How Much Does a Custom ERP System Cost in 2026?
In 2026, a custom ERP system in Bulgaria typically costs from around 15 000 to over 100 000 euros excluding DDS. A small system for inventory, sales and invoicing falls at the lower end, while a solution with manufacturing, mobile teams, multiple integrations and complex roles can exceed 100 000 euros. The exact price is not determined by the number of screens, but by the processes, data, integrations and responsibility assigned to the system.
A fixed price without a clearly defined scope is a warning sign. Two quotes labelled “ERP system” may describe completely different projects: ready-made business software with a few configurations, or a new platform that manages requests, inventory, deliveries, manufacturing, invoicing and field operations.
What Are Realistic Price Ranges?
The following table provides a guideline for a project with web access, a database, roles, implementation and basic training. The amounts exclude DDS. Hosting, third-party service licences and monthly support are usually calculated separately.
| Solution type | Estimated budget | What it usually includes |
|---|---|---|
| Configured ready-made software | 3 000–15 000 euros | Core modules, configuration, data import and limited training |
| Small custom ERP system | 15 000–35 000 euros | Customers, quotes, sales, inventory, invoices, roles and management reports |
| Mid-sized custom ERP project | 35 000–80 000 euros | Multiple warehouses, deliveries, mobile access, API integrations, migration and phased implementation |
| Complex ERP platform | 80 000–150 000+ euros | Manufacturing, field operations, GPS, customer portal, multiple systems, automations and customised reports |
The range is affected most significantly by the number of processes and the exceptions within them. If an order follows different rules depending on the customer, warehouse, product, region or team, analysis and development become more expensive. The same applies to integrations that need to handle errors, duplicate documents and interrupted connections.
What Determines the Cost of an ERP System?
The System Scope and Roles
A system used only by the manager is simpler than one where a sales representative creates a quote, a warehouse employee confirms availability, a supplier receives a task, an accountant issues an invoice and the customer views their status in a portal. Each participant has different permissions, screens and actions.
Describe not only the departments, but also the decisions people make. For example: who approves a discount, when stock is reserved, who can edit an invoice and what happens in the event of a partial delivery. These rules are the actual scope of the ERP project.
Modules and Custom Logic
The core modules are customers, suppliers, products, quotes, orders, inventory, invoices, payments and reports. The price increases with serial numbers, batches, expiry dates, multiple units of measure, commissions, contracts, subscriptions or cost allocation.
The difference in scope is clear in real-world solutions. LiftexPro includes inspection planning, building management, a mobile app for technicians and automated invoicing. In Ekovat, requests, work orders and inventory are complemented by fleet management, field operations and AI document recognition. This is not the same project as an ERP system for a retailer with a single warehouse.
Integrations and API Connections
Integrating with an online store, courier, payment provider, accounting software, bank statements, telephony system or external catalogue is not simply “one button”. You need to define which system is the source of truth for the product, availability, customer, order and payment.
Allow for error handling as well. What happens if the courier returns a different status, a product is out of stock, or an order is sent twice? The API integrations project should include logs, notifications and a way to resend data—not just the initial connection.
Data migration
Migrating from Excel, an old ERP system or accounting software is often underestimated. The data may contain different names for the same customer, duplicate items, missing EIK numbers, inconsistent units of measurement and old records with no clear history.
The cost depends on the number of sources, data volume, cleaning requirements and the need for validation. Run a test migration with real data before the final transfer. The old system's archive should remain accessible until the new reports have been verified.
Mobile access and field work
Mobile access can mean a responsive web system or a separate app. For a warehouse, a phone with a barcode scanner may be enough. A technician or field salesperson may need photos, geolocation, signatures, offline work and synchronisation once the connection is restored.
These requirements affect the architecture, testing and maintenance. There is no point paying for an app if the team works only from the office. But if work orders are completed on-site, mobile access is often a core part of the ERP system's value.
Training, implementation and support
Development is complete when the system works technically. Implementation is complete when the team has actually stopped maintaining parallel spreadsheets. Include configuration for real-life scenarios, role-based training, a supported working period and adjustments after the first operations in the budget.
Monthly support usually covers monitoring, backups, updates, bug fixes and a set number of hours for changes. As a guideline, set aside 10–20% of the annual development cost for maintenance and further development. The exact model depends on the SLA, working hours and number of external services.
When is off-the-shelf business software the better choice?
