The cost of an e-shop has three parts: setup, the build and monthly running costs. On a ready-made platform (Shoptet, Shopify) you can set up a basic store yourself on a plan from 0 CZK a month plus your own time. A professionally built Shoptet or Shopify store costs from €3,200 with me, and a custom React/Next.js store from €5,600. Running it costs the platform plan each month (Shoptet Free-Enterprise at 0-4,690 CZK, Premium from 12,000 CZK per month on monthly billing, excluding 21% VAT; Shopify 499-9,510 CZK), plus add-ons, apps and payment fees. Build a first-year budget from the actual quote: delivery + licences + integrations + operation + transactions. The platform name does not establish a universal market budget.
- DIY setup: Shoptet Free has no plan fee; budget separately for domain, add-ons, materials and your time.
- Professional build: Shoptet or Shopify from €3,200, a custom e-shop from €5,600, one-off (custom e-shop development, for wholesale a B2B e-shop from €11,200).
- Monthly running cost: Shoptet Free-Enterprise at 0-4,690 CZK, Premium from 12,000 CZK per month on monthly billing, excluding 21% VAT; Shopify 499-9,510 CZK, plus add-ons or apps and payment fees. A custom store has hosting and maintenance instead of a plan.
- First-year total: delivery price + 12 months of agreed operation + usage and transaction costs.
There's also an interactive calculator further down that gives you a ballpark figure from a few questions. If you need a presentation website rather than a store, I have a separate guide on how much a website costs.
This article covers the price. The full founding process, trade licence, VAT, legal requirements and launch, is in how to start an e-shop.
Comparing budgets
My professional Shoptet and Shopify builds start at €3,200, with custom development from €5,600. DIY configuration is a different scope: your time replaces part of the supplier's work. Do not compare the two as identical deliverables.
Request one shared list of products, variants, payments, shipping, content and integrations. For each item, identify the supplier, whether delivery includes it and the cost of ongoing support.
How much does it cost to set up an online store?
"Setting up a store" and "running a store" are two different numbers, and they get confused more than anything else. Setup cost is what you pay before the first order arrives.
| Item | DIY | Supplier |
|---|---|---|
| Configuration | Your time and testing | Defined scope in the quote |
| Design | Selected template licence and changes | Design and implementation to brief |
| Localisation | Translations and local processes | Separately agreed work |
| Products | Materials, import and checks | Depends on data quality and volume |
| SEO | Structure and important pages | Agreed checks and implementation |
A free plan is not a free launch. Record time and external costs for DIY; check exclusions in a supplier quote rather than its headline alone.
Descriptions, photos and categories for two hundred products take more hours in practice than getting the store itself running. When you plan the budget and the launch date, treat content as its own line item, not as something that "happens along the way".
E-shop development cost: my pricing by platform
The build is a one-off payment. These are my packages; prices are "from", and the exact figure depends on scope, integrations and content volume:
| Platform | Package | Build price from |
|---|---|---|
| Shoptet | Start / Custom / Premium | €3,200 / €5,200 / €8,000 |
| Shopify | Basic / International / Plus Ready | €3,200 / €4,800 / €8,000 |
| Custom (React/Next.js) | Custom | €5,600 |
| Migration from an old platform | separate brief | depends on data and URL mapping |
The platform plan is not part of the build price; you pay Shoptet or Shopify directly. After launch you can add optional care from €60/mo (Monitoring without work hours), with work hours at €220-800/mo (SEO, content, technical maintenance, minor edits). You can cancel monthly, and unused hours roll over to the next month.
How much does it cost to run an online store per month?
