The verdict in three sentences
The right metric isn't the entry price but the total cost of ownership (TCO) over 36 months, including reversibility and lock-in. Vertical SaaS almost always wins under 24 months; custom (agency) overtakes beyond 30-36 months when the need is specific and durable. The freelance is cheapest to buy but carries a bus factor of 1 that weighs heavily during an incident.
The 36-month TCO, line by line
The figures below are a 2026 order of magnitude for a French SME, medium-complexity app project. SaaS has no build but a running subscription, and your data stays with the vendor.
| Item (36 months) | Custom agency | Freelance | Vertical SaaS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial build | 12,000 EUR | 7,000 EUR | 0 EUR |
| Subscription | 0 EUR | 0 EUR | 2,800 - 9,000 EUR |
| Maintenance / support | 7,200 EUR (2,400/yr) | Variable, 0-4,000 EUR | Included |
| Hosting | 900 EUR | 900 EUR | Included |
| Enhancements | 3,000 - 6,000 EUR | 2,000 - 5,000 EUR | 0-1,500 EUR (add-ons) |
| 36-month TCO | 23,000 - 26,000 EUR | 10,000 - 17,000 EUR | 2,800 - 10,500 EUR |
| Data ownership | Full | Full | No (with vendor) |
The criteria that don't show on the invoice
TCO alone lies. You must weight it with reversibility, SLA and lock-in. Here is the 2026 risk grid.
| Criterion | Agency | Freelance | SaaS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reversibility (exit) | High (code assigned) | Medium | Low (limited export) |
| Bus factor | Team (3-8) | 1 | Vendor |
| Contractual SLA | Yes (4-48 h) | Rare | Yes (99.9% uptime) |
| Scalability | Custom | Limited | Native |
| Business specificity | Full | High | Standardized |
| 3-year exit cost | Low | Medium | High (migration) |
Mini case study
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Claire, CFO of a 60-person services SME in Nantes, must equip field-intervention management. The vertical SaaS costs 149 EUR/month, i.e. 5,364 EUR over 3 years, but doesn't handle her specific customer reference data. The custom agency build is quoted at 14,000 EUR + 2,400 EUR/year support, i.e. 21,200 EUR over 3 years. Over 36 months, SaaS is 4x cheaper. But analysis shows a durable need and 8 uncovered business rules: beyond 40 months, custom becomes more profitable and avoids an estimated 6,000 EUR migration cost. Decision: SaaS for 24 months to validate usage, then reassess, with a data-reversibility clause.
FAQ
When does custom become cheaper than SaaS? Generally beyond 30-36 months for a specific, stable need. Below that, the absence of a build makes SaaS nearly unbeatable: 149 EUR/month = 5,364 EUR over 3 years vs 20,000+ EUR for custom.
What is a freelance's bus factor? It's the risk that one person holds all the knowledge. Bus factor 1 means one unavailability (illness, new engagement) blocks support and enhancements. Require at minimum a Git repo on your side and up-to-date documentation.
Is SaaS really cheaper? To buy, yes, but your data stays with the vendor and exit is costly: budget a 3,000-8,000 EUR migration and check the export clause before signing.
How do I de-risk an agency project over 3 years? A quantified maintenance contract (typically 2,400 EUR/year), a recovery SLA (4-48 h), source-code assignment and a client-side Git repo. These clauses are worth more than 5% off the build.
Freelance or agency on a tight budget? Freelance if the need is one-off, framed and non-critical (TCO 10,000-17,000 EUR). Agency as soon as service continuity, SLA and scalability become business stakes.
Let's scope your project. Give us your business need, your horizon (18/24/36 months) and your target budget: we build the comparative TCO and recommend make, buy or hybrid. 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.
