Cost guide · 2026
E-Commerce Website Cost — Headless, Shopify and Custom (2026)
Most e-commerce engagements run $5,000 to $40,000 depending on stack (Shopify, headless or custom), feature scope and integrations. Here's what each tier actually buys.
E-commerce cost varies more than buyers expect — partly because 'e-commerce site' covers everything from a Shopify theme tweak to a fully custom multi-currency D2C platform. The tiers below are how we scope engagements for clients like StyleNow India (where we took Lighthouse from 42 to 94 with a Next.js rebuild).
Pricing tiers
Shopify launch / theme
$5,000 – $12,000
3 – 6 weeks
Best for: New D2C brands launching on Shopify with a customised theme
Scope:
- Shopify Online Store 2.0 setup
- Customised theme
- Up to 50 products
- PSP setup (Razorpay / Stripe / Cashfree)
- Basic SEO setup
- Shipping + tax configuration
Headless Next.js storefront
$15,000 – $25,000
8 – 12 weeks
Best for: Existing Shopify stores hitting performance or design ceilings
Scope:
- Next.js front-end on Shopify Storefront API
- Sanity / Contentful CMS
- Mobile-first PDP + PLP
- One-page checkout
- Algolia / Typesense search
- Lighthouse 90+ on mobile
- Edge CDN deployment
Custom D2C platform
$25,000 – $40,000
12 – 16 weeks
Best for: Brands escaping Shopify limits or building marketplace-style commerce
Scope:
- Custom Next.js + Node.js + PostgreSQL
- Custom checkout with multi-PSP routing
- Inventory across warehouses
- Marketplace sync (Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra)
- Loyalty + referral programmes
- Subscription commerce
- Custom admin and reporting
What drives the price up or down
Catalogue size
Up to 100 products is straightforward. 1,000+ products needs PIM tooling and CDN-cached PLPs.
Languages and currencies
Each additional language or currency adds 1–2 weeks. Don't underestimate translation workflow.
Marketplace integrations
Each marketplace (Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra) adds 2–3 weeks of inventory + order sync work.
POS and offline stores
POS integration with offline-first stock and order sync adds 4–6 weeks.
Loyalty and subscriptions
Loyalty programme: 2–3 weeks. Subscription commerce with proration: 3–4 weeks.
How we price engagements
Fixed-cost engagements after a written scope. Most e-commerce work ships in 8–14 weeks. Post-launch retainers cover SEO, performance, A/B testing and seasonal campaign features.
Frequently asked questions
Shopify or custom — what should we choose?
Shopify if you're launching, validating or running under 1,000 SKUs. Headless Shopify if your front-end has hit the theme ceiling but Shopify back-office still works. Custom only when Shopify can't model your commerce flow (B2B pricing tiers, complex subscriptions, marketplace mechanics).
Why was StyleNow's Lighthouse score so low on Magento?
Legacy frameworks like Magento, WooCommerce and older Shopify themes carry heavy JavaScript, slow database queries and unoptimised images. Next.js with edge CDN and modern image pipelines lifts mobile Lighthouse from the 40s into the 90s.
Do you handle SEO during the build?
Yes. Sites are server-rendered with structured metadata, sitemap, robots, structured data and Core Web Vitals built in.
Do you do post-launch CRO?
Yes. CRO retainers focus on funnel instrumentation, A/B testing, search relevance tuning and conversion-page redesigns.
Industries we deliver this for
Want a quote for your specific scope?
We'll scope your project and share a fixed-cost proposal and delivery plan within 48 hours — based on the cost factors above, not a generic template.
Get a proposal