Monthly running costs consist of the platform plan, paid add-ons and payment fees:
| Item | Shoptet | Shopify | Custom e-shop |
|---|---|---|---|
Platform plan |
0-4,690 CZK excl. VAT, Premium from 12,000 CZK |
499-9,510 CZK by plan and billing, Plus from EUR 2,100 |
none |
Add-ons and apps |
the selected add-on's price list |
apps for shipping, invoicing and feeds |
part of development |
Payment fees |
depends on the gateway |
Shopify Payments from 1.9% + 6.50 CZK per card (Basic); with a third-party gateway an extra 0.2-2% by plan |
depends on the gateway |
Hosting / maintenance of custom changes |
hosting included; changes separate |
hosting included; changes separate |
infrastructure and maintenance by scope |
Optional care |
€60-800 |
€60-800 |
€60-800 |
A small Shoptet store can therefore run on a few hundred to a few thousand CZK a month. On Shopify, apps make the main difference in Czechia, because the platform doesn't handle Czech carriers, invoicing and comparison sites on its own. More in Shopify for the Czech market.
The most common budgeting mistake is comparing platforms by their monthly fees alone. Most of the first-year budget goes to one-time items, a custom template, accounting system integration, and SEO setup. Plan around the total first-year cost, not the plan fee times twelve.
Worked example: Monthly operation: fixed and variable costs
ORIGINAL EXAMPLE · FICTIONAL DATA
| Item | Type | Calculation / evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Fixed | Selected monthly plan |
| Payments | Variable | Payment volume/count × agreed rates |
| Add-ons | Fixed or usage-based | Active licences |
| Support | Agreed scope | Retainer + approved extra work |
No platform fee does not mean no operating cost.
Shoptet: how much does an e-shop cost on the most popular Czech platform?
Shoptet offers Czech-language support and native integration with local carriers, payment gateways and comparison sites.
| Plan | Monthly price excl. VAT | Product limit |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 0 CZK | 10 |
| Basic | 440 CZK | 100 |
| Business | 1,490 CZK | 1,000 |
| Profi | 2,490 CZK | 5,000 |
| Enterprise | 4,690 CZK | 50,000 |
| Premium | from 12,000 CZK | up to 100,000 |
Prices from Shoptet's pricing page, verified 3 October 2026. Shoptet lists a 10% discount for annual payment.
Add the actual selected licences, template work, content and integrations. Not every shop needs a paid extension for each function. See my professional scope at Shoptet development.
Shopify: how much does an e-shop cost on the global platform?
| Plan | Annual billing | Monthly billing | Fee with a third-party gateway |
|---|---|---|---|
Basic |
499 CZK/mo |
670 CZK/mo |
2% |
Grow |
1,370 CZK/mo |
1,830 CZK/mo |
1% |
Advanced |
7,130 CZK/mo |
9,510 CZK/mo |
0.6% |
Plus |
from EUR 2,100/mo |
not listed |
0.2% |
Prices from Shopify's pricing for Czechia, verified 3 October 2026. The column shows the additional fee for a third-party payment gateway, not all payment fees. Shopify Payments has its own rates by card type and method. Taxes depend on billing details. Verify the Plus contract commitment too.
For Czech operations, verify translations, carriers, invoicing and feeds in the actual plan and apps. Use their actual prices in the budget. See my Shopify development service.
How much does a custom e-shop cost?
Compare custom development when a documented feature or operational requirement cannot reasonably be met on a ready-made platform. My entry packages are MVP from €5,600, Pro from €11,200 and Enterprise from €22,000. These are not market averages or prices determined by product count. See custom development for scope.
Custom e-shop: entry packages
- MVP from €5,600 catalogue, cart, checkout and one payment gateway
- Pro from €11,200 B2B workflow, ERP, CRM or warehouse integration, multi-currency and multilingual
- Enterprise from €22,000 several markets, B2B price lists and deeper ERP integration
Comparison table: e-shop cost by platform
| Parameter | Shoptet | Shopify | Custom Solution |
|---|---|---|---|
My entry price for delivery |
from €3,200 |
from €3,200 |
from €5,600 |
Platform plan |
0-4,690 CZK; Premium from 12,000 CZK |
499-9,510 CZK; Plus from EUR 2,100 |
no platform plan |
Other operating costs |
add-ons and integrations |
apps, transactions and integrations |
hosting, maintenance and further development |
Time to launch |
2-4 weeks |
2-6 weeks |
2-6 months |
Czech localisation |
Native |
Requires customisation |
As specified |
Dependencies |
platform and add-ons |
platform and apps |
supplier, libraries and infrastructure |
What impacts e-commerce costs the most?
