The verdict in three sentences
Migrating from Shopify to a custom solution in Toronto costs between 30,000 and 80,000 EUR (about 45,000-120,000 CAD) in 2026, depending on catalogue, integrations and specific features to rebuild. The rationale is economic, not aesthetic: above a certain revenue, platform fees (1-2% of revenue) and functional limits exceed the cost of an owned platform. Expect a 3-6 month project with preserved SEO through rigorous redirects, and a break-even reached from 1.5 to 3 million EUR of annual revenue.
When migration pays off
Shopify charges a subscription plus, often, fees on non-Shopify Payments transactions and app commissions. Here is the ballpark of annual costs avoided.
| Shopify cost | Annual cost (ballpark) | Custom |
|---|---|---|
| Plus subscription | 24,000 - 30,000 EUR | 0 (hosting ~3,000-8,000) |
| Transaction fees outside Shopify Pay | 0.15-2% of revenue | 0 |
| Paid apps (10-20 apps) | 6,000 - 18,000 EUR | included / in-house |
| Checkout commissions | variable | 0 |
| Limited customization | costly workarounds | free |
On 3,000,000 EUR of revenue, subscription + apps + fees can exceed 50,000 EUR/year. A 60,000 EUR migration then pays back in 12 to 18 months, before functional gains.
What the 30,000-80,000 EUR budget covers
| Line item | EUR range | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping & existing audit | 3,000 - 7,000 | Features, apps, flows, current SEO |
| Front & back development | 12,000 - 35,000 | Catalogue, cart, custom checkout |
| Data migration (products, customers, orders) | 3,000 - 9,000 | Migration, cleanup, mapping |
| Specific features | 4,000 - 15,000 | B2B, subscriptions, configurator |
| SEO & 301 redirects | 2,500 - 6,000 | Redirect plan, traffic preservation |
| Integrations (ERP, payment, logistics) | 4,000 - 12,000 | Stock sync, PSP, carriers |
| UAT & go-live | 2,500 - 6,000 | Testing, cutover, monitoring |
The most sensitive line is SEO: a mishandled cutover can drop organic traffic by 20-40%. An exhaustive 301 redirect plan preserves earned rankings.
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Mini case study
Camille, founder of a DTC cosmetics brand in Toronto, does 3,200,000 EUR of revenue on Shopify Plus. She pays 28,000 EUR/year subscription, 14,000 EUR in apps and about 1% transaction fee on 40% of revenue outside Shopify Pay = 12,800 EUR/year, i.e. 54,800 EUR/year. She invests 62,000 EUR in a custom migration with native subscriptions and an ERP connector. After 5 months, she pays only ~6,000 EUR/year in hosting and maintenance. Net saving: about 48,800 EUR/year. The migration pays back in about 15 months, and she gains subscription features impossible on her old apps.
FAQ
At what revenue does migration pay off? Generally from 1.5 to 3 million EUR of annual revenue, when subscription + apps + fees exceed 40,000-55,000 EUR/year. Below that, Shopify often remains the best cost/agility ratio.
Will I lose my Google rankings? Not if a 301 redirect plan is applied URL by URL. Without it, organic traffic can drop 20-40%; with it, the loss stays marginal and temporary.
How long does the migration take? Between 3 and 6 months depending on catalogue and integrations. Data migration and redirects often make up 30% of the effort.
What happens to my Shopify apps? Their functions are brought in-house into the platform (subscriptions, reviews, upsell). You thus remove 6,000 to 18,000 EUR/year in app subscriptions.
What maintenance cost after migration? Around 15-20% of the budget per year, i.e. 4,500 to 16,000 EUR, versus 40,000-55,000 EUR/year of Shopify costs at high volume.
Let's scope your project. Share your annual revenue, current Shopify stack and critical features: we will quote a custom migration from 30,000 to 80,000 EUR with preserved SEO. 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.
