Choosing an e-shop platform can either accelerate you or slow you down for years. It is not only about launch cost. It is about order handling, accounting integration, SEO, future edits and whether the platform still fits your business two years from now.
There is no single best platform. There is the best platform for your market, budget, team and internal processes.
This article connects to my e-shop development hub, where I help choose between Shoptet, Shopify and custom builds. For cost details, read how much an e-shop costs.
Quick Decision Table
| Situation | Usually best fit |
|---|---|
| You sell mainly in Czechia/Slovakia | Shoptet |
| You want to launch a standard store quickly | Shoptet or Shopify |
| You plan international sales | Shopify |
| You need multi-currency and Shopify Markets | Shopify |
| You have B2B pricing, approvals or ERP logic | Test the specific plan and integrations first; custom for a demonstrated gap |
| You need a configurator or marketplace | Compare an existing extension with custom development |
| You have no internal technical team | Shoptet / Shopify + monthly care |
If you are unsure, do not choose based on platform advertising. Write down your market, product count, carriers, payments, accounting, margins, future countries and integrations. The choice becomes much clearer.
Shoptet: Strong for the Czech Market
Shoptet is the practical path for many Czech and Slovak e-shops. It has local integrations, familiar administration and an ecosystem that solves standard needs.
It fits when:
- you sell in Czechia or Slovakia,
- you need Heureka, Zbozi.cz, Czech carriers and payment gateways,
- you do not need extremely specific business logic,
- you want faster launch,
- your team should manage the administration easily.
Shoptet e-shop with me
- Shoptet Start from 80,000 CZK
- Shoptet Custom from 130,000 CZK
- Shoptet Premium from 200,000 CZK
Important: Shoptet does not have to mean "just a template". A properly built Shoptet e-shop can have custom design, edited template, SEO foundation, accounting connection and measurement. A weak Shoptet build looks like thousands of other stores and fails to differentiate the brand.
Shopify: When You Want Cross-Border Growth
Shopify is strong for international sales. It has a rich app ecosystem, stable hosting and good tools for currencies, languages and cross-border commerce.
It fits when:
- you want to sell into the EU or globally,
- you need multiple currencies and languages,
- you want Shopify Markets,
- you plan to use email marketing and apps,
- Czech local-platform strength is not the main advantage.
My Shopify e-shop starts from €3,200. Add Shopify monthly plan and apps. For a small local store it can be more expensive than Shoptet, but for international sales compare the value of its functions with total costs.
Service detail: Shopify e-shop.
Custom E-shop: Only When Platforms Hit Limits
A custom e-shop is not a cheaper Shoptet. It is a dedicated system for projects where a ready-made platform starts limiting processes, integrations or product logic.
It fits when:
- you have complex B2B price lists,
- you need order approvals,
- ERP, CRM, WMS or custom API integration matters,
- you need a product configurator,
- you want a marketplace, subscription or non-standard checkout,
- full control over data and architecture is required.
B2B, subscriptions or ERP do not by themselves require custom development. First test the actual scenario in the selected plan and available integrations.
My custom React/Next.js e-shop starts from 140,000 CZK. Larger projects grow with integration and business-logic scope. On the custom page, indicative tiers are 140,000 / 280,000 / 550,000 CZK+.
Service detail: custom e-shop.
Cost Is More Than Development
Include:
- one-off build cost,
- monthly platform tariff,
- paid apps and add-ons,
- template maintenance,
- SEO and content,
- data migration,
- accounting and warehouse integrations,
- future redesign or expansion.
The cheapest start can become the most expensive path if it blocks growth. On the other hand, a custom build can be wasteful if you only need a standard catalog, payments and shipping.
Worked example: Platform: compare all three years
ORIGINAL EXAMPLE · FICTIONAL DATA
| Cost | Include | Shared assumption |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | Data, design, integrations | Same catalogue |
| Subscription | 36 months of plan and apps | Same functions |
| Transactions | Contractual fees | Same sales and payment mix |
| Maintenance | Changes, support, migration | Same work volume |
Verify vendor prices; a defensible total needs these inputs.
SEO and Platform Choice
E-shop SEO is not just a blog. In e-commerce, the critical pieces are:
- category structure,
- filter URL indexation,
- product pages,
- canonical URLs,
- speed,
- Product schema,
- Heureka and Zbozi feeds,
- internal links between categories,
- redirects during migration.
If you migrate from an old store, SEO migration is critical. Permanently redirect changed URLs to equivalent replacements. Keep unchanged URLs; removed pages without replacements can return 404 or 410. Otherwise you can lose organic traffic even if the new store looks better.
What to do with URLs during an e-shop migration
- Changed URLs permanently redirect to an equivalent replacement
- Unchanged URLs keep as they are
- Removed without replacement can return 404 or 410
Related service: SEO optimization, related article: SEO mistakes in e-shops.
Checklist Before Choosing
Answer these questions:
- Where will you sell in 12 months?
- How many products do you have now and later?
- Which carriers and payments do you need?
- Which accounting or ERP system do you use?
- Do you need B2B pricing?
- Will you sell in multiple languages?
- Who will manage the store?
- Do you have an SEO and content plan?
- How will you measure orders and sources?
- What happens if the platform stops fitting?
Worked example: Selection starts with one concrete order
ORIGINAL EXAMPLE · FICTIONAL DATA
| Requirement | Example input | What to verify first |
|---|---|---|
| Import | 30 products, two variants | Matching SKUs and images |
| Payment | Card, then cancellation | Correct order state |
| Delivery | Selected pickup point | Identifier transferred |
| Administration | Owner updates stock | No code changes |
Plan for testing a specific plan, not a pre-approved platform list.
Summary
Shoptet is strong for the Czech market. Shopify is strong for international growth. Custom makes sense for B2B, unique workflows and deep integrations.
The best choice is not the one that sounds most modern. It is the one that fits your market, team and growth plan. If you want to choose with someone who builds all three paths, start with e-shop development.