How Much Does an E-commerce Store Cost in 2026?

How much does an e-commerce store cost? Anywhere from €700 for a basic template setup to €70,000+ for a fully custom build. Most small and medium businesses in Europe launch their first proper online store somewhere between €2,000 and €12,000 - and that range holds, provided you know exactly what you’re buying.

Most agency quotes either bury critical costs in footnotes or propose a solution that’s completely mismatched to the scale of your business. This is a straight breakdown from a Polish web agency that has been building e-commerce stores for over a decade.

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Quick Answer - E-commerce Store Costs at a Glance

Before diving into platform specifics, a market-level overview (prices net of VAT, European market, May 2026):

Store Type	Development Cost	Timeline	Best For
Starter - template, up to 50 products	€700-€1,800	2-4 weeks	Artisans, startups, proof of concept
Standard - WooCommerce or Shopify	€2,000-€6,000	4-10 weeks	SMBs, 50-5,000 products
Advanced - custom design + integrations	€6,000-€15,000	2-5 months	Businesses with 5,000+ SKUs
Enterprise / headless	€15,000-€80,000+	4-12 months	High-volume, multichannel, marketplace

If someone quotes you “a full store with integrations for €400” - you’re getting a template with no configuration and no real support. If someone quotes €30,000 for a 200-product catalog - you’re paying for architecture you won’t need for the next five years.

For pricing on business websites without the e-commerce layer, see our guide on how much a website costs.

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Platform Comparison: WooCommerce vs Shopify vs PrestaShop vs Custom

Platform choice is your first and most consequential decision. How the main options stack up in 2026:

Platform	License Cost	Hosting / Month	Transaction Fee	Ease of Use	Scalability
WooCommerce	Free	€10-€50	None (0%)	Medium	Good
Shopify Basic	~€29/month	Included	2% (external payment)	High	Very good
Shopify Advanced	~€299/month	Included	0.5%	High	Very good
PrestaShop	Free	€15-€80	None	Low-medium	Good
Magento Open Source	Free	€60-€200	None	Low	Excellent
Custom headless	Own stack	€80-€400	None	Depends	Full control

Platform license is just the tip of the iceberg. Hosting, plugins, themes, integrations, and technical support can exceed the original development cost within a year.

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WooCommerce - Cost Breakdown

WooCommerce is a free WordPress plugin, which is exactly why it’s the most widely deployed e-commerce platform globally. “Free” is not the same as “cheap.”

What You Actually Pay

A complete WooCommerce store built by an agency costs €2,000-€8,000 net depending on scope. Where the money goes:

Component	Cost
Premium theme (e.g. Flatsome, Astra Pro)	€50-€150 one-time
Hosting (SiteGround, Kinsta, Cloudways)	€20-€100/month
Invoice plugin	€50-€150/year
SEO plugin (RankMath Pro)	€60-€120/year
Abandoned cart recovery	€100-€200/year
Backup solution	€50-€200/year
Email marketing plugin (Klaviyo, Mailchimp)	€0-€150/month

Annual cost of plugins and hosting alone: €800-€2,500. That’s the number that disappears from most “free platform” pitches.

When WooCommerce Makes Sense

WooCommerce is the right call when:

• You already have a WordPress site and want to add a shop
• Your catalog is 50-3,000 products with no complex variant logic
• You need full SEO and content control
• You don’t want to pay transaction fees on every sale

Above 20,000 SKUs, real-time multi-warehouse stock, or marketplace functionality, WooCommerce starts fighting itself. The plugin architecture wasn’t built for that load.

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Shopify - Cost Breakdown

Shopify is a SaaS platform - pay a monthly subscription, and Shopify handles infrastructure, security, and performance. Clean proposition, but costs escalate faster than the pricing page suggests.

Shopify Plans 2026

Plan	Monthly	Fee (Shopify Payments)	Fee (external payment)
Basic	€29	2%	2%
Shopify	€79	1%	1%
Advanced	€299	0.5%	0.5%
Plus	from €2,300	negotiated	negotiated

Transaction fees are a hidden tax on growth. A store doing €100,000/year on Basic hands Shopify €2,000 in fees - before your payment gateway takes its cut.

