The verdict in three sentences
For a corporate bike leasing service in Berlin (120 client companies, 3,500 bikes), a multi-tenant SaaS costs EUR 60,000 to 110,000 excl. VAT, plus EUR 25,000 for the mobile app, and ships in 6 months. Hosted in the European Union for EUR 400 to 900 per month, it replaces internal spreadsheets and can be resold at EUR 4 to 7 per bike per month to other operators. The investment pays off internally over three years, and becomes highly profitable as soon as two outside operators subscribe.
Three audiences, one multi-tenant core
The SaaS serves three audiences with distinct needs. Client companies (HR and facilities) track contracts, costs and salary-sacrifice bike leasing schemes (Dienstradleasing). Employees report a breakdown, book a repair slot and view their contract. Partner repair shops receive jobs, log parts and invoice. Multi-tenancy guarantees that one company never sees another's data, and lets you host other bike operators on the same platform later.
| Module | Audience | Indicative cost excl. VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-tenant core (isolation, roles, white label) | All | EUR 12,000 to 20,000 |
| Contracts, schedules and billing | Operator, companies | EUR 10,000 to 18,000 |
| Maintenance, jobs and repair shops | Shops, operator | EUR 10,000 to 18,000 |
| Company portal (HR, costs, reporting) | Companies | EUR 8,000 to 15,000 |
| Employee web area | Employees | EUR 6,000 to 12,000 |
| Integrations (accounting, payroll, insurer) | Operator | EUR 6,000 to 12,000 |
| Security, GDPR, load testing | All | EUR 8,000 to 15,000 |
| Employee mobile app (iOS and Android) | Employees | EUR 25,000 |
The web core totals EUR 60,000 to 110,000 excl. VAT, and the mobile app adds EUR 25,000. A sensible phasing: full web in month 4, mobile app in month 6. This is a 2026 order of magnitude for a European or Franco-Senegalese team.
Reselling the SaaS: pricing and recurring revenue
The real value of a multi-tenant core is that it can become a product. Many regional corporate bike operators still run their fleets on spreadsheets. Per-bike monthly pricing is easy to understand and grows with the client.
| Plan | Price per bike per month | Features | Monthly revenue for 2,000 bikes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | EUR 4 | Contracts, maintenance, employee web area | EUR 8,000 |
| Pro | EUR 5.50 | + company portal, mobile app | EUR 11,000 |
| Enterprise | EUR 7 | + white label, integrations, priority support | EUR 14,000 |
| Onboarding fee | EUR 1,500 to 5,000 | Fleet import, configuration | One-off |
| Commitment | 12 to 36 months | 5 to 10% discount beyond 24 months | Per contract |
With EUR 900 monthly hosting and 20% of revenue spent on support and maintenance, gross margin exceeds 70% from 2,000 billed bikes.
Build or buy fleet software
| Criterion | Generic fleet management software | Custom multi-tenant SaaS |
|---|---|---|
| Initial cost | EUR 5,000 to 15,000 configuration | EUR 85,000 to 135,000 excl. VAT with mobile |
| Recurring cost for 3,500 bikes | EUR 2 to 4 per bike, i.e. EUR 7,000 to 14,000 per month | EUR 400 to 900 hosting + maintenance |
| 3-year cost | EUR 257,000 to 519,000 | EUR 135,000 to 221,000 with maintenance |
| Employee and repair shop flows | Generic, designed for cars | Bike-specific |
| Resale to other operators | Impossible | Yes, a new revenue stream |
| Hosting and data | Often outside the EU | EU, GDPR compliant |
The 3-year custom cost includes EUR 1,000 to 1,500 of monthly maintenance on top of hosting. At 3,500 bikes, a generic tool's licence costs more than development from year two.
Mini case study
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Lena, founder of a corporate bike leasing service in Berlin, invests EUR 110,000 excl. VAT (EUR 85,000 for web, EUR 25,000 for mobile). The SaaS frees up 1.2 full-time administrative roles, worth EUR 48,000 per year in loaded cost, minus EUR 7,800 of annual hosting: a net gain of EUR 40,200 per year. On its own, that gain pays back the project in 2.7 years. In month 9, Lena signs two regional operators totalling 4,000 bikes on the Pro plan at EUR 5.50, or EUR 22,000 of monthly recurring revenue and EUR 264,000 per year. The project then pays for itself in under 6 months after those deals, and the SaaS becomes a business in its own right.
FAQ
How much does a multi-tenant bike fleet SaaS cost?
Budget EUR 60,000 to 110,000 excl. VAT for the web version and EUR 25,000 for the mobile app. The full timeline is 6 months.
Why host in the European Union?
Employee data (address, contract, sometimes payroll) falls under GDPR, and large corporate clients require it in tenders. An EU host costs EUR 400 to 900 per month at this scale.
What price should we charge per bike?
The market range is EUR 4 to 7 per bike per month depending on features. The EUR 5.50 plan with the mobile app is usually the best seller.
Can we launch without a mobile app?
Yes, a responsive employee web area is enough for the first 4 months. The EUR 25,000 app comes next, once breakdown report volume justifies it.
Does multi-tenancy complicate maintenance?
Not if it is designed from day one: one codebase, per-client isolation and simultaneous updates. The initial extra cost is EUR 12,000 to 20,000.
Let's scope your project. We scope your fleet SaaS (features, a EUR 60,000 to 110,000 excl. VAT budget before mobile, 6-month delivery) with web-first then mobile phasing. 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.
