The verdict in three sentences
For a standard B2B catalog (simple pricing tiers, quick order, basic credit terms), Shopify Plus covers 80 % of the need at an entry cost three times lower than custom. The moment you combine per-customer negotiated pricing, a product configurator, approval workflows and deep ERP integration, custom becomes profitable again over four years. The real question isn't "which tech" but "how many business rules does Shopify refuse to bend without costly workarounds".
What each option costs in 2026
The ranges below fit a wholesaler with 3,000 to 15,000 SKUs and 200 to 2,000 trade customers. 2026 estimates, EUR excl. VAT.
| Item | Shopify Plus | Custom platform |
|---|---|---|
| Licence / hosting year 1 | 27,600 EUR/yr (2,300 EUR/mo) | 6,000 to 15,000 EUR/yr (infra + monitoring) |
| Integration & development | 20,000 to 50,000 EUR | 60,000 to 150,000 EUR |
| Time to launch | 2 to 4 months | 5 to 9 months |
| Platform sales commission | 0 % (excl. PSP) | 0 % |
| Per-customer pricing tiers | Native (B2B Catalogs) | Fully custom |
| Complex product configurator | Third-party app (50 to 300 EUR/mo) | Built-in |
| Total cost over 4 years (indicative) | 130,000 to 200,000 EUR | 110,000 to 210,000 EUR |
The tipping point sits on the "business rules" line. Every exception Shopify doesn't handle natively is paid in monthly apps or private-app development.
Decision grid by complexity
| Business criterion | Shopify Plus fits | Custom fits |
|---|---|---|
| Number of pricing tiers | Up to ~50 customer profiles | Hundreds of unit-level negotiated prices |
| Configurator / product quoting | Simple or via app | Native multi-option configurator |
| Credit terms & deferred payment | Flat credit limit | Per-customer credit + ERP dunning |
| ERP/PIM integration | Standard connectors | Custom real-time flows |
| Orders per month | < 10,000 | > 10,000 with bespoke logic |
| In-house tech team | None or light | Dedicated IT or vendor |
Simple rule: if your sales reps spend their day keying in orders customers could place themselves, a well-tuned Shopify Plus portal frees up time immediately. If your prices are a strategic asset impossible to model as profiles, go custom.
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Mini case study
Mark, sales director of an industrial-supplies wholesaler in London, manages 850 trade customers and 6,000 SKUs. His 4 reps each spend 2 hrs/day re-keying orders received by email and phone, i.e. 8 hrs/day × 220 days = 1,760 hrs/yr. At a loaded cost of 35 EUR/hr, that's 61,600 EUR/yr spent on data entry. A Shopify Plus portal with quick order and customer pricing (38,000 EUR integration + 27,600 EUR/yr licence) shifts 60 % of those orders to self-service in year 1: 37,000 EUR of sales time recovered the first year, breaking even in 14 months. Custom would only have been justified if each of the 850 customers had a unique, un-modellable price grid.
FAQ
Does Shopify Plus really handle per-customer B2B pricing? Yes, via B2B Catalogs and Company profiles: you build price catalogs and assign them to customer companies. The practical ceiling is a few dozen distinct profiles before maintenance gets heavy.
What's a realistic minimum budget to start in B2B? Budget at least 20,000 EUR of Shopify Plus integration for a clean portal (tiers, quick order, light ERP connector), on top of the 2,300 EUR/month licence. Below that, you get a patched-up B2C store, not a real B2B portal.
Is custom more expensive to maintain? It costs less in licences but more in team: plan 12 to 20 % of build cost per year in maintenance (10,000 to 30,000 EUR/yr). Shopify bundles that into the subscription, which reassures SMEs without an IT department.
How long until launch? 2 to 4 months on Shopify Plus for a first scope, 5 to 9 months custom. The limiting factor is almost always your product data quality and ERP integration, not the front-end tech.
Can I migrate from custom to Shopify later, or vice versa? Yes, but each migration costs 25,000 to 60,000 EUR. Better to decide early based on your real business-rule complexity than to restart from scratch in three years.
Let's scope your project. Describe your catalog, pricing tiers and ERP: we quote the Shopify Plus and the custom option side by side, with total cost over four years. 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.
