How Much Does an Ecommerce Website Cost? (2026 Pricing Guide)

Ask five agencies what an online store costs and you can get five answers between $1,000 and $500,000. Most of that spread comes from three things: the platform, how many products and integrations the store needs, and how much is custom. Here are typical 2026 ranges for US businesses and what moves the price.

The short answer

Most small businesses pay $5,000–$25,000 for a professionally built ecommerce store in 2026. Template stores can cost under $5,000, custom mid-market builds run $25,000–$150,000 or more, and enterprise or headless builds start around $250,000.

Typical 2026 price ranges in the US

• Template or starter store: $500–$5,000 — a theme on Shopify or WooCommerce, set up with your products and payments.
• Small business store: $5,000–$25,000 — custom design, product filtering, reviews, email capture and tested checkout.
• Mid-market custom store: $25,000–$150,000 — larger catalogs, subscriptions, custom features and ERP or inventory integrations.
• B2B or large catalog: $75,000–$250,000 — customer-specific pricing, quotes, bulk ordering and account portals.
• Enterprise or headless: $250,000+ — custom front ends, multiple storefronts and complex systems behind them.

These are typical ranges for professional teams in the US; freelancers and offshore teams can be cheaper, and specialist agencies can cost more.

Desverso’s pricing: Desverso builds ecommerce stores from $1,500, with a fixed written quote after a free strategy call. See our ecommerce development page for what is included.

What drives the cost

• Platform — Shopify and WooCommerce give you checkout, payments and inventory out of the box; custom builds pay to create them.
• Catalog size and variants — hundreds of products with sizes, colors and bundles need more setup, filtering and data work.
• Integrations — ERP, inventory, shipping, accounting and marketplace connections are often the biggest line item.
• Custom features — subscriptions, product builders, B2B pricing and loyalty programs add design and development time.
• Design — a custom theme costs more than a template but usually converts better.
• Content and migration — product photos, descriptions and moving orders and customers from an old store.

Monthly costs to budget for

• Platform or hosting — a Shopify plan, or WooCommerce hosting at roughly $25–$350 per month. Shopify Plus starts around $2,300 per month on a three-year term.
• Apps and extensions — reviews, subscriptions, search and shipping tools; WooCommerce extensions often run $29–$299 per year each.
• Payment processing — Stripe’s standard US card rate is 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction.
• Maintenance and marketing — updates, security, SEO and ads to bring buyers in. See our website maintenance cost guide.

How to keep the cost under control

• Start on Shopify or WooCommerce unless you have a clear reason not to.
• Launch with your best-selling products, then add the rest.
• List every integration up front; surprises here cost the most.
• Get a fixed scope and price in writing.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an ecommerce website cost?

Most small businesses pay $5,000–$25,000 for a professionally built ecommerce store in 2026. Template stores can cost under $5,000, custom mid-market builds $25,000–$150,000 or more, and enterprise or headless builds $250,000 or more.

Is Shopify cheaper than a custom ecommerce website?

Usually, yes. Shopify and WooCommerce give you checkout, payments and inventory out of the box, so you pay for design and setup rather than building those parts. Custom builds make sense for unusual pricing, B2B ordering or heavy integrations.

What are the monthly costs of running an online store?

Budget for the platform plan or hosting, paid apps or plugins, payment processing (Stripe’s standard US card rate is 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction), and maintenance. WooCommerce hosting typically runs $25–$350 per month.

What does Desverso charge for an ecommerce store?

Desverso builds ecommerce stores from $1,500, on Shopify, WooCommerce or a custom stack, with a fixed written quote after a free strategy call.

The bottom line

Most small businesses spend $5,000–$25,000 on a professionally built online store, plus monthly platform, app and payment fees. Start from what the store must sell in its first year, choose the simplest platform that can do it, and get a fixed, written scope. Related guides: How Much Does a Small Business Website Cost in 2026? and How Much Does It Cost to Build an App in 2026?

Want a real number for your project? Desverso is a US web, app and software agency based in Bellevue, WA, working remotely with businesses across the United States and Canada. Book a free strategy call or call +1 (425) 380-4298.