A client portal gives your customers one secure place to log in, track orders or projects, download documents, make payments and contact your team. It saves your staff time and makes your business easier to work with. But how much does it cost to build one?
Short answer: at our rate of $35 per hour, a basic client portal typically takes around 300 to 500 hours (about $10,500 to $17,500), a mid-sized portal 600 to 1,000 hours (about $21,000 to $35,000), and an advanced portal with many integrations 1,200 hours or more (from about $42,000). Your real cost depends on the features and integrations you need.
Client portal cost by type
| Portal type | Typical features | Estimated hours | Estimated cost at $35/hr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic portal | Secure login, profile, document downloads, status tracking, simple admin panel | 300-500 | $10,500-$17,500 |
| Mid-sized portal | Basic features plus ordering or booking, online payments, notifications, reports and 1-2 integrations | 600-1,000 | $21,000-$35,000 |
| Advanced portal | Multiple user roles and client accounts, approval workflows, several integrations, single sign-on, mobile app | 1,200-2,000+ | $42,000-$70,000+ |
These are planning estimates based on our own rate, not fixed prices. After a short discovery call we give you a clear estimate for your exact scope.
Common client portal features
- Secure login with multi-factor authentication
- Client accounts with several users and permissions
- Order, project or shipment status tracking
- Document upload and download (invoices, contracts, reports)
- Online payments and invoice history
- Messaging or support requests
- Notifications by email or SMS
- Dashboards and reports
- Admin panel for your team
- Integrations with your CRM, ERP, accounting or carrier systems
What drives the cost
- Integrations: connecting to existing systems (ERP, CRM, accounting, carriers, payment providers) is often the biggest cost factor.
- User roles and workflows: more roles and approval steps mean more screens, rules and testing.
- Security and compliance: healthcare, finance and legal portals need extra security work and audit trails.
- Design: a custom, branded design costs more than a simple admin-style interface.
- Mobile app: a native or Flutter app on top of the web portal adds time.
- Data migration: moving existing client data and documents into the new portal.
Ongoing costs after launch
Plan for hosting (often a modest monthly cloud bill for most portals), security updates, monitoring and small improvements. Many businesses budget a yearly maintenance amount based on how often they plan to add features. See our guide to software maintenance cost.
How to reduce the cost of a client portal
- Start with an MVP: the 3-5 features your clients use most
- Reuse proven components for login, payments and notifications
- Integrate with one key system first, then add more
- Choose a responsive web portal before building separate mobile apps
- Work with a team that has built portals before
Real example: Stallionex client portal
As part of the Stallionex courier ERP, we built a client portal where customers book and track shipments and download documents, connected to FedEx, DHL, TCS and M&P. It is live in production and used every day. Learn more about our B2B software development and digital platform development services.
Get a Free Client Portal Estimate
Frequently asked questions
At $35 per hour, a basic portal is roughly $10,500-$17,500, a mid-sized portal $21,000-$35,000 and an advanced portal from about $42,000, depending on features and integrations.
A basic portal usually takes around 2 to 3 months; larger portals with several integrations are released in phases over several months.
Off-the-shelf tools are quicker for standard needs. A custom portal is better when you need your own workflows, branding or integrations with your existing systems.
Yes. Portals can connect to ERPs, CRMs, accounting tools, carriers and payment providers through their APIs.
It should be. We use encryption, multi-factor login, role-based access and audit trails, and test security before launch.
