The verdict in three sentences
A custom client portal for a 70-consultant firm costs EUR 25,000 to 60,000 excl. tax (about USD 27,000 to 65,000), delivered in 12 to 16 weeks, with hosting at EUR 200 to 500 per month. Against SharePoint or a SaaS portal, custom becomes cost-effective beyond roughly 150 active clients or as soon as engagement tracking must mirror your own methodology. The main stake is not file sharing: it is deliverable traceability and your brand image in front of 200 clients.
The figures come from a Paris reference project; London rates for an equivalent nearshore build are comparable, while a London-based agency typically quotes 30 to 50% more.
What a consulting client portal contains and what it costs
Sending confidential deliverables as attachments creates three problems: multiple versions, possible leaks, no approval history. The portal solves all three, provided it is scoped on real usage.
| Module | 2026 range (excl. tax) | What it brings |
|---|---|---|
| Strong authentication (MFA, Microsoft or Google SSO) | EUR 3,000 to 6,000 | Meets large-account security requirements |
| Spaces per client and per engagement | EUR 4,000 to 9,000 | Strict separation, role-based rights |
| Document sharing with versions and approval | EUR 5,000 to 12,000 | History, timestamps, client sign-off logged |
| Engagement tracking (milestones, progress, next steps) | EUR 5,000 to 13,000 | Fewer status meetings, client informed continuously |
| Messaging and notifications | EUR 2,500 to 6,000 | No more lost email threads |
| Partner dashboard (workload, engagements, delays) | EUR 3,000 to 8,000 | Portfolio steering |
| Firm-branded design | EUR 2,500 to 6,000 | Premium experience consistent with your fees |
A sensible starting scope combines authentication, spaces, documents and engagement tracking for about EUR 30,000 excl. tax. The rest comes in phase two.
Custom, SharePoint or SaaS portal: a quantified comparison
| Criterion | Configured SharePoint | Off-the-shelf SaaS portal | Custom portal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial cost | EUR 5,000 to 15,000 setup | EUR 0 to 5,000 | EUR 25,000 to 60,000 |
| Recurring cost for 70 consultants and 200 clients | EUR 1,000 to 2,000/month (guest licences, governance) | EUR 1,500 to 4,000/month (per user or per client) | EUR 200 to 500/month hosting + maintenance 10 to 15%/year |
| Client experience | Microsoft interface, hard to read for an executive | Decent, vendor-branded | Fully your brand |
| Tracking based on your method | Generic lists | Imposed model | Matches your phases |
| Local hosting | Depends on contract | Often outside your region | Yes, your choice |
| 3-year cumulative cost (order of magnitude) | EUR 41,000 to 87,000 | EUR 54,000 to 149,000 | EUR 40,000 to 105,000 |
Over three years, custom sits in the same cost band as the alternatives, with code ownership and an experience aligned with your positioning.
Typical 14-week schedule
Weeks 1 and 2: workshops with 3 partners and 5 pilot clients. Weeks 3 and 4: mock-ups and user journeys. Weeks 5 to 11: development in two-week sprints with a demo at the end of each. Weeks 12 and 13: security testing, light penetration test (EUR 3,000 to 6,000), acceptance. Week 14: opening to 20 pilot clients, then gradual rollout to all 200 clients over a month.
Mini case study
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Claire Martin, partner and COO of a 70-consultant firm in Paris, picks a EUR 38,000 portal, with EUR 350 per month hosting and 12% annual maintenance (EUR 4,560). First-year cost: 38,000 + 4,200 + 4,560 = EUR 46,760 excl. tax. Gain: each consultant spends about 1.5 hours per week on sending, chasing and versioning. With the portal, that time halves: 0.75 hour × 70 consultants × 45 weeks = 2,360 hours per year. Valued at EUR 90 internal hourly cost, that is about EUR 212,000 of freed capacity, reassignable to billable work.
FAQ
Must the portal be hosted locally?
It is not a general legal requirement, but many blue-chip and public-sector clients demand it in their contracts. Local hosting costs EUR 200 to 500 per month at this volume.
Can we connect the portal to our time-tracking tool?
Yes, via API. A connector to a timesheet tool or professional services ERP costs EUR 4,000 to 10,000 excl. tax depending on the quality of the existing API.
What does maintenance cost after delivery?
Count 10 to 15% of the initial cost per year, i.e. EUR 3,800 to 5,700 for a EUR 38,000 portal. It covers fixes, security updates and small enhancements.
Do we need a penetration test?
For a portal storing confidential deliverables, yes. A targeted test costs EUR 3,000 to 6,000 excl. tax and reassures large clients' security teams during vendor audits.
How do we get 200 clients to adopt it?
Start with 20 pilot clients, then make the portal mandatory for every new deliverable. In practice, 80% adoption is reached within 3 months.
Let's scope your project. A custom client portal with strong authentication, documents and engagement tracking for EUR 25,000 to 60,000 excl. tax, delivered in 12 to 16 weeks. 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.
