The verdict in three sentences
Shopify B2B at ~EUR 2,300/month gets you live fast, but 3 of your 7 business rules (multi-level approval, cross-tier discounts, advanced quote workflow) are not customizable on the SaaS. A custom build at EUR 24,000-48,000 plus EUR 800-1,600/month maintenance absorbs those rules and hits break-even around month 34 if online revenue exceeds ~EUR 1.9m/year. The real question is not "which is cheaper" but "what do the manual workarounds cost for rules the SaaS cannot model."
Multi-currency and deep catalog: where the SaaS strains
With 4,000-12,000 SKUs and dual-currency display, catalog performance and quote accuracy dominate. Here is how the two approaches behave.
| Criterion (2026) | Shopify B2B | Custom build |
|---|---|---|
| SKUs handled comfortably | up to ~15,000 | unlimited (indexed) |
| Multi-currency | possible, framed | native, fine-grained |
| Quotes with multi-level approval | limited | full |
| Cross-tier discounts (range + account) | not native | yes |
| Order approval workflow | basic | bespoke |
| Business rules covered (of 7) | 4/7 | 7/7 |
| Buyer UX customization | theme | total |
The 3 uncovered rules force rekeying or manual checks, and that is where the hidden cost lives.
Total cost of ownership over 3 years
| Line item (2026 estimate, ex-tax) | Shopify B2B | Custom build |
|---|---|---|
| Build / setup | EUR 6,000-12,000 | EUR 24,000-48,000 |
| Subscription | ~EUR 2,300/mo | EUR 0 |
| Transaction fee | 0.15-0.2 % of revenue | EUR 0 (excl. PSP) |
| Maintenance / changes | partial | EUR 800-1,600/mo |
| Hosting | included | EUR 150-350/mo |
| Time to launch | 5-7 weeks | 9-15 weeks |
| Cumulative 36-month cost | ~EUR 95,000-110,000 | ~EUR 55,000-85,000 |
At high online revenue, the 0.15-0.2 % transaction fee and subscription stack fast, pulling break-even closer for the build.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Mini case study
James runs an electrical-supply distributor in London: 7,800 SKUs, targeting EUR 430,000/year online. On Shopify B2B, the subscription (~EUR 2,300/month) plus 0.18 % transaction fees runs ~EUR 28,400/year. Three uncovered business rules cost him about 22 hours/month of manual checking. A build at EUR 39,000 plus EUR 1,200/month maintenance totals ~EUR 53,400 over 3 years, versus ~EUR 85,000 for the SaaS over the same window, hitting break-even near month 34, before counting the saved checking hours.
FAQ
Does the SaaS truly handle multi-currency? Yes for display and framed payment, but fine rules (rounding, per-account rates, auto-switching) are far more flexible in custom.
How many business rules does a SaaS miss? Here, 3 of 7: multi-level approval, cross range/account discounts, and advanced quote workflow. Those are the costliest to work around by hand.
Is a build riskier? The risk sits in scoping. A clear perimeter, sprints, and batch acceptance bring risk down to SaaS levels, with more freedom afterward.
What is a realistic timeline? 5-7 weeks for Shopify B2B, 9-15 weeks for a custom build including catalog, quotes, and integrations.
When does the build pay off? Around month 34 if online revenue exceeds ~EUR 1.9m/year, sooner if uncovered rules generate heavy manual work.
Let's scope your project. Send us your top 7 business rules, SKU count, and target online revenue, and we'll settle Shopify B2B vs custom with an indicative budget of EUR 24,000-48,000. 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.