Four things that change the price of an e-shop
- Number of products and variants a store with 50 products and one with 10,000 are entirely different projects; a larger catalogue needs filtering, search and variant management
- Integrations connecting accounting software (Pohoda, Money S3), warehouse, ERP or CRM can be a substantial item; list every system before requesting quotes, only then are the offers comparable
- Custom design or template a template can reduce initial work; a custom design helps you stand out from competitors
- Shipping and payments connecting GoPay, Comgate or Stripe is standard; multiple carriers with automatic price calculation is more complex
Don't skimp on the mobile version, loading speed, basic SEO, security and good product photos. Those are the things that cost the most to fix later.
Worked example: How a catalogue brief expands
ORIGINAL EXAMPLE · FICTIONAL DATA
| Change | Original | Additional work |
|---|---|---|
| Variants | One Alba product | Colours and separate SKUs |
| Inventory | Manual availability | Sync and conflict handling |
| Migration | New URLs | Map previous addresses |
| Languages | Czech only | Translation, routes and checks |
Every difference belongs in the quoted scope.
Which option should you choose?
Shoptet is ideal when you want to start selling in Czechia quickly and don't need non-standard features. Shopify pays off if you plan to sell abroad or want a wide app ecosystem. Custom-built is the way to go when you have specific requirements, need integration with company systems or want full control over performance. If you're unsure, see custom e-shop and platform choice; I'll advise based on what you actually need, not on what I can build cheapest.
Which platform to choose
- Shoptet from €3,200 a quick start to selling in Czechia without non-standard features
- Shopify from €3,200 selling abroad or a wide app ecosystem
- Custom solution from €5,600 specific requirements, integration with company systems, full control over performance
🧮 Get a Ballpark Figure in Seconds
Don't feel like working through tables? Open the price calculator, answer a few questions (project type, number of products, languages, integrations) and get an indicative range straight away. No commitment.
If you're unsure which solution is right for you, get in touch, I'll be happy to help you choose based on your budget and goals.
What to take away
- The cost of an e-shop has three parts: setup, the build and monthly running costs.
- A professional Shoptet or Shopify store costs from €3,200 with me, a custom e-shop from €5,600.
- Monthly you pay the platform plan, add-ons or apps and payment fees; the plan is not part of the build price.
- A free plan is not a free launch: count your own time and content too.
- Add up the first-year budget from the actual quote: delivery, licences, integrations, operation and transaction costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an e-commerce store cost?
My professional Shoptet and Shopify builds start at €3,200 and custom development at €5,600. The first-year total adds actual licences, operations and transaction costs; no universal range can be promised without a brief.
How much does it cost to set up an online store?
Setup includes pre-launch work and selected licences. Shoptet Free has no plan fee for up to ten products, but does not cover your time, content or other services.
How much does a custom e-commerce build cost?
A Shoptet or Shopify build starts at €3,200 with me, and a fully custom React/Next.js store at €5,600. Scope, integrations and content volume drive the final number.
How much does it cost to run an online store per month?
Shoptet costs 0-4,690 CZK a month excluding VAT, with Premium from 12,000 CZK. Shopify costs 499-9,510 CZK a month depending on plan and billing, with Plus from EUR 2,100. Add add-ons or apps and payment fees. A custom store has no plan, but you pay for hosting and maintenance. Optional care is €60-800/mo, cancel monthly.
What's the cheapest way to start selling online?
Shoptet's Free plan with ten products, if you set everything up yourself. It's a legitimate way to validate demand, just account for the limits, and for the fact that your own time isn't free.
Is a custom store worth it, or is Shoptet enough?
For most sellers starting out on the Czech market, Shoptet is enough. A custom build pays off once you need ERP integration, non-standard features, or the platform's limits start holding back your growth. For comparing identical scope, see a CZK 10,000 e-shop: launch and operating costs.
Sources and links
- Shoptet: pricing, prices excluding VAT and product limits, verified 3 October 2026
- Shopify: pricing for Czechia, plans, Shopify Payments rates and third-party gateway fees, verified 3 October 2026