Trying to budget for your ecommerce website can be challenging as there are many different costs associated with not only building but also running an online store, which is why we created this quick and easy calculator, which allows you to easily figure this out.
Just a couple of points about how the calculator works:
- If you are using a self-hosted site, enter the cost of hosting in the Platform Monthly Cost field.
- Platform Monthly Cost and App Monthly Cost are both multiplied by 12 to give an annual cost.
- The designer/developer hourly rate is multiplied by the specified number of hours.
- If you just want to figure out your design/development costs, then just enter the hourly rate and number of hours and leave the rest of the calculator blank.
How Much Does an Ecommerce Website Cost?
This is like trying to answer the question “how long is a piece of string?” because every online store is different due to:
1: The Platform Being Used
There are many options when it comes to building an online store and due to this variety, the costs can also vary a lot as you have hosted platforms such as Shopify and Ecwid, where you pay a monthly subscription fee to use the platform and these can range from less than $30 to over $1,000 a month.
And then there are self-hosted platforms such as WooCommerce and PrestaShop, whose software is free to use but you need web hosting, which is usually charged monthly although you may pay annually and this can range from less than $10 a month to a few hundred or even more.
So this one alone is a huge variable.
2: Apps or Plugins
Many stores require additional features or functionality for their store and this usually comes in the form of an app or plugin (depending on the platform that you are using) and may result in additional costs for your store.
They may also be billed in different ways as some you pay for monthly, whereas others are paid for annually.
3: Theme or Template
For a truly custom-looking storefront, you will probably need to use a paid theme or template as they usually offer more features when it comes to customization.
These are usually paid for annually but it may also be a one-off fee.
4: Developer/Designer Costs
If you outsource the building and maintenance of your store to a developer or designer, then you will incur additional costs for your site.
This can also be billed in different ways, some will bill by the hour, whereas others will charge a monthly retainer.
These factors mean that cost estimates for online stores can range from a few hundred dollars a year to thousands and that is why we created the calculator above so that you can figure out the costs for your online store.