How much does an intranet or community platform cost?
Most platforms charge per user, some charge per community, and open-source software is free to install but not free to run. This page puts published prices side by side, dated and sourced, and works out what 50, 250 and 1,000 people cost.
Monthly cost by number of people
| Platform and plan | 50 people | 250 people | 1,000 people | Pricing model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 Business Basic (Teams, Viva Engage core) | $350 | $1,750 | — | Per user, billed yearly; Business plans stop at 300 users |
| Microsoft Teams Essentials | $200 | $1,000 | — | Per user, billed yearly; chat and meetings only |
| Slack Pro | €337.50 | €1,687.50 | €6,750 | Per active user, billed annually (EU prices) |
| Slack Business+ (SAML sign-in) | €750 | €3,750 | €15,000 | Per active user, billed annually (EU prices) |
| eXo Hubs Gold | €300 | €1,500 | €6,000 | Per user |
| Circle Professional | $89 | $89 | $89 | Flat, billed annually, plus 2% on payments |
| Mighty Networks Launch | $79 | $79 | $79 | Flat, billed yearly, plus 2% on payments |
| Discourse Pro (hosted forum) | $100 | $100 | $100 | Flat, 500k page views and 20 GB |
| CUZY Team (hosted HumHub) | €90 | €90 | €90 | Flat, monthly billing; €900 a year |
| CUZY Business (hosted HumHub) | €450 | €450 | €450 | Flat, monthly billing; €4,500 a year |
| HumHub Professional Edition, SaaS | €180 | €485 | Quote | Per user tier: license (€144 for 50, €388 for 300 users) plus 25% for SaaS, monthly billing; custom quote from 1,000 users |
Each vendor's price is quoted in the currency it publishes. A dash means the plan does not accept that many users. Per-user totals are the published unit price multiplied by the number of people; flat prices apply to any number of members. Transaction fees, storage add-ons and taxes are extra where they apply. See each vendor's page before deciding: prices change.
The costs a price list does not show
- People who are not employees. Volunteers, parents, alumni or partners need a seat too on a per-user tool, or stay outside.
- Transaction fees. Creator platforms keep 0.5% to 2% of the memberships and tickets you sell, on top of the payment processor.
- The tier you actually need. Single sign-on, APIs or data residency are often reserved for a higher tier: SAML on Slack starts with Business+, SSO on Mighty Networks with Growth, custom SSO on Circle with Circle Plus.
- Setup and training. Onboarding packages or consultants, if the vendor or your team cannot do it.
- Leaving. A platform whose data cannot be exported costs a migration project the day you change.
What self-hosting open-source software really costs
HumHub, Discourse, Nextcloud or Mattermost cost nothing to license. A small virtual server costs a few euros a month. The rest is time: installing and securing the server, applying every update, configuring email so notifications do not land in spam, making and testing backups, and being reachable when it fails. Managed vs self-hosted HumHub lists that work task by task.
How to compare offers fairly
- Count everyone who should be on the platform in two years, not today.
- List the features you need (single sign-on, mobile app, data location, export) and price the tier that has them.
- Add fees, add-ons and setup.
- Ask what leaving costs: can you export everything, in a format that runs elsewhere?
CUZY's prices are on the pricing page: Team €90/month or €900/year, Business €450/month or €4,500/year, unlimited members, 14-day free trial, discount for registered non-profits on request.
Questions
How much does an intranet cost per user?
Per-user products typically cost between about $4 and $15 per user and per month in 2026 (Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Slack Pro and Business+, Viva Engage add-ons). Flat-priced platforms such as hosted HumHub cost the same whatever the number of users, so the price per user falls as the organization grows.
Is self-hosting an open-source intranet cheaper?
The license is free and a small server costs little, but the real cost is the time spent on updates, backups, security and support. For an organization without an IT team, a managed host is usually cheaper than the hours self-hosting takes.
What does CUZY Hosting cost?
Team costs €90/month or €900/year and Business €450/month or €4,500/year, VAT excluded, with unlimited members and a 14-day free trial.