How much does connecting two business systems cost?
Understand what affects integration scope and cost: interfaces, data, permissions, testing, subscriptions and ongoing support.
The names of two applications are a starting point for an integration estimate. The work between them determines the scope.
A connection that copies selected contact details has different requirements from one that creates invoices, handles amendments, reconciles records and supports recovery after failures.
A useful estimate explains those differences before attaching a price.
Define the work being priced
Describe the proposed workflow in business terms:
When an approved event occurs in one system, transfer these fields to the other system and make the outcome visible to this person.
Then identify the work required to support it.
| Area | Questions that affect scope |
|---|---|
| Interfaces | Are suitable connectors, APIs or imports available? |
| Data | Are records consistent, and how will existing records be matched? |
| Workflow | What starts a transfer, and what needs approval? |
| Exceptions | How are duplicates, changes and failed transfers handled? |
| Access | Which permissions, accounts and environments are needed? |
| Release | What testing, training and launch checks are required? |
| Support | Who monitors failures and maintains the connection? |
The estimate should state assumptions and unresolved questions alongside the proposed work.
Separate investigation from implementation
Before committing to a detailed build, inspect the interfaces and sample data the integration will use.
A focused assessment can establish whether the required records and actions are supported, identify mapping decisions and produce a testable description of the first workflow.
Agree what that assessment will deliver. It might include a field map, a connector assessment, a small technical trial and an implementation proposal. These are proposed deliverables to agree for an engagement, not a standard package with an assumed price.
Check product costs as well as development work
Existing subscriptions do not automatically include every integration feature.
For example, HubSpot documents subscription requirements for custom field mappings in its data-sync configuration. Check the current entitlement for the features your proposed connection needs. HubSpot’s data-sync documentation.
Ask suppliers to distinguish:
- One-off investigation and implementation.
- Software or connector subscriptions.
- Hosting and operational services.
- Ongoing maintenance and support.
- Future changes outside the initial scope.
An estimate should explain which costs are included and which would be paid separately.
A real example of scope extending beyond the screens
Sangfroid’s Project X connects voyage planning, crew, equipment and commercial records. Its documented architecture also includes separate application services, databases, private document storage and background email processing.
Those components illustrate the supporting work that can sit behind a connected application. The case study does not publish an integration price, and it would not be a sound basis for guessing what another organisation’s connection should cost. Explore the Sangfroid case study.
Make quotes comparable
Give each supplier the same workflow, sample data and acceptance requirements.
Ask what would demonstrate completion: which records must transfer, what should happen when information is missing and how failures become visible.
A useful proposal makes its boundaries clear. It identifies the deliverables, responsibilities, dependencies, exclusions and process for agreeing changes.
For an initial conversation, bring the systems involved, the repeated task and the exceptions your team encounters. That gives an estimate a concrete starting point without relying on an invented price range.