The verdict in three sentences
A custom business web app costs 25,000 to 70,000 EUR ex. VAT in 2026 depending on complexity, over 10 to 16 weeks. Price is not just development: scoping and UX often make up 25-35 % of the quote, and maintenance (15 % of build/year) must be budgeted from the start. Against a generic SaaS subscription at 30 EUR/month/user, custom becomes profitable as soon as the process is specific or you exceed 40 to 60 users.
The line items of a business-app quote
A serious quote details each phase. Here is the typical 2026 split for a medium-complexity app (45,000 EUR ex. VAT).
| Item | Budget share | Amount ex. VAT | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoping & specifications | 12 % | 5,400 EUR | Backlog, journeys, wireframes |
| UX/UI design | 18 % | 8,100 EUR | Mockups, design system |
| Development | 48 % | 21,600 EUR | Working application |
| Testing & acceptance | 12 % | 5,400 EUR | Tests, fixes, acceptance sheet |
| Go-live | 5 % | 2,250 EUR | Deployment, hosting |
| Training & docs | 5 % | 2,250 EUR | Guide, user session |
On top of this, maintenance at 15 %/year, about 6,750 EUR/year for this project.
What makes the price vary
Three families of factors explain the gap between 25,000 and 70,000 EUR.
| Factor | Simple version | Complex version |
|---|---|---|
| Number of roles | 1-2 | 5+ with fine permissions |
| External integrations | None | ERP, accounting, third-party APIs |
| Dashboards | CSV exports | Real-time dashboards, filters |
| Data volume | Low | Large volumes, advanced search |
| Business workflow | Linear | Multi-step, approvals |
| Indicative price ex. VAT | 25,000-35,000 EUR | 55,000-70,000 EUR |
A process currently run in Excel is often underestimated: business rules hidden in formulas must be surfaced during scoping, which protects the budget.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Mini case study
Sophie, manager of a 35-person SME in Lyon, runs her production tracking on an Excel file shared by 12 users. Data-entry errors, competing versions, no traceability. She requests a quote: 42,000 EUR ex. VAT, 13 weeks, with roles, dashboards and exports.
She had considered a generic SaaS at 30 EUR/month/user x 12 = 4,320 EUR/year, but it covers only 60 % of her need. With custom, she saves 6 hours/week of reconciliation (at 45 EUR/h loaded), i.e. 270 EUR/week or 12,960 EUR/year. Adding avoided errors, ROI materializes around month 22, for an owned, evolvable tool with maintenance at 6,300 EUR/year.
FAQ
Why is scoping billed? Because it turns a fuzzy need into quotable specifications and prevents budget drift. A 5,000 to 8,000 EUR scoping often saves 15-20 % of total cost by framing the scope.
Custom or SaaS at 30 EUR/month? SaaS wins below 40 users and for a standard need. As soon as your process is specific or exceeds 40-60 users, custom becomes cheaper over 18 to 24 months.
How much is maintenance? Count on 15 % of build cost per year (fixes, minor evolutions, security). For a 45,000 EUR app that is about 6,750 EUR/year.
How long to digitize an Excel process? From 10 to 16 weeks in 2026 depending on complexity. A simple linear process ships in 10-12 weeks; multi-step workflows with approvals reach 14-16 weeks.
Can existing Excel data be migrated? Yes, migrating and cleaning Excel data is part of the project. Budget 2,000 to 6,000 EUR depending on the volume and quality of the source data.
Let's scope your project. Send us the Excel file or process to digitize, your user count and your integrations, and we break the quote down line by line. 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.
