The verdict in three sentences
Over 5 years, Shopify Plus and a custom platform cost similar amounts for a 15 million EUR distributor: the difference comes from third-party apps and workaround development. Shopify Plus wins if your B2B prices fit standard catalogues and discounts. Custom wins as soon as you manage complex pricing rules (per-customer contracts, quantity tiers, free shipping by zone, indexed prices), want code ownership and deep ERP integration.
Calculation assumptions
We take a technical supplies distributor in Toronto: 15 million EUR revenue, 6 million through the website in year 1 growing 15% a year, 1,800 business customers, 12,000 SKUs and a Sage X3 ERP. Online gross sales therefore grow from 6 million to about 10.5 million EUR in year 5, around 40.5 million cumulated.
| 5-year item | Shopify Plus | Custom |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | 45,000 EUR (theme, integration, migration) | 100,000 EUR |
| Platform subscription | $2,300 × 60 months, about 127,000 EUR | none |
| Variable fees on volume | 0.18% × 40.5M EUR, about 73,000 EUR | none |
| Third-party B2B apps | 1,200 EUR a month, about 72,000 EUR | built into development |
| Hosting and security | included | 500 to 1,000 EUR a month, about 45,000 EUR |
| Maintenance and changes | 25,000 EUR a year, 125,000 EUR | 30,000 EUR a year, 150,000 EUR |
| 5-year total | about 442,000 EUR | about 295,000 EUR |
Card processing fees are excluded from both columns because they exist on any platform. Amounts are 2026 orders of magnitude and vary with the number of apps and the complexity of ERP integration.
When Shopify Plus remains the best choice
Shopify Plus is unbeatable on speed and stability. It fits if your B2B catalogue works with price lists by segment, if you also sell to consumers and if your team wants to manage content itself. In that case third-party apps stay modest and the 5-year total can drop to 330,000 EUR.
| Criterion | Shopify Plus | Custom |
|---|---|---|
| Time to launch | 3 to 5 months | 6 to 9 months |
| Per-customer contract pricing | native B2B, limits on combined rules | unlimited, computed by ERP or a pricing engine |
| Quantity tiers and free shipping by zone | third-party apps | native |
| Sage X3 integration | connector 300 to 900 EUR a month | direct API, real-time sync |
| Code ownership | theme only | full code delivered |
| Exposure to price increases | high | low |
| Availability | 99.99% advertised | 99.9% with managed hosting |
How to decide in 3 weeks
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
List your 10 most frequent pricing rules and test them in a Shopify Plus demo store. If more than 3 rules require an app or a script, hidden cost sets in. Then get the ERP connector priced by two vendors. Finally project volume growth, since variable fees grow with your sales.
Mini case study
Thomas, head of e-commerce at a 15 million EUR distributor in Toronto, manages 340 customer contracts with specific discounts. On Shopify Plus he needs 4 apps at 1,200 EUR a month and 15,000 EUR of scripts a year for uncovered cases. Over 5 years, the Shopify option reaches 442,000 + 75,000 = 517,000 EUR. Custom at 295,000 EUR saves him about 222,000 EUR, or 44,400 EUR a year, for a launch 3 to 4 months longer.
FAQ
Is custom riskier? Risk is controlled by batches delivered every 2 to 3 weeks and acceptance testing with 5 to 10 pilot customers. The code is versioned and documented.
Can we start on Shopify and migrate later? Yes, but migration often costs 40,000 to 80,000 EUR. It is better to decide before online volume passes 10 million EUR.
Do Shopify Plus variable fees always apply? They depend on the contract and payment method. For large B2B volume, count 0.15 to 0.25% of sales.
How long does ERP integration take? For Sage X3, plan 6 to 10 weeks for stock, prices, orders and invoices, whatever the platform.
Who hosts the custom platform? A managed hosting provider in a Canadian region, for 500 to 1,000 EUR a month, including backups and 24/7 monitoring.
Let's scope your project. Send us your pricing rules and online volume: we will compare Shopify Plus and custom over 5 years, with a budget of 60,000 to 140,000 EUR and a 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.
