The verdict in three sentences
A custom business intelligence dashboard consolidating several sources (sales, margin, cash, production) costs between EUR 20,000 and 40,000 in 2026, with the data warehouse being the most underestimated line item. An off-the-shelf tool (Power BI, Metabase) costs EUR/USD 0 to 20 per user per month in licensing but still requires data modeling. The ROI comes less from pretty charts than from the end of manual Excel exports and decisions made a few days earlier.
What a BI project costs in 2026
A BI project is built in layers: connect the sources, model a warehouse, then present. The ranges below are 2026 orders of magnitude for the international B2B market, excluding tool licenses.
| Layer | Scope | Range (EUR / USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Source connectors | ERP, CRM, accounting, e-commerce | 4,000 - 10,000 |
| Warehouse + data model | Schema, historization, quality | 6,000 - 14,000 |
| Dashboards | Executive, sales, finance views | 5,000 - 12,000 |
| QA + training | Testing, handover, adoption | 2,000 - 5,000 |
| Typical project total | Multi-source SME/mid-cap | 20,000 - 40,000 |
On the recurring side: warehouse hosting (approx. EUR 50-300/month depending on volume), presentation licenses (0-20/user/month) and maintenance of EUR 200 to 600/month to add metrics and keep flows reliable.
Custom build vs off-the-shelf tool
Power BI and Metabase cover 80% of needs at a low license cost. Custom is justified for complex business calculations, deep integration or a specific user experience. In both cases, data modeling remains the real project.
| Criterion | Custom build | Power BI / Metabase |
|---|---|---|
| Per-user license | None | 0 - 20/month |
| Setup cost | 20,000 - 40,000 | 12,000 - 25,000 |
| Customization | Total | Good but framed |
| Complex business calcs | Ideal | Possible, sometimes limited |
| Vendor lock-in | None | Medium to high |
| Best for | Specific need, high volume | Standard reporting, tight budget |
Mini case study
Claire is CFO of a 90-person industrial SME in Lyon. Every Monday, two controllers spend half a day compiling Excel exports from the ERP, CRM and accounting. A EUR 28,000 project sets up a warehouse and three real-time dashboards. The two controllers recover 8 hours per week between them, roughly 370 hours per year. At EUR 45 per loaded hour, that is nearly EUR 16,600 per year, before counting cash decisions made 3 days earlier. Payback in about 12 to 14 months, accelerated by fewer consolidation errors.
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Why does the data warehouse cost so much?
Because that is where quality, historization and cross-source consistency are settled. A dashboard is only as reliable as the model beneath it, hence a EUR 6,000 to 14,000 range for that layer.
Power BI or a custom build?
For standard reporting on a tight budget, Power BI or Metabase are enough (EUR 12,000 to 25,000 setup, 0-20/user/month). Custom is justified for specific business calculations or very high volume.
Can we start small then expand?
Yes. We often ship a first dashboard on one source in 4 to 6 weeks (approx. EUR 8,000 to 12,000), then add sources iteratively, which smooths the budget.
Will the data be real-time?
It depends on the sources: some flows refresh every minute, others overnight. Strict real-time costs more; an hourly refresh is often enough for steering.
Who maintains the metrics after delivery?
Maintenance of EUR 200 to 600/month covers adding metrics, adapting to source changes and monitoring flows. It is essential to keep the dashboard reliable.
Let's scope your project. Specify your sources (ERP, CRM, accounting), your 3 priority metrics and a budget between EUR 20,000 and 40,000: we price a first dashboard then the full roadmap. 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.
