Custom Client Portal Build Cost: A Dublin Buyer's Guide (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

A client portal MVP (authentication, document vault, case tracking) costs between 18,000 and 35,000 EUR in Dublin in 2026, deliverable in 8 to 12 weeks. The version with online billing, notifications and a messaging space climbs to 40,000-70,000 EUR. Then budget an annual maintenance (TMA) of 8 to 15 % of the build for support and evolutions.

What each budget tier covers

Price tracks the functional scope directly. A portal is built brick by brick: authentication and role management are non-negotiable; the rest is added according to your real processes.

The gaps within a single row come mostly from the number of screens, the complexity of access rights and the level of visual customisation.

The detailed cost structure

Beyond the initial build, a client portal is a living asset: hosting, maintenance and evolutions make up the total cost of ownership over time. Here are the 2026 orders of magnitude.

EU hosting is not a detail: it governs your GDPR compliance for potentially sensitive client data (contracts, invoices, ID documents).

Mini case study

Vincent, MD of a B2B services SME in Dublin (22 staff), tracked 180 client cases through email and shared Excel files. Two assistants spent roughly 12 hours a week re-keying data, chasing files and searching for documents. He invested 28,000 EUR in a portal MVP (auth, documents, case tracking, notifications).

After go-live, administrative time dropped about 40 %, i.e. ~5 hours saved per week per assistant (10 h in total). At a loaded cost of 25 EUR/h, that is ~13,000 EUR/year. The portal pays for itself in a little over two years, before counting the client retention gain (+15 %) from better transparency on case progress.

FAQ

How much is the cheapest MVP really?

A credible portal MVP (secure auth, document vault, case tracking) starts around 18,000 EUR. Below that, you are looking at a simple file-drop space, not a genuine business portal.

How long until the first version is live?

Expect 8 to 12 weeks for an MVP, including scoping, design, development and testing. ERP/CRM integrations add 4 to 8 weeks.

Is there a monthly subscription after delivery?

No licence, but a recurring hosting cost (80-300 EUR/month) and a TMA of 8 to 15 % of the build per year to fix and evolve the tool. You own the code.

Custom or off-the-shelf?

If your processes are standard, a SaaS may be enough. As soon as case tracking is specific to your business, custom avoids costly workarounds and frees you from licence hikes.

Is the portal usable on mobile?

Yes, a well-built portal is responsive by default. An installable PWA is possible for heavy mobile use, at an extra 3,000 to 8,000 EUR.

Let's scope your project. Tell us your current processes, target user count and indicative budget, and we will define the most profitable MVP scope together. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.