The verdict in three sentences
Below 15 users, Salesforce remains the rational pick because the subscription spreads the cost and spares you a heavy project. Above 25-30 users with specific business needs, a custom CRM becomes competitive over 5 years and removes vendor lock-in. The real question is not the entry price but the 5-year TCO and your actual business fit.
The true cost of both options in 2026
Salesforce bills per user per month, with tiers that climb fast once you add automations, sandboxes or APIs. Custom software concentrates the cost up front, then narrows to hosting and maintenance.
| Item | Salesforce (30 users) | Custom CRM |
|---|---|---|
| Licence / year | 30,000-59,400 EUR | 0 EUR |
| Initial integration | 20,000-80,000 EUR | included in build |
| Initial build | 0 EUR | 40,000-100,000 EUR |
| Hosting / year | included | 1,800-6,000 EUR |
| Maintenance / year | 15-22% of build | 8,000-18,000 EUR |
| Advanced customization | 700-1,200 EUR/day | included in build |
| Vendor lock-in | high | none |
A Sales Cloud Enterprise seat runs around 165 EUR/user/month in 2026 (ballpark), i.e. 59,400 EUR/year for 30 people on that edition. The Professional edition at 80-100 EUR/user/month brings the bill to 28,800-36,000 EUR/year but caps automations.
5-year TCO: the table that decides
The gap shows over five years. Take an SME of 30 users on a mid-tier edition.
| Scenario | Upfront cost | 5-year recurring | 5-year TCO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salesforce Professional | 35,000 EUR | 180,000 EUR | 215,000 EUR |
| Salesforce Enterprise | 55,000 EUR | 297,000 EUR | 352,000 EUR |
| Mid-range custom CRM | 70,000 EUR | 60,000 EUR | 130,000 EUR |
| Premium custom CRM | 100,000 EUR | 90,000 EUR | 190,000 EUR |
Above 25-30 users, custom drops below Salesforce TCO from year 3. Below 12-15 users, the opposite holds: SaaS pooling wins clearly.
Mini case study
Claire, CFO of a 34-person industrial SME in London, is torn. Salesforce Enterprise for her 34 sales and order-desk staff would cost 34 x 165 x 12 = 67,320 EUR/year, plus 40,000 EUR of integration in year one. Over 5 years: 376,600 EUR. The custom CRM matched to her routes and ERP is quoted at 78,000 EUR build, 14,000 EUR/year maintenance and hosting, i.e. 148,000 EUR over 5 years. Estimated saving: 228,600 EUR, plus code ownership. The break-even sits at year 2.
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FAQ
Is a custom CRM riskier than Salesforce?
Project risk is real but manageable with serious scoping and sprints. In return you remove the annual price-hike risk, which often reaches 7-10%/year with large vendors.
How long to deliver a custom CRM?
Expect 3 to 6 months for a solid core, versus 6 to 12 weeks for a standard Salesforce integration. Custom demands more patience but fits your processes exactly.
Can we migrate from Salesforce to custom later?
Yes, but data export and re-modelling cost 8,000 to 25,000 EUR depending on volume. Anticipating from the start avoids this double investment.
From how many users is custom worth it?
In 2026 the threshold is around 25 users with specific needs. Below that, stay on SaaS; above it, get both TCOs quoted.
Who owns the data and code in each case?
With custom, you own the source code and host your data wherever you like. With Salesforce, the data is yours but stays inside the vendor's ecosystem.
Let's scope your project. Give us your user count, key processes and current stack: we'll cost the 5-year TCO of both options. 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.
