How much does an online store cost to build? It mostly depends on the number of products, the integrations you need and how much custom work is involved. A simple shop on a standard platform costs a lot less than one with its own ordering flow, stock integration and customer accounts. After launch you also pay monthly for hosting, subscriptions and payments.
In this article you will read which parts drive the price, which fixed costs to include and how to save money without your shop selling less. Want to know how the whole process works first? Read online store development.
What drives the cost of an online store?
Two online stores can look the same from the outside and still be priced very differently. These are the main price drivers:
- Design: an adapted theme is cheaper than a design fully tailored to your brand and customers.
- Number of products and variants: ten products go online quickly, while a thousand products with sizes, colours and filters need a solid structure and an import.
- Integrations: with your accounting, stock system, till, shipping partner or a marketplace. Every integration is extra work.
- Payments and shipping: standard payment methods are set up quickly. Special rules, such as delivery costs per postcode or a minimum order value, take more.
- Features: customer accounts, subscriptions, B2B pricing, multiple languages or a product configurator.
- Content: product descriptions, photos and category pages. Will you supply them yourself, or do they need to be written?
Online store costs by type
Below is a rough breakdown. The amounts are indications to show the differences, not fixed market prices. Quotes can vary a lot per agency and per project.
- Building it yourself on a platform like Shopify or WooCommerce: low start-up costs, often just a theme and your own time. You do pay a monthly subscription and often extra apps or plugins.
- Having a standard online store set up: an agency or freelancer sets up a platform with an adapted theme, your products and payment methods. Usually in the range of a few thousand euros.
- A custom online store: your own design and features, connected to your systems. More expensive to build, but with no monthly licence or app fees and fully matched to the way you work.
Not sure you need your own shop at all? Sometimes selling through a platform like bol.com is a better start. Read more in your own webshop or a marketplace.
What are the monthly costs of an online store?
The build is only part of the bill. Allow for recurring costs too. These are also indications, so always check current prices with the provider:
- Hosting and domain name: for your own shop, a fixed amount per month or year.
- Platform subscription: for hosted platforms, a monthly fee that rises with the features you need.
- Apps, plugins and theme licences: small amounts that add up fast.
- Transaction fees: for each payment you pay a fixed amount or percentage to your payment provider, depending on the payment method. More on this in integrating online payments.
- Maintenance and updates: security, backups and small changes.
- Marketing: no visitors means no sales. SEO, ads and email cost time or money.
Add these costs up over three years before you compare quotes. A cheap start with high monthly costs can end up more expensive than a bigger investment upfront.
Worked example: how to compare the total cost
An example with made-up numbers, just to show the method. Online store A costs €1,000 to build, but you pay €150 a month for the subscription and apps. Over three years that is €1,000 plus 36 times €150, so €6,400 in total. Online store B costs €4,000 to build and €50 a month for hosting. Over three years that is €5,800. The cheapest start is not the cheapest choice.
Include your own time in this comparison too. Do you have to retype every order into your accounting, or update stock every evening? Then a shop without integrations costs you hours every week. An integration that does this automatically often pays for itself. Work out how many hours a week you spend on manual work, and what an hour is worth to you.
Why are some online stores so cheap?
You will see offers for an online store for a few hundred euros. That is possible, but ask questions. Often it is a standard theme with your logo, without help with products, integrations or findability. Watch out for these pitfalls:
- You don't own the shop or the domain, or you are locked into an expensive subscription.
- Nothing is set up for SEO, so you stay invisible in Google.
- The shop works badly on mobile or loads slowly, while many customers order on their phone.
- Every small change costs extra later.
How to save on your online store costs
- Start small. Launch with your best-selling products and expand later.
- Supply good photos and product information yourself. That saves hours of work.
- Only choose integrations that really save time now. The rest can wait for a second phase.
- Make a short list of must-haves and nice-to-haves. Then you can compare quotes fairly.
- Ask for the total cost over three years, not just the build price.
- Think about findability from the start. Fixing it later costs more. Read SEO for online stores.
How much does an online store cost at Violexa?
At Violexa we build custom websites and online stores, from €1,799 excl. VAT (€2,177 incl. VAT) per project. That includes design, development, a design that works on every screen, basic SEO and Google Analytics, a CMS connection and training. Larger projects get a fixed price upfront in writing, so you are not caught out.
One example is Apple Mix Fried Chicken in Den Helder. They have their own online ordering platform with a menu in 18 categories, diet and allergen labels, a basket with delivery costs and a minimum order value, and a live 'open now' notice. A platform of your own like this suits businesses that don't want to depend on an outside platform.
After launch you can choose a maintenance plan: Silver €179 (€217 incl. VAT), Gold €299 (€362 incl. VAT) or Platinum €699 (€846 incl. VAT) per month excl. VAT.
Want to know what your online store will cost? Book a free quickscan. In 30 minutes, online or on location, we discuss your plans. Afterwards you get short written advice with a price indication, with no obligation.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an online store cost on average?
There is no fixed average, because the price depends on the number of products, integrations and custom work. A simple shop on a standard platform is cheaper than a custom online store. Always ask for the total cost over a few years, including subscriptions and transaction fees.
What are the monthly costs of an online store?
Think of hosting, a platform subscription if you use one, apps or plugins, transaction fees per payment, maintenance and marketing. With a hosted platform you pay more per month; with a custom shop more of the cost is in the build. Check the current rates of your payment provider and platform.
Is Shopify cheaper than a custom online store?
At the start, usually yes. Over several years the difference can shrink because of the monthly subscription, paid apps and transaction fees. It depends on how many features and integrations you need.
Can I have an online store built in stages?
Yes, and that is often smart. Start with the basics and your main products, and add integrations, customer accounts or extra languages later. That spreads the cost and lets you learn first what your customers really use.