An off-the-shelf solution is sufficient when your processes are standard: customers, quotes, invoices, tasks, inventory and basic reports. If you can change the way you work without losing an important competitive advantage, an off-the-shelf product is usually faster and cheaper.
For orientation, you can look at a demo of a general-purpose ERP with contacts, projects, tasks, invoices, a calendar and reports. Demos of software for manufacturing, transport and service operations show why vertical logic differs: manufacturing involves recipes and batches, while transport involves trips, drivers, vehicles, routes and costs.
Choose business software if the main problem is scattered information but you do not need many custom rules. A custom ERP makes sense when an off-the-shelf product forces the team to work around the system using Excel, manual emails and duplicate data entry.
When is automation or CRM integration enough?
Not every problem requires a new ERP. If you already have inventory and accounting systems but salespeople are losing leads, a CRM integrated with inventory and invoicing may be enough. If employees only copy data between two products, API automation may solve the problem on a smaller budget.
Saitami ERP, for example, brings CRM, ticketing, SIP telephony, AI emails and automations together in one environment. For another business, it may make more sense to keep the existing ERP system and add a portal, mobile module or integration. The solution should address the specific problem, not follow the trend of a “new platform”.
How should you describe your processes before requesting a quote?
The best starting point for a quote is a short but specific document. You do not need to know the technical terminology. Describe how you work now, where time is lost and what outcome the system should deliver.
- 01Describe one real process from start to finish
For example, choose “enquiry to delivery”. Record who receives the request, how a quote is prepared, how inventory is checked, who approves it, how the order is placed with a supplier and when the invoice is issued.
- 02List roles, entities and exceptions
List the employees, warehouses, vehicles, customer portals and rules for refusals, partial deliveries, claims or overdue payments.
- 03Prepare sample documents and data
Provide anonymised Excel files, invoices, quotes, inventory lists and reports. Note which fields are mandatory and which data must remain in the history.
- 04Separate the first phase from later wish-list items
The first version should solve the most costly problem. Additional dashboards, AI features, a mobile app or a customer portal can be added in a second phase if they are not needed at launch.
- 05Request a comparable quote
Request pricing by module, hours or phases, along with timelines, acceptance criteria, migration, training, hosting, licences, support and ownership of the code and data.
How do you compare two ERP quotes?
Compare outcomes, not the number of features in the presentation. The quote should state what a specific employee will be able to do in a specific process. “Inventory module” is not a sufficient description if it is unclear whether it includes reservations, transfers, stocktaking, barcodes and batch tracking.
Check whether the price includes analysis, UX and prototyping, development, testing, migration, implementation and training. Ask how much a change in requirements costs, how phases are accepted and who supports the system after the warranty period.
The anonymised ERP case study for inventory, sales and deliveries shows the practical impact of unified information on inventory, quotes, sales, deliveries, invoicing, roles and management reports. It is a good comparison model: not “how many menus does the system have?”, but how much manual data transfer is eliminated.
What budget should you plan for your company?
For a small distributor with one warehouse, sales, invoicing and a few roles, start with a budget of around 15 000–35 000 euros. With multiple warehouses, CRM, delivery operations, mobile access and integrations, plan for approximately 35 000–80 000 euros. Manufacturing, field operations, GPS, a customer portal and complex automation usually require 80 000 euros and up.
Add a contingency to your budget for unknowns that emerge during analysis. Not because the developer should have spare budget, but because legacy data, external APIs and real-world exceptions often only become apparent during the review. For a specific estimate, you can start with a free audit that documents your current process and the most costly manual task.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an ERP system cost for a small business?
- As a guide, 15 000–35 000 euros excluding DDS for a custom ERP with core modules such as customers, sales, inventory, invoicing and roles. Off-the-shelf business software may cost less if your processes are standard.
- How long does it take to build a custom ERP system?
- A smaller system is usually developed and implemented in stages over a few months. More complex solutions involving manufacturing, migration, mobile apps and numerous integrations require a longer timeframe, determined after analysis.
- What is not included in the price of an ERP system?
- Hosting, third-party service licences, SMS, telephony, payment providers, additional integrations and monthly support are often charged separately. Data migration, training and implementation should also be explicitly included in the proposal.
- Is an off-the-shelf ERP or a custom ERP better for a small business?
- Off-the-shelf software is the more sensible choice for standard processes and a limited budget. A custom ERP makes sense when manual workarounds, Excel spreadsheets and specialised operations are already costing more than investing in your own system.
