What a Shopify store costs in 2026 (our real prices)

Ask a few studios what a Shopify store costs and you can get quotes thousands of dollars apart, for what sounds like the same job. Some won't give you a number until you've had a discovery call.

So owners end up asking the same question in forums and group chats: am I being ripped off?

Here's our answer, with our own numbers. A custom-designed Shopify store from us costs $4,500, $6,000 or $12,000, depending on the plan, and the prices are on our pricing page. Below is what moves the price, what each plan includes line by line, and what you shouldn't pay anyone for.

First, there are two bills

Every Shopify store has two kinds of cost, and quotes don't always separate them.

The build is what you pay a studio or freelancer once: design, development and launch.

Running costs are what it takes to keep the store going. Shopify bills most of these to the store owner's own Shopify account:

• Your Shopify plan. Prices vary by country and billing period, so check Shopify's pricing page for yours. Shopify Plus starts at $2,300 a month.
• Apps. Most charge monthly. This is the cost that creeps up, so add it up once a quarter.
• A paid theme, if you use one. Theme Store themes are a one-off purchase. When we checked in October 2026, paid themes on the Theme Store ranged from $100 to $500, with most between $250 and $420. A paid theme is licensed only to the store that bought it.
• Payment processing fees on each order, which depend on your plan and payment provider.

When you compare quotes, ask each one the same question: which of these is included, and which will I pay separately? A cheap build with an expensive app stack isn't cheap. Our 14 questions to ask before hiring a Shopify developer cover the rest.

What changes the price

Two quotes for "a Shopify store" can describe very different jobs. These are the things that move the number.

Theme or custom design

Setting up a theme from the Theme Store, with your logo, colours and products, is the cheapest route. Shopify's free themes are made and supported by Shopify and kept up to date.

A custom design means someone designs your store around your brand and your products, then builds it. It costs more because there's more work: design, then development, then testing. It's the option to look at when a theme's layout doesn't suit your products, or when you want the store to look like your brand rather than a theme.

Number of page types

Every distinct page type is designed and built separately. A store with a homepage, a collection page and a product page is one scope. Add a lookbook, a custom bundle builder, a size guide, a store locator and a quiz, and each one adds design and development time. When you compare quotes, compare the list of page types and features, not just the total.

Integrations

Connecting Shopify to other systems is where quotes can jump. Connecting an email tool or a reviews app is usually a smaller job. A warehouse, an ERP, a subscription service, or selling in several countries with different prices and languages takes planning and testing. If a quote has a big number in it, ask which integrations it covers.

Content readiness

If your product photos, descriptions and brand guidelines are ready, the build moves faster. If they're not, someone has to make them or wait for them, and either one costs money or time.

Our plans, line by line

These are the same plans and prices as on our pricing page.

Launch: $4,500

For new or early-stage brands ready to build a strong Shopify foundation.

• Custom Shopify design
• Full storefront development
• Mobile optimisation
• Essential SEO setup
• 30-day post-launch support

Growth: $6,000

For brands ready to improve performance and customer experience. Everything in Launch, plus:

• Conversion-focused design
• Custom sections and features
• Enhanced product and collection design
• App integrations

Scale: $12,000

For established brands with more complex commerce and operational requirements. Everything in Growth, plus:

• Advanced custom functionality
• Integrations and automation
• Shopify Markets setup, for selling in more than one country
• Advanced analytics and tracking

On every plan

Most stores take 6 to 12 weeks from kickoff to launch, depending on scope and how quickly content is ready. Projects are usually split into a deposit and milestone payments, with the schedule agreed before we start. Every plan includes 30 days of post-launch support.

What you shouldn't pay for

Some costs turn up in quotes and invoices that you can avoid.

1. Speed score fixes. If someone sells you a perfect speed score, be careful. Shopify's own performance team found that almost 15% of the one-click optimisation extensions it examined were gaming speed tests instead of making the store faster for real shoppers. Pay for real fixes, like smaller images and fewer apps, and judge them by Shopify's web performance report, which uses real visits.
2. A theme bought on someone else's store. A Theme Store theme is licensed to the store that bought it. If a freelancer installs one from their own account, or from a site outside the Theme Store, Shopify can flag it as unlicensed, and you won't be able to customise or publish it until you buy it properly. Buy the theme on your own store.
3. The same work twice. If a quote includes both a premium theme and a custom design, ask what each part covers and how much of the theme will be kept.
4. Product descriptions as a big line item. Shopify Magic, built into the admin and free on every plan, can draft product descriptions. You'll still want to edit them in your own voice, but drafting them shouldn't be a large part of a build quote.
5. Retainers with no defined work. Ongoing help can be worth it. A monthly fee with no list of what gets done each month isn't.

What to do next

Before you sign anything:

1. Split every quote into build costs and running costs.
2. Ask what drives the price: theme or custom, which page types, which integrations.
3. Check that the store, the theme and every app are in your name, on your account.
4. Cross off anything from the list above that you shouldn't be paying for.

All our prices are public. See exactly what each plan includes, no quote call needed. If you'd like to see the kind of stores those prices buy, look at our work.