The verdict in three sentences
For a London manufacturer selling to 4,000 trade customers, Shopify Plus and a custom B2B build cost roughly the same over three years, around EUR 130,000 to 145,000 (about GBP 112,000 to 125,000). Shopify Plus wins when the catalogue and commercial terms stay standard, with a launch in 4 months. Custom wins as soon as customer-specific price lists, negotiated discounts and ERP synchronisation get complex, with a timeline of 5 to 6 months.
Total cost over three years: the numbers
The entry price is often misleading. Shopify Plus starts at USD 2,300 a month (about EUR 2,150) on a three-year term, but you must add integration, B2B apps and the ERP connection. Custom requires a heavier upfront investment, then a lower running cost.
| Item (excl. VAT) | Shopify Plus | Custom (Next.js + API) |
|---|---|---|
| Setup, theme and B2B journeys | EUR 25,000 | EUR 80,000 (full build) |
| ERP connector (Sage, SAP Business One, Microsoft Dynamics) | EUR 10,000 | Included |
| Platform subscription over 3 years | EUR 77,400 | EUR 0 |
| Third-party apps (quotes, search, reviews) over 3 years | EUR 18,000 | EUR 0 |
| Hosting, maintenance and changes over 3 years | EUR 9,000 | EUR 54,000 |
| Fees with a third-party payment gateway | 0.15 % of card revenue | 0 % |
| 3-year total (excluding variable fees) | EUR 139,400 | EUR 134,000 |
| Launch timeline | 4 months | 5 to 6 months |
Above a certain sales volume, Shopify Plus also applies a variable fee on revenue. For a manufacturer above USD 800,000 of online sales a month, negotiate this line before signing.
The B2B features that tip the balance
Shopify has improved a lot on B2B since 2023: company catalogues, payment terms, volume pricing. But some industrial rules remain hard to support without bespoke development.
| B2B need | Shopify Plus in 2026 | Custom |
|---|---|---|
| Catalogue and pricing per customer | Native (B2B catalogues) | Native |
| Net 30 end-of-month terms | Native (payment terms) | Native |
| 4,000 price lists from the ERP | Possible, heavy sync | Direct ERP read |
| Cascading discounts (family, customer, volume) | Limited, apps required | Unlimited |
| Negotiated quote then order | Draft orders | Full workflow |
| Multi-warehouse and lead times per site | Decent | Bespoke |
| Customer balance and credit hold | Third-party app | Native |
| Future flexibility | Depends on Shopify ecosystem | Total, you own the code |
Rule of thumb: if more than 20 % of your customers have specific negotiated terms, custom becomes simpler to maintain than a stack of apps.
Timelines and project risks
On Shopify Plus, the critical path is ERP synchronisation: 6 to 8 weeks of the 4 months. On custom, it is testing the pricing rules: plan 3 weeks of tests with a sample of 50 real customers. In both cases, migrating customer accounts and training sales reps account for 15 % of the budget.
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James Whitfield, e-commerce director of a technical components manufacturer near London, sells EUR 6,000,000 online a year to 4,000 customers, 30 % paid by card. With Shopify Plus and a third-party gateway, the extra 0.15 % fee on EUR 1,800,000 of card payments is EUR 2,700 a year, or EUR 8,100 over three years. The Shopify total therefore rises to EUR 147,500 against EUR 134,000 for custom. Since 35 % of his customers have cascading discounts, James chooses custom: the EUR 13,500 gap funds two extra months of development, and the company owns its code.
FAQ
Does Shopify Plus handle 30-day payment terms?
Yes, B2B payment terms have been native since 2023 (on receipt, net 30 or net 60). Tracking customer balances and automatically blocking orders above a limit still requires a third-party app, around EUR 300 to 500 a month.
Is custom riskier?
Risk is controlled with a precise specification and deliveries every 2 weeks. Insist on code ownership and documentation: on EUR 80,000, set aside 10 % for acceptance testing.
Can we move from Shopify Plus to custom later?
Yes, but the Shopify Plus commitment often runs 3 years. A later migration costs EUR 20,000 to 40,000, which is why choosing well upfront matters.
How long does the ERP connection take?
Plan 6 to 8 weeks for Sage or Dynamics, 8 to 12 weeks for SAP. The time depends mostly on the quality of customer data in the ERP.
Which option is faster?
Shopify Plus, with a launch in 4 months against 5 to 6 months for custom. If a trading season sets a hard date, that is a serious argument.
Let's scope your project. Send us your customer count, pricing rules and ERP, and we will price both scenarios over 3 years with a 4 to 6 month 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.
