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What do you get at each budget?
The price follows the scope: how many types of people use the portal, what they need to do in it, and which of your systems it has to talk to. These are the three ranges most projects fall into.
| Budget | What it is | Usually includes |
|---|---|---|
| £4,500 to £10,000 | One portal for one type of client | Branded login and onboarding, file sharing, messages, task and progress views, and documents clients can open any time. Each client only sees their own work. |
| £10,000 to £20,000 | Several roles or connected systems | Everything above, plus different views for staff, clients or partners, approvals, taking payments, and connections to tools you already use, such as your CRM or accounting software. |
| £20,000 to £30,000+ | A platform your business runs on | Multi-role or white-label portals, complex workflows, AI features and moving data across from older systems. |
You get a written scope and price before anything is built, so you know what the budget covers and what it does not.
What pushes the price up?
Screens are rarely the expensive part. Cost comes from the work behind them: connecting systems, handling your data safely and testing every path a user can take.
Integrations
Every system the portal talks to, such as a CRM, accounting package or calendar, needs its data mapped, errors handled and the connection tested with real records. Reading data from a system is simpler than keeping two systems in sync in both directions. Listing every tool you want connected at the start is the single best way to get an accurate price.
AI features
AI can summarise client activity, answer questions from your own documents or draft replies for your team to approve. Each feature needs clear limits, testing against real questions and a point where a person reviews the output before it reaches a client. See how we approach AI knowledge assistants.
Moving data from older systems
Bringing clients, files and history across from spreadsheets or an old platform takes time, and the messier the source, the longer it takes. Duplicates, missing fields and inconsistent formats all have to be cleaned before a portal can rely on them.
More roles and permissions
Each extra type of user, for example staff, clients, coaches or partners, means another set of screens and access rules to build and test. TMMB Academy's portal has six roles, which is why it sits in the top range.
How to keep it down: start with the one client journey that causes the most chasing today, connect only the systems that journey needs, and add the rest once the portal is in use.
How long does a client portal take to build?
Between three weeks and three months from a signed scope to launch. A focused portal with no integrations sits at the short end. Platforms with several roles, integrations or data migration sit at the long end. The other factor is how quickly we get feedback and access to the tools we are connecting.
- Scope. We map who uses the portal, what they do in it and what it connects to, then agree the scope and price in writing.
- Build. We build inside your accounts and connect what already works to what is new.
- Test. Every workflow is tested against real cases, edge cases and access rules before a client sees it.
- Launch. We launch in stages, train your team and hand over documentation.
More detail on each stage is in our approach.
How is it paid for, and who owns it?
- Payment: 50% upfront and 50% on launch.
- Ownership: the portal is built in your accounts. You own the code and your data.
- Running costs: hosting and software are paid directly to the providers from your own accounts. The amount depends on how many people use the portal and how much it stores, and we set it out in the scope.
- After launch: your team can run it themselves. Ongoing support and improvements are available as an optional monthly retainer, priced separately.
Custom portal or off-the-shelf portal software?
Off-the-shelf portal software is quicker to start and cheaper upfront. A custom portal costs more at the start but fits your process and belongs to you.
| Off-the-shelf portal software | Custom portal | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Low | From £4,500 |
| Ongoing cost | Monthly subscription, often priced per user | Hosting paid directly to providers, optional support |
| Fit to your process | You work the way the software works | Built around the way you already work |
| Connections to your tools | Limited to the integrations on offer | Connects to the systems you choose |
| Branding | Varies by plan | Fully your brand |
| Ownership | You rent access | You own the code and data |
| Time to start | Days | Three weeks to three months |
When a custom portal is not worth it
- Your process is standard and an existing tool already fits it without workarounds.
- You only need to share files and send updates with a handful of clients.
- Your process is still changing week to week. Settle it first, then build around it.
- You need something working next week. Start with an off-the-shelf tool and build once you know what you need.
If any of these apply, we will tell you on the first call.
What have we built?
TMMB Academy: one portal for six roles
A TikTok Shop academy with admins, coaches, creators, sales, assistants and brands, each with their own workspace. It covers onboarding, creator performance, subscriptions and payments, course content, calls, messages, and brand deals. TMMB reports it was able to take on greater capacity, improve scalability and retention, and generate six figures within roughly two to three months (client-reported result). Read the TMMB Academy case study.
MRM Group: client and deal workspaces
A UK property development and investment company with client and deal workspaces, agreement-before-payment flows, document handling, reminders and audit history. MRM generated £170,000 in the three months after implementation (client-provided result). Read the MRM Group case study.
Our own platform: a white-label client portal
Our own operating platform for lead generation agencies includes a client portal that runs on each agency's own brand, with branded onboarding from a single link and delivery boards shared between the agency and each client. See how we built it.
More on what a portal can include is on our client portals page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum budget for a custom client portal?
Our client portal projects start at £4,500. That covers a focused portal for one type of client with logins, onboarding, files, messages and progress tracking.
How long does it take to build a client portal?
Between three weeks and three months from a signed scope, depending on the number of roles, integrations and any data that needs moving across.
Do we own the portal once it is built?
Yes. We build in your accounts, and you own the code and your data.
How is a client portal project paid for?
50% upfront and 50% on launch, against a written scope agreed before the build starts.
Are there ongoing costs after launch?
Hosting and software are paid directly to the providers and depend on usage. Ongoing support and improvements are optional, as a monthly retainer priced separately.
Can the portal connect to our CRM or accounting software?
Yes. Integrations are common, and each system connected adds to the scope, so we list them at the start to price accurately.
Can we start small and add features later?
Yes. Starting with the client journey that causes the most chasing, then adding roles and integrations once the portal is in use, keeps the first budget down.