Core banking software underpins the operations of financial institutions, enabling them to manage accounts, payments, lending, compliance, and client data in real time. As banks and FinTech companies push ahead with digital transformation, scalable and cloud-capable platforms have become critical for launching new services and meeting client expectations.
For FinTech founders, choosing the right core banking system is a critical decision. However, pricing transparency remains a challenge. Vendors like Temenos rarely disclose costs publicly, leaving startups and banks to navigate lengthy sales processes before receiving concrete figures.
This article, prepared by the SDK.finance team, uses Temenos’ latest official financial results to provide an approximate benchmark of costs, helping FinTech startups, banks, and financial organisations prepare for vendor conversations with clearer expectations.
Methodology
To calculate a reasonable estimate, SDK.finance applied the following approach:
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Reviewed Temenos’ reported Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) in 2024.
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Used the company’s stated number of active clients worldwide.
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Calculated the average annual cost per client by dividing ARR by client count.
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Considered additional context from FinTech community discussions, press releases, and industry commentary.
Disclaimer:
The pricing figures in this article are approximate and based on financial data made publicly available by Temenos and industry sources. They are intended solely as an indicative benchmark to help financial institutions and startups prepare for vendor discussions. Actual costs may vary significantly depending on project scope, licensing terms, deployment model, and regional considerations.
Source: Temenos Annual Report and Accounts 2024
About Temenos
Temenos AG, headquartered in Switzerland, is one of the largest global providers of enterprise banking software. Its portfolio spans core banking, digital front-office, payments, fund administration, and risk and compliance solutions.
With decades of experience, Temenos stands as a giant in the core banking market. Its long history and global footprint underline the company’s ability to deliver stable, large-scale solutions that support some of the world’s leading financial institutions.
Temenos Banking Platform
Key financial and business highlights, 2024:
- Total revenue: USD 1,044.1 million, up 4% year-on-year.
- Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR): Grew 10% to USD 804 million.
- Client base: around 1,550 institutions globally (950 core banking clients and 600 digital clients).
- SaaS revenue grew: 9%; subscription revenue up 21%.
Temenos has shifted strongly toward SaaS and subscription-based licensing, making it one of the largest SaaS vendors in banking software.
Cost estimation
To provide a clearer picture of Temenos pricing, SDK.finance analysed the company’s reported Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) and client base to approximate the average annual cost per customer.
The estimated price of an annual Temenos software license is:
$804,000,000 ÷ 1,550 = $518,065 per client annually
| Year | ARR (million USD) | Estimated Clients | Approx. Average Annual Cost per Client (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 804 | 1,550 | $518,065 |
Alternative pricing insights
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Entry-level contracts are often cited in the $150,000–$250,000 per year range for mid-market banks. Given that the average annual license fee is around $500,000, this suggests that while smaller contracts start at $150,000, larger enterprises can pay up to $1 million per year. In other words, the pricing spread across the market is relatively consistent.
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Licensing models are evolving, with SaaS and subscription terms replacing traditional perpetual licences.
Temenos is a giant in the core banking market, but it’s not the only option available. Beyond Temenos, there are alternative solutions designed to deliver faster time to market, simplified licensing, and rapid knowledge transfer for your team when acquiring a source code license. One such alternative is the SDK.finance platform.
About SDK.finance
SDK.finance is a white-label FinTech platform that provides the full technology stack for launching digital financial products quickly. The platform includes:
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Core engine with 60+ modules and a ledger-based foundation.
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470+ API endpoints for extensive integration and customisation.
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Pre-built interfaces: Web, iOS, and Android apps are included, so there’s no need to start from scratch.
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Backoffice for operational teams and merchant portals for business clients.
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Deployment flexibility: available as a subscription (cloud-based) or a source code licence (with full ownership and unlimited customisation).
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Scalable performance: over 2,700 transactions per second on baseline hardware.
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Compliance: PCI DSS Level 1 and ISO 27001:2022 certified.
SDK.finance serves banks, FinTechs, PSPs, EMIs, and enterprises expanding into financial services, offering transparent pricing and full control over technology.
Conclusion
Temenos remains a global leader in core banking software with thousands of clients and a growing SaaS business. Based on its 2024 financial results, the average customer spend is estimated at around $500,000 per year. This benchmark helps FinTechs and banks frame their budgeting, though direct vendor engagement is necessary for precise quotes.
For institutions seeking transparency, faster go-to-market, and pre-built apps included out of the box, SDK.finance provides an alternative to enterprise vendors like Temenos, combining modular flexibility with clear pricing and full ownership options.
