Short answer: A template store you set up yourself costs roughly $500 plus a paid theme. A custom‑designed store from a focused developer runs $1,500–$7,000. A US agency build is $8,000–$20,000, and enterprise/headless goes to $10,000–$50,000+. On top of the build, the platform (Shopify $39–$399/mo, or WooCommerce hosting), apps, and payment fees are ongoing. The right route depends on catalogue size, margin, and how much conversion and integration work you actually need.
Route 1 — Template, DIY (~$500 + theme)
A paid theme ($180–$400 one‑time), your own time, a handful of apps. Works for a small catalogue and a founder who enjoys the setup. You'll typically pay someone later to fix speed, tracking and conversion. Fine to start; not where you stay if the store grows.
Route 2 — Custom developer ($1,500–$7,000)
- $1,500–$3,000: theme customised to your brand — custom homepage, product‑page changes, brand system, essential apps.
- $3,000–$7,000: the above plus conversion work, GA4 enhanced e‑commerce, email/SMS flows, and one or two integrations (ERP, subscription, local payments).
This is the best value for most brands: agency‑quality output without the agency overhead. Fixed scope, direct contact.
Route 3 — Agency ($8,000–$20,000+)
Full team, discovery process, custom design and development, app‑stack strategy, project management. Justified when you have the revenue to support it and need the process and capacity. Hourly rates here are $75–$200.
Route 4 — Enterprise / headless ($10,000–$50,000+)
Shopify Plus with checkout extensibility, a headless (React/Next.js) storefront, ERP/3PL/PIM integrations, B2B. Only worth the cost and ongoing complexity at real scale.
Ongoing costs, whichever route
| Item | Typical |
|---|---|
| Platform | Shopify $39 / $105 / $399 per month (Plus from ~$2,300/mo); WooCommerce hosting $20–$100+/mo |
| Payment processing | ~2.9% + 30¢ (less at higher tiers) |
| Apps | $0–$500+/mo depending on the stack |
| Maintenance / care | optional, $200–$1,000/mo |
Where budget gets wasted
- Over‑apping — ten apps, each with a fee and a script, slowing the store and eating margin.
- Redesign instead of CRO — paying for a new look when the problem is speed or checkout.
- No analytics — spending on traffic with nothing measuring the funnel.
- Cheap migration — replatforming with no redirect map, losing rankings.
Key takeaways
- DIY ~$500 · custom developer $1,500–$7,000 · agency $8,000–$20,000 · enterprise $10,000–$50,000+.
- Add platform, apps and payment fees on top, every month.
- Most brands are best served by a custom developer — agency quality, no overhead.
- The common waste: too many apps, redesigns that should be CRO, and no analytics.
FAQ
What's a fair price for a small‑brand store?
Is offshore cheaper and is it safe?
Template or custom to start?
Alamin Sultan
Web developer for real estate and e‑commerce. WordPress · Next.js · MERN.