What Does an E-Commerce Site Really Cost?

The cost of building an online store depends on your goals, platform, and how much customization you need. Whether you're selling handmade products or managing a full-scale inventory, your budget should cover:

Design and development
Hosting and domain
Payment processing fees
Ongoing maintenance
Marketing and SEO tools

Let’s break down the typical costs and compare three popular platforms: WooCommerce, Shopify, and Sanity.io.

🛒 WooCommerce (WordPress Plugin)

Best for: Businesses that want full control and already use WordPress.

Setup cost: £0 for the plugin, but you’ll need hosting (£5–£30/month) and a WordPress theme (free–£100+).
Development: £500–£5,000+ depending on customization.
Plugins: Many are paid (SEO, shipping, subscriptions). Expect £100–£500/year.
Pros: Highly customizable, large plugin ecosystem, good for SEO.
Cons: Requires technical setup, frequent updates, and security management.

💡 If you’re non-technical, you’ll likely need a developer to set up and maintain WooCommerce properly.

🛍️ Shopify

Best for: Businesses that want a fast, hosted solution with minimal setup.

Monthly cost: £25–£299/month depending on plan.
Transaction fees: 1.5%–2% unless you use Shopify Payments.
Themes: Free and premium (£100–£250).
Apps: Many are paid; expect £10–£100/month for add-ons.
Pros: Easy to use, secure, fast setup, great support.
Cons: Limited customization, recurring costs, less control over data.

💡 Shopify is ideal for launching quickly, but costs can add up as your store grows.

⚙️ Sanity.io (Headless CMS with Custom Frontend)

Best for: Businesses that want a fully custom, scalable storefront with modern performance.

CMS cost: Free for small projects; paid plans start around £20/month.
Frontend: Built with frameworks like Next.js—development cost ranges from £2,000–£15,000+ depending on complexity.
Hosting: Use Vercel or Netlify (free–£50/month).
Pros: Blazing fast, fully customizable, great for SEO and structured data, editor-friendly with modular content.
Cons: Requires a developer, longer setup time, higher upfront cost.

💡 Sanity.io is perfect for businesses that want full control, performance, and future-

💬 Final Thought

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. WooCommerce offers flexibility, Shopify offers speed, and Sanity.io offers power. If you’re just starting out, Shopify might be the easiest. But if you want a site that’s fast, scalable, and tailored to your brand—Sanity.io with a custom frontend is a future-proof investment.