Having a Shopify store built: what the cost depends on and how to get a fixed-price quote

“What does a Shopify store cost?” is the first question in almost every conversation, and the honest answer is: it depends. That sounds like dodging, but it is the reason quotes are so far apart. This article shows what the price is made of, what to look for in quotes and how to get a fixed price you can really compare. You will not find numbers here on purpose: a price without your scope would be a guess.

What the price is made of

1. A theme from the store or a custom theme

With a theme from the Shopify Theme Store you adapt the structure, colors and content. That is the faster and cheaper route and exactly right for many stores. A custom theme built to your design (for example from Figma) is built from scratch. It reproduces every detail, but takes correspondingly more time.

2. Number and type of pages

A home page, a few collections and a product page are quickly built. The more different page types there are (several home page variants, info pages, a configurator, a dealer area), the bigger the scope.

3. Products and content

Ten products are a different job from several hundred. What matters too is the state of the data: are texts, images and variants in good shape, or do they first have to be sorted, completed or taken over from an old system?

4. Moving from another system

If you already have a store, for example on WooCommerce, products, customers, orders and above all the redirects of old addresses come on top, so that your Google rankings are kept. More in Moving from WooCommerce to Shopify.

5. Features beyond the standard

Dealer prices and quick order for B2B, a product configurator, gift logic in the cart, a wishlist: anything the theme does not bring is solved either with an app or built in code. Both have a price, the app usually as a running fee, the code once.

6. Markets, languages and currencies

A store in one language for one market is simpler than one with several languages, currencies and country-specific prices and rules.

7. Who provides design, text and photos?

If you bring a finished design and texts, the time goes into the build. If the structure has to be developed first, a step comes before it.

The running costs that are often forgotten

The price of building is only one part. After that these keep running:

• The Shopify plan itself. Which one fits depends on your needs; Shopify lists the current plans on its own pricing page.
• Apps you use, mostly as a monthly fee. Every paid app belongs in the calculation, and it often slows the store too (see Slow Shopify store? 7 causes).
• Domain and possibly your own mailbox.
• Payment fees per order at the payment provider.
• Maintenance and further development, if you do not want or cannot do everything yourself.

A tip: the more a clean solution does in the theme itself, the fewer apps you need, and the smaller the running costs.

Fixed price or hourly rate?

Hourly rate: you pay for the time that actually occurs. That fits when the scope is open or keeps changing, for example with ongoing support. The risk is yours: you only know at the end what it cost.

Fixed price: you know beforehand what the store costs, and the risk of extra effort lies with the developer. For that the scope must be described clearly beforehand. That is exactly what happens in the briefing. For projects with a clear scope I work with a fixed price after the briefing.

A fixed price is only as reliable as the scope written into it. Have the quote spell out what is included and what is not.

How to tell quotes you can compare

Two quotes can only be compared if they describe the same thing. Watch for:

1. Which pages and features are included? A list, not just “store build”.
2. A theme from the store or custom?
3. Who provides product data, texts, images? And who transfers them into the store?
4. Are legal texts, payments, shipping and taxes set up?
5. What happens after launch? Is there a phase for corrections?
6. Does the old store keep running until the new one is approved?
7. Who owns what in the end? The store should sit on your Shopify account, not the developer’s.

An example: Minbie

Minbie, an Australian baby feeding brand, wanted a new store on the Blum theme, built from its own Figma wireframes and launched without losing existing products, collections and content. The scope was clearly defined: home page in two variants, three collection pages, product page, About, Reviews and Contact. The store launched in July 2026, and support continues after that.

How you get to your fixed price

1. Intro call, about 30 minutes: what do you sell, what exists already, what bothers you?
2. Briefing: we put scope, pages and features in writing.
3. Fixed-price quote based on that briefing.
4. Build in an unpublished preview, your feedback is worked in short rounds.
5. Go-live after your approval.

Frequently asked questions

Why do you not give prices? Because a price without a scope would be a guess. After the briefing you get a firm number that fits your store.

Can I start with a small scope and extend later? Yes. A store grows well in stages when the foundation is clean.

Should the store run on my account? Definitely. You should stay the owner of the store and only give the developer access that you can withdraw at any time.

Do I need technical knowledge? No. You need to know what you want to sell. The rest is covered in the briefing.

How much store do you need?

Write to me for the free store check about what you plan: a new store, a move or a rebuild. I tell you honestly which scope makes sense for your goal, and after the briefing you get a fixed-price quote. Depending on the case, the WooCommerce migration or the redesign with a theme change fits. And if you are still weighing whether a freelancer or an agency fits your plan: Shopify freelancer or agency.

Kiril Karatitsyn, Shopify developer in Germany