Development Costs for Shopify

Scope	Net Cost
Template configuration + 50 products	€700-€1,500
Custom design + basic integrations	€3,000-€7,000
Shopify Plus with ERP/WMS	€12,000-€40,000

Shopify’s visual editor - Sections Everywhere in Shopify 2.0 - is one of the best in the market. For clients who want fast go-live and zero IT headaches, the premium cost makes sense. Keep SKUs under 10,000 and avoid deep customizations, and you’re in the right territory.

Where Shopify Hurts

• Without Shopify Payments (not available in all countries), you pay a transaction fee on every sale
• Premium themes cost €150-€400 one-time
• Apps from the Shopify App Store: €5-€200+ per month each
• Getting your data out of Shopify when you want to migrate is a project in itself

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PrestaShop - Free, But Is It Cheap?

PrestaShop is open-source with roots in Paris. Popular across Western Europe, particularly France, Belgium, and Spain, it has a solid user base in Poland for stores with 1,000-50,000 SKUs.

What You Pay for PrestaShop

Component	Cost
License	Free
Hosting (VPS recommended)	€20-€100/month
Premium theme	€50-€300 one-time
Invoice module	€80-€200
Fast payment module (Stripe, PayPal)	€0-€150
Marketplace connector	€100-€300/year
Extended SEO module	€80-€200

Agency development cost: €2,000-€10,000 net depending on scope.

PrestaShop handles large catalogs with complex attribute combinations better than a basic WooCommerce setup on shared hosting. The tradeoffs are real though: the admin interface feels dated, the module ecosystem is split between PS 1.7 and PS 8.x, and PrestaShop developers are harder to find than WordPress specialists in most European markets.

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Headless / Custom - When Does It Make Sense?

Headless separates the frontend (React, Next.js, Astro) from the backend (Shopify Plus API, WooCommerce REST, BigCommerce, or a custom service layer). Custom means building your own stack from scratch - database, API, admin panel, and business logic.

When Headless Makes Business Sense

Situation	Why
Store + mobile app + POS terminal	One API, multiple frontends
Sub-second load time as a business KPI	Static SSG beats monoliths
Real-time personalization	React + custom API > WordPress hooks
100,000+ transactions per month	Monolith won’t hold, CDN-first required
Multi-vendor marketplace	Monoliths don’t have this logic natively

Headless / Custom Costs

Variant	Development Cost
Shopify Plus as backend + Next.js frontend	€15,000-€35,000
WooCommerce REST API + React frontend	€10,000-€25,000
Full custom (own API + admin panel)	€30,000-€100,000+

Headless is not a trendy buzzword - it’s an engineering decision with concrete trade-offs. We recommend it only when monolith architecture becomes a real growth blocker. For most SMBs, WooCommerce or Shopify will comfortably support the first €2-5M in annual revenue.

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Integration Costs: Payments, Inventory, Marketplaces

A store without integrations just moves manual work from one place to another. Realistic integration costs for the setups we work with most often:

Payment Gateways

Gateway	Transaction Fee	Integration Cost
Stripe	1.5% + €0.25	Free (Shopify) - €1,500 (custom)
PayPal	2.9% + fixed	Free (plugin) - €1,500
Klarna	2.5-3.9%	€500-€2,000
Mollie	1.2-1.5% + fixed	Free (WC plugin) - €1,500
BLIK (Poland)	Bundled via P24	Included in P24 integration

Marketplace Integrations

Approach	Cost	Pros
Native marketplace app	Free	Zero configuration
Baselinker / Channable	€40-€250/month	Multi-channel automation
Custom connector via REST API	€1,500-€6,000	Full control

ERP / Inventory Management

Solution	Monthly Cost	Integration Cost
Shopify + Stocky (built-in WMS)	Included	€0-€1,500 config
WooCommerce + ATUM	€0-€30	€500-€3,000
Custom WMS via Supabase/own API	€0 SaaS	€4,000-€15,000
Enterprise ERP connector (SAP, NetSuite)	€200-€800	€5,000-€30,000

