The verdict in three sentences
A custom employee portal (intranet) is budgeted between EUR 30,000 and EUR 80,000 in Berlin in 2026, depending on modules and integrations. The main gain is organisational: -25 % internal emails and single access to documents, leave and directory via SSO. Plan for 3 to 5 months, +20 % for HRIS integration and hosting of EUR 100 to 500/month.
Key features and their budget impact
An intranet is only useful if employees come back every day. So the budget is built around real usage, not an institutional showcase. Here are the 2026 building blocks and their weight.
| Module | What it delivers | Indicative cost (EUR) |
|---|---|---|
| Core + SSO | Single sign-on, dashboard, news | 12,000 - 18,000 |
| Document management | Search, versioning, per-department rights | 6,000 - 12,000 |
| HR requests (leave, expenses) | Approval workflow, history | 6,000 - 10,000 |
| Directory + org chart | Profiles, skills, search | 3,000 - 6,000 |
| HRIS integration | Employee and absence sync | 6,000 - 14,000 |
| Internal social feed | News feed, comments, likes | 5,000 - 12,000 |
HRIS integration (Personio, PayFit, SAP SuccessFactors) is the item that turns an intranet from gadget into daily tool: it avoids double entry and keeps leave balances reliable. It represents about +20 % of the total budget.
Cost of ownership and hosting
An intranet lives over time: new modules, version upgrades, HR changes. Here is a projection for a company of 120 employees.
| Item | Year 1 (EUR) | Following years (EUR/year) |
|---|---|---|
| Initial development | 55,000 | 0 |
| Secure hosting | 3,000 | 3,000 |
| Maintenance (15 %/year) | 8,250 | 8,250 |
| Support and training | 4,000 | 2,000 |
| Annual evolutions | 0 | 7,000 |
| Total | 70,250 | 20,250 |
Across 120 employees, the first-year cost is about EUR 585 per person, then EUR 169/year thereafter. That is modest against the time lost hunting for information in shared drives and email chains.
Mini case study
Sarah, HR director of a 120-employee services group in Berlin-Mitte, finds that each employee sends or reads around 30 internal emails/day, many just to find a document or file a leave request. The intranet, budgeted at EUR 55,000, cuts this flow by 25 %, i.e. 7 emails/day/person saved.
Estimating 2 minutes per email handled, that is 14 minutes/day/person, i.e. 28 hours/year/person. Across 120 employees, the group recovers the equivalent of 3,360 hours/year, roughly 2 full-time roles. The portal pays for itself in the first year, before counting fewer errors on leave and expenses.
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FAQ
How much does a custom intranet cost in Berlin in 2026?
Between EUR 30,000 and EUR 80,000 depending on the number of modules. A core with SSO, news and document management starts around EUR 30,000; a full portal with HR workflows and HRIS integration reaches EUR 70,000-80,000.
Is SSO really necessary?
Yes: without single sign-on, employees juggle multiple passwords and abandon the tool. SSO (Microsoft Entra ID, Google Workspace) is built into the core and drives daily adoption.
How much is hosting?
Expect EUR 100 to 500/month depending on data volume, high availability and backups. A lightweight internal intranet stays in the lower range; a portal with a social feed and heavy documents reaches the upper range.
Can we connect our payroll software?
Yes: HRIS integration (Personio, PayFit, SAP) represents about +20 % of the budget and removes double entry of leave, absences and employee records.
How long to deploy the intranet?
Between 3 and 5 months depending on modules and integrations. A core with SSO + documents + directory ships in 3 months; add 1 to 2 months for HR workflows and HRIS connection.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your headcount, your priority modules (documents, leave, directory) and your current HRIS: we will price the portal and its integration. 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.
