For an e-shop that sells mainly in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, one candidate is Shoptet: it comes with ready-made connections to Czech carriers, payment gateways, Heureka and Zbozi.cz (the two big Czech price-comparison sites) and it can launch within a few weeks. Upgates is its closest Czech alternative. Shopify is worth comparing when you sell into several countries and currencies. WooCommerce makes sense if you already run WordPress and have a developer. A custom e-shop pays off only once an off-the-shelf platform cannot handle a specific process, such as B2B price lists or an ERP integration. Below you will find a platform comparison, a Shopify vs Shoptet table, an overview of Shoptet alternatives and the simplest route for a small e-shop.
Not sure which platform to choose? I will go through your catalogue, markets and integrations with you and recommend Shoptet, Shopify or a custom build. A Shoptet or Shopify e-shop with me starts at €3,200, a custom e-shop at €5,600. For wholesale with customer price lists and invoice payments, a custom B2B e-shop starts at €11,200.
Czech e-shop with a standard catalogue: Shoptet (plans 0-4,690 CZK per month excl. VAT, Premium from 12,000 CZK). A Czech platform with more design freedom: Upgates (from 450 CZK per month excl. VAT). Selling abroad in multiple currencies and languages: Shopify (from 499 CZK per month on annual billing). Already on WordPress with a developer: WooCommerce. B2B, ERP or a non-standard checkout: check plans and integrations first; for a demonstrated constraint, a custom e-shop, which I build from €5,600. The simplest start for a small e-shop is Shoptet Free or Basic, or Upgates Bronze, both with 30 days to try them out.
Which e-shop platform should you choose for your situation?
| Your situation | Best-fit platform | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You sell mainly in CZ and SK and want Heureka, Zbozi.cz and Czech carriers | Shoptet | Czech integrations ready in the admin, a local ecosystem of add-ons and specialists |
| You want a Czech platform with more design freedom or more languages on a lower plan | Upgates | same rental model, more editable templates |
| You sell into several countries, currencies and languages | Shopify | strong international selling tools (Shopify Markets), a large app ecosystem |
| You already have a WordPress site and your own developer | WooCommerce | open source, full control, but hosting and maintenance are on you |
| B2B price lists, order approvals, ERP integration, non-standard checkout | custom e-shop | the logic follows your process, without the limits of a rented platform |
| Small e-shop, first sales, minimal budget | Shoptet Free/Basic or Upgates Bronze | zero or low monthly costs, hosting and updates included |
If you are unsure, the custom e-shop page compares Shoptet, Shopify and a custom build by scope and price. Building on a platform with me starts at €3,200 for a Shoptet e-shop or a Shopify e-shop, and at €5,600 for a custom build.
Which e-shop platforms are used in Czechia? Comparison
| Platform | Type | Platform price | My rough annual running cost* | Launch | Czech integrations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shoptet |
rented (SaaS), Czech |
0-4,690 CZK/month excl. VAT, Premium from 12,000 CZK |
depends on selected services |
2-4 weeks |
ready-made |
Upgates |
rented (SaaS), Czech |
450-3,250 CZK/month excl. VAT, Exclusive from 10,000 CZK |
comparable to Shoptet |
similar to Shoptet |
ready-made |
Shopify |
rented (SaaS), global |
499-7,130 CZK/month on annual billing, Plus from EUR 2,100 |
depends on apps and markets |
depends on scope |
via apps or custom |
WooCommerce |
open source on WordPress |
free licence |
depends on selected services |
1-3 months |
via plugins |
PrestaShop |
open source |
free licence |
depends on hosting and development |
2-4 months |
limited |
Adobe Commerce (Magento) |
enterprise |
priced individually |
the highest in this overview |
6-12 months |
custom |
Custom e-shop |
custom build (Next.js) |
no platform subscription |
build from €5,600 + hosting and maintenance |
2-4 months |
custom |
Calculate annual operations from actual licences, add-ons and support. This is not an evidenced market-average budget. Table timelines are indicative planning, not inherent platform properties.
