CRM and ERP system cost 2026: licences, setup, integration
What a CRM costs, what an ERP costs and what linking them costs: per-user licences, implementation, CRM-ERP integration and custom CRM, with a worked example.
The cost of a CRM or ERP system has three parts: licences (for off-the-shelf software), implementation (setup, data migration, training) and integrations with your other tools. For a small company, the first year of an off-the-shelf CRM connected to an existing ERP usually runs €10,000-€20,000; a new ERP rollout or a custom CRM takes it to €25,000-€60,000. Below, CRM cost, ERP cost and the cost of connecting them are split out.
If you’re not sure what an ERP actually is or how it differs from a CRM, start with what is an ERP system.
Quick answer
- CRM licence: roughly €15-€100 per user per month (public price lists, October 2026).
- ERP licence: roughly €25-€100 per user per month for cloud ERP.
- CRM implementation: €2,000-€10,000; ERP implementation: €10,000-€50,000+.
- CRM-ERP integration: €5,000-€20,000, depending on the number of data flows.
- Custom CRM: €20,000-€60,000; custom ERP: from €50,000 up.
CRM cost vs ERP cost
| Item | CRM | ERP |
|---|---|---|
| Off-the-shelf SaaS, licence per user/month | €15-€100 | €25-€100 |
| Implementation (setup, migration, training) | €2,000-€10,000 | €10,000-€50,000+ |
| Custom build | €20,000-€60,000 | €50,000-€150,000+ |
| Yearly maintenance of a custom system | 10-20 % of build cost | 10-20 % of build cost |
The ranges are our estimate for the Croatian market in 2026. For reference, vendor list prices checked on 10 October 2026 (annual billing, excluding VAT; prices for your country may differ):
- Pipedrive: US$14-$79 per user per month (pipedrive.com/pricing).
- HubSpot Sales Hub Professional: US$90 per user per month plus a required one-time US$1,500 onboarding fee (hubspot.com/pricing/sales).
- Odoo: Standard US$31.10, Custom US$61.00 per user per month, discounted in the first year (odoo.com/pricing).
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central: Essentials €69.30, Premium €95.30 per user per month (German price list, microsoft.com).
Croatian ERPs such as Pantheon and Minimax price by package and module, so ask for a quote. Their edge is that VAT, fiskalizacija and eRačun are already covered, which foreign SaaS rarely does without add-ons.
CRM-ERP integration: what syncs and what it costs
When the CRM and ERP don’t talk, sales retypes quotes as orders, and nobody in sales sees who is late paying. An integration typically syncs:
- customers (VAT ID, addresses, contacts) in both directions,
- quotes to orders - an accepted quote in the CRM becomes an order in the ERP,
- price lists and discounts from the ERP into the CRM,
- outstanding balances and open invoices from the ERP into the CRM, so sales knows before the next quote.
The cost depends on the number of data flows, whether the ERP has a documented API (Business Central and Odoo do; older on-premise systems often don’t), sync direction and data quality. One one-way flow is about a week of work; four two-way flows with error handling take 4-8 weeks. We cover the mechanics in ERP integrations (SAP, Dynamics, Pantheon) and how API integrations work.
Example: first year for a 15-person company
An illustrative calculation, not a quote. Assumptions: 15 employees, 10 of them CRM users, an ERP already in place, a licence of €40 per user per month (roughly Pipedrive Growth, US$39).
| Item | Off-the-shelf CRM (SaaS) | Custom CRM |
|---|---|---|
| Licences (10 × €40 × 12) | €4,800 | - |
| Setup and migration | €3,000 | €30,000 (build) |
| ERP integration | €8,000 | included in build |
| Training | €1,500 | €1,500 |
| Hosting and maintenance | - | €3,000 |
| First year | €17,300 | €34,500 |
| Each following year | about €5,800 (licences + integration upkeep) | about €3,000 |
The first-year gap is €17,200, and the custom system saves about €2,800 a year, so it only breaks even after roughly six years. For 10 users and a standard sales process, off-the-shelf is the rational choice. The maths flips at 30+ users on pricier tiers (30 × €90 × 12 = €32,400 a year in licences alone) or when your process doesn’t fit an off-the-shelf tool.
Custom CRM: when building one makes sense
The rule from custom software vs SaaS: off-the-shelf wins when it covers 80 %+ of your needs; custom wins when coverage drops below 70 % or the process is part of your edge. For CRM, that usually means B2B sales with contracted prices per customer, quotes that depend on stock and production, field sales with a mobile app, or a CRM that has to be one with your web shop.
We build these through our custom development and automation services: a CRM that reads the ERP directly, generates quotes and sends payment reminders on its own.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a CRM system cost for a small business? For 5-10 users, off-the-shelf CRM licences come to roughly €1,000-€10,000 a year depending on the tier. With setup and training, the first year is usually €5,000-€15,000, before any ERP integration.
How much does an ERP system cost? Cloud ERP licences run roughly €25-€100 per user per month, and implementation starts around €10,000. Most of the cost is process analysis, data migration and training, not the licence itself.
How much does a CRM-ERP integration cost? Usually €5,000-€20,000. A single one-way flow (e.g. customers from ERP to CRM) is cheap; two-way sync of quotes, orders, prices and balances with error handling costs more, especially if the ERP has no documented API.
Can we use Excel until we roll out a CRM? You can, but 5-10 hours a week of retyping and forgotten quotes add up fast. See also when spreadsheets stop being enough.
Can we use EU funds for a CRM or ERP? It depends on the digitalisation calls open at the time. Our EU funds guide covers the programmes and conditions.
Related Articles
- ERP integrations: SAP, Dynamics and Pantheon
- How much does custom software cost in Croatia?
- Custom software vs SaaS
Thinking about a CRM/ERP project?
Book a free call. We review your processes, propose a realistic mix of SaaS and custom, and calculate your first-year cost for your number of users before you sign anything.
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