The verdict in three sentences
PrestaShop with B2B modules remains the cheapest choice for an 8,000-SKU catalogue as long as pricing rules stay simple. Shopware 6 Evolve pays off once you manage per-customer price lists, negotiated quotes and buyer-side approval flows. A custom build is only justified when your commercial logic (cascading discounts, framework contracts, in-house ERP) is your competitive edge.
What each option costs over 3 years
Launch price is misleading. In B2B e-commerce, licences, application maintenance and enhancements weigh as much as the initial project. Here is a 2026 order of magnitude for an Amsterdam distributor with 8,000 SKUs, 1,200 trade accounts and an existing ERP, with senior developer day rates of EUR 800-1,000.
| Item (3 years, excl. VAT) | PrestaShop + B2B modules | Shopware 6 Rise / Evolve | Custom build |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial project | EUR 30,000-70,000 | EUR 45,000-100,000 | EUR 110,000-210,000 |
| Licence or subscription | EUR 0 (modules EUR 1,500-4,000) | EUR 600-2,400/month, i.e. EUR 21,600-86,400 | EUR 0 |
| Managed hosting | EUR 3,600-7,200 | EUR 5,400-10,800 | EUR 7,200-14,400 |
| Maintenance and updates | EUR 11,000-22,000 | EUR 13,000-26,000 | EUR 22,000-42,000 |
| Yearly enhancements | EUR 8,000-18,000 | EUR 10,000-24,000 | EUR 18,000-36,000 |
| Estimated 3-year total | EUR 55,000-120,000 | EUR 120,000-245,000 | EUR 180,000-300,000 |
| Time to launch | 3-5 months | 4-6 months | 6-10 months |
The Shopware range depends mainly on the edition: Rise (about EUR 600/month) covers the essentials, Evolve (about EUR 2,400/month) adds the full B2B Components module with buyer employees, budgets and approvals.
The three B2B features that tip the decision
A B2B site is not judged on its product page. It is judged on three mechanisms your buyers use every week.
| B2B feature | PrestaShop | Shopware 6 Evolve | Custom build |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per-customer or group pricing | Module, limits beyond 50 price lists | Native via Rule Builder | Unlimited, free-form rules |
| Cascading discounts and framework contracts | Custom work, EUR 6,000-14,000 | Partly native | Native by design |
| Negotiable online quotes | Module, EUR 300-900 + adaptation | Native (Quote Management) | To build, EUR 10,000-18,000 |
| Buyer approval workflows | Immature | Native (roles, budgets) | To build, EUR 12,000-24,000 |
| Quick order by SKU or CSV | Module | Native | To build |
| Real-time ERP sync | Connector, EUR 3,000-10,000 | Connector or API, EUR 5,000-15,000 | Built into the core |
If 70% of your 1,200 accounts have negotiated prices, PrestaShop quickly becomes a stack of hard-to-maintain modules. Conversely, with 5 price groups and no buyer-side validation, Shopware Evolve is oversized.
Hidden costs to price before signing
Three items push B2B budgets over in Amsterdam as anywhere else. Data migration (product records, prices, customer history) often represents 8-15% of the project. Sales team training on the back office, often forgotten, takes 2-4 days. Finally, major upgrades: a PrestaShop 8 to 9 migration or a major Shopware upgrade costs EUR 5,000-20,000 depending on the number of modules.
On resources, a senior e-commerce developer in Amsterdam bills around EUR 800-1,000 per day in 2026. A qualified offshore agency such as Kolonell in Dakar can cut the development share by 30-45% without changing platform.
Mini case study
Thomas, sales director of a technical supplies distributor in Amsterdam, manages 8,000 SKUs and 1,200 trade accounts. Today, 60% of orders arrive by email or phone and keep 3 sales assistants busy.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
- Chosen option: Shopware 6 Evolve, EUR 85,000 project, EUR 2,400/month subscription.
- 3-year cost: 85,000 + 86,400 + 36,000 (hosting, maintenance, enhancements) = EUR 207,400.
- Gain: 45% of orders move online in year one, freeing 1.5 FTE, about EUR 75,000 per year in loaded cost.
- Over 3 years, savings reach EUR 225,000 before counting the higher average basket (+12% on quick orders). Payback arrives around month 32.
With PrestaShop, Thomas would have paid about EUR 95,000 over 3 years, but without the approval workflows that 40% of his key accounts require.
FAQ
Can PrestaShop really handle 1,200 B2B accounts?
Yes, technically, with customer group and specific pricing modules. Limits appear beyond 50 price lists and on approvals, which require EUR 12,000-24,000 of custom development.
Is Shopware 6 Rise enough for B2B?
Rise (about EUR 600/month) covers catalogue and pricing rules. Advanced B2B features such as quotes and buyer roles in practice require Evolve, around EUR 2,400/month.
When does a custom build pay off?
When your business rules would generate more than EUR 30,000 of custom work on a standard platform, or beyond EUR 20 million of online revenue. Below that, the 3-year cost rarely beats a packaged solution by more than 15%.
How long until launch?
Count 3-5 months for PrestaShop, 4-6 months for Shopware and 6-10 months for custom, data migration included.
Can we migrate from PrestaShop to Shopware later?
Yes, but migration costs EUR 35,000-70,000. It is better to choose based on your 3-year needs than to pay for two projects.
Let's scope your project. Send us your SKU count, account volume and pricing rules: we will cost all three options over 3 years with an indicative budget and a realistic 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.