The verdict in three sentences
A vertical school platform costs 4 to 8 EUR per student per year, i.e. 3,600 to 7,200 EUR for 900 students, but locks you into its screens and limits. A custom portal at 40,000-75,000 EUR repays its premium through 30-40 % less enrolment time and -15 % unpaid tuition. For a 900-student school, the switch pays off from year 3 once internal admin exceeds two full-time staff.
Off-the-shelf vertical vs custom build: the real comparison
The vertical tool starts fast and is cheap to subscribe to, but every non-standard flow (tuition schedules, sibling discounts, GDPR for minors) becomes a constraint. Custom flips the equation: high upfront cost, then near-zero marginal cost and processes shaped by your own rules.
| Criterion | Vertical (subscription) | Custom by Kolonell |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 cost | 3,600-7,200 EUR | 40,000-75,000 EUR |
| Recurring cost/year | 3,600-7,200 EUR | Maintenance 14 %: 5,600-10,500 EUR |
| Online enrolment | Fixed form | Custom multi-step workflow |
| Tuition billing | Standard | Schedules, sibling discounts, auto reminders |
| Parent portal | Generic | School-branded, SMS/email built in |
| GDPR for minors | Vendor contract | Dedicated EU hosting, custom DPA |
| Data reversibility | Limited export | Database 100 % owned by the school |
Modules and their 2026 budget in detail
A full school portal breaks down into budgetable bricks. Here is the 2026 order of magnitude for a first release shipped in 12 to 16 weeks.
| Module | Budget EUR | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Online enrolment & re-enrolment | 9,000-15,000 | 3-4 wks |
| Tuition billing & schedules | 8,000-14,000 | 3-4 wks |
| Grades, averages & PDF report cards | 7,000-12,000 | 3 wks |
| Parent portal (SMS/email) | 6,000-11,000 | 3 wks |
| Timetable & absences | 5,000-9,000 | 2-3 wks |
| GDPR compliance for minors | 4,000-7,000 | 2 wks |
| Annual maintenance (14 %) | 5,600-10,500/yr | ongoing |
Mini case study
Sophie, admin director of a 900-student private school group in Montreal, runs enrolment with two full-time officers (78,000 EUR/year payroll). The enrolment campaign eats 620 hours of re-keying. A custom portal at 58,000 EUR automates 35 % of that load, i.e. 217 hours and ~7,500 EUR per year, and cuts unpaid tuition by 15 % on 4.2 M EUR billed, securing 63,000 EUR of cash. With 8,100 EUR/year maintenance, ROI lands in 2.4 years, then net annual savings exceed 15,000 EUR.
FAQ
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What does a custom school platform really cost in 2026?
Budget 40,000 to 75,000 EUR for enrolment + billing + report cards + parent portal, plus 14 %/year maintenance (5,600 to 10,500 EUR). A usable first release ships in 12 to 16 weeks.
Isn't a vertical safer for GDPR on minors?
Both are compliant, but custom gives you dedicated EU hosting, a negotiated DPA and full database ownership. You control retention and export, which few vertical vendors offer.
At what student count does custom pay off?
Above 700-800 students with at least two admin FTEs, the time savings (30-40 %) and lower unpaid tuition (-15 %) cover the investment in 2 to 3 years.
Can data be migrated from an existing vertical tool?
Yes. Data migration (students, families, grade history) is a scoped module priced 4,000 to 9,000 EUR depending on the quality of the outgoing vendor's exports.
How are enrolment traffic spikes handled?
The portal is sized to absorb peaks (up to 20x traffic over 3 weeks) on scalable EU hosting, with no per-user licence surcharge.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your headcount, priority modules (enrolment, tuition, report cards) and indicative budget. 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.
