Build vs. buy: 3-year cost calculator

Assumptions, stated plainly

• Published prices are list prices from vendor pages (verified Oct 16, 2026), before tax and discounts. "From" or "starting at" prices are minimums; real quotes often rise with database size.123456
• AI tool and hosting prices come from each vendor's pricing page.789101112131415 Usage beyond included credits or quotas is not modeled.
• Hours and hourly value are your estimates. Defaults marked "example" are placeholders, not research findings. We found no reliable benchmark for custom-CRM build or maintenance hours.
• Payment processing on the build side uses Stripe's standard 2.9% + 30¢ per successful domestic card transaction.16 Eligible nonprofits can request a discount, but Stripe doesn't publish that rate on its nonprofit page.17 Number of transactions = donations ÷ average gift.
• Not included: the cost of a data breach, downtime, or a rebuild when the builder leaves. These risks fall mostly on the build side; see the guide.