The verdict in three sentences
The sticker price on a website quote is only a fraction of the real cost. Over 3 years you must add hosting, maintenance, SEO and licences, pushing the TCO to 1.8-2.5 times the initial price. Comparing two offers on build alone is the number-one cause of poor budget decisions.
The full 2026 cost model
Here are the line items that make up a B2B site's true budget, 2026 order of magnitude on the Berlin market (EUR). A 20-page corporate site, bilingual, with blog and CRM connection serves as reference.
| Line item | Annual range | Over 3 years |
|---|---|---|
| Initial build (amortised) | 12,000 – 30,000 EUR (yr 1) | 12,000 – 30,000 EUR |
| Hosting + CDN | 240 – 1,080 EUR/yr | 720 – 3,240 EUR |
| Maintenance | 1,800 – 9,600 EUR/yr | 5,400 – 28,800 EUR |
| SEO / content | 900 – 3,600 EUR/yr | 2,700 – 10,800 EUR |
| Licences / plugins | 0 – 2,820 EUR/yr | 0 – 8,460 EUR |
| Total 3-year TCO | — | 20,820 – 81,300 EUR |
On a mid-range site quoted at 18,000 EUR build, the 3-year TCO frequently lands around 38,000 to 45,000 EUR, i.e. 2.1 to 2.5 times the sticker price.
Why the cheapest upfront often costs more
An attractive quote often hides undersized maintenance or proprietary licences billed separately. Let us compare two real offers for the same spec.
| Line item | Offer A "cheap" | Offer B "premium" |
|---|---|---|
| Build | 9,500 EUR | 22,000 EUR |
| Annual maintenance | 4,800 EUR/yr | 3,600 EUR/yr |
| Mandatory licences | 1,800 EUR/yr | 0 EUR |
| Early rebuild | at 24 months (+9,500 EUR) | at 48 months |
| 3-year TCO | 44,300 EUR | 32,800 EUR |
Offer A, 12,500 EUR cheaper upfront, comes out 11,500 EUR more expensive over 3 years because of technical debt forcing an early rebuild and locked-in licences. The entry price is a signal, not a savings guarantee.
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Mini case study
Claire, CFO of an industrial SME in Berlin (55 staff), receives two quotes: 11,000 EUR and 21,000 EUR. Tempted by the first, she asks for the run detail. The 11,000 EUR quote imposes 450 EUR/mo maintenance and two licences at 150 EUR/mo, i.e. 7,200 EUR/yr recurring. The 21,000 EUR quote includes 300 EUR/mo maintenance and no licence, i.e. 3,600 EUR/yr.
Over 3 years: offer 1 = 11,000 + 21,600 = 32,600 EUR; offer 2 = 21,000 + 10,800 = 31,800 EUR. The initial 10,000 EUR gap flips entirely. Claire picks the "expensive" offer and documents the TCO for her board, turning a price debate into a controlled investment decision.
FAQ
What multiplier should I apply to the sticker price to estimate TCO? In 2026, count a factor of 1.8 to 2.5 over 3 years for a B2B site with maintenance and SEO. A brochure site without SEO stays closer to 1.4; a site with heavy integrations can exceed 2.5.
Is maintenance really mandatory? Technically no, budget-wise yes. Without maintenance, security flaws and obsolescence lose in 18 months what 300 EUR/mo maintenance would have preserved. An unmaintained site degrades fast in SEO and security.
How do I cut TCO without sacrificing quality? Favour owned code (no captive licence), a low-debt stack (static rendering), and bring content production in-house. These three levers cut TCO by 20 to 35% over 3 years.
Should a rebuild be provisioned in the TCO? Yes. A well-built site lasts 4-5 years; a debt-laden site forces a rebuild at 24-30 months (+9,000 to 15,000 EUR). Provision this line from the initial quote.
Should SEO be included in the site's TCO? Yes, if the site has an acquisition goal. Count 900 to 3,600 EUR/yr. A site without an SEO budget stays a brochure: it costs without generating measurable return.
Let's scope your project. Send us the quotes you received: we rebuild them into a line-by-line 3-year TCO to objectify your decision. 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.
