The verdict in three sentences
A market solution (SIS such as iSams, Arbor, SchoolBase) covers admissions, grades and billing for 3 to 8 EUR per pupil per year, but imposes its own processes and parent portal. Custom (40,000 to 90,000 EUR) is justified when the school has atypical pedagogy or billing, multiple sites, or wants online payment and communication in a branded portal. The real gain is operational: -40% administrative time and markedly faster tuition collection.
Market solution vs custom platform
| Criterion | Market SIS | Custom platform |
|---|---|---|
| Cost (per pupil/year) | 3 to 8 EUR | internalised licence |
| Initial cost | 2,000 to 10,000 EUR | 40,000 to 90,000 EUR |
| Parent portal | standard editor | school-branded |
| Online fee payment | often optional | integrated (card, direct debit) |
| Pedagogical adaptation | limited | full |
| Time to deploy | 1 to 3 months | 5 to 9 months |
| Code / data ownership | editor | school |
Below 400 pupils a market SIS is often enough. Beyond that, or with several cycles and complex billing, custom becomes cost-effective.
The modules that make up the quote
| Module | Scope | 2026 range (EUR ex. VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Online admissions | application, documents, admission workflow | 8,000 to 18,000 EUR |
| Academics & grades | reports, attendance, timetables | 10,000 to 22,000 EUR |
| Billing & payment | schedules, reminders, card/direct debit | 9,000 to 20,000 EUR |
| Parent portal & communication | messaging, documents, notifications | 7,000 to 16,000 EUR |
| Leadership reporting | enrolment, arrears, re-enrolment rate | 4,000 to 10,000 EUR |
| Data migration & training | migration, team onboarding | 4,000 to 9,000 EUR |
Mini case study
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Mr Lefevre runs a private school of 620 pupils in Nantes. His admin team (3 people) spends about 35 hours a week on admissions, arrears reminders and parent communication. He invests 68,000 EUR in a custom platform. Cutting that time by 40% frees ~14 hours/week, roughly 0.4 FTE (around 16,000 EUR/year fully loaded). On cash flow, online payment drops the 30-day arrears rate from 9% to 3%, securing tens of thousands of euros of tuition earlier in the year. The tool pays back in about 2 years on HR gains alone, before the cash-flow effect.
FAQ
Isn't a market SIS enough? For a single-site school under 400 pupils, often yes. Custom is justified with several cycles, atypical billing or a need to integrate with existing systems.
Is online fee payment complex? No: we integrate card and SEPA direct debit with automatic schedules and reminders, which markedly speeds up collection.
How long to deploy before term starts? Expect 5 to 9 months; aim to kick off the project at the end of the school year to deliver before the next intake.
Is pupil data GDPR-compliant? Yes: data minimisation, EU hosting, consent management and role-based access are part of the standard scope.
Can we start with a single module? Yes: many schools start with admissions and billing, then add the parent portal and reporting.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your pupil count, your cycles and the priority modules (admissions, billing, portal), and we will frame a quote. 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.
