The short answer is “it depends”— but that answer is useless to you. So let's put real market numberson it: what an online store costs in 2026 depending on who builds it and on which platform, what the upfront investment buys, and what you'll pay every month. No fine print.
Quick answer
An online store costs $3,000–$8,000 with a freelancer, $8,000–$20,000 with a boutique studio and $20,000–$50,000+ with a large agency in 2026; build it yourself on Shopify and the floor is the Basic plan ($39 a month, or $29 billed yearly) plus a domain and your time. Add the monthly cost of keeping it online (platform or hosting, apps) plus payment processing at about 2.9% + 30¢ per sale. These are market ranges — with Orbit, an online store is quoted to fit your project.
What determines the price?
Three factors move the needle:
- Scope: a one-product landing page is nothing like a store with hundreds of SKUs and integrations.
- Platform: Shopify, WooCommerce or something else (see our guide on Shopify vs WooCommerce).
- Who builds it: you, a freelancer, or a studio. This is where the biggest difference in price — and in results — lives.
How much an online store costs in 2026: ranges by type and provider
This table crosses the type of store with the three provider profiles. The ranges come from public pricing studies (sources at the end) and are one-time build costs in USD for the US and global market:
| Type of store | Freelancer | Boutique studio | Large agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify, theme-basedSmall to mid catalog, customized premium theme | $3,000 – $8,000 | $8,000 – $20,000 | $20,000 – $50,000+ |
| WooCommerceOn WordPress; you manage hosting and plugins | $1,500 – $8,000 | $8,000 – $25,000 | $25,000 – $100,000+ |
| Custom / headless / Shopify PlusBespoke design, ERP, logistics and B2B integrations | From $10,000* | $15,000 – $50,000 | $50,000 – $100,000+ |
* Approximate: few freelancers take on fully custom builds, and integrations set the ceiling. One-time build cost in USD, 2026, before taxes.
If you build it yourself, development costs $0: you pay the Shopify plan ($39 a month, or $29 yearly) or WooCommerce hosting (from $10 a month), the domain and, if you want one, a paid theme ($0–$400 one-time on the Shopify Theme Store). If you go this way, it's worth understanding when a paid theme is actually worth it — we break that down in free vs. paid Shopify themes.
These are market ranges, not our price list: at Orbit we don't publish rates — every store is quoted to fit its scope.
The 3 paths (and what each one costs)
| Path | Typical investment (USD) | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Do it yourself (DIY) | $39 / month (Shopify Basic) + domain + your time | Validating an idea on a minimal budget |
| Freelancer | $1,500 – $8,000 per project ($25 – $150 / hour) | Mid budget, straightforward project |
| Studio / agency | $8,000 – $50,000+ per project ($100 – $250 / hour) | Brands that are serious and want a partner |
Do it yourself
In dollars this is the cheapest route (the platform, a theme, and little else: under $500 for the first year on Shopify Basic with a free theme), but you pay for it in time and learning curve. It works to validate an idea, though the result usually falls short on design and conversion.
A freelancer
A solid middle ground if your project is simple and the budget is tight: on the open market, freelance ecommerce developers charge $25–$150 an hour and a theme-based Shopify or WooCommerce build runs $3,000–$8,000 (basic WooCommerce setups start around $1,500). Quality varies enormously: check the portfolio and, above all, who answers you after the site ships.
A studio
Boutique studios typically land at $8,000–$20,000 and large agencies at $20,000–$50,000 or more, billing $100–$250+ an hour. More investment, but you're not just paying to “get a site made.” You're paying for strategy, conversion-focused UX design, a team, and ongoing support. It's the right path when the store is a business asset, not an experiment.
What's included in the upfront investment?
When you pay for a store that's done well, this is what you're actually buying (and why a very low price almost always cuts corners here):
- Strategy and store architecture.
- UX/UI design built to convert, not just “look nice.”
- Development and setup (catalog, payments, shipping, domain, email).
- Speed and mobile optimization.
- Initial content upload and launch fine-tuning.
Recurring costs (what you pay every month/year)
2026 market ranges in USD:
| Item | 2026 range (USD) | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Platform (Shopify) | Basic $39 · Grow $105 · Advanced $399 / month (25% less billed yearly) · Plus from $2,300 | Hosting, checkout and security included |
| Hosting (if WooCommerce) | $10 – $200 / month | Managed WordPress or cloud; grows with traffic and catalog |
| Domain | $10 – $25 / year | A small, fixed yearly expense |
| Theme | $0 – $400 one-time | Free themes vs. paid Shopify Theme Store themes |
| Apps / plugins | $50 – $200 / month typical (up to $500+) | Reviews, email, shipping, search, loyalty |
| Maintenance (optional) | $140 – $590 / month basic plans · $500 – $3,000 / month retainers | Updates, backups, security, small changes |
| Payment processing | From 2.9% + 30¢ per online sale (Shopify Payments, Basic) | Lower rates on Grow and Advanced; a percentage of every sale |
| Third-party gateway surcharge | 2% Basic · 1% Grow · 0.6% Advanced · 0.2% Plus | Only if you don't use Shopify Payments |
In practice, a small Shopify store runs $100–$600 a month in platform, apps and maintenance before processing fees. Your monthly total depends mostly on your platform, how many paid apps you use and whether you keep a maintenance plan. On top of that, remember payment processing takes a cut of every sale — and if you use Shopify with a third-party gateway instead of Shopify Payments, Shopify adds its own 2%, 1% or 0.6% surcharge on top.
