The verdict in three sentences
For an Amsterdam B2B wholesaler serving 900 resellers, the right choice depends less on the entry price than on the 3-year total cost and the complexity of pricing rules. Shopify Plus (from USD 2,300 a month) wins when the catalogue is simple and speed matters, Magento (EUR 50,000 to 90,000 plus hosting) when you already have a technical team, and a custom build (EUR 45,000 to 80,000) when discounts, free-delivery thresholds and ordering flows are specific to your business. In our simulation, the gap reaches about EUR 40,000 over 3 years between the most and least expensive options.
Three platforms, three logics
The managing director of a hygiene and cleaning products wholesaler manages 2,500 SKUs, prices per reseller category (pharmacies, grocers, public bodies), carton and pallet pack sizes, and orders placed mostly by phone. Here is how the three options meet those needs in 2026.
| Criterion | Shopify Plus | Magento (Adobe Commerce open source) | Custom build |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | EUR 25,000 to 40,000 setup | EUR 50,000 to 90,000 | EUR 45,000 to 80,000 |
| Recurring platform cost | From USD 2,300 per month, variable fees by volume | Free licence, hosting EUR 600 to 1,500 per month | Hosting EUR 200 to 400 per month |
| Per-customer and volume pricing | Native B2B, limited on complex rules | Very complete with extensions | Exactly your rules |
| ERP connection | Apps or middleware | Many connectors | Built on your ERP |
| Security updates | Handled by Shopify | Your responsibility, 2 to 4 a year | Vendor's responsibility |
| Lock-in | Shopify ecosystem | Scarce and costly Magento skills | Vendor, mitigated by delivered code |
| Time to launch | 12 weeks | 18 to 20 weeks | 14 to 16 weeks |
Shopify Plus appeals through its reliability and automatic updates, but advanced B2B rules (free delivery by zone, stacked discounts, minimum order per product family) often require paid apps. Magento can do everything, provided you pay specialized developers, about EUR 700 to 850 a day in Amsterdam. A custom build needs a precise specification but only charges for what you use.
Total cost over 3 years, line by line
The simulation below uses the wholesaler's case with an identical scope: a 2,500-SKU catalogue, pricing by category, ERP connection and payment by card, iDEAL and SEPA direct debit. Amounts are 2026 orders of magnitude, excluding VAT.
| Item over 36 months | Shopify Plus | Magento | Custom build |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup | EUR 30,000 | EUR 70,000 | EUR 62,000 |
| Subscription or hosting | EUR 72,000 (about EUR 2,000 a month) | EUR 32,400 (EUR 900 a month) | EUR 10,800 (EUR 300 a month) |
| B2B apps and extensions | EUR 14,400 | EUR 9,000 | EUR 0 |
| Maintenance and enhancements | EUR 18,000 | EUR 43,200 | EUR 32,400 |
| Total cost over 3 years | EUR 134,400 | EUR 154,600 | EUR 105,200 |
| Cost per reseller per year | EUR 50 | EUR 57 | EUR 39 |
This table does not say a custom build always wins. If the catalogue doubles and you open a consumer store, Shopify Plus absorbs growth without redevelopment. If you already employ two Magento developers, Magento's maintenance line shrinks. The right decision is to redo this calculation with your own figures before signing.
How to decide in 4 weeks
A simple method avoids choosing on the strength of a sales demo. List your 10 most frequent pricing and logistics rules, then ask each option to demonstrate them on your real data. Have the ERP connection priced separately, because it is the most underestimated line. Finally, require ownership of code and data in the contract, whatever you choose. If you also sell to Belgium, where structured B2B e-invoicing via Peppol became mandatory in January 2026, include it in the scope from day one.
Mini case study
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Pieter, managing director of a hygiene products wholesaler in Amsterdam, serves 900 resellers who place 2 orders a month on average. Today 2 sales administration staff key in 1,800 orders a month, at a loaded cost of EUR 7,400 a month. With 50 % of orders online after one year, he frees the equivalent of one position, or EUR 3,700 a month and EUR 133,200 over 3 years. He picks the custom build at EUR 62,000: over 3 years its total cost of EUR 105,200 is covered by the data-entry gain alone, before any basket growth. With Shopify Plus, the same gain leaves almost no net margin.
FAQ
Is Shopify Plus really suited to B2B?
Yes for a catalogue under 5,000 SKUs with prices by customer group. Beyond 10 specific pricing rules, extra apps cost EUR 300 to 600 a month and complicate maintenance.
Is Magento still a good choice in 2026?
It is a very complete platform, but specialized developers are scarce. Plan 2 to 4 security updates a year, meaning at least EUR 8,000 to 15,000 of annual maintenance.
Does a custom build make us dependent on the vendor?
The risk exists and shrinks when you require code ownership, documentation and a standard framework such as Next.js or Laravel. Another vendor can then take over the project in 2 to 4 weeks.
What timeline should we plan for 900 resellers?
Allow 12 weeks for Shopify Plus, 14 to 16 for custom and 18 to 20 for Magento, plus 4 to 8 weeks of gradual reseller adoption.
Can we migrate from one platform to another later?
Yes, but a migration usually costs 40 to 60 % of the original project. It is better to choose on 3-year cost from the start.
Let's scope your project. Send us your catalogue, pricing rules and ERP, and we will simulate the 3-year total cost of all three options and price the right one between EUR 45,000 and 80,000. 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.
