The verdict in three sentences
A custom booking platform costs 38,000 to 95,000 EUR ex. VAT in 2026 over 12 to 18 weeks, with a real-time calendar, online payment and fine-grained capacity management. A commission-based SaaS is faster to start, but takes 1.5 to 3 % of revenue for life, which becomes heavy as volume climbs. On 400,000 EUR of bookings/year, SaaS commission is 6,000 to 12,000 EUR/year, so a custom investment amortizes in 4 to 8 years on pure commission cost, often much faster with operational gains.
How much a booking platform costs
Price depends on the number of sites, the real-time requirement and the payment methods.
| Scope | Functions | Price ex. VAT | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-site booking | Calendar, payment, confirmations | 38,000-52,000 EUR | 12-14 wks |
| Multi-site booking | + capacity management, several venues | 55,000-72,000 EUR | 14-16 wks |
| Advanced platform | + dynamic pricing, customer accounts, API | 78,000-95,000 EUR | 16-18 wks |
| Payment module | Stripe/cards, deposits, refunds | included | included |
| Annual maintenance | Support, evolutions, security | 15-18 % of build | ongoing |
The real-time calendar (slot locking, anti-overbooking) and capacity management are the most sensitive technical items: they justify a significant share of the budget.
SaaS commission or custom amortization
The comparison hinges on booking volume. Here is the impact of SaaS commission at different revenue levels.
| Bookings/year | Commission 1.5 % | Commission 3 % | 5-year SaaS cost (at 2.25 %) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200,000 EUR | 3,000 EUR | 6,000 EUR | 22,500 EUR |
| 400,000 EUR | 6,000 EUR | 12,000 EUR | 45,000 EUR |
| 700,000 EUR | 10,500 EUR | 21,000 EUR | 78,750 EUR |
| 1,000,000 EUR | 15,000 EUR | 30,000 EUR | 112,500 EUR |
From 400,000 to 500,000 EUR of bookings/year, the five-year commission total exceeds the cost of a custom build, which then becomes an owned asset with no variable levy.
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Mini case study
Karim, operator of 3 leisure sites in Marseille, makes 420,000 EUR of bookings/year through a SaaS at 2.5 % commission, i.e. 10,500 EUR/year taken. He invests 74,000 EUR ex. VAT in a custom multi-site platform, delivered in 16 weeks, with a real-time calendar and online payment.
On commission cost alone the saving is 10,500 EUR/year, amortizing the build in about 7 years. But the custom platform also saves him 8 hours/week of manual scheduling (at 40 EUR/h loaded), i.e. 16,640 EUR/year, and lifts his fill rate by 4 points. Combining avoided commission and operational gains (27,000 EUR/year), ROI drops under 3 years, maintenance at 11,500 EUR/year included.
FAQ
What is the timeline for a booking platform? From 12 to 18 weeks in 2026 depending on the number of sites and real-time complexity. Single-site booking ships in 12-14 weeks; multi-site with dynamic pricing reaches 16-18 weeks.
Custom or commission-based SaaS? SaaS wins at launch and at low volume. As soon as your bookings exceed 400,000 to 500,000 EUR/year, cumulative commission justifies an owned build with no variable levy.
How do we avoid overbooking? With a real-time calendar with slot locking and per-resource capacity management. It is the most critical technical item and must be load-tested before go-live.
Which payment methods to integrate? Bank cards via Stripe, deposits, installment payments and automated refunds. Full payment integration is included in the build of a serious booking platform.
What maintenance budget? Count on 15 to 18 % of build cost per year (support, evolutions, security, payment updates). For a 74,000 EUR build that is about 11,000 to 13,000 EUR/year.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of sites, your annual booking revenue and your real-time needs, and we compare SaaS commission against custom amortization. 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.
