The verdict in three sentences
A custom client portal in London costs between EUR 12,000 (MVP: authentication, document space, notifications) and EUR 60,000 (billing, payment, ticket tracking, dashboards). Price depends less on design than on the number of business modules and the integrations with your existing tools (CRM, ERP, accounting). Expect 8 to 20 weeks of development and EUR 1,800 to 6,000 per year in hosting and corrective maintenance.
Price grid per feature (London, 2026)
A portal is quoted module by module. Here are the ranges seen with senior London agencies and freelancers in 2026, in EUR.
| Module | 2026 range (EUR) | Indicative timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Authentication + role management | 2,500 - 5,000 | 1-2 weeks |
| Document space (upload, versioning) | 3,000 - 7,000 | 1-2 weeks |
| Billing + PDF generation | 4,000 - 9,000 | 2-3 weeks |
| Online payment (Stripe/SEPA) | 3,500 - 8,000 | 1-2 weeks |
| Ticket / support tracking | 4,000 - 10,000 | 2-3 weeks |
| Dashboards + exports | 3,000 - 8,000 | 1-3 weeks |
| Email/SMS notifications | 1,500 - 4,000 | 1 week |
An MVP typically combines authentication + documents + notifications, i.e. EUR 10,000 to 16,000. A full platform adds everything and reaches EUR 45,000 to 60,000.
MVP vs full platform: which to choose
The costliest trap is asking for everything upfront. A well-scoped MVP validates real usage before investing in advanced modules.
| Criterion | MVP | Full platform |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 budget (EUR) | 12,000 - 18,000 | 45,000 - 60,000 |
| Delivery timeline | 6 - 9 weeks | 16 - 20 weeks |
| Modules included | 3 to 4 | 7 to 10 |
| Integrations | 1 (e.g. CRM) | 3 to 5 (CRM, ERP, accounting) |
| Target users | 1 segment | multi-segment |
| Annual hosting | 1,800 - 3,000 | 4,000 - 6,000 |
Our 2026 order-of-magnitude recommendation: launch an MVP at EUR 15,000, measure adoption over 3 months, then fund the highest-value modules using real user feedback.
Hosting, maintenance and total cost over 3 years
Development is only half the cost of ownership. Managed hosting (servers, backups, monitoring), security fixes and small evolutions each year represent 15 to 20 % of the initial cost.
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| Item | MVP (EUR/yr) | Full (EUR/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| Managed hosting | 1,200 - 2,000 | 3,000 - 4,500 |
| Corrective maintenance | 1,500 - 3,000 | 4,000 - 8,000 |
| Evolutions (support) | 2,000 - 5,000 | 6,000 - 15,000 |
Over 3 years, a full portal delivered at EUR 55,000 therefore comes to EUR 90,000 - 120,000 all-in. Anticipating this budget prevents the platform being abandoned for lack of maintenance.
Mini case study
Claire runs a B2B services SME in London, 40 employees, currently managing clients via email and shared Excel files. She receives on average 220 document requests per month, each handled in 12 minutes by an assistant, i.e. 44 hours/month at EUR 28 loaded = EUR 1,232/month.
She invests EUR 15,500 in an MVP (authentication, self-service document space, notifications). After go-live, 70 % of requests become self-served, freeing 30 hours/month = EUR 840/month in savings. Return on investment is reached in 18.5 months (15,500 / 840), not counting the brand gain and reduced client follow-ups.
FAQ
What is the realistic minimum budget for a portal in 2026? Expect EUR 12,000 for a credible MVP in London. Below EUR 8,000 you get a configured template, not a custom portal integrated with your tools.
How long to deliver a full client portal? Between 16 and 20 weeks for a 7-10 module platform, including 3-4 weeks of scoping and acceptance. An MVP ships in 6 to 9 weeks.
How much does hosting cost per year? Between EUR 1,800 (MVP, moderate traffic) and EUR 6,000 (multi-segment platform with backups and 24/7 monitoring).
Can the portal connect to our CRM and accounting? Yes. Each integration costs EUR 2,000 to 6,000 depending on the available API. A standard CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce) is faster than a proprietary ERP.
Do we pay a monthly license? No, a custom portal is yours: no per-user license. You only pay hosting and maintenance, which becomes cost-effective above 20-30 users versus subscription SaaS.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your priority modules, indicative budget and target date: we scope an MVP or a full platform. 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.
