The verdict in three sentences
Build vs buy hinges on user count and how specific your KPIs are. Under 30 users with standard KPIs, a BI licence like Power BI (12-20 EUR/user/month) is unbeatable; beyond that, or with proprietary business rules, a custom dashboard at 15,000-45,000 EUR becomes cheaper over 3 years. The deciding factor is often data governance, not licence price.
BI licence vs custom: cost and scope
Both cover 5-12 sources (ERP, CRM, payroll, e-commerce). The difference is ownership, customisation and cost at scale.
| Criterion | BI licence (Power BI) | Custom dashboard |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | 0 - 6,000 EUR (setup) | 15,000 - 45,000 EUR |
| Per-user cost | 12 - 20 EUR/month | 0 |
| Connectors (5-12 sources) | included / limited | custom |
| UI customisation | Medium | Full |
| Maintenance | - | 500 - 1,200 EUR/month |
| Setup lead time | 2 - 5 weeks | 6 - 12 weeks |
| Code ownership | No | Yes |
3-year TCO: the real tell
Let's project total cost for two team sizes, a BI licence at 16 EUR/user/month vs custom at 30,000 EUR + 800 EUR/month support.
| Scenario | BI licence (3 yrs) | Custom (3 yrs) |
|---|---|---|
| 15 users | ~8,640 EUR | ~58,800 EUR |
| 40 users | ~23,040 EUR | ~58,800 EUR |
| 80 users | ~46,080 EUR | ~58,800 EUR |
| 150 users | ~86,400 EUR | ~58,800 EUR |
| Ownership at end | None | Full |
The tipping point is around 100 users: beyond it, custom is cheaper AND yours. Below it, the licence wins unless you need strong governance.
Mini case study
Mr. Rahman, CFO of a 90-person distribution firm in Dubai, equips 55 users. On Power BI at 16 EUR/user/month he pays 880 EUR/month, i.e. ~31,700 EUR over 3 years, owning nothing. A custom dashboard at 30,000 EUR + 800 EUR/month support totals ~58,800 EUR over 3 years. Over 3 years the licence wins, yet he picks custom for two costed reasons: consolidating 9 heterogeneous sources is impossible off-the-shelf, and his data policy mandates EU hosting. Qualitative ROI: 4 days/month of manual consolidation saved.
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At what user count does custom pay off?
Around 100 users over 3 years, custom becomes cheaper than a 12-20 EUR/user/month licence. Below that, the licence stays cheaper.
Who hosts the data?
With custom, you choose: Scaleway or OVHcloud in the EU for GDPR compliance, with isolation and access logging.
How many sources can we connect?
Between 5 and 12 as standard (ERP, CRM, payroll, e-commerce, treasury). Each specific connector is 1,500-4,000 EUR.
What's the delivery time?
Expect 6-12 weeks for custom, versus 2-5 weeks for a configured BI licence on standard sources.
Does data governance change the choice?
Yes, often decisively: role-based rights, traceability, EU residency and reversibility favour custom once compliance matters.
Let's scope your project. Give us your user count, sources to consolidate and hosting requirement: we price build vs buy. 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.
