Ecommerce business is really exiting story. Your products are ready to sell, your market research is complete, and you are ready to launch your product, now comes the fun part which is setting up the digital storefront that connects it all. Shopify is one of the most popular and authentic platforms for building online stores, but the first question most new founders and CEOs ask is:
How Much Does It Cost to Build and Run a Shopify Store?
The total cost of running a Shopify store generally falls into two main categories:
One-Time Setup Costs
These include all expenses related to building and launching your online store, such as: Purchasing, installing, and customizing the Shopify theme, buying the domain and setting up hosting, website development, content writing, and professional image or video design, Integration with payment gateways, CRM systems, email marketing tools, Google Maps, and social media platforms, Ensuring full mobile responsiveness and optimization for performance and user experience.
“Once your online store is built, keeping it optimized is just as important. Our Website Development and Maintenance service helps you manage updates, fix bugs, and maintain top performance across all devices.”
Monthly / Annual Running Costs
Once the store is live, you’ll have ongoing expenses to keep it updated and performing efficiently — including, Shopify subscription plans and app add-ons (if used), Regular product updates adding new items, removing old ones, and adjusting stock levels and pricing, Domain and hosting renewals, Theme updates, bug fixes, and minor design enhancements.
To set expectations:
- Budget your startup around $500-$2000 for startup and for monthly ongoing cost $50-$200.
- Scaling stores normally spend around $2,000–$10,000 initially and $300–$1,000 per month depending on traffic, apps, and transaction volume.
Cost Division
One-Time Costs
| Cost Item | Typical Range | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theme (Design) | Free – $100–$420 | Premium themes like Motion ($400) or Broadcast ($420). | Shopify Theme Store |
| Domain | ~$11–$14/year | Purchased through Shopify or third-party registrars. | Shopify Domain Guide |
| Development / Setup | $500 – $5,000+ | Basic setup: $500–$2,000. Custom builds: $1,000–$5,000+. | Industry Practice |
| Logo Design (optional) | $100 | Common branding add-on. | Intelnest |
| Content Writing (optional) | $0.05/word | For blogs, product descriptions, or articles. | Intelnest |
| Video Editing (optional) | $30/min | Beyond basic edits, per minute of video. | Intelnest |
Monthly / Yearly Ongoing Costs
| Cost Item | Monthly | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify Basic Plan | $39 | Card fees: 2.9% + 30¢. Third-party gateway fee: 2%. | Shopify Pricing |
| Shopify Grow Plan | $105 | Card fees: 2.7% + 30¢. Third-party gateway fee: 1%. | Shopify Pricing |
| Shopify Advanced Plan | $399 | Card fees: 2.4% + 30¢. Third-party gateway fee: 0.6%. | Shopify Pricing |
| Shopify Plus (Enterprise) | From $2,300 | Minimum Three-year term pricing. | Shopify Plus |
| Apps | $0 – $350+ | Avg. store uses 7 apps; ~ $150 - $250/month spend. | Shopify App Data |
| POS Pro (Retail) | $89/location | Annual discount: $79/month available. | Shopify POS |
| International Fees | typically 1.5–2.5% per order | for cross-border sales including duties and conversion. | Shopify Managed Markets |
Intelnest Shopify Website Development Packages
For founders who want fixed, transparent one-time build costs, Intelnest offers three packages (For fully customized packages, please contact us directly).
| Feature / Service | Starter – USD 350 | Professional – USD 550 | Premium – USD 850 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product Listing | Up to 25 | Up to 100 | Up to 200 |
| Custom Development | ❌ | (Minor) | ✅ |
| Pre-made Theme Customization | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Integration of Social Media Links | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Customization | ❌ | (Minor) | ✅ |
| On-Page SEO | Basic Technical | Technical + Text-Optimized | Keyword-Researched & Optimized |
| Performance Optimization & Mobile Responsiveness | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Image creation with Brand Colors | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Google Analytics & Search Console | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| WhatsApp Chat / Live Chat / Price Form | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Integration of Payment Gateway API | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Newsletter & Email Integration | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Extra Product Listings | $100 per 100 items | $100 per 100 items | $100 per 100 items |
Additional Notes
- Separate charges for Premium theme purchase (100-420).
- Hosting and Domain are excluded from above development package.
- Extra curricular charges Logo design 100, Content 0.05/word, Video editing 30 /min, Brand Guide 500.
- Shopify mobile app is not included, prices are varying on scope and volume of work.
Pricing Disclaimer
- All pricing above is for only for reference. Always make sure to check the Shopify and other platforms directly to make your decision easy.
- Costs can be country-specific (e.g., USA, Canada, KSA, Qatar) and can be affected by taxation, banking fees or by other manners in the development.
- Intelnest’s research is meant to provide clarity but should not be used as the sole basis for final decision-making.
Next Step
Before you launch your Shopify store:
- Pick the right Shopify plan for your business model.
- Make decision about how much customization you need.
- Selection of developer package that fits best for your growth stage.
