Client Portal Pricing: How Much Does It Cost to Build One in 2025?

Building a client portal sounds simple until you realize how fast the costs add up. From CMS setup and access control to storage, forms, and support tools, actual client portal pricing often goes well beyond the initial quote. 

Agencies spend $25,000 to $60,000 for a custom portal, which takes, on average, 6 – 12 months to build. Going with a dedicated client portal keeps you ahead of 6 – 12 months, as these are ready to take off anytime.

In this guide, you’ll get a clear breakdown of what drives the cost of a client portal, what custom components actually require, and whether it makes more sense to build your own or buy a complete solution. 

Why Client Portal Pricing Matters to Build One for Your Business?

Prebuilt client portal pricing is often misunderstood by business owners. They prefer custom client portals developed by a freelancer, rather than paying for subscriptions for an already developed tool. 

Most of the time, that custom-built solution turns into frustrations and most importantly financial loss. But when you have a clear vision of why you need a client portal, you can actually cut down on the cost by choosing the right portal meeting those needs.

Core Features Access

Building a custom client portal might seem affordable. Just hire a freelancer and get the basics like messaging or file sharing done for a few thousand dollars.

But once development starts, things change. Features like reporting, client onboarding, or branding often run behind schedule, show bugs, or get dropped entirely.

You either pay more to patch them in later, or settle for less.

Scalability

A quick MVP may work in the beginning, but as your agency grows, custom code can’t keep up. Adding new clients, users, or workflows often means rewriting major parts of the system.

That kind of scaling gets expensive very quickly.

Developed client portals come with predictable pricing, tied to users or usage. Agencies can easily plan for the long term.

Security & Access Control

Security tends to be an afterthought in custom builds. Things like role-based permissions, secure logins, or audit trails are either missing or require expensive rework.

Most client portal software includes these features by default, saving time, money, and stress.

Additional Costs

It’s not just about the hourly rate. You’ll also need to pay for hosting, domains, third-party tools, branding tweaks, and API setup.

Need support? That might cost extra too.

What starts as a $5K estimate can quickly grow to $25K or more once everything’s in place.

Long-Term Affordability

One of our clients spent over $23,000 and seven months building a custom dashboard.

Even after all that time, it still didn’t do what they needed. Tired of bugs and delays, they switched to Agency Handy.

It came with the features they actually needed, API access, and most importantly, it just worked.

Why You Shouldn’t Underestimate Client Portals: A Costly Mistake!

Many agencies skip the idea of purchasing a client portal software because they assume it’s too expensive and opt to build one. But what often happens later?

They deal with broken features, slow performance, and bug fixes that eat up time and money.

The real problem isn’t just the price tag. It’s the pieces that make up the cost.

Think about things like service management, file storage, branding, user permissions, or forms. These features shape the experience for your clients. 

But getting them to work smoothly takes time, tools, and plenty of setup. If you don’t plan it properly upfront, you’ll likely spend more later trying to fix it.

Client Portal Pricing: The Building Blocks Behind Client Portal

If you’re considering building your own portal, here are the 10 things you’ll need, and how they affect your pricing.

1. Content Management System (CMS)

At the core of any portal is your CMS. Most people go with WordPress. And it powers 43.5% of the web as of 2025.

Sure, it’s easy to set up. 

A freelancer might get it live for a few hundred dollars. But customizing it for client use is a different story. Developers now charge $45–$200/hour, and once you start tweaking themes and plugins, costs pile up fast.

And it doesn’t stop there:

• Updates break things
• Outdated plugins open up security risks
• Managed hosting (like WP Engine or Kinsta) costs $50–$400/month

You will need to consider regular WordPress maintenance tasks, such as updating WordPress and plugins, making tweaks, etc. These will take around 20 minutes per month, which is 4 hours per year. With an hourly rate of $40, the annual cost is $160.

Note: The overall client portal maintenance is different and takes more time depending on the complexity of the portal. Also, the per-hour maintenance cost is higher.

What starts cheap ends up being a long-term money and time sink.

2. Membership Control Plugin

You’ll need a plugin to manage who can see what in your portal.

Popular tools like MemberPress or WooCommerce Memberships cost between $199 and $399 per year. 

That’s just for the software. You’ll still need to configure access levels, integrate with your CMS, and make sure it works every time you add a new client.

With Agency Handy, you can manage your clients’ subscriptions easily and change to resume, hold, or cancel.

3. E-Commerce Software for Sales

Want to offer services directly through the portal? You’ll need to set up e-commerce functionality.
This includes:

• Creating service “products”
• Adding payment gateway support
• Generating tax-compliant invoices

Many plugins are made for physical products, so expect a few workarounds. Costs range from free to a few hundred dollars per year, depending on features.

4. Secure Access & Data Protection

A secure client portal cost is non-negotiable. You’ll need:

• Logins
• Two-factor authentication (2FA)
• SSL certificates
• IP restrictions

Some tools are free (like Google Authenticator), but integrating everything takes time. SSLs cost around $10/year. It’s often a hidden cost that shows up later.

5. Form Builder

Before you start client work, you need details—usually via forms. You could use email, but structured forms are faster and more reliable.

Options include:

• Typeform – $29/month
• Jotform –  $39/month
• Gravity Forms – $59/year (WordPress plugin)

You’ll need multiple forms for different services, plus logic for when and how they’re shown. It gets complex quickly.

As a multi-client portal with CRM integration, Agency Handy allows you to customize client intake and order forms.

6. Helpdesk Software and Feedback Collection

Your clients need a way to reach out with questions or updates. Without a support system, you’ll be drowning in email threads.

Tools like:

• HelpScout – $55/month
• Zendesk – $19/agent/month

These work well, but again—they’re separate from your portal, so you’ll need to make sure everything connects and stays synced.

7. Affiliate or Referral Software 

Want clients to refer others? You’ll need a referral system.
Popular tools include:

• Rewardful – $49/month
• Refersion – $39/month
• Post Affiliate Pro – $119/month

These tools are powerful, but require setup, testing, and integration. You’ll also need to link them to your payment and membership systems—or risk confusing your users.

8. Notifications and Real-Time Updates

Clients expect updates like order confirmations, status changes, and project milestones.

You’ll need:

• An email tool (like Mailgun) – $35/month for up to 50,000 emails
• A way to manage preferences (who gets what, when, and how)

Optional: Slack or push notification integrations

It sounds simple, but handling notifications across different users and scenarios adds a surprising amount of complexity.

9.  File Storage and Security

You’ll likely need to store client files, including documents, images, videos, reports.

Popular options are- 

• Google Workspace – $12.60/month (2 TB)
• OneDrive – $9.99/month (1 TB) 
• Dropbox – $9.99/month (2 TB) 

In contrast, Agency Handy has this built in—saving you hours of setup and extra monthly fees.

10. Client Onboarding System

Once a client signs up, what happens next?

With a custom build, you’ll need to:

• Create onboarding forms
• Set up instruction pages
• Handle user logins
• Track their progress manually or with more plugins

This is often where DIY systems fall apart. Clients get lost, overwhelmed, or frustrated.

With Agency Handy, you can automate the client onboarding process with intake forms, order forms, and self-checkout invoicing options.

Best Client Portals for Specific Service Needs

Based on why you would need client portal software, here’s a list of the most popular tools offering client portals you can try out.

Decision Pending: Is It Better to Buy or Build?

Not sure whether to build your own portal or go with a ready-made solution?

Here’s a quick side-by-side comparison to help you decide what makes the most sense for your agency – 

Conclusion

Building your own client portal using custom components might sound flexible, but it’s expensive and time-consuming to build.

With Agency Handy, you get everything in one place. Built-in features, secure storage, client communication, onboarding, and more—no duct tape required.

If you’re looking for a clean, professional client experience without managing 10 different tools, you can start a 7-day trial today.

FAQs

How much does a client portal cost?

A client portal costs between $250 – $1500/month, depending on features and number of users allowed. But building a client portal can cost you $25,000-$60,000, depending on the complexity of the portal and features.

How much does security impact client portal pricing?

A lot. Basic login is standard, but adding things like 2FA, encryption, or HIPAA compliance increases both setup and maintenance costs, especially in custom builds.

Can I reduce costs without losing key features?

Absolutely. Stick to essential features, avoid stacking tools, and choose software that bundles what you need. Buying a platform is often cheaper than piecing everything together.

What client portal features are included with Agency Handy?

Agency Handy comes with services, onboarding, tasks, orders, invoicing, file sharing, team chat, and white-label branding—all in one place. No tech knowledge needed.

Does user count affect client portal pricing?

Yes. Some tools charge per user, others by plan. Custom portals offer flexibility—but often at a higher cost. With software like Agency Handy, pricing stays predictable.

Can I integrate other tools in the client portal?

Yes. Most client portal software (including Agency Handy) supports integrations so your workflow stays in sync. And you won’t have to jump in between tools.