"How much does an online store cost?" gets answers ranging from £300 to £150,000 — which is useless to a founder trying to budget. The spread is real, but it's not random. Here's what actually drives the cost, and the realistic bands for the UK in 2026.
What drives the cost
- Platform vs custom. A Shopify or WooCommerce store is far cheaper to stand up than a bespoke build. (See Shopify vs WooCommerce vs custom.)
- Number and complexity of products. 20 simple products is a different job to 5,000 with variants, bundles and rules.
- Custom functionality. Subscriptions, complex shipping, B2B pricing, integrations with your stock or accounting systems — each adds cost.
- Design. A tailored, conversion-focused design costs more than a themed one, and often pays for itself.
- Integrations. Connecting payments, fulfilment, CRM and stock is where a lot of the real work hides.
Realistic UK price bands for 2026
Rough, honest ranges:
- £1,500–£4,000 — Platform store, done properly. A well-set-up Shopify/WooCommerce shop with a decent theme, your products and standard payments. Right for most small retailers starting out.
- £4,000–£12,000 — Tailored store. Custom design, some bespoke functionality or integrations, conversion-focused structure. For established sellers who need it to perform.
- £12,000+ — Custom or complex. Bespoke platforms, unusual product/pricing logic, deep integrations, high volume. For businesses where the store is the business.
These are build costs. Remember the ongoing costs too: hosting, platform/app fees, payment processing, and maintenance.
Why the cheap quote often costs more
A £500 store is usually a template with your logo dropped in. It might be fine — or it might convert badly, break at scale, or need replacing in a year. The pattern mirrors what I wrote about in how much a custom app should cost: the cheapest quote frequently becomes the most expensive once you count the rebuild.
Where I'd spend, and where I'd save
- Spend on: checkout and product-page conversion, the integrations that save you manual work, and speed.
- Save on: over-designed pages nobody converts on, and features "for later" that you don't need yet.
I build both custom stores and tailored platform setups — see my ecommerce & retail page. For an honest figure based on your actual products, book a free call.