A KPI dashboard is a single screen showing the key performance indicators of a business, refreshed automatically from systems such as accounting software, a CRM and a webshop. VirtuoLab, a software agency in Papendrecht, builds KPI dashboards with Power BI from Microsoft, Looker Studio from Google or custom React code. First, a Starter dashboard connects 1 to 2 data sources and shows 5 to 10 KPIs for €2,500 to €5,000. Second, a Professional dashboard with 3 to 6 sources, user roles and alerts costs €5,000 to €12,500. Finally, a Custom React build, for example inside a client portal, starts at €12,500 and can pass €35,000. All prices are indicative for 2026, and the exact price follows a free intake call. According to Microsoft Learn, a Power BI model on shared capacity can refresh up to 8 times per day.
What is a KPI dashboard?
A KPI dashboard is a visual overview of the key performance indicators of an organisation, shown on one screen and refreshed automatically. KPI stands for key performance indicator: a measurable value showing whether a goal is on track. Typical KPIs are revenue, gross margin, conversion rate, stock level and outstanding invoices.
The value of a dashboard comes from two things. First, the dashboard pulls the figures straight from Exact Online, HubSpot or Shopify through an API or with Power Query, so nobody copies numbers into Excel anymore. Second, finance, sales and management see the same figure, at the same moment. A good dashboard answers a management question within seconds: are we on target this month, and if not, where is the gap? At VirtuoLab, a Starter dashboard with 5 to 10 KPIs starts at €2,500. For example, the VirtuoBI demo on virtuolab.dev shows a 2026 sales report in the style of Microsoft Power BI, with cross-filtering, a forecast and drill-down per region.
What does a KPI dashboard cost in 2026?
A KPI dashboard from VirtuoLab costs between €2,500 and €35,000 or more in 2026, depending on the number of data sources, the user roles and the design work. All amounts are indicative; the exact price follows after a free intake call. First, a Starter dashboard connects 1 to 2 data sources and shows 5 to 10 KPIs in Power BI or Looker Studio, for €2,500 to €5,000. Second, a Professional dashboard combines 3 to 6 sources with role-based access, house style and alerts, for €5,000 to €12,500. Finally, a Custom dashboard is built with React, for example inside a client portal or an existing web app, for €12,500 to €35,000 and more.
Hosting, monitoring and further development cost €150 to €750 per month. An extra KPI after launch costs €250 to €1,500 per KPI. Power BI licences are a separate cost, because Microsoft licenses Power BI per user or per capacity. VirtuoLab agrees a fixed price before any code is written.
What determines the price?
Which data sources can a KPI dashboard connect to?
A KPI dashboard can connect to almost any system with an API, a database connection or a file export. In the Netherlands in 2026, accounting packages such as Exact Online, AFAS, Twinfield and SnelStart are common sources. Marketing data usually comes from Google Analytics 4, Google Ads and Meta Ads. Sales figures come from a CRM such as HubSpot, Salesforce or Pipedrive, and webshop data from Shopify or WooCommerce.
In practice, the data model matters more than the connector. VirtuoLab first combines all sources in one model and gives every KPI one fixed definition. Revenue then means the same in the finance view as in the sales view. A Starter dashboard connects 1 to 2 sources, a Professional dashboard 3 to 6. A sound connection uses read-only access, so the dashboard can never change data in the source system. When a system has no API, a scheduled CSV or Excel export via SharePoint is a workable fallback.
Power BI, Looker Studio or a custom dashboard: which fits?
Power BI is usually the best fit for internal reporting in a Microsoft environment, Looker Studio for quick marketing dashboards, and a custom React dashboard for anything clients will see. First, Power BI from Microsoft handles complex data models and DAX calculations well. According to Microsoft Learn, a semantic model on shared capacity refreshes on a schedule up to 8 times per day, and up to 48 times per day on Premium, PPU or Fabric capacity. Sharing reports requires a Power BI Pro licence per user, unless the content sits in Premium capacity or in a Fabric capacity of at least F64.
Second, Looker Studio from Google, now renamed Data Studio, is a no-cost tool with easy connections to Google Analytics and Google Ads. Finally, a custom dashboard built with React and Next.js gives full control over design, login and embedding in an existing app. For example, a SaaS company showing usage figures to its own customers usually needs the custom route.
How does VirtuoLab build a KPI dashboard?
VirtuoLab builds a KPI dashboard in four steps: intake and scope, design and validation, building and testing, and launch and support. Step 1 is a free intake call in which VirtuoLab maps which decisions the dashboard must support. Step 2 turns those decisions into KPI definitions and a mock-up, which you approve before any connection is built. Step 3 connects the data sources and builds the data model with Power Query and DAX from Microsoft or with PostgreSQL.
Short sprints end with a demo, so you see the dashboard grow. Finally, Step 4 is the launch, with a short training for the users. New KPIs or sources can be added afterwards, for example a Google Ads source once the finance view is live in 2026. Throughout the project you speak directly with the developer who builds the dashboard, not with an account manager. The client receives a fixed price upfront and owns the code and the data after delivery.
Which KPIs belong on a dashboard?
