How Much Does a Custom CRM Cost in the UK?
A single custom CRM module typically starts from around £5,000, a core system from about £12,000, and a full CRM + ERP platform from £35,000. Here's what drives the price, and how to compare it fairly with licences.
It's the first question almost everyone asks, and the honest answer is: it depends on what you need it to do. But that doesn't mean it's unknowable. A custom CRM's price is driven by a handful of predictable factors, and once you understand them you can budget with confidence and compare it fairly against off-the-shelf licences.
Typical price ranges
These are the ranges we work to at CRM Lab. Other UK developers will vary, but the shape is similar across the market:
| What you're building | Typical starting price | Typical timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Single module (e.g. pipeline & quoting) | £4,900+ | 3–5 weeks |
| Core system (CRM + one operational module + integrations) | £12,000+ | 6–12 weeks |
| Full platform (CRM + ERP + finance + portals) | £35,000+ | 3–6 months, in phases |
| AI agents added to an existing system | £1,900+ | 1–3 weeks |
Prices exclude VAT. Every project is quoted in writing after a free audit.
What drives the cost
- Number of modules. Sales pipeline, quoting, jobs, stock, invoicing and portals each add scope.
- Complexity of your rules. Simple approvals are quick; multi-level pricing, territories or compliance rules take longer.
- Integrations. Connecting to accounting (Xero, Sage, QuickBooks), payments, email, telephony or e-commerce. Well-documented APIs are faster.
- Data migration. Clean data from one source is straightforward; years of messy spreadsheets across several tools take more work.
- AI features. Drafting, summarising and chasing are now relatively quick to add; bespoke forecasting on your data takes more.
- Users and roles. It isn't the number of users that matters (there are no per-seat fees), but how many different roles need different screens and permissions.
Comparing with off-the-shelf licences
Off-the-shelf CRMs look cheaper up front because you pay monthly. To compare fairly, look at the total cost over 3–5 years: licences for every user, higher tiers for the features you need, paid add-ons, integration apps, and consultant time to configure it.
A custom system is mostly a one-off cost, plus optional hosting and support. It doesn't grow when you hire. For a small team using basic features, off-the-shelf is often the better deal. The balance tips toward custom as teams grow, as you need more of the platform, or when the tool forces expensive workarounds.
Our 5-year cost comparison guide walks through an illustrative example step by step.
Ongoing costs to budget for
- Hosting: usually modest for SME systems; we include it in support plans.
- Support and improvements: a flat monthly plan (ours start from £495/month) covering monitoring, fixes and new features.
- AI usage: if your system uses AI models, there's a small usage cost that scales with how much you use it.
How to get an accurate number
The fastest route is a short discovery conversation. We map your current tools, processes and costs, then give you a written scope and fixed price. The price only changes if you change the scope.
Want a real number for your business? Book a free 30-minute systems audit.