How much does a custom ERP cost compared with SaaS subscriptions?
A custom ERP is a one-time build cost plus hosting and upkeep, while SaaS is charged per user every month for as long as you use it. Custom builds are priced on fixed scope after a strategy call, so there is no single figure; the comparison that matters is total cost over several years at the headcount you expect to reach.
In detail
What drives the cost of a custom build
- How many departments and processes it covers
- Integrations with accounting, payroll and other existing systems
- Data migration from current tools
- AI features such as email agents or document processing
- Mobile or field access
How to compare like with like
- SaaS
- Per-seat rate x users x months, for every tool in the stack. For reference, monday CRM is published at $12 to $28 per seat per month and Asana at $10.99 to $24.99 per user per month, billed annually, before any add-ons.
- Custom
- The build fee, plus hosting, plus maintenance. Running costs do not rise with each new user.
- Flat-rate product
- WorkHoist, a construction product, is $399 per month for up to 20 users and $999 per month for 20 to 75 users, with no per-user fees.
Count the tools a custom system would replace, not just the main one. The spreadsheets, add-ons and staff time spent moving data between them are part of the current cost.
Example
Gleam & Glory's custom CRM and order system was a one-time cost, with the code, data and hosting owned outright, no per-seat licence fees, and running costs that stay flat as the business grows.
Related case study
Custom CRM with AI Email & Order Agent — turning a manual, owner-dependent operation into a scalable sales system for a made-to-order awards manufacturer.