Four types of e-shop platforms
- Rented (SaaS) Shoptet, Upgates, Shopify: you pay a monthly plan, the platform handles hosting and updates
- Open source WooCommerce, PrestaShop: free licence, hosting, security and updates are on you
- Enterprise Adobe Commerce (Magento): licence priced individually, launch in 6-12 months
- Custom e-shop Next.js with no platform subscription, my build from €5,600 plus hosting and maintenance
Shopify vs Shoptet: which is better?
For the Czech market usually Shoptet, for international sales usually Shopify. What decides is where you sell, not which platform is more popular.
| Criterion | Shoptet | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Main market | CZ and SK | worldwide, selling into several countries |
| Monthly price | Free 0 CZK, Basic 440 CZK, Business 1,490 CZK, Profi 2,490 CZK, Enterprise 4,690 CZK, Premium from 12,000 CZK (excl. VAT) | Basic 499 CZK, Grow 1,370 CZK, Advanced 7,130 CZK on annual billing (monthly 670 / 1,830 / 9,510 CZK), Plus from EUR 2,100 |
| Product limit | by plan: 10, 100, 1,000, 5,000, 50,000, Premium 100,000 | plans are not tiered by product count |
| Heureka, Zbozi.cz, Czech carriers, Pohoda accounting | in the admin or via Czech add-ons | via apps or a custom integration |
| Multiple currencies and languages | possible, but not its main strength | a core strength (Shopify Markets) |
| Design | template, deeper changes through code | themes and a large app ecosystem |
| Specialists and community | verify availability for your brief | verify availability for your brief |
| Trial | 30 days | a short trial, then an introductory offer |
When Shoptet and when Shopify
- Choose Shoptet if
- you sell mainly in CZ and SK
- you want Czech feeds, carriers and accounting without assembling apps
- you need a quick start
- Choose Shopify if
- you sell abroad
- you need multiple currencies and languages
- you plan a large catalogue for several markets
What Shopify involves in Czechia specifically (payments, carriers, feeds) is covered in Shopify for the Czech market. A detailed comparison of the three routes is in Shoptet vs Shopify vs custom e-shop.
What are the alternatives to Shoptet?
Shoptet is not the only route. These are the alternatives that genuinely make sense in Czechia, and when to use them.
| Shoptet alternative | When it makes sense | Main drawback |
|---|---|---|
| Upgates | you want a Czech platform, more flexible templates or more languages on a lower plan | a smaller ecosystem of add-ons and specialists |
| Shopify | selling into several countries and currencies | Czech integrations are assembled from apps |
| WooCommerce | you have WordPress and a developer and want full control | hosting, security and updates are on you |
| PrestaShop | a multilingual e-shop on your own hosting | fewer add-ons for the Czech market, more demanding administration |
| Custom e-shop | B2B, ERP, a non-standard checkout or product logic | a higher entry price, you need a developer after launch too |
| Headless Shoptet | you want to keep Shoptet and its integrations but with your own fast frontend | custom development and two layers to maintain |
Upgates: the closest Czech alternative
Upgates works like Shoptet: you pay a monthly plan and the platform handles hosting, updates and security. It targets Czech and Slovak e-shops that want local integrations without their own development.
Pricing per upgates.cz/cenik as of 21 September 2026, excl. VAT: Bronze 450 CZK, Silver 1,150 CZK, Gold 1,750 CZK, Platinum 3,250 CZK per month, Exclusive from 10,000 CZK. Annual billing gives a 10% discount and there is a 30-day free trial.
| Shoptet | Upgates | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry paid plan | 440 CZK/month (Basic, up to 100 products) | 450 CZK/month (Bronze) |
| Free plan | Free, up to 10 products | no |
| Design changes | template, deeper changes through code | more flexible template editor |
| Ecosystem of add-ons and specialists | a local offering | smaller |
| Czech carriers and price-comparison sites | yes | yes |
| Trial | 30 days | 30 days |
For a first e-shop without special requirements I usually recommend Shoptet, because you will find more guides, add-ons and people who know it. Consider Upgates once you hit a specific limit it handles better.
