Ecommerce Website Cost: Definitive Guide for 2025
Ecommerce Website Cost: Definitive Guide for 2025 What does it cost to own an ecommerce website in 2025? Get the entire cost estimate in this guide. You can create an online store in two ways: hire an ecommerce website designer or a web design firm. Depending on your decision, it impacts your cost for an online shop. Ecommerce site builders are typically the most affordable way to start an online shop. Conducting business on a free, open-source website may seem appealing, but you are essentially paying for hosting, templates, plug-ins, and even the services of a programmer if you have unique needs—all of which can contribute to your bottom line. Ecommerce site builders are perfect for: Those with limited technical expertise Those who have to create a website in a hurry Price for online stores is determined based on features you need and whether or not you have physical stores. Average Cost for An Ecommerce Site Standard cost for an ecommerce site will be about $39 a month for new stores. Prices vary depending on a number of variables like design, customizations, and platform used. Here’s the approximate cost of developing an ecommerce website: Registration of domain name: $10–$30 annually Web hosting: $5–$250 monthly (depending on the plan and provider) SSL certificate: $0 (with some web hosting providers) to $200 annually Ecommerce platform: Hosted platforms like Shopify: $20 to $300 monthly, depending on features and plan Open-source platforms: Downloadable at no charge, but there may be charges for extensions, plugins, and themes Development and design of website: Premade themes: $0–$200 Custom design and build: $2,000–$20,000+, varying by feature, function, and level of complexity needed Extra charges Payment gateway fees: Varying by provider (PayPal, Stripe, Shop Pay) and number of transactions Digital marketing and advertising: Varies by budget and strategy Support site and maintenance: Varies by extent of support required 6 Ecommerce Website Expenses found on most sites 1. Hosting Website hosting costs vary, from a minimum of $2.49 a month up to over $1,000. The cost is determined by many factors, such as how much traffic your store will receive and whether you will need further services such as automatic backups. Regardless, all websites need to be hosted in order to accommodate their files. You will also need a domain name, which is basically the electronic address for your ecommerce company. There are two types of web hosting most ecommerce companies employ: self-hosting and SaaS platform hosting. SaaS ecommerce platform hosting Shopify-style ecommerce sites don’t require you to host, maintain, or install a domain yourself. Everything that you need is included in your monthly fee. Secure hosting is included with all Shopify plans, including: Unlimited bandwidth, so you do not have to pay extra if you get more traffic Level 1 PCI compliance, protecting customer information Super-high-speed servers and real-time updates, so you never miss a step of the latest features An SSL certificate to prevent fraud and gain consumer trust A robust content management system to handle site content Infinite email forwarding You will need to buy and register a domain name separately. You can try for available domains using Shopify’s domain name generator and get your business up and running quickly. Domain prices are approximately $15 per year but as much as $81+ per year, depending on what top-level domain you select. Self-hosted ecommerce website There are some ecommerce website platforms such as WooCommerce (WordPress plug-in) and Magento that are free. You must, however, have an account with an ecommerce host company where you will host your files and also buy a domain. Some of the expenses you’ll be faced with when you self-host your website are: An ecommerce hosting package that starts from $7.99 per month A domain name, which will cost around $15 per year An SSL certificate, starting at $69 per year Some web hosts like Bluehost also provide plans with a free domain name and an SSL certificate for $2.75 per month. The only catch is that if your store becomes popular, you will need to switch the hosting plan so you can support traffic surges. Self-hosting a high-traffic website will cost between $1,000 to $2,000 a month. Hosting estimates: SaaS-hosted: From $39/month with unlimited hosting. Self-hosted: $2.75 to $2,000 per month with step-up upgrades. 2. Payment processing Payment processor refers to a company that handles payment so that your consumers can buy your products. Every online business requires one to accept debit cards, credit cards, and other smart pay options. Fees on processing differ depending on the plan you have set with your online business. For example, Shopify Basic charges 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction for credit card sales made online. It’s 2.4% for Advanced Shopify. If you’re collecting payment at a retail location, it’s lower because there is minimal risk of fraud. Shopify Payments comes with all Shopify plans so you can get started selling right away. When you turn it on, Shopify Payments lets you accept credit card and other accepted payment forms like Shop Pay, Apple Pay, and G Pay. Accepting Shop Pay as a checkout payment simplifies checkout for customers by allowing them to checkout with pre-stored shipping and payment details. 3. Ecommerce web design prices Did you know it takes about 50 milliseconds (0.05 seconds) for a person to make an opinion about your site? And not only that, but humans buy on the basis of trust, and your brand can create it in a split second. Ecommerce websites like Shopify also offer templates that you can easily apply on your site. They are a fast and cost-effective way to get started. Shopify Themes offer intrinsic functionalities for appearance, color, style, and other configurations. They come pre-loaded with all you require to open up your shop: Homepage Product pages Shopping cart Checkout page FAQ About pages Shopify Themes offers over 100 free and paid themes to help you choose the best appearance and feel for your shop. You are able