The verdict in three sentences
A custom internal web app is budgeted between 25,000 and 60,000 EUR (excl. VAT) in 2026, depending on the modules (stock, planning, reporting) and Excel migration complexity. Expect a 10-to-18-week timeline, team training and maintenance of 400 to 1,000 EUR/month. The ROI is concrete: 8 to 20 hours saved per week, with payback usually reached in 12 to 24 months.
Why leave Excel and what the replacement costs
Excel is free but expensive in errors, double entry and lost time. A centralized app removes these losses. Here is the typical breakdown of a 2026 project.
| Module | 2026 scope | Range (EUR excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation (auth, roles, base) | Accounts, rights, data structure | 4,000 - 8,000 |
| Stock management | In/out, alerts, inventory | 5,000 - 12,000 |
| Planning / resources | Calendars, assignments, conflicts | 4,000 - 10,000 |
| Reporting / dashboards | Indicators, exports, filters | 4,000 - 9,000 |
| Excel data migration | Cleaning, import, quality control | 3,000 - 8,000 |
| Training & support | Team sessions, documentation | 1,500 - 4,000 |
| Design & responsive | Business UI, field mobile use | 2,500 - 6,000 |
A lean scope (foundation + one module + migration) starts around 25,000-32,000 EUR. All three modules (stock, planning, reporting) with heavy migration push toward 50,000-60,000 EUR.
The real cost of Excel: what you already pay without seeing it
Before judging the quote "expensive", quantify what the Excel patchwork already costs you each year. These hidden costs often justify the investment on their own.
| Hidden Excel cost | 2026 impact | Estimated annual cost |
|---|---|---|
| Manual re-keying | 8 - 20 h/week | 15,000 - 40,000 EUR |
| Data errors | Wrong orders/stock | 5,000 - 20,000 EUR |
| No real-time view | Delayed decisions | hard to quantify, high |
| Person dependency | Unshared master file | continuity risk |
| No reliable history | Disputes, audits | 2,000 - 10,000 EUR |
| Diverging versions | Duplicate files | loss of reliability |
Added up, these costs often exceed 20,000 to 50,000 EUR/year for an SMB, which puts the investment in perspective: the app is not a spend, it is a shift of cost into value.
Mini case study
Sophie is CFO of a 35-person trading SMB in Toronto. Her teams managed stock and orders across 11 shared Excel files, with roughly 15 h/week of re-keying and recurring stockouts. Estimated cost of the chaos: around 34,000 EUR/year in time, excluding lost sales.
She invests 42,000 EUR in an app (stock, planning, reporting, migration) delivered in 14 weeks, maintenance at 700 EUR/month. After 4 months: re-keying down to 4 h/week, stockouts cut 60%. Estimated time saving: around 25,000 EUR/year, i.e. payback in about 18 to 20 months, maintenance included, not counting recovered sales.
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FAQ
What budget for an internal management app in 2026?
Between 25,000 and 60,000 EUR. A foundation plus one module and migration starts at 25,000 EUR; all three stock/planning/reporting modules with heavy migration reach 60,000 EUR.
How long to go live?
Expect 10 to 18 weeks. Excel data migration and team training are often underestimated: plan 2 to 4 weeks just to clean up existing data.
Is migrating my Excel files included?
It is a separate line of 3,000 to 8,000 EUR depending on file quality. Clean data lowers the bill; messy files raise it.
What time savings can I expect?
Between 8 and 20 hours per week depending on current re-keying volume. For an SMB, that commonly means 20,000 to 40,000 EUR/year of reclaimed time.
What maintenance after delivery?
Maintenance of 400 to 1,000 EUR/month covers fixes, backups and small evolutions. Plan an annual evolution budget to add modules as you grow.
Let's scope your project. List your critical Excel files, priority modules (stock, planning, reporting) and headcount, and we'll price the app that saves you the most hours. 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.
