The verdict in three sentences
For a New York leader or CTO, the decision rests on the 3-year TCO, not the entry price: a cheap SaaS can cost dearly in commissions and hidden migration costs. Shopify B2B suits simple catalogues that launch fast; Adobe Commerce, headless and full custom win once B2B rules (negotiated pricing, ERP, multi-entity) get complex. The right decision depends on your catalogue, your integrations and your GMV volume.
Comparison of the 4 approaches 2026
Each approach has a distinct cost and flexibility profile. SaaS minimises upfront effort; custom maximises control and removes the commission.
| Approach | Build | Recurring | GMV commission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify B2B | 5,000-15,000 EUR | 1,000-4,000 EUR/month | 0-0.6% |
| Adobe Commerce | 30,000-70,000 EUR | licence + hosting | 0% |
| Headless | 40,000-90,000 EUR | maintenance 900-1,800 EUR/month | 0% |
| Full custom | 50,000-120,000 EUR | maintenance 1,000-1,500 EUR/month | 0% |
3-year TCO and decision criteria
TCO reveals gaps the headline price hides. Here's a 2026 estimate for an SME at 1.5M EUR annual GMV, all costs included.
| Item (3 years) | Shopify B2B | Headless | Full custom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial build | 10,000 EUR | 65,000 EUR | 85,000 EUR |
| Subscription / maintenance | 72,000 EUR | 48,600 EUR | 45,000 EUR |
| GMV commission (0.5%) | 22,500 EUR | 0 EUR | 0 EUR |
| ERP connector | 12,000 EUR | 16,000 EUR | included |
| Estimated 3-year TCO | ~116,500 EUR | ~129,600 EUR | ~130,000 EUR |
| Payment fees | 1.4-2.9% | 1.4-2.9% | 1.4-2.9% |
Mini case study
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Marc, CTO of an industrial distributor in New York, is weighing Shopify B2B against a headless for 1.5M EUR GMV. On Shopify, he pays 72,000 EUR subscription over 3 years plus 0.5% commission (22,500 EUR) and 10,000 EUR build, about 104,500 EUR excluding ERP. Headless costs him 65,000 EUR build plus 48,600 EUR maintenance, about 113,600 EUR excluding ERP, but with no GMV commission: beyond 2.5M EUR annual GMV, the gap swings clearly to headless, which becomes cheaper from year 3. Since he targets 3M EUR GMV in year 2, he picks headless despite the heavier build.
FAQ
Is Shopify B2B enough for a real B2B catalogue? For group pricing and simple orders, yes. Once you have prices negotiated customer by customer, multi-entity or a complex ERP, it shows its limits.
Is Adobe Commerce only for large accounts? Historically yes, but SMEs adopt it for rich catalogues. Budget 30,000-70,000 EUR build plus licence and hosting; the TCO quickly exceeds a well-scoped headless.
What are the hidden migration costs? Catalogue, customer accounts and pricing migration, ERP reintegration, SEO redirects. These items often add 10,000-25,000 EUR and are the top source of overruns.
At what GMV does custom win? As a 2026 order of magnitude, beyond 2.5-3M EUR annual GMV, removing the SaaS commission amortises the extra build cost in 2 to 3 years.
How do I factor payment fees into the calculation? Add 1.4-2.9% by card/transfer mix to each scenario: they're identical across platforms but weigh heavily on high GMV and deserve separate optimisation.
Let's scope your project. Give us your target GMV, your catalogue and your ERP integrations, and we'll produce a compared 3-year TCO, SaaS versus headless versus custom. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
