The verdict in three sentences
Over five years, a B2B SaaS licence typically costs an industrial SME with EUR 8 million in revenue EUR 230,000 to 260,000, versus EUR 200,000 to 230,000 for a well-scoped custom platform. The break-even point sits around 3.5 years in the median scenario, earlier if your order volume grows, never if you stay under 5,000 orders a year. The decision is not about entry price but about three variables: volume, ERP complexity and exit cost.
What a five-year TCO really includes
Investment committees often compare a development quote with a yearly licence price. That is a mistake: total cost of ownership (TCO) includes initial integration, hosting, corrective and evolutive maintenance, paid extensions, the ERP connector, team training and the exit cost at the end of the contract.
| Cost item (2026 order of magnitude) | B2B SaaS licence | Custom build |
|---|---|---|
| Initial setup | EUR 20,000 (integration) | EUR 70,000 to 110,000 excl. VAT |
| Main recurring cost | EUR 25,000 to 60,000/year licence | 15% of build per year in maintenance |
| Hosting and CDN | Included | EUR 4,000 to 8,000/year |
| Extensions and third-party modules | EUR 3,000 to 8,000/year | Included in the code |
| ERP connector (Sage, Cegid, SAP B1) | EUR 8,000 to 15,000 + subscription | EUR 10,000 to 20,000 one-off |
| Yearly business enhancements | Limited by vendor roadmap | EUR 8,000 to 15,000/year, your choice |
| Exit cost (migration) | EUR 15,000 to 30,000 | Low, you own code and data |
Year-by-year calculation, median scenario
Assumptions for an industrial SME with EUR 8 million in revenue, 1,500 business customers and about 15,000 orders a year. Licence: EUR 42,000 per year plus EUR 4,000 in extensions, EUR 20,000 integration. Custom: EUR 90,000 development, then EUR 29,500 per year (EUR 13,500 maintenance, EUR 6,000 hosting, EUR 10,000 enhancements), with year one carrying only EUR 15,000 of running costs.
| Year | Licence (cumulative) | Custom (cumulative) | Cumulative gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | EUR 66,000 | EUR 105,000 | +EUR 39,000 for licence |
| Year 2 | EUR 112,000 | EUR 134,500 | +EUR 22,500 for licence |
| Year 3 | EUR 158,000 | EUR 164,000 | +EUR 6,000 for licence |
| Year 4 | EUR 204,000 | EUR 193,500 | +EUR 10,500 for custom |
| Year 5 | EUR 250,000 | EUR 223,000 | +EUR 27,000 for custom |
The lines cross at about 3.4 years. After that, each year saves EUR 16,500 with the custom build. If you add the licence exit cost (EUR 15,000 to 30,000) at the end of the period, the five-year gap rises to EUR 42,000 to 57,000.
Sensitivity to order volume
B2B licences are usually priced by tiers of orders, online revenue or buyer accounts. A custom build has a near-fixed cost: maintenance grows little with volume.
| Online orders per year | Estimated yearly licence | Break-even point | Recommended option |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3,000 to 5,000 | EUR 25,000 to 30,000 | Not reached in 5 years | Licence |
| 10,000 | EUR 35,000 to 40,000 | 4.5 to 5 years | Licence or custom depending on ERP |
| 15,000 | EUR 42,000 to 46,000 | 3.4 years | Custom on a 5-year horizon |
| 25,000 | EUR 50,000 to 55,000 | 2.8 years | Custom |
| 40,000 and more | EUR 60,000 + variable fees | 2.2 years | Custom |
Two other factors shift the curve. Complex customer pricing (discounts by product family, negotiated net prices, free shipping by zone) increases licence integration costs, sometimes by 30 to 50%. Conversely, if your catalogue is simple and your teams have no specific needs, the licence keeps its speed advantage: 3 to 4 months to go live versus 5 to 7 months.
Mini case study
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Marc, CEO of an industrial fasteners SME in Annecy (EUR 8 million revenue, 1,500 business customers), presents two scenarios to his committee. The licence requires EUR 66,000 in year one, the custom build EUR 105,000. Over five years, with 15,000 orders a year and planned order growth of 10% per year, the licence moves to the next tier in year four (+EUR 8,000 per year). New licence TCO: EUR 266,000, plus EUR 20,000 for a possible migration. Custom TCO: EUR 223,000. Gap: EUR 63,000 in favour of custom, equal to 0.8% of annual revenue. The committee approves the custom build, with a first release delivered in 5 months and a budget capped at EUR 95,000.
FAQ
At what volume does a custom build pay off?
In our 2026 calculations, the threshold is around 10,000 to 15,000 online orders a year over a five-year horizon. Below 5,000 orders, the licence is almost always cheaper.
Is 15% annual maintenance realistic?
It is the usual range for corrective maintenance and security updates, i.e. EUR 10,500 to 16,500 per year for a EUR 70,000 to 110,000 build. Functional enhancements are budgeted separately.
What if the vendor raises prices?
Increases of 5 to 10% per year are common on B2B licences. Over five years, a 7% annual increase adds about EUR 25,000 to the median licence TCO.
Is custom riskier on timing?
Yes, plan 5 to 7 months versus 3 to 4 for a licence. Splitting the project into releases, with a first online ordering release in 12 to 16 weeks, reduces that risk.
How should I present this to an investment committee?
Show cumulative TCO year by year, the break-even point and a sensitivity analysis on 3 order volumes. Add the often forgotten exit cost, which weighs EUR 15,000 to 30,000.
Let's scope your project. We build your five-year TCO with your real volumes, then price a custom B2B platform at EUR 70,000 to 110,000 delivered in releases over 5 to 7 months. 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.
