The verdict in three sentences
A WooCommerce to Shopify migration lives or dies on customer and order data, 301 redirects and active subscriptions, not on the new theme. The questions below let you screen agencies in an hour, because every vague answer is a cost you will pay later. For a New York brand with 400 products and 30,000 customers, the 2026 market ballpark is 10,000 to 45,000 USD over 6 to 12 weeks.
What the migration must carry over
| Item to migrate | Typical volume | Difficulty | 2026 market ballpark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Products, variants, images | 400 products, 1,200 variants | Medium | 2,500 to 7,000 USD |
| Customer accounts | 30,000 customers | Medium (passwords cannot be moved) | 1,200 to 4,000 USD |
| Order history | 80,000 orders | Medium to high | 1,500 to 5,000 USD |
| 301 redirects | 500 to 2,000 URLs | High for SEO | 1,200 to 5,000 USD |
| Active subscriptions | 1,000 subscribers | Very high (payment tokens) | 3,000 to 10,000 USD |
| Sales tax setup | New York and other nexus states | Medium | 800 to 3,000 USD |
| Theme and design | Adapted or custom | Variable | 4,000 to 20,000 USD |
Sales tax settings deserve a line of their own: confirm with your accountant where you have nexus before the agency configures tax collection. Accessibility also matters in the US, since ecommerce sites are a frequent target of ADA website claims; ask for WCAG 2.1 AA checks on the new theme.
Questions to ask, with good and bad answers
| Question | Good answer | Bad answer |
|---|---|---|
| How do you migrate customer accounts? | Full import, then an account activation email, because hashed passwords do not transfer. | Customers will keep their passwords. |
| How do you protect rankings? | Export of every indexed URL, a tested 301 map and 8 weeks of Search Console monitoring. | Shopify handles SEO automatically. |
| What happens to active subscriptions? | We check whether payment tokens can be migrated with your gateway; if not, we plan a re enrolment campaign. | We will recreate them after launch. |
| Which Shopify apps will you add? | A priced list with the monthly cost of each app. | A few standard apps, nothing expensive. |
| How do you test the migration? | A dry run, a 5% sample check of orders and user acceptance testing with your team. | We migrate live on launch day. |
| When do you switch over? | A Tuesday morning outside promotions, with a 48 hour content freeze. | Friday night, it is quieter. |
| Who owns the store and accounts? | Your company; we work as collaborators. | We build it on our partner account and transfer it later. |
Budget and timeline to insist on
| Phase | Duration | Share of budget |
|---|---|---|
| Data and URL audit | 1 to 2 weeks | 10 to 15% |
| Theme and configuration | 2 to 4 weeks | 30 to 40% |
| Dry run and fixes | 1 to 2 weeks | 15 to 20% |
| Subscriptions and apps | 1 to 2 weeks | 15 to 20% |
| Go live and hypercare | 1 to 2 weeks | 10 to 15% |
Add the Shopify subscription, whose public price varies by plan, and roughly 150 to 500 USD a month in apps for a brand running subscriptions and reviews.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Danielle, head of ecommerce at a Brooklyn skincare brand, runs 400 products, 30,000 customers and 1,000 subscribers on a 38 USD monthly refill, or 38,000 USD of recurring revenue a month. Two agencies quote 16,000 and 27,000 USD. The cheaper one plans to recreate subscriptions after launch; the other budgets 6,500 USD to migrate payment tokens with the gateway. If re enrolment loses 25% of subscribers, Danielle loses 9,500 USD a month, or 114,000 USD over a year. The 11,000 USD difference is recovered in just over a month, so she signs with the second agency.
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FAQ
How much does a WooCommerce to Shopify migration cost in New York?
The 2026 market ballpark is 10,000 to 45,000 USD for 400 products and 30,000 customers. Subscriptions and a custom theme can triple the budget.
Will customers have to reset passwords?
Yes, hashed WooCommerce passwords do not transfer to Shopify. Plan an activation campaign; on a loyal base, 30 to 50% open rates are common.
How long does it take?
Usually 6 to 12 weeks depending on volume and subscription complexity. Avoid switching less than 6 weeks before Black Friday.
Will we lose Google traffic?
A short dip is common, but a map of 500 to 2,000 redirects limits losses sharply. Ask for at least 8 weeks of Search Console monitoring after launch.
Do we need a new design?
Not necessarily: adapting an existing theme costs about 4,000 to 8,000 USD, versus 10,000 to 20,000 USD for a custom theme.
Let's scope your project. Send us your product, customer and subscriber counts, and we will return a migration plan with an indicative budget and switch over schedule. 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.