Ecommerce website cost starts with the build: $500 to $5,000 with us, on Shopify or in custom code, depending mostly on the number of products, the design and the features the store needs. After launch, a store has running costs that a brochure site doesn’t: a platform plan, payment processing fees on every sale, and often paid apps. Published agency guides put e-commerce builds much higher; DesignStudioUIUX’s 2026 guide gives $15,000 to $40,000 and up.
This guide separates the one-off build from the monthly costs, explains what moves each, and helps you choose a platform.
Ecommerce website cost: the build
| Store | What it usually covers | Our price |
|---|---|---|
| Starter store | A theme set up for your brand, up to a few dozen products, payments and shipping configured | Lower end of $500 to $5,000 |
| Custom store | A custom design, product and collection templates, filters, reviews, email capture | Middle of the range |
| Larger store | Hundreds of products or many variants, custom features, integrations with stock or accounting tools, migration from another platform | Upper end of the range, or quoted separately for very large catalogues |
What moves the build price
Product count and variants. Ten products are entered by hand in an afternoon. A thousand products with sizes and colours need an import, checked and cleaned.
Product data quality. Good photos and descriptions save time. Writing descriptions or editing photos is extra work.
Design. A well-chosen theme with your branding costs less than a fully custom design. Custom design makes sense when the brand depends on it.
Shipping and tax rules. Selling in one country with flat shipping is simple. Selling across borders with different rates, duties and tax rules needs careful setup and testing.
Features beyond the platform. Subscriptions, bundles, product configurators, wholesale pricing and B2B accounts usually need apps or custom code.
Migration. Moving from another platform means moving products, customers and order history, and redirecting old product URLs so search traffic follows.
Monthly and per-sale costs
| Cost | How it is charged | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Platform plan | Monthly or yearly (Shopify, BigCommerce), or hosting for self-hosted stores (WooCommerce) | Current prices on the platform’s own pricing page |
| Payment processing | A percentage plus a fixed fee per transaction | Your payment provider’s rates for your country |
| Apps and plugins | Monthly or yearly per app | Add up every app before launch; they grow quietly |
| Theme licence | Usually one-off for a premium theme | Licence terms for updates |
| Maintenance | Monthly | WebsiteSetup puts e-commerce maintenance at $500 to $2,500 a month; our management plans start at $50 a month for smaller stores. See website maintenance cost |
Platform and payment prices change often, so check them on the provider’s site when you plan, rather than relying on any article, including this one.
Shopify, WooCommerce or custom?
Shopify suits most small and mid-size stores: hosting, security and checkout are handled for you, and apps cover most features. You pay a monthly plan and, depending on how you take payments, transaction fees.
WooCommerce runs on WordPress. It suits stores that also publish a lot of content, or that need control over hosting and data. You manage updates and security, or pay someone to.
Custom code suits stores with needs the platforms handle badly, such as complex product configuration or unusual checkout flows. It costs more to build and maintain, so it needs a clear reason.
Our e-commerce and Shopify page explains how we approach each.
Costs people forget
- Product photography. Often the biggest driver of whether a store sells.
- Writing product descriptions. Copying the manufacturer’s text hurts search and sales.
- Email marketing tools. Most stores need one within months.
- Returns and customer service. Not a website cost, but the site should make them easy.
- Legal pages. Terms, returns, privacy and cookie consent, which matter more when you sell to the UK and EU. See our GDPR website checklist.
How to budget
- Count your products and variants, and decide who prepares the data
- List the features you need on day one, and those that can wait
- Pick a platform, then add up its plan, payment fees at your expected sales, and the apps you need
- Get a build quote for the day-one list
- Keep a little budget for the first months after launch, when real customers show what needs changing
Questions people ask
Can I start with a cheap store and grow? Yes. Many stores launch on a theme and invest in design once sales prove the products.
Is Shopify cheaper than WooCommerce? It depends on your apps, hosting and who maintains WooCommerce. Shopify’s monthly cost is more predictable; WooCommerce’s software is free but the upkeep isn’t.
How long does a store take to build? A starter store can launch in a few weeks. Larger stores take longer, mostly because of product data.
Before you choose who builds it, read how to choose a Shopify agency, and use our website RFP template to brief them. For our prices across all project types, see the pricing page.