How much does an ecommerce website cost?

/ 02

Pricing tiers explained

Here's how the UK market for an ecommerce website actually breaks down in 2026:

• • Shopify theme + config (£1,500–£4,000) — for first-time sellers, <100 products You get: Paid theme, product upload, payments, basic customisation.
• • Custom Shopify build (RIOT) (£3,500–£12,000) — for serious brands, 100–2,000 skus You get: Custom theme, brand-led design, apps, Klaviyo setup.
• • WooCommerce build (£3,000–£10,000) — for content-led shops, tight margin You get: Custom WooCommerce theme, hosting, plugin setup.
• • Headless / bespoke (£15,000–£60,000+) — for high-volume brands (£500k+ revenue) You get: Custom frontend, headless CMS, deep integrations.

/ 03

What changes the price

The same tier of supplier can quote wildly different prices depending on scope. Here are the factors that move the number up or down:

• • Number of products / SKUs
• • Variant complexity (size, colour, bundles)
• • Platform choice (Shopify vs Woo vs headless)
• • Custom checkout logic
• • Klaviyo / email automation
• • Reviews, loyalty, subscriptions
• • Migration from existing platform

/ 04

Hidden costs nobody mentions

Every headline price hides costs that only surface later. Watch for these:

• • Shopify monthly (£25–£300)
• • App subscriptions (£20–£200/mo each — most stores use 6–15 apps)
• • Payment processing (1.5–3%)
• • Klaviyo (£30–£300/mo)
• • Product photography (£300–£3,000)

/ 05

What we charge

Custom Shopify builds from £3,500. Klaviyo setup £300–£800 extra. Ongoing optimisation from £600/mo.

We're a small Colchester studio working with UK SMBs and international clients. Our pricing is fixed, itemised, and includes everything you'd expect from a good agency — without the agency overhead.

/ 06

How to compare quotes fairly

The biggest mistake when getting quotes for an ecommerce website is comparing headline numbers without checking scope. A £500 quote and a £2,500 quote for what looks like the same thing are almost always for very different things.

Three checks that put every quote on a level playing field: 1) Ask what's included by line item. 2) Ask what happens if scope changes mid-project. 3) Ask what you own at the end (files, code, accounts). If any supplier can't answer those clearly, move on.

/ FAQs

Common questions