The verdict in three sentences
For a wholesaler with 2,500 customers and 12,000 SKUs, Shopify Plus is the fastest option if your pricing rules stay simple (fewer than 50 price lists). A dedicated B2B solution plugged into the ERP, such as Sana Commerce, wins when catalogue, stock and prices already live in SAP Business One, Sage X3 or Microsoft Dynamics. A custom build pays off beyond three years as soon as customer-specific prices, carriage-paid thresholds and 30-day terms no longer fit standard boxes.
What B2B really demands from a platform
A B2C store sells a public price to a stranger. A wholesale portal sells a negotiated price to a known buyer who reorders the same 40 SKUs every month and pays on invoice. The features that matter are rarely visible in a sales demo. The figures below come from a French benchmark and apply almost identically to a London wholesaler (convert at roughly EUR 1 = GBP 0.85).
| B2B feature | Shopify Plus (native B2B) | Dedicated B2B (Sana, OroCommerce) | Custom build |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer or group pricing | B2B catalogues, practical limit around 50 to 100 lists | Read straight from the ERP, unlimited | Unlimited, any logic |
| Quick order by SKU or CSV | Yes, via app or theme | Native | To build (5 to 8 days) |
| Recurring orders | Third-party app, USD 50 to 300/month | Native or module | To build (8 to 12 days) |
| 30-day invoice terms | Native payment terms | Native, credit read from ERP | Native, custom credit rules |
| Multiple buyers per company | Yes, basic roles | Yes, roles and approval | Yes, any workflow |
| ERP sync | Connector EUR 15,000 to 40,000 | Included (real time) | Connector to build |
| Time to launch | 3 to 5 months | 4 to 6 months | 6 to 9 months |
The classic trap: picking Shopify Plus for its entry price, then stacking six paid apps and an ERP connector that ends up costing as much as a dedicated solution.
Total cost over 3 years: real 2026 figures
These are 2026 order-of-magnitude estimates for a wholesaler with 2,500 active customers, 12,000 SKUs and about 4,000 orders a month, excluding internal costs.
| Item (3 years, EUR excl. VAT) | Shopify Plus | Dedicated B2B | Custom build |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup (integration, design, data migration) | 35,000 to 60,000 | 40,000 to 90,000 | 60,000 to 120,000 |
| Licence or subscription | USD 2,300/month minimum, i.e. 76,000 to 95,000 | 30,000 to 60,000 (annual licence) | 0 |
| ERP connector | 15,000 to 40,000 | Included | 12,000 to 25,000 |
| Third-party apps | 9,000 to 25,000 | 0 to 8,000 | 0 |
| Hosting and managed services | Included | 6,000 to 15,000 | 10,000 to 22,000 |
| Ongoing development | 15,000 to 30,000 | 18,000 to 35,000 | 25,000 to 45,000 |
| 3-year total | 150,000 to 250,000 | 94,000 to 208,000 | 107,000 to 212,000 |
On Shopify Plus you must also factor in the variable fee: above a certain volume, the subscription is calculated as a share of revenue (about 0.25% to 0.40%). For a wholesaler selling EUR 6M online, that can mean EUR 15,000 to 24,000 a year, above the USD 2,300/month floor.
Decision grid by profile
| Your situation | Recommended platform | Main reason |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1,000 customers, list price + 3 discounts | Shopify Plus | Live in 3 months, little custom work |
| Sage, SAP B1 or Dynamics already masters prices | Dedicated B2B | No double entry, real-time stock |
| Net prices per customer, variable carriage, credit limits | Custom or dedicated | Rules too fine for a generic SaaS |
| Plan to open a B2C channel too | Shopify Plus | One back office for both channels |
| Over EUR 6M online revenue expected | Dedicated or custom | No variable fee on revenue |
| Mobile app needed for field sales reps | Custom build | Offline mode and on-site order taking |
Mini case study
Thomas, sales director of an office supplies wholesaler in Nantes (the same maths holds for a London distributor), manages 2,500 business customers and 12,000 SKUs. Three inside sales reps key in 3,200 orders a month received by email and phone, at 6 minutes per order, i.e. 320 hours a month.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Target: 60% of orders placed online within 12 months. Gain: 1,920 orders x 6 minutes = 192 hours a month, about EUR 5,800 of loaded monthly cost, or EUR 69,600 a year. With a dedicated B2B solution connected to Sage X3 for EUR 150,000 over 3 years, payback comes in 26 months, before counting the larger basket driven by reorder suggestions (often +8% to +12%). With Shopify Plus at EUR 200,000 over 3 years, break-even moves to 34 months.
FAQ
Does Shopify Plus really handle 30-day payment terms?
Yes, Shopify Plus offers native payment terms (net 15, 30, 60 days) on B2B accounts. However, per-customer credit control and automatic blocking above a limit require a third-party app or ERP sync, budget USD 50 to 300 a month.
How long does it take to launch a wholesale B2B portal?
Allow 3 to 5 months on Shopify Plus, 4 to 6 months for a dedicated solution and 6 to 9 months for a custom build. Migrating customer prices and cleaning 12,000 product records often takes 30% of the schedule.
Do we need an ERP connector from day one?
Above 500 orders a month, yes. Without sync, someone spends 2 to 3 hours a day re-keying orders and stock, i.e. EUR 15,000 to 20,000 a year.
Isn't a custom build risky for a wholesaler?
The risk is vendor lock-in. Require code ownership, technical documentation and a maintenance contract with response commitments (for example a fix within 4 business hours for a blocking incident).
What is the minimum budget to start?
A serious B2B portal for 2,500 customers starts around EUR 40,000 of setup. Below that you get an online catalogue without customer pricing or ERP link, which buyers rarely use.
Let's scope your project. Send us your customer count, your ERP and your pricing rules: we will cost all three scenarios (Shopify Plus, dedicated, custom) with 3-year total cost and timeline. 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.