Cheap gets expensive
The $1,500 store that “does everything” usually ends up slow, hard to manage and not selling — and then it has to be rebuilt for $10,000 (so you pay twice). The price isn't the number that matters: the return is. A store that converts pays for itself.
What does it cost with Orbit?
The ranges above are market figures; at Orbit we don't publish fixed rates because every project is different, and the investment depends on your scope — the size of your catalog, the integrations you need, the platform, and the support you want afterward. Tell us what you need and we'll send you a tailored proposal, with the scope in writing. We're a senior, remote studio: you work directly with the people building your store, from anywhere — no middlemen, no agency layers.
And so you don't have to imagine it: take a look at the online stores we've designed for brands around the world.
How much should you invest for your stage?
Quick guide
- Validating an idea: start simple — Shopify yourself ($39 a month) or a basic store with a freelancer ($3,000–$8,000). Sell first, invest later.
- Growing brand: a well-built store that converts and that you can scale, typically $8,000–$20,000. Here the return justifies the investment.
- Established brand:a custom store with its own UX and integrations, from $20,000 upward. It's an asset, not an expense.
Don't forget the traffic
Your store budget does not include bringing in customers. Set money aside for marketing and ads — because, as we explain in this article, a store with no traffic doesn't sell.
The Orbit verdict
Building an online store in 2026 ranges from $39 a month (DIY on Shopify) to $50,000 or more (fully custom with a large agency), and most brands that take it seriously invest between $8,000 and $20,000. But the right question isn't “how much does it cost?” — it's “how much will it give me back?”. Invest in line with your stage, don't cut corners on the things that sell (UX, speed, strategy), and treat your store as what it is: your best salesperson, working 24/7.
Frequently asked questions
What's the absolute minimum to launch a Shopify store?
Shopify Basic at $39 a month ($29 billed yearly), a domain at $10–$25 a year and a free theme: roughly $360–$500 for the first year before payment processing (about 2.9% + 30¢ per online sale on Basic). Shopify also runs a 3-day free trial and then $1 a month for 3 months. A freelancer build on top adds $3,000–$8,000; a studio build, $8,000–$20,000. The platform is cheap — doing it well is what costs money.
Why does a studio charge more than a freelancer?
Because you're not just paying for someone to "make the site." Freelancers charge $25–$150 an hour and build a store for $3,000–$8,000; boutique studios land at $8,000–$20,000 and large agencies at $20,000–$50,000+ ($100–$250+ an hour). The difference pays for strategy, conversion-focused UX design, a team that actually answers, a warranty and ongoing support. A freelancer can be perfect for a tight budget and a simple project; a studio makes sense when the store is a real business asset.
How much does it cost to run a store each month?
Add up the platform (Shopify $39–$399, or $10–$200 in hosting for WooCommerce), apps ($50–$200 for a typical store, up to $500+), the domain ($10–$25 a year) and optional maintenance ($140–$3,000 depending on the retainer). A small store typically runs $100–$600 a month before processing fees — and processing takes about 2.9% + 30¢ per sale, plus a 2%, 1% or 0.6% Shopify surcharge if you use a third-party gateway instead of Shopify Payments.
Is Shopify or WooCommerce cheaper?
Upfront, WooCommerce can be cheaper: the plugin is free and a basic professional build runs $1,500–$8,000 versus $3,000–$8,000 on Shopify. Monthly it flips: WooCommerce needs hosting ($10–$200), paid plugins and a maintenance retainer ($500–$3,000 with an agency), while Shopify bundles hosting, checkout and security into $39–$399. Over two or three years the totals are closer than they look.
How much does a custom or Shopify Plus store cost?
Shopify Plus builds run $15,000–$50,000+, complex WooCommerce builds $25,000–$100,000+, and WebFX puts large-scale ecommerce sites at $40,000–$100,000+. The Plus subscription itself starts at $2,300 a month, so it only makes sense at real volume.
Is it worth going with the cheapest option?
Usually not. A $1,500 store that has to be rebuilt a year later for $10,000 cost you $11,500 — plus the sales you didn't make while it was slow, hard to manage and not converting. The right price is the one that gets you a store that sells and grows with you.
Sources
Ranges checked in September 2026. All figures are USD; build costs are one-time unless noted as monthly or yearly.
- Shopify — Pricing (Basic $39, Grow $105, Advanced $399, Plus from $2,300; third-party gateway fees 2% / 1% / 0.6% / 0.2%).
- Rovela — Freelance ecommerce developer vs. agency (builds $3,000–$8,000 vs. $15,000–$50,000+; hourly rates; apps $50–$200/month; retainers $500–$5,000/month).
- Ecorn — Ecommerce website development cost in 2026 (standard Shopify builds $3,000–$15,000; Shopify Plus $15,000–$50,000+; apps $100–$500+/month).
- Codeable — WooCommerce development costs 2026 (basic $1,500–$8,000; mid-level $5,000–$25,000; complex $25,000–$100,000+; maintenance plans and retainers).
- WebFX — How Much Does a Website Cost in 2026? and WebFX — Ecommerce website cost (ecommerce $2,000–$25,000 on average; large-scale $40,000–$100,000+; hosting and domains).
- Upwork — E-commerce web designers (focused projects $500–$2,500).
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