WooCommerce: flexibility at the cost of maintenance
WooCommerce is a WordPress extension. The licence is free, but "free" applies only to the licence. Total cost depends on hosting, extension licences and maintenance. It need not exceed a rented platform, but must assign updates, backups and recovery.
PrestaShop and Adobe Commerce (Magento)
PrestaShop is an open-source platform with good multi-language support, but it has fewer ready-made add-ons for the Czech market and needs technical administration. Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento) is built for large international stores with their own development team; the licence is priced individually and development takes months. For a small or mid-sized Czech e-shop I usually recommend neither.
Custom e-shop: when an off-the-shelf platform is not enough
A custom Next.js e-shop has no platform subscription and code rights and handover are agreed in the contract. It pays off when you can name a process a rented platform cannot handle: per-customer B2B price lists, order approvals, a complex product configurator or a deep ERP integration. How to recognise that point is covered in when Shoptet is not enough.
| Custom e-shop scope | My build price |
|---|---|
| A clearly scoped first version (MVP) | from €5,600 |
| A growing e-shop with extended features | from €11,200 |
| Several markets, B2B price lists and ERP integration | from €22,000 |
Add hosting and further development after launch to the build price. Details are on the custom e-shop development page.
What is the simplest e-shop solution in Czechia?
The simplest and cheapest start is a rented Czech platform: Shoptet or Upgates. The platform manages infrastructure; access, data and your custom changes still need an owner, and Czech payments, carriers and price-comparison feeds are switched on in the admin.
| Catalogue size | Simplest option | Platform price (excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 10 products, testing whether it sells | Shoptet Free | 0 CZK |
| Up to 100 products | Shoptet Basic or Upgates Bronze | 440 CZK or 450 CZK per month |
| Up to 1,000 products | Shoptet Business or Upgates Silver | 1,490 CZK or 1,150 CZK per month |
The route I recommend for a small e-shop:
Starting a small e-shop in four steps
- Trial store try the admin, both platforms give you 30 days
- List of must-haves carriers, payment gateway, accounting system, price-comparison sites
- Check the plan does it cover them? Count any paid add-ons too
- Ready-made template adjust it once you have the first sales data
If you want an e-shop with its own design, feeds and SEO set up from day one, I build a Shoptet e-shop from €3,200, with the Shoptet licence billed separately. The whole process step by step is in Shoptet e-shop from scratch.
Worked example: Small shop: specific needs first
ORIGINAL EXAMPLE · FICTIONAL DATA
| Input | Example requirement |
|---|---|
| Catalogue | 30 products, two colours |
| Order | Czech customer, home delivery |
| Payment | Card and verified payment confirmation |
| Administration | Owner updates stock without a developer |
Compare this brief against the actual platform and plan.
When does headless Shoptet make sense?
Headless means Shoptet stays as the system for products, orders and integrations, while I build the storefront (frontend) separately in Next.js. You get your own design and control over implementation; good Core Web Vitals still require measurement, while keeping the Czech integrations. The price is custom development and maintaining two layers, so it makes sense for an established e-shop with a clear reason, not as a first step.
Headless Shoptet: two layers
- Stays in Shoptet
- products and orders
- Czech integrations
- Own frontend in Next.js
- e-shop look based on your own design
- control over implementation
- custom development and extra maintenance
How do you avoid a bad platform choice?
- Do not decide on the monthly plan alone. Compare annual costs including add-ons, hosting and maintenance. A lower initial price alone establishes neither higher nor lower total costs.
- List your integrations upfront. A missing carrier, payment gateway or feed costs more to add later than choosing a platform that has it.
- Do not overestimate your own capacity. An open-source platform means you or your developer handle updates and security.
- Test mobile checkout. Try the checkout, filters and product page on a real phone, not just in the template preview.
- The platform does not decide everything. When I measured 20 active Czech e-shops, only 60% had exactly one H1 heading and 45% had complete OG metadata. The result also depends on the implementation.
