The verdict in three sentences
In 2026, a professional online store costs from 2,000-8,000 EUR (excl. tax) on SaaS (Shopify, managed WooCommerce) to 20,000-70,000 EUR in custom development. The sticker price is just the visible part: TCO — subscriptions, apps, theme, maintenance, transaction fees — often outweighs the initial build over three years. The switch to custom makes sense once stacked SaaS apps exceed 400-600 EUR/month or throttle your business logic.
The main options and their cost
Three families cover 90% of needs: turnkey SaaS, hosted open-source, and custom headless. The choice depends on volume, product specificity and desired speed.
| Option | Setup (EUR excl. tax) | Monthly recurring | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify standard + theme | 2,000 - 6,000 | 90 - 300 | fast launch, simple catalog |
| Shopify Plus | 6,000 - 15,000 | 2,000+ | high volume, multi-store |
| Managed WooCommerce | 3,000 - 10,000 | 120 - 400 | flexibility, rich content |
| Custom (headless) | 20,000 - 70,000 | 400 - 1,500 | business logic, B2B, scale |
Don't underestimate TCO
Real cost shows over three years. A "cheap" Shopify store accumulates app subscriptions (reviews, subscriptions, B2B pricing, ERP) that inflate the monthly bill. Custom flips the curve: high upfront, controlled recurring.
| Line item | Shopify (3 yrs) | Custom (3 yrs) |
|---|---|---|
| Initial setup | 5,000 | 45,000 |
| Platform subscription | 5,400 | 0 |
| Third-party apps | 10,800 | 0 |
| Hosting / infra | included | 10,800 |
| Maintenance / evolutions | 7,000 | 21,000 |
| Transaction fees (2%) | 24,000 | 0 (direct PSP ~1.4%) |
| 3-year total (est.) | ~52,200 | ~93,600 |
At low volume, Shopify wins clearly. Beyond roughly 1.2M EUR annual revenue or strong B2B needs, custom becomes competitive again thanks to lower fees and no stacked apps.
Mini case study
Sophie runs a cosmetics brand in Nantes with 900,000 EUR online revenue. On Shopify Plus she pays 2,000 EUR/month subscription, 550 EUR/month in apps (subscriptions, loyalty, reviews) and 1.8% platform fees, about 16,200 EUR/year in transaction costs. Annual total: ~46,800 EUR.
A custom foundation at 48,000 EUR would cut recurring to 12,000 EUR/year (infra + maintenance) and fees to 1.3% via a direct PSP (11,700 EUR/year). From year 2, the annual gap of ~23,000 EUR amortizes the build in about 26 months. As long as revenue stays under 1M EUR, Sophie is right to stay on Shopify.
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FAQ
Shopify or WooCommerce to start?
Shopify for turnkey simplicity and reliability (90-300 EUR/month). WooCommerce if you want more freedom over content and hosting, at the cost of heavier technical maintenance.
At what volume should we move to custom?
Generally above 1-1.5M EUR annual revenue, or once B2B needs (per-client pricing, quotes) or ERP integration become central. Below that, SaaS stays more cost-effective.
Which recurring costs get forgotten?
Third-party apps (often 300-600 EUR/month combined), transaction fees (1.4-2.9%), maintenance and SEO. Add them across 3 years before deciding.
How much to redesign an existing store?
A theme and journey redesign runs 6,000-20,000 EUR; a full re-platform to headless, 30,000-70,000 EUR depending on catalog and integrations.
Does the price include product content?
Rarely. Budget photography, product pages and translation: 15-60 EUR per product depending on quality. Across 500 SKUs, that's a line item you can't ignore.
Let's scope your project. Share your online revenue, catalog and B2B constraints, and we'll tell you SaaS or custom, with TCO figures. 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.
