E-commerce startups risk significant financial losses when building a website without a clear plan or a thorough understanding of the platform they intend to use. Choosing between Shopify and Magento requires not just a vision for growth but also a keen awareness of costs. