"How much does a CRM cost?" is every owner's first question, and the most honest answer is "it depends on the task". But "it depends" doesn't help you plan a budget, so in this article we share real numbers from our own practice: what costs what, what the price consists of, and where you can save without hurting the result.
Two budget components: licences and implementation
Licences — the monthly fee paid to the vendor for using the system. A permanent operating expense.
Implementation — the integrator's one-time work: configuring the system for your processes, integrations, data migration, team training.
Licence costs (2026)
| System | Per user | Team of 10 |
|---|---|---|
| Planfix | ≈$5/mo (free plan up to 5 users) | ≈$50/mo |
| KeyCRM | ≈$19/mo | ≈$190/mo |
| monday.com | ≈$9-19/mo + CRM product billed separately | from ≈$200/mo |
Tip: calculate licences over 3 years. A $150/month difference between systems is $5,400 over three years — often more than the implementation itself.
Implementation cost: three typical scenarios
Scenario 1: Express start — 15,000-25,000 UAH
For small businesses and startups that need order in their sales. Includes: sales process audit, basic system setup, a pipeline of up to 7 stages, main channels connected (website, Instagram, telephony), training for up to 5 people. Timeline — 1-2 weeks. Our typical package at this level is the Express CRM Start at 15,000 UAH (details on the services page).
Scenario 2: Standard project with integrations — 40,000-80,000 UAH
For a running business with an accounting system and several sales channels. On top of the express scope: accounting integration (BAS/1C — products, stock, sales), Nova Poshta, fiscal receipts, payment systems, n8n automations, history migration from the previous system. Timeline — 3-6 weeks. For reference: a KeyCRM implementation for an online store with two-way BAS exchange and delivery automation costs around 56,000 UAH.
Scenario 3: Complex automation — 100,000+ UAH
For companies with non-standard processes: manufacturing, multi-stage sales, several departments with their own workflows, AI agents processing communications. This is no longer "CRM setup" but building the operating system of a business. Timeline — 2-4 months, scoped after a detailed audit. An example of this level — AI-COO: the artificial operations director.
Hidden costs people forget
Post-launch support. A CRM is not "set and forget": processes change, APIs update, new tasks appear. Budget 10-20% of the implementation cost per year. Ours are support plans from 5,000 UAH/mo.
Your team's time. The most expensive hidden cost is sabotage. If managers don't work in the system, the implementation money is fully lost. That is why training and an adaptation period are part of the project, not an option.
Post-launch adjustments. The first 2-4 weeks of real work always reveal things to tune. A decent integrator includes this period in the project — clarify it before signing.
How to save without hurting the result
1. Start smaller. It is better to launch a 20,000 UAH base block and add integrations in stages than to freeze 100,000 in a project that goes live in six months.
2. Don't pay for features "for growth". Modules nobody uses aren't just useless — they complicate the system and the training.
3. Pick the system for the task, not the advertising. Half of all overpayment is an expensive system where one twice as cheap would do. See how to choose a CRM and Planfix vs monday.com.
4. Estimate in advance. Our cost calculator gives a ballpark in 2 minutes, and the free audit — a precise estimate for your case.
Conclusion
A realistic CRM project budget for Ukrainian SMB in 2026: 15,000-25,000 UAH for a quick start, 40,000-80,000 UAH for a project with integrations, from 100,000 UAH for complex automation — plus licences from $5 to $20 per user per month. The main rule: the implementation price should follow the task you are solving, not the integrator's price list.