Other Key Integrations

Integration	Monthly Cost	Setup Cost
Email automation (Klaviyo, Mailerlite)	€0-€500	€500-€2,500
Analytics (GA4 + GTM + Server-side)	Free	€400-€1,500
Loyalty program	€50-€400	€500-€3,000
Live chat / chatbot	€30-€150	€150-€1,000
Review platform (Trustpilot, etc.)	€50-€200	€150-€600
Google Shopping / CSS	CPC only	€300-€1,500

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Hidden Costs Nobody Tells You About

This is the section most quotes leave out. We regularly work with clients who came to us after a “cheap build” that cost more in add-ons than the original project.

1. Product Content

Product photography and copywriting are not optional - they’re the difference between a store that converts and one that doesn’t.

Scope	Cost
Photo shoot - 50 products (studio)	€700-€2,000
Copywriting - 100 product descriptions	€700-€2,500
Importing and mapping 1,000+ SKUs	€500-€2,000

2. Legal and Compliance

• SSL certificate - €0-€150/year (often included with hosting)
• Terms & conditions, Privacy Policy, GDPR (lawyer-reviewed) - €200-€800
• EU Consumer Rights Directive compliance (price history, pre-contract info) - €300-€1,500

3. Performance and Security

• CDN (Cloudflare Pro, KeyCDN) - €20-€200/month
• Uptime monitoring + alerts - €15-€60/month
• Offsite backup - €25-€100/month
• Annual security audit / pen test - €800-€4,000

4. Migration Costs (if switching platforms)

• Product, category, order history migration - €800-€4,000
• 301 SEO redirect mapping - €300-€1,000
• Post-migration QA and testing - €500-€2,000

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Monthly Maintenance: What Does Running a Store Cost?

A store isn’t a one-time project - it’s a system that needs ongoing care. A realistic monthly cost breakdown for an SMB e-commerce operation:

Category	Minimal	Standard	Advanced
Hosting + domain	€20	€55	€130
Plugins / modules / apps	€25	€80	€200
Platform subscription (Shopify)	€0 (WC) / €29	€79	€299
Technical support / SLA	€80	€200	€500
Email marketing / CRM	€0	€100	€400
Monitoring + backup	€40	€80	€150
Monthly total	€165	€594	€1,679

Annual standard maintenance runs around €7,000. That’s a number that needs to be in your business model before you sign with any agency.

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ROI - When Does a Store Pay Back?

A store is an investment. Let’s run the numbers on what return looks like.

Sample ROI Model

Fashion apparel store, 200 products, €6,000 development budget:

Period	Revenue	Variable COGS (35%)	Fixed Monthly Costs	Operating Profit
Months 1-3 (launch)	€1,500	€525	€500	-€3,025 (cumulative)
Months 4-6 (growth)	€4,500	€1,575	€500	+€2,425
Months 7-12 (scale)	€10,000	€3,500	€600	+€5,900/month

In this scenario, a €6,000 investment pays back within 5-7 months. Realistic - provided there’s active marketing, solid UX, and reliable fulfillment.

What Accelerates ROI

• Email automation - abandoned cart recovery, reactivation sequences, cross-sell. Typical result: 15-25% incremental revenue with no additional acquisition spend.
• SEO from day one - a store without proper SEO structure has no organic traffic for the first 12 months.
• Google Shopping - for products with unique EANs, often the lowest customer acquisition cost in e-commerce.
• Comparison engines - in many product categories, comparison shopping sites deliver conversion costs 2-4× lower than Google Ads.

Not sure how SEO works or how to evaluate what an agency is promising? Read our complete SEO guide before signing any SEO contract.

