The verdict in three sentences
For an Amsterdam SME running 300 client sites, Bubble gets a first business tool live in 6 to 10 weeks with a small upfront spend, but subscription fees, workload units and plugins keep the bill climbing every year. Custom code costs more at launch, around 35,000 to 90,000 EUR excl. VAT with a Dutch agency, yet you own it, you can move it between hosts and it keeps performing well past 50,000 rows of operational data. The decision rests on measurable criteria: data volume in three years, the number of external integrations and how long the tool is expected to live.
What each option really costs over five years
The usual shortcut, 15,000 EUR for Bubble against 55,000 EUR for custom work, ignores half the cost lines. A business application typically lives five to seven years. Over that period the Bubble subscription, quota overages (workload units billed when the app computes heavily) and paid plugins weigh as much as the initial build. Custom code carries cloud hosting and maintenance, but no platform fee.
| Cost line (2026 ballpark) | Bubble (no-code) | Custom code (Dutch agency) |
|---|---|---|
| Initial setup or build | 15,000 EUR excl. VAT | 35,000 to 90,000 EUR excl. VAT |
| Platform subscription | 119 to 549 USD per month | none |
| Hosting and database | included | 80 to 300 EUR per month |
| Compute quota overage | 50 to 300 USD per month at peak | absorbed by hosting |
| Third-party plugins | 20 to 150 USD per month | built once |
| 5-year total excl. maintenance | 25,000 to 60,000 EUR | 40,000 to 108,000 EUR |
| Source code ownership | no, only data exports | yes, Git repository handed over |
The gap narrows quickly once the app exceeds its base quota. Facility services firms see peaks around quarterly inspections and winter maintenance, exactly when usage-based billing bites.
Technical limits to check before signing
Bubble is excellent for a prototype or a small internal tool. Trouble starts with volume and integrations. A firm handling 300 sites with weekly cleaning, monthly inspections and ad hoc repairs generates 30,000 to 40,000 work orders a year, each linked to photos, checklists and invoices.
| Criterion | Bubble | Custom code |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable volume per table | up to 50,000 rows, slowdowns beyond | millions of rows with indexes |
| Filtered search on large volume | 2 to 6 seconds observed | 100 to 400 milliseconds |
| Integrations (Exact Online, AFAS, Mollie) | API Connector, quotas and delays | webhooks and queues |
| Data location | United States by default | EU region of your choice (Amsterdam, Frankfurt) |
| Exit path | CSV export of data, logic lost | code and database delivered |
| Hiring a maintainer | small Bubble talent pool | large pool (TypeScript, PHP, Python) |
Two points matter for a Dutch SME. GDPR first: the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens) expects documented transfer safeguards when personal data sits outside the EU. Exit cost second: when Bubble changed its pricing model in 2023 with workload units, customers could not take their business logic elsewhere without a full rebuild.
The European no-code ecosystem
Europe has credible alternatives. WeWeb (Paris) lets you export the front end and plug it into a back end such as Xano or Supabase, Softr (Berlin) builds portals on top of Airtable or a database, and both offer EU hosting. They reduce lock-in compared with Bubble but still struggle with complex business rules beyond 30,000 to 50,000 records. Use them for portals and dashboards, not as the core of an operational system.
Where a custom team based in Dakar fits
Kolonell builds custom business applications from Dakar, with a zero to two hour time difference with Amsterdam depending on the season. Public ranges are set by complexity; everything else is quoted.
| Project profile | Example for a facility services firm | Kolonell range |
|---|---|---|
| Simple app | cleaning schedule and key handover | 2,500,000 to 4,000,000 FCFA (3,810 to 6,100 EUR) |
| Medium app | work orders, clients, invoicing | 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR) |
| Complex app | client portal, ERP sync, payments | 7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (10,670 to 22,870+ EUR) |
| Monthly maintenance | fixes, updates, monitoring | 35,000 / 75,000 / 120,000 FCFA (53 / 114 / 183 EUR) |
| Hosting and options | EU region, backups, on-call | quoted |
The code lands in your Git repository, the database stays in your cloud account and technical documentation is part of the delivery.
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Mini case study
Daan, managing director of a facility services company in Amsterdam with 300 client sites, runs operations on spreadsheets and a scheduling app. He compares three first-year scenarios.
- Bubble: 15,000 EUR setup + 349 USD per month, about 3,900 EUR a year, + 150 USD per month of overage during four peak months (about 550 EUR). Year 1: about 19,450 EUR, then about 4,450 EUR a year.
- Amsterdam agency, custom: 58,000 EUR excl. VAT + 150 EUR per month hosting. Year 1: 59,800 EUR.
- Kolonell team, medium complexity: at most 10,670 EUR + Standard maintenance at 114 EUR per month (1,368 EUR) + EU hosting quoted separately. Year 1 excl. hosting: about 12,000 EUR.
With 35,000 work orders a year, Daan crosses 50,000 rows in about 18 months. His five planners lose one hour a day to double entry, roughly 1,100 hours a year: at 40 EUR loaded hourly cost, that is 44,000 EUR of recoverable time. Any of the three options pays back within a year; the five-year total and exit cost decide.
FAQ
Can a Bubble app be migrated to custom code later?
Yes, but it is a full rewrite: only data exports as CSV. Expect 70 to 90% of the cost of a new build, with the prototype mainly serving as a specification.
Is Bubble GDPR-ready for a Dutch company?
Bubble hosts in the United States by default; dedicated EU hosting exists only on enterprise plans well above 549 USD a month. You also need documented transfer safeguards for staff and client data.
How long does a custom business app take?
A medium-complexity operations tool takes 8 to 14 weeks, including 2 weeks of scoping. A simple scheduling tool ships in 4 to 6 weeks.
What maintenance budget should I plan?
Plan 15 to 20% of the initial cost per year for enhancements. Kolonell corrective maintenance comes in three packages: 35,000, 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA a month (53, 114 or 183 EUR).
Does the time difference with Dakar slow projects down?
Dakar is on GMT all year, so it is one hour behind Amsterdam in winter and two in summer. Daily stand-ups at 10:00 Amsterdam time fit both teams' working hours.
Let's scope your project. Share your workflows, integrations and data volumes and we will define the scope and an 8 to 14 week delivery plan. 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.
