The verdict in three sentences
A custom WMS in London ranges from 50,000 to 140,000 EUR in 2026, while a SaaS licence costs 500-3,000 EUR/month depending on the number of operators and SKUs. Custom pays off when your flows are atypical (cross-docking, kitting, multi-owner) and the licence forces you to bend your processes. Budget 4 to 8 months to target +25% picking productivity and -20% fewer picking errors.
Build vs licence: the 2026 cost comparison
The question isn't "which is cheaper today" but "which fits my flows over 5 years". A licence starts fast but bills you per operator and per module; custom has a high entry cost but a TCO that flattens out.
| Criterion | Custom WMS | SaaS licence |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | 50,000-140,000 EUR | 3,000-12,000 EUR (setup) |
| Recurring cost | 12-18%/yr maintenance | 500-3,000 EUR/month |
| Time to go live | 4-8 months | 4-10 weeks |
| Fit for atypical flows | Total | Limited to modules |
| Cost per added operator | 0 EUR | 30-90 EUR/month |
| Code ownership | You | Vendor |
| ERP/TMS integration | Bespoke | Standard connectors |
Over 5 years, a licence at 1,800 EUR/month is 108,000 EUR excluding setup and extra operators. A custom WMS at 95,000 EUR + 15%/yr maintenance is ~166,000 EUR over 5 years, but with no cap on operators or SKUs and an asset you own.
What a custom WMS covers and what drives the price
Price depends mostly on functional scope and the level of hardware integration (scanners, label printers, terminals). Here are the typical line items in a 2026 London quote.
| Module | Range (EUR) | Target operational gain |
|---|---|---|
| Receiving & quality control | 8,000-16,000 | -30% receiving discrepancies |
| Slotting & dynamic put-away | 10,000-22,000 | +15% warehouse occupancy |
| Picking (barcode scan) | 12,000-28,000 | +25% lines/hour |
| Shipping & dispatch proof | 8,000-18,000 | -20% parcel errors |
| Cycle counting | 6,000-14,000 | Counting without downtime |
| Real-time dashboards | 6,000-16,000 | Day-level control |
| ERP integration (Sage, SAP, Odoo) | 10,000-26,000 | -40% double entry |
Mini case study
Thomas, logistics director at an industrial parts distributor in London (32 operators, 14,000 SKUs), picks 480 order lines per operator per day using a spreadsheet and paper notes. The error rate hits 2.1%, each error costing about 22 EUR in returns and re-shipping, i.e. ~4,850 EUR/month of non-quality. He invests 98,000 EUR in a custom WMS with barcode scanning. Target result: errors down to 0.4% (saving ~3,900 EUR/month) and picking up to 600 lines/day/operator, equivalent to 5 FTE saved at peak. Between non-quality and productivity, the annual gain is around 95,000 EUR, a payback in 13 months.
FAQ
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How much does a custom WMS cost in London in 2026?
Budget 50,000-140,000 EUR depending on the number of modules and the depth of ERP integration. A single-warehouse project with scanned picking and accounting integration usually lands around 90,000-100,000 EUR.
Custom or SaaS licence: how to decide?
If your flows are standard and volume stable, a 500-3,000 EUR/month licence is enough. Once you have multi-owner stock, kitting or more than 20 operators, custom becomes cheaper over 5 years and removes the per-user fee.
How long to deploy?
A custom WMS takes 4 to 8 months: 3-5 weeks of scoping, 3-5 months of development and 3-4 weeks of acceptance testing, with a zone-by-zone rollout so the warehouse never stops.
What real productivity gain should I expect?
Well-scoped projects target +20 to +30% lines picked per hour thanks to scanning and dynamic slotting, and -15 to -25% picking errors. These 2026 orders of magnitude depend on your starting point.
Can existing scanners and printers be integrated?
Yes, most Zebra/Honeywell terminals and label printers are compatible. Plan a hardware integration line of 6,000-15,000 EUR depending on the fleet and warehouse WiFi.
Let's scope your project. Tell us about your warehouse (area, SKUs, operators, current ERP) for a right-sized custom WMS with a calibrated 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.
