The verdict in three sentences
A subscription SaaS costs 20 to 80 EUR/user/month and quickly climbs to 15,000-40,000 EUR/year at scale. A custom portal costs 30,000 to 70,000 EUR once, plus 12 to 18%/year maintenance. The choice rests on three criteria: number of users, business specificity and total 5-year cost.
Build vs Buy: the honest comparison
SaaS wins at the start, custom wins at scale and on specificity. Here are the decision criteria.
| Criterion | Off-the-shelf SaaS | Custom portal |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Low (0 - 3,000 EUR) | High (30,000 - 70,000 EUR) |
| Cost at scale | Grows with users | Stable (fixed maintenance) |
| Business specificity | Limited to options | Total |
| Time to go live | Days | 3 - 6 months |
| Data ownership | With the vendor | With you |
| Dependency / lock-in | Strong | Weak |
If your need is standard and users few, SaaS is unbeatable. As soon as the business is specific or licenses pile up, custom regains the edge.
5-year TCO: the worked example
Let us compare a SaaS at 40 EUR/user/month and a custom portal at 50,000 EUR (15%/year maintenance), for a 60-user base (2026 order of magnitude).
| Year | SaaS (60 users) | Custom (build + maintenance) |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 28,800 EUR | 57,500 EUR |
| Year 2 | 57,600 EUR cumulative | 65,000 EUR cumulative |
| Year 3 | 86,400 EUR cumulative | 72,500 EUR cumulative |
| Year 4 | 115,200 EUR cumulative | 80,000 EUR cumulative |
| Year 5 | 144,000 EUR cumulative | 87,500 EUR cumulative |
The tipping point falls between year 2 and year 3: beyond that, custom becomes markedly cheaper while leaving you ownership of data and code.
Mini case study
Sophie, director of a legal services SME in Bristol, is torn between a client-area SaaS at 45 EUR/user/month and a custom portal. With 55 staff, the SaaS would cost 29,700 EUR/year, i.e. 148,500 EUR over 5 years. The custom portal at 52,000 EUR plus 15% maintenance comes to ~91,000 EUR over 5 years. She saves ~57,500 EUR over five years, gets a portal exactly fitted to her case process, and stops paying a license per new hire.
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FAQ
From how many users is custom worthwhile?
Usually between 40 and 100 active users, depending on the SaaS price. The higher the per-user tariff, the lower the tipping point.
Is SaaS really commitment-free?
Rarely at scale: data migration, training and integrations create real lock-in. Switching SaaS after three years often costs more than anticipated.
Can you start on SaaS then move to custom?
Yes, that is a prudent strategy. Validate the need with a SaaS, then move to custom once volume and specifics are confirmed.
Does custom include code ownership?
Yes. You own the code and data, with no vendor dependency. That is a major advantage for compliance and resale.
How do I factor TCO into the decision?
Compare cumulative 5-year cost, not just year 1. Include licenses, maintenance, migrations and lock-in cost: TCO reveals the real winner.
Let's scope your project. Give us your user count, current SaaS and indicative budget; we will compute your 5-year TCO and tipping point. 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.
