Custom B2B E-commerce Platform vs Shopify/Woo: 2026 Cost Breakdown

The verdict in three sentences

In B2B, the catalog isn't what's expensive — the pricing rules are: per-customer prices, quantity tiers, credit lines and 30-60 day payment terms. Shopify Plus (2,000-2,500 USD/month + apps) and a WooCommerce build (8,000-20,000 EUR) suffice while those rules stay simple; custom (40,000-90,000 EUR) wins the moment they exceed app limits. The real ROI: self-service ordering that removes 30% of the load on your customer-service team.

The B2B specifics that break standard platforms

B2C e-commerce shows a price, charges a card, ships. B2B adds a layer of complexity that SaaS platforms handle poorly beyond a threshold.

As soon as two or three of these rules combine, Shopify apps stack up, monthly costs climb and maintenance grows fragile. That's the signal to move to custom.

The 2026 cost comparison

As a 2026 order of magnitude, over 3 years an app-heavy Shopify Plus often approaches the cost of custom — but without ownership or control of the rules. Custom wins when B2B rules are your core business.

Mini case study

Éric, sales director of an industrial-supplies wholesaler in Lyon, handles 6,000 orders/year, many by phone and email. His 4-person customer-service team is saturated.

By shifting 40% of orders to B2B self-service (custom portal at 62,000 EUR), he removes 30% of the load from customer service: the equivalent of 1.2 FTE freed, i.e. ~48,000 EUR/year loaded. Add fewer entry errors and 24/7 availability. ROI reached in ~16 months, then recurring savings. On Shopify Plus, the apps needed for quantity tiers and credit lines would have cost ~2,400 USD/month without removing the dependency.

FAQ

Does Shopify Plus really handle B2B? Yes for simple B2B: price lists, customer accounts, a few discounts. Once you need fine quantity tiers, credit lines and restricted catalogs combined, apps stack up and costs climb.

Is WooCommerce a serious B2B option? For an 8,000-20,000 EUR build with B2B extensions, yes, if your volume and rules stay moderate. Beyond that, maintaining extensions becomes a risk.

When is custom justified? When your pricing rules exceed app limits, you need real-time ERP sync, or you manage customer credit. Budget 40,000-90,000 EUR.

How long to recoup self-service? With -30% customer-service load, most wholesalers break even in 12-20 months depending on the order volume shifted.

Can the platform connect to my ERP? Yes. In SaaS it's a connector (often paid, sometimes limited); in custom, a real-time integration of stock, prices and orders.

Let's scope your project. Tell us your order volume, the complexity of your pricing grids and whether you have an ERP to connect, and we'll tell you SaaS, Woo or custom with an indicative budget. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.