The verdict in three sentences
A custom client portal for a wealth management firm costs 35,000 to 70,000 EUR excl. VAT in 2026 (about 30,000 to 60,000 GBP), plus around 15,000 EUR to aggregate contracts through insurer and platform APIs. For a firm with 1,200 clients and 450 M EUR under advice, the investment is less than 0.02 % of assets and is justified by the time saved on document requests and reporting. The success condition is local data hosting and two-factor authentication from version one.
What the budget covers
The managing partner of a wealth advisory firm expects three things: a digital vault where clients find their documents, a consolidated view of their holdings and a paperless signing flow. Here is a typical breakdown.
| Module | 2026 range (EUR excl. VAT) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping, client journeys, mock-ups | 4,000 to 7,000 | 3 weeks |
| Strong authentication (2FA, session management) | 3,000 to 5,000 | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Document vault (upload, filing, notifications) | 8,000 to 15,000 | 4 weeks |
| Consolidated wealth dashboard | 10,000 to 20,000 | 5 weeks |
| E-signature (Docusign, Yousign) | 3,000 to 6,000 + subscription | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Adviser back office and access rights | 5,000 to 12,000 | 3 weeks |
| QA, security testing, go-live | 2,000 to 5,000 | 2 weeks |
| Total portal | 35,000 to 70,000 | 14 to 20 weeks |
| Option: contract aggregation via provider APIs | + 15,000 | + 6 weeks |
The low end is a document portal with manually entered positions. The high end includes allocation charts, performance history and secure adviser-client messaging.
Custom build, vendor extranet or aggregator: the comparison
Back-office software for advisers often includes a client extranet. It suits small firms but limits customisation and control of data.
| Criterion | Adviser software extranet | White-label aggregator | Custom portal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | 0 to 3,000 EUR | 5,000 to 15,000 EUR | 35,000 to 70,000 EUR excl. VAT |
| Annual cost | 3,000 to 9,000 EUR | 8,000 to 20,000 EUR | 12 to 18 % of build, 4,200 to 12,600 EUR |
| Firm branding | logo only | partial | full |
| Custom journeys (onboarding, KYC) | no | limited | yes |
| Ownership of code and data | no | no | yes |
| Guaranteed local hosting | varies | varies | contractual |
| Set-up time | 2 weeks | 6 weeks | 14 to 20 weeks |
Above 800 to 1,000 active clients, a custom build becomes relevant: the client experience becomes a sales argument against private banks and online platforms.
Compliance and security: the non-negotiables
A wealth portal handles sensitive data: tax returns, statements, identity documents. GDPR obligations, regulator expectations on know-your-client (FCA in London, ACPR and AMF in Paris) and partner insurers' requirements set a minimum baseline.
| Requirement | Implementation | Budget impact |
|---|---|---|
| Local data hosting | UK or EU data centre | 150 to 600 EUR a month |
| Two-factor authentication | TOTP app or SMS | included in build |
| Document encryption | at rest and in transit | included |
| Access logging | 12 months minimum retention | included |
| Pre-launch penetration test | external provider | 4,000 to 8,000 EUR |
| Corrective and evolutive maintenance | 12 to 18 % a year | 4,200 to 12,600 EUR a year |
Mini case study
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Claire, managing partner of a wealth management firm (1,200 clients, 450 M EUR under advice), finds her 4 assistants spend 25 hours a week sending documents, answering statement requests and chasing signatures. The 55,000 EUR portal plus 15,000 EUR of aggregation cuts that time by 60 %, i.e. 15 hours a week, about 690 hours a year. At a 45 EUR loaded hourly cost, savings reach 31,000 EUR a year. With 8,000 EUR of maintenance, the net gain is 23,000 EUR: payback comes in just over 3 years, not counting extra inflows driven by the firm's image.
FAQ
What is the minimum budget for a custom wealth management portal?
Plan 35,000 EUR excl. VAT for a secure document portal with two-factor authentication and e-signature. Below that, your adviser software's extranet is the better choice.
Is automatic contract aggregation reliable?
It depends on the APIs offered by insurers and platforms, which in 2026 cover most large providers. The module costs about 15,000 EUR and takes 6 weeks to integrate, with manual entry as a fallback for unconnected contracts.
How long does it take to launch?
Allow 14 to 20 weeks, plus 6 weeks if aggregation is included. A staged rollout to 50 pilot clients lets you fix journeys before opening to everyone.
What does annual maintenance represent?
Between 12 and 18 % of the build cost, i.e. 4,200 to 12,600 EUR a year. It covers fixes, security updates and minor changes requested by advisers.
Can the portal handle onboarding and KYC?
Yes, an onboarding journey with an investor profile questionnaire and document upload adds 6,000 to 12,000 EUR excl. VAT. It shortens client onboarding by several days.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of clients, the modules you need and your partner providers: we will price a portal between 35,000 and 85,000 EUR excl. VAT with a 14 to 26 week plan. 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.
