The verdict in three sentences
To train 900 care workers a year across a 65-franchise network, a SaaS LMS is the fastest option, but its bill per active learner quickly climbs past 5 EUR a month. A custom LMS at 40,000-100,000 EUR excl. tax pays off by year three if your active base exceeds 800 people and your learning paths are trade-specific. The real trade-off is the cost per trained learner over 3 years, per-franchise tracking and the ability to document training for Quebec's 1% training law and other funders.
What a training platform for a franchise network must do
A home care brand does not have the needs of a centralised corporation. Each franchisee hires, trains and loses workers at its own pace: turnover in the sector runs at around 30 to 40% a year. The platform must therefore handle continuous enrolment, a dashboard per location and training records that hold up in a quality audit or an inspection by a provincial health authority.
| Network need | Standard SaaS LMS | Custom LMS |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic enrolment from the HR or scheduling software | Connector often extra, 2,000-6,000 EUR | Built into the specification |
| Dashboard per franchise and per region | Generic roles, limited filters | Network, region, location and worker views |
| Trade paths (personal care, meal assistance, home safety) | Content imported as SCORM | Short modules, mobile video, field quizzes |
| Certificates for funders and auditors | CSV export to rework | Named PDF certificates generated |
| Use on entry-level smartphones | Depends on the vendor | Mobile-first, offline mode possible |
| Marginal cost of one more learner | 3 to 8 EUR per month | Close to zero, excluding hosting |
The point often missed: home care workers take training on their personal phone, between two visits. A heavy interface designed for a desktop drags completion rates below 40%.
2026 cost comparison: SaaS or custom
The figures below are 2026 market estimates, in EUR excl. tax (1 EUR is roughly 1.5 CAD), excluding learning content. They are not a Kolonell price list.
| Item | SaaS LMS | Custom LMS |
|---|---|---|
| Setup and configuration | 3,000-12,000 EUR | Included in the project |
| Development | None | 40,000-100,000 EUR |
| Time to go live | 4 to 8 weeks | 3 to 5 months |
| Licence | 3 to 8 EUR per active learner per month | None |
| Hosting and maintenance | Included | 700-1,500 EUR per month |
| Ownership of code and data | Vendor | Brand |
| 3-year cost for 1,000 active learners | 108,000-288,000 EUR | 65,000-154,000 EUR |
In Quebec, employers with a payroll above 2 million CAD must invest 1% of payroll in training or pay the difference into a provincial fund. Training delivered through the platform counts, the platform itself usually does not. In France, the equivalent role is played by OPCO funds, which mostly cover content design and training actions.
Questions to settle before launching
Three factors can double a custom budget: the number of integrations (scheduling, payroll, franchisee directory), the level of reporting the head office expects and content production. A realistic 3-month MVP covers authentication, 10 to 15 modules, quizzes, certificates and the network dashboard. Gamification, virtual classrooms and internal certification come in a second phase.
On hosting, named employee data calls for hosting under a clear jurisdiction (Canada or the EU), an up-to-date processing register in line with Quebec's Law 25 and a defined retention period for quiz results.
Mini case study
Julie, network director of a 65-franchise home care brand headquartered in Montreal, has about 1,000 active workers at any time and trains 900 new hires a year, or 2,700 trained learners over 3 years.
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- SaaS option at 5 EUR per active learner per month: 1,000 × 5 × 36 = 180,000 EUR, plus 8,000 EUR of setup, for 188,000 EUR. Cost per trained learner: about 69.6 EUR.
- Custom option at 70,000 EUR, plus 1,000 EUR a month for hosting and maintenance: 70,000 + 36,000 = 106,000 EUR. Cost per trained learner: about 39.3 EUR.
The gap reaches 82,000 EUR over 3 years. At 3 EUR a month, the SaaS would cost 116,000 EUR and the gap would fall to 10,000 EUR: in that case, the decision rests on network reporting and data ownership, not on price.
FAQ
From how many learners does a custom LMS pay off?
With a SaaS licence at 5 EUR a month, break-even sits around 600 to 800 active learners over 3 years for a 70,000 EUR project. Below 300 learners, SaaS is almost always cheaper.
How long does it take to launch the platform?
Allow 3 to 5 months for a custom LMS, including 4 to 6 weeks of scoping and mock-ups. A 3-week pilot with 5 franchises lets you fix usability before rolling out to all 65 locations.
Can training funds pay for the platform?
As a rule, the Quebec 1% law and French OPCO funds count training actions and sometimes content design, not the technical tool. The named certificates generated by the platform do make claims much easier to document.
Can we reuse existing SCORM content?
Yes, a SCORM 1.2 or xAPI player can be integrated for 3,000 to 8,000 EUR depending on the tracking required. This allows a gradual migration without rebuilding every module at once.
Who owns the code and the data?
On a custom project, the contract must provide for assignment of rights on the code and a full data export. That is a strong argument when part of the network is sold or when you change provider.
Let's scope your project. Send us your number of franchises, active learners and HR tools: we will price the MVP, give an indicative budget and a go-live date. Detailed quote within 48 h via our quote form. 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.
