Last updated: October 5, 2026 · 3 min read · By Ali Raza
An online store has two kinds of cost. Build costs cover design, development, product setup, custom features and any migration. Running costs cover the platform plan or hosting, payment processing, apps or extensions, themes, email marketing and maintenance. On Shopify, plans start at $39 a month billed monthly; WooCommerce is free software, but hosting, extensions and upkeep are not.
Store owners often budget carefully for the build and then get surprised by the monthly bills: app subscriptions, payment fees and the developer hours needed to keep everything working.
This guide lists every cost so you can plan a realistic budget for Shopify or WooCommerce.
The full cost of an online store
What drives the build cost?
- Design. A customised premium theme costs less than a fully custom design, but both should be adapted to your products and brand.
- Templates. Home, collection, product, cart and content pages. Stores with very different product types may need several product templates.
- Products and data. Number of products, variants, filters and how clean the product data is.
- Custom features. Bundles, subscriptions, product builders, wholesale pricing or custom checkout rules.
- Integrations. Inventory, ERP, accounting, shipping, CRM and email marketing.
- Migration. Moving from another platform with redirects and data checks.
What are the monthly running costs?
Shopify plan fees (October 2026, billed monthly)
Shopify’s yearly billing lowers these to $29, $79 and $299 a month. Card processing is charged on top, and Shopify adds a fee of 2%, 1% or 0.6% (by plan) if you use a third-party payment provider.
For WooCommerce, the software is free. You pay for managed hosting sized to your traffic, premium extensions (many are billed yearly, such as WooCommerce Product Bundles at $79 a year), payment processing through your chosen gateway, and regular maintenance. Our Shopify vs WooCommerce comparison explains how these add up differently as you grow.
Which costs do store owners forget?
- App creep. Ten apps at a modest monthly fee each quickly exceed the platform plan. Audit apps every quarter.
- Maintenance. Updates, testing after updates and fixing conflicts take developer time.
- Photography and content. Good product photos and descriptions sell; they take time or budget.
- Email and marketing tools. Pricing often grows with your contact list.
- Speed. Every app and script slows the store. See how to speed up your store.
When is a custom app or plugin cheaper than a subscription?
If you pay for several apps that each do part of what you need, or one expensive app for a single feature, a custom app or plugin you own can cost less over two or three years and run faster. Our guide to custom vs premium plugins shows how to compare.
For a fixed, itemised quote for your store, start with a free review through our Shopify and WooCommerce development service.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run a Shopify store per month?
The plan fee starts at $39 a month on Basic with monthly billing, plus card processing, any third-party payment fee, apps, theme costs and marketing tools.
Is WooCommerce cheaper than Shopify?
The software is free, but hosting, extensions and maintenance cost money. For small stores the totals are often similar; the difference depends on how many apps or extensions you need.
What hidden costs do online stores have?
App subscriptions, payment fees, maintenance after updates, product photography and content, and email marketing tools that grow with your list.
Is a custom app cheaper than paying for Shopify apps?
Sometimes. If several subscriptions cover one need or an app is expensive, a custom app you own can cost less over a few years and load faster.