Worked example: Before choosing a plan, test one whole order
ORIGINAL EXAMPLE · FICTIONAL DATA
| Test | Input | Expected evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Variant | Alba / orange / 1 item | Correct SKU in order |
| Shipping | Pickup point | Selection passed to carrier |
| Payment | Cancelled payment | Order not marked paid |
| Export | One order | Readable items and identifier |
Test plan; no platform is pre-labelled as passed.
What to take away
- For an e-shop mainly in CZ and SK, Shoptet with ready-made Czech integrations is a candidate, and Upgates is its closest Czech alternative.
- Compare Shopify when you sell into several countries and currencies, and WooCommerce when you already run WordPress with a developer.
- A custom e-shop pays off only for a process an off-the-shelf platform demonstrably cannot handle. My build starts at €5,600.
- For the very beginning, Shoptet Free (0 CZK, up to 10 products) or Basic at 440 CZK per month excl. VAT is enough.
- Do not decide by the monthly plan, but by annual costs including add-ons, hosting and maintenance.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best e-shop platform in Czechia?
For an e-shop selling mainly in CZ and SK, Shoptet is a candidate to test: ready-made Czech integrations, launch in 2-4 weeks and low operational effort. Upgates is an equivalent Czech alternative with more flexible templates. Choose Shopify for selling into several countries and a custom e-shop for B2B processes and ERP integrations.
Shopify vs Shoptet: which is better for a Czech e-shop?
For the Czech market usually Shoptet, because Czech carriers, price-comparison sites and accounting systems are ready and you will find the most specialists for it in Czechia. Shopify is stronger in international selling: multiple currencies, languages and a large app ecosystem. The market you sell to decides.
What are the alternatives to Shoptet?
The closest Czech alternative is Upgates. Then Shopify for selling abroad, WooCommerce for those with WordPress and a developer, PrestaShop for multilingual shops on their own hosting and a custom e-shop for B2B and non-standard processes. If you want to stay on Shoptet with your own frontend, headless Shoptet is an option.
What is the simplest e-shop solution in Czechia?
A rented Czech platform, meaning Shoptet or Upgates. Hosting, security and updates are included, and Czech payments and carriers are switched on in the admin. For the very beginning, Shoptet Free (up to 10 products, 0 CZK) or Basic at 440 CZK per month excl. VAT is enough.
How much does an e-shop cost on each platform?
The platform itself: Shoptet 0-4,690 CZK per month (Premium from 12,000 CZK), Upgates 450-3,250 CZK per month, Shopify from 499 CZK per month on annual billing, WooCommerce free licence. Calculate annual operations from the selected plan, add-ons and support. On top of that comes the one-off build: with me from €3,200 on Shoptet or Shopify and from €5,600 as a custom e-shop. The overall budget including running costs is broken down in the article on e-shop pricing.
When is a custom e-shop worth it instead of an off-the-shelf platform?
When you have B2B price lists, a complex product configuration, a non-standard checkout or an integration the platform cannot handle, and its limits demonstrably hold back sales. Until then, custom development is a more expensive route to the same result.
Can an e-shop be moved to another platform later?
Yes, migration is common. Products, categories and customers can be transferred and old URLs are redirected to reduce traffic-loss risk; ranking retention cannot be guaranteed. The effort grows with the number of products, variants and connected systems.
Need help choosing a platform?
Send me your catalogue, markets and the systems the e-shop must connect to, and I will recommend a platform for your specific operation. The differences between Shoptet, Shopify and a custom build, with prices, are on the custom e-shop page.
Sources and links
- Shoptet: plan pricing (checked 21 September 2026)
- Shopify: pricing for Czechia (checked 21 September 2026)
- Upgates: pricing (checked 21 September 2026)
- Shoptet: consent settings
- WooCommerce
For every comparison, verify the actual plan and function. B2B pricing or ERP integration alone does not require bespoke development. Shoptet amounts use monthly billing excluding 21% VAT; Upgates lists prices excluding VAT. Shopify distinguishes annual and monthly commitments; check taxes against billing details. H1/OG figures describe a historical sample, not platform causality for sales or rankings.