Why Stores Fail to Pay Back

• No marketing budget after launch (a store doesn’t generate traffic just by existing)
• Poor product photography and descriptions - conversion rate drops 30-50%
• Order fulfillment times above 5 days with no proactive communication
• Missing marketplace integrations - leaving existing buyers to competitors

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How Web Dragons Builds E-commerce

We primarily build on WooCommerce and Shopify, with integrations to inventory systems, invoicing software, and analytics stacks. A standard project looks like this:

Phase 1 - Discovery (1-2 weeks)

• Product catalog analysis and category architecture
• Competitor audit and keyword research for SEO
• Platform, hosting, and integration decision
• Navigation and checkout UX wireframes

Phase 2 - Build (4-10 weeks)

• Environment setup, hosting, SSL
• Theme or custom design (Figma → code)
• Product import, variant configuration, pricing, taxes
• Integrations: payments, email, analytics, marketplaces
• SEO setup: URL structure, meta, sitemap, rich snippets

Phase 3 - QA and Launch (1-2 weeks)

• End-to-end testing: checkout, payments, transactional emails
• Lighthouse audit: Core Web Vitals > 85
• 301 redirects if migrating from another platform
• Launch + 30-day active monitoring

Our e-commerce projects start at €3,000 net for a simple template-based store and reach €20,000+ for custom design with full integration stack. Every quote is itemized - no “around this” estimates and no line items that appear after signing.

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Related reading

For a general website pricing overview, see our guide on how much a website costs. Want your store to rank in Google? Read our complete SEO guide. And if you’re looking to cut order management costs, learn how business process automation can help.

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FAQ

How much does a WooCommerce store cost?

The platform itself is free, but a complete agency-built store costs €2,000-€8,000 net. Add hosting (€20-€100/month), plugins (€200-€1,000/year), and any custom integrations. A simple store with under 100 products and a premium theme can be done for €1,500-€3,000.

How much does a Shopify store cost?

Shopify Basic is €29/month. Agency development ranges from €700 for theme configuration to €7,000 for custom design with integrations. On Basic you also pay a 2% fee per transaction using external payment providers - on €100,000 annual revenue that’s €2,000 in fees on top of your payment gateway costs.

Shopify or WooCommerce - which should I choose?

Shopify wins when speed-to-launch matters, you have no in-house IT, and you don’t want to manage hosting, security, or plugin updates. WooCommerce wins when you need full SEO control, want zero transaction fees, and plan significant customization. For most European SMBs, both will handle the first €1-3M in annual revenue comfortably - the decision comes down to operational preference and technical team capacity.

What are the hidden costs of an online store?

The most common: premium plugins (€200-€1,000/year), technical support (€80-€500/month), product photography (€700-€2,000), product copywriting (€700-€2,500), GA4 + GTM analytics setup (€400-€1,500), GDPR-compliant legal documents (€200-€800). Together: €2,500-€8,000 that typically doesn’t appear in the first quote.

How much does it cost to run an online store per month?

Minimum €150-€200 (hosting + backup + basic plugins). Realistically for an SMB with technical support, email marketing, and monitoring: €500-€800/month. Add a Shopify subscription (€29-€299/month) if you’re not on WooCommerce.

Can I build a store for €500?

Technically yes - a WooCommerce installation with a free theme on cheap hosting. But a store with poor UX, slow loading, and no integrations costs more in lost revenue than if you’d spent €3,000 on a proper build. Budget stores almost always need a rebuild within 12-18 months.

How long does it take to build an online store?

Simple template store: 2-4 weeks. Standard with custom design and basic integrations: 6-10 weeks. Advanced with ERP, multi-warehouse, and marketplace sync: 3-5 months. Any agency promising “a full store in a week” for a project with 20 integrations will either miss the deadline or quietly reduce scope without telling you.

Is PrestaShop worth it in 2026?

PrestaShop handles large catalogs and complex product variants well, particularly for stores with 5,000-100,000 SKUs. The downsides: outdated admin interface, fragmented PS 8.x module ecosystem, and a smaller developer pool outside France and Poland. For new builds above 10,000 SKUs, we lean toward WooCommerce with proper infrastructure or a headless API setup - unless the client already has a PS ecosystem and migration isn’t worth the disruption.