The verdict in three sentences
For a B2B e-commerce in London in 2026, Shopify Plus starts fast (~2,000 EUR/month + apps + % transaction) while custom requires 50,000 to 130,000 EUR of build plus annual maintenance. The right choice depends on three variables: your GMV (online turnover), your acceptable lock-in and the 5-year TCO. Below roughly 2M EUR annual GMV, Shopify Plus often wins; above it, custom becomes more profitable.
The real cost of each option
Shopify's trap is commission: discreet per transaction, huge in aggregate. Here is the comparison for a complex B2B catalogue.
| Item | Shopify Plus | Custom |
|---|---|---|
| Initial build | 15,000 - 40,000 EUR | 50,000 - 130,000 EUR |
| Subscription/year | ~24,000 EUR | 0 EUR |
| Apps (B2B pricing, ERP, portals) | 6,000 - 18,000 EUR/year | 0 EUR |
| Transaction commission | 0.2 - 0.6% of GMV | 0 EUR |
| Maintenance / hosting | partly included | 9,000 - 26,000 EUR/year |
| Lock-in | High | Low |
On Shopify, the more you sell, the more you pay. On custom, the marginal cost of an extra order is near zero.
The tipping point (5-year TCO)
Let's model 5-year TCO by annual GMV, realistic 2026 assumptions. Shopify commission taken at 0.4% average.
| Annual GMV | 5-yr TCO Shopify Plus | 5-yr TCO custom | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500,000 EUR | ~185,000 EUR | ~215,000 EUR | Shopify |
| 1,500,000 EUR | ~215,000 EUR | ~215,000 EUR | Tie |
| 3,000,000 EUR | ~260,000 EUR | ~220,000 EUR | Custom |
| 6,000,000 EUR | ~350,000 EUR | ~230,000 EUR | Custom |
| 10,000,000 EUR | ~470,000 EUR | ~245,000 EUR | Custom |
The crossover sits around 1.5 to 2M EUR of GMV. Beyond it, each extra million widens the gap in favour of custom, which absorbs no commission.
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Mini case study
Sophie is e-commerce director of a food wholesaler in London, targeting 4.2M EUR online GMV. On Shopify Plus she projects ~2,000 EUR/month, 12,000 EUR/year of apps (B2B pricing, ERP connector, customer portal) and 0.4% commission, i.e. ~16,800 EUR/year in commission alone. Estimated 5-year TCO: ~305,000 EUR.
With custom at 98,000 EUR build plus 18,000 EUR/year maintenance, her 5-year TCO drops to ~188,000 EUR. Five-year saving: ~117,000 EUR, not counting the freedom to shape pricing rules without a third-party app.
FAQ
At what GMV does custom become profitable? Around 1.5 to 2M EUR annual GMV in 2026. Below it, Shopify Plus's agility wins; above it, commission and apps weigh too heavily over 5 years.
What is lock-in concretely? It is your dependence on the platform: data, theme, apps and business logic trapped in one ecosystem. Migrating off Shopify later costs 15,000 to 60,000 EUR and time.
Does Shopify Plus really handle B2B? Yes for standard cases (accounts, group pricing, quick order), but fine contractual pricing rules often require paid apps or extra development.
Is custom riskier? The risk is project management, not technology. With serious scoping, sprints and testing, a B2B build ships in 4 to 6 months under control.
Can we start on Shopify then migrate? Yes, and it is a valid strategy: validate the market fast, then move to custom once GMV justifies the investment. Budget the migration from the start.
Let's scope your project. Give us your target GMV and pricing rules: we model your 5-year TCO Shopify vs custom and a budget of 50,000 to 130,000 EUR. 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.