The right KPIs are the 5 to 10 figures showing directly whether a business goal is on track. More figures turn a dashboard into a data dump nobody reads. Each KPI needs an owner, a definition, a target and a source. For example, a gross margin KPI must state whether discounts and shipping costs are included. In practice, a management dashboard in 2026 combines lagging indicators, such as revenue and margin, with leading indicators, such as pipeline value or website conversion measured with Google Analytics 4.
The sector determines the rest. An online store tracks conversion rate per channel, average order value and return rate, usually with data from Shopify or WooCommerce. A SaaS business follows MRR, churn and activation. A manufacturer watches OEE, stock turnover and supplier delivery performance. Finally, every figure on the dashboard needs a trend and a target next to the value, because a number without context answers no question. The table below gives examples per sector.
How do you keep a KPI dashboard secure and GDPR-compliant?
A secure KPI dashboard is a dashboard where every user sees only the data needed for the job, through secure connections and clear data processing agreements. Broken access control tops the OWASP Top 10 of 2025. According to OWASP, 100% of the applications tested showed some form of broken access control. First, connect to source systems with read-only access. Second, set up role-based access, so finance sees finance and sales sees sales. In Power BI, according to Microsoft Learn, row-level security restricts data access for specific users through filters defined in roles.
Third, prefer aggregated figures over personal data, because most KPIs need no names or email addresses. Additionally, decide where the data is hosted and sign a data processing agreement whenever personal data is involved. In practice, a custom dashboard built with Next.js and PostgreSQL gives full control over hosting location and login. With Power BI or Looker Studio, the data lives in the cloud of Microsoft or Google, under the terms of each provider.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly can a KPI dashboard go live?
The lead time of a KPI dashboard depends mainly on the number of data sources and the data quality inside each source. A Starter dashboard with Power BI and 1 to 2 sources goes live sooner than a Professional dashboard with 6 sources and role-based access. VirtuoLab states the planning for 2026 together with the fixed price, after the free intake call. In practice, the build is often not the slowest part. Waiting for API keys from Exact Online or Shopify, access rights and agreement on KPI definitions can take longer. Three things speed up the project. First, appoint one internal owner who collects the access details. Second, agree on the KPI definitions before the build starts. Finally, start with the source that matters most, for example Google Analytics 4. Short sprints with demos mean you see a working version early, before every source is connected.
Can we maintain the dashboard ourselves?
Yes, a Power BI or Looker Studio dashboard can be maintained in-house after a short training. Your team can then add visuals, adjust filters and build simple new KPIs without a developer. Changes to the data model or new data sources usually need more technical knowledge, such as Power Query, DAX or SQL. A custom React dashboard is different, because every change touches code. For a custom build in 2026, VirtuoLab offers hosting, monitoring and further development for a monthly fee of €150 to €750. Additionally, the client owns the code and the data, so maintenance can also move to another party later. In practice, one internal dashboard owner makes maintenance much easier. For example, a controller who knows the KPI definitions can handle small changes with Power BI from Microsoft, while larger changes go to the developer.
What does an extra KPI cost after launch?
An extra KPI after launch costs between €250 and €1,500. The price is an indication for 2026 and depends on whether the data is already available in the model. First, a new calculation on existing data, such as margin per product group in Power BI, sits at the lower end. Second, a KPI requiring a new data source, a new connection or a complex calculation, such as a cohort analysis, sits at the higher end. VirtuoLab builds dashboards in a modular way, so new KPIs fit into the existing data model without a rebuild. The exact price follows after a short look at the data and the definition. For example, adding a churn rate to a SaaS dashboard built with React is simple when subscription data is already connected. Adding cost per lead from Google Ads takes more work when Google Ads is not yet a source.
Does a KPI dashboard work on mobile?
Yes, a KPI dashboard works on a desktop, a tablet and a smartphone, although every screen size needs a dedicated layout. The approach differs per tool. First, according to Microsoft Learn, Power BI offers mobile apps for iOS and Android, with a special mobile layout for reports on phones. The mobile app also supports data alerts, which notify you when data in a dashboard moves beyond limits you set. Second, Looker Studio, now Data Studio, opens reports in the mobile browser. Finally, a custom dashboard built with React and Next.js is responsive from the start. In practice, board members in 2026 prefer a separate compact view with only the top KPIs. A phone screen has room for a handful of figures, roughly 4 to 6. So plan the mobile view during the design step, not after launch.
Do we need Power BI licences?
Yes, in most cases you need Power BI Pro licences to share a Power BI dashboard within your organisation. According to Microsoft Learn, users with a free licence can create reports for personal use, but cannot share content or collaborate with others. Pro users can share content with other Pro users. For example, a team of 10 users sharing one report in a standard workspace needs 10 Pro licences in 2026. Additionally, colleagues with a free licence can view shared content when the workspace runs on Premium capacity or Fabric F64 or higher. Premium Per User is a third option, but sharing then requires a PPU licence for every viewer. Licence costs are paid directly to Microsoft and are not part of the VirtuoLab price. Looker Studio has no licence cost, and a custom dashboard built with React needs no per-user licences.