.
What a custom BI dashboard covers
A decision dashboard is far more than pretty charts. The real work sits upstream: pulling, cleaning and cross-referencing data from your ERP, CRM, accounting tool, e-commerce and spreadsheets. Here is the breakdown of a typical EUR 20,000 project:
| Line item | Detail | Budget share | Indicative cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoping & data model | KPI workshops, dictionary, mockups | 15 % | EUR 3,000 |
| Source connectors | ERP, CRM, accounting, Excel, API | 25 % | EUR 5,000 |
| ETL / data pipeline | Extraction, transformation, scheduling | 25 % | EUR 5,000 |
| Visualisations & UI | Charts, filters, drill-down | 20 % | EUR 4,000 |
| Alerts & exports | Thresholds, e-mails, automated PDF | 10 % | EUR 2,000 |
| UAT & training | Tests, fixes, onboarding | 5 % | EUR 1,000 |
The low end (EUR 12,000) covers 2-3 sources and around ten indicators. The high end (EUR 30,000) adds 6+ sources, complex business calculations (margin per channel, customer cohorts) and near-real-time refresh.
Custom vs Power BI vs Metabase
Off-the-shelf tools are excellent to start, but their true cost climbs with licences and internal configuration time. Comparison over 3 years for a 15-user team:
| Criterion | Power BI Pro | Metabase (self-host) | Kolonell custom BI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | EUR 0 | EUR 2,000 (setup) | EUR 20,000 |
| Licences / year | ~EUR 1,800 (15 x EUR 10/mo) | EUR 0 (open source) | EUR 0 |
| Hosting / year | included | EUR 600-1,200 | EUR 800-1,500 |
| Custom connectors | limited | moderate | unlimited |
| 3-year total cost | ~EUR 7,400 | ~EUR 7,400 | ~EUR 23,000 |
| Code ownership | no | partial | full |
| Fine business fit | low | medium | maximum |
The read is clear: under 15 users with standard needs, Metabase or Power BI are enough. Custom becomes worthwhile when business logic is too specific for a generic tool, when you want the dashboard embedded in your own application, or when source data is too messy for a native connector.
Mini case study
Sanne, CFO of a 90-employee industrial SME in Amsterdam, spent 3 days a month manually consolidating figures from her ERP, CRM and three spreadsheets for the board. Cost of that manual reporting: roughly EUR 1,800/month in CFO plus controller time, i.e. EUR 21,600/year.
She invests EUR 19,000 in a custom dashboard. Consolidation time drops from 3 days to 2 hours a month (-92 %), freeing around EUR 17,000/year. Payback: 13 months, after which the saving is net every year, on top of faster decisions driven by reliable, fresh data.
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FAQ
How much is annual maintenance for a BI dashboard?
Budget 10 to 18 % of the initial cost per year, i.e. EUR 2,000 to 3,600 on a EUR 20,000 project. This covers connector updates, new indicators and hosting.
How long until a usable first dashboard?
A usable first version lands in 3 to 4 weeks; the full version with all sources and alerts in 6 to 10 weeks. We deliver in iterations to validate KPIs as we go.
Can you connect a proprietary ERP or a legacy business app?
Yes, via API, scheduled export or direct database read. A custom connector runs EUR 1,500 to 4,000 depending on data accessibility.
Does custom really replace Power BI?
It can, but we also integrate Power BI or Metabase when that is more rational. Custom shines beyond 15-20 users or when source data demands a bespoke ETL.
What concrete time saving should I expect?
Our clients see reporting time fall by 60 to 80 %, often 2 to 3 days a month handed back to finance and leadership teams.
Let's scope your project. Share your data sources, target number of indicators and board deadline: we frame a dashboard between EUR 12,000 and 30,000. 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.
