The verdict in three sentences
At 350 users, expense software billed at USD 9 to 13 per user per month costs USD 38,000 to 55,000 a year, and it never quite fits your internal rules. A custom app at USD 45,000-75,000 with receipt OCR and accounting export then costs about USD 6,500 a year and breaks even between 18 and 24 months. Custom is justified when your rules (per-project rates, client rebilling, caps by seniority) generate manual fixes every month.
Where off-the-shelf SaaS falls short
Market tools (Expensify, Ramp, Navan, SAP Concur) handle the standard case very well: snap the receipt, pick a category, manager approval, export. Friction appears with rules specific to your business. In a consulting firm, an agency or a construction company, these are what tie up the finance team. Note that Ramp's core product is free if you use its corporate cards: if a card program suits you, it is a strong option before considering custom.
| Internal rule | Typical SaaS behaviour | What custom does | Finance time saved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Client rebilling by project | Free-text field, re-entered at month end | Automatic link to project code | 2 days a month |
| Caps by seniority and city | Single cap or by category | Seniority x city matrix (NYC, domestic, international) | 1 day a month |
| Mileage | Standard IRS rate | Rate plus prefilled recurring trips | 0.5 day a month |
| Approval chain | 1 to 2 levels | N levels by amount and cost center | 0.5 day a month |
| Accounting export | Generic file to rework | Journal entries in your system's format (NetSuite, QuickBooks, SAP) | 1 day a month |
| Receipt compliance | Partial checks | Enforced itemised receipts above USD 75 for IRS substantiation | Fewer audit findings |
The 3-year numbers
The figures below are 2026 estimates for 350 users.
| Criterion | Mid-market SaaS | Premium SaaS (Concur, Navan) | Custom build |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit price | USD 9 to 11 per user per month | USD 13 to 16 per user per month | Not applicable |
| Setup cost | USD 2,000 to 5,500 configuration | USD 16,000 to 33,000 integration | USD 45,000 to 75,000 |
| Annual cost | USD 37,800 to 46,200 | USD 54,600 to 67,200 | USD 6,500 maintenance and hosting |
| 3-year total | USD 115,000 to 144,000 | USD 180,000 to 235,000 | USD 64,500 to 94,500 |
| Fit with rules | Limited configuration | Good but costly | Full |
| Receipt OCR | Included | Included | Included via OCR API (USD 0.01 to 0.03 per receipt) |
| Data and code ownership | No | No | Yes |
Custom has a hidden cost: you need an internal product owner and a serious maintenance contract covering security updates and rule changes (mileage rates, tax rules). Without that, stay on SaaS.
Mini case study
Rachel, CFO of a 350-person consulting firm in New York, pays USD 10 per user per month, USD 42,000 a year. Her finance team also spends 5 days a month fixing project codes and reworking the export, 60 days a year at a loaded USD 400 per day: USD 24,000. She commissions a custom app at USD 60,000 with OCR and a NetSuite export, then USD 6,500 a year in maintenance. Annual saving: USD 42,000 of licences minus USD 6,500 of maintenance, plus 70% of the USD 24,000 rework, about USD 52,300. Break-even: 60,000 / 52,300, just under 14 months. Counting licences only, it lands at about 20 months, inside the announced range.
FAQ
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How long does development take?
Allow 12 to 16 weeks for a complete version: mobile capture with OCR, approval chain, accounting export and dashboard. A 30-user pilot is possible from week 10.
Is custom OCR as reliable as a SaaS?
Market OCR engines used via API reach 90 to 95% correct extraction on receipts, at USD 0.01-0.03 per receipt. That matches most SaaS tools, which often use the same engines.
How do we handle receipt retention?
The app stores scanned receipts with timestamps and hashes in US cloud storage, for the retention periods your auditors require. Hosting stays under USD 160 a month.
What if we grow from 350 to 600 employees?
The custom cost barely changes, while a USD 10 SaaS goes from USD 42,000 to 72,000 a year. That is often the deciding argument for a growing company.
Can we migrate history from our current tool?
Yes, through a CSV export of the last 24 to 36 months, for USD 2,000 to 4,500 included in the setup phase.
Let's scope your project. Send us your headcount, reimbursement rules and accounting system: we will price an expense app between USD 45,000 and 75,000, 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.
