What does a Shopify store cost in 2026? An honest overview

“What does a Shopify store cost?” is the question I get most often. And the honest answer is: it depends. But vague isn’t helpful, so in this article I give you the most concrete numbers possible — including costs that many people overlook.

The base costs: Shopify subscription

Shopify has three main plans in 2026:

Plan	Monthly price (annual billing)	Transaction fee (Shopify Payments)
Basic	€21/month	2.0% per transaction
Shopify	€59/month	1.0% per transaction
Advanced	€289/month	0.5% per transaction

For most starting and mid-sized stores, Basic or Shopify is the right choice. If you use Shopify Payments (iDEAL, credit card, etc.), you pay zero extra transaction fees on top of the card processing costs.

Theme: free or paid

Shopify has free themes that work just fine. Dawn and Sense are popular free options with good performance.

Paid themes cost a one-off €150–€350 and offer more design options, better mobile UX and sometimes built-in features (such as video headers or extended product filters). One-off investment, no ongoing costs.

Custom theme or custom design: if you want a unique design that fully matches your brand, custom development is the best option. Those costs are part of the total build price (see below).

Apps: buy selectively

Apps are where costs add up. Focus on: what do you genuinely need?

App category	Indicative monthly cost
Reviews (Judge.me free tier)	€0
Email marketing (Klaviyo up to 500 contacts)	€0
Shipping (Sendcloud basic)	€0–€29
SEO app (TinyIMG)	€0–€10
Loyalty programme (Smile.io)	€0–€49

A realistic app stack for a starting store costs €0–€50/month. Larger stores with more automated marketing and advanced integrations are at €100–€200/month.

Domain name

A .com domain costs around €15 per year. Buy your domain from a registrar and connect it to Shopify. SSL certificate is included with Shopify — no extra costs.

Build costs: hire someone or do it yourself?

This is the biggest variable and also the most important investment decision.

Build it yourself: if you use a free theme, learn Shopify properly and start small, the build costs are €0. Time investment: 20–60 hours depending on your catalogue and knowledge.

Template store built by someone: a Shopify specialist who configures an existing theme and imports your products. Expect €1,500–€5,000 depending on scope.

Custom store built: fully custom design, custom theme development, advanced integrations (ERP, PIM, feed management). This is what we do at Web Builders for SME clients who are serious about growth. Expect €5,000–€20,000+ depending on complexity.

At Shopify store build I explain what our build process involves and what turnaround time you can expect.

Ongoing costs after launch

This is often forgotten. After launch you have:

• Shopify subscription (monthly)
• Apps (monthly)
• Domain (annual)
• Optionally maintenance and further development

Want to grow after launch through SEO or conversion optimisation? Budget €200–€800/month for a structural collaboration with a specialist.

Realistic budget per store type

Store type	First year estimate
Micro store, self-built	€500–€1,500
Professional starting store	€4,000–€8,000
SME store with custom work	€8,000–€25,000

These are estimates for the first year, including build costs and ongoing subscriptions.

Hidden costs to factor in

• Payment methods: Shopify Payments charges a percentage per transaction. At €10,000/month revenue on Basic you pay 2% = €200/month in transaction costs. This scales.
• Product photography: good product photos aren’t free. Budget €200–€1,000+ for a professional photo session.
• Content and copy: product descriptions, category content, SEO copy take time or money.

Is Shopify expensive?

No — when you look at the total picture. A well-set-up Shopify store on the Basic plan costs you €25–€75/month in platform costs. Compare that with the costs of hosting, plugins, updates and security for a WooCommerce installation of comparable quality.

The real cost driver is the build phase. But that’s a one-time investment that pays for itself when your store converts.

Want a concrete quote for your situation? Book a free build conversation — I’ll look at your specific requirements and give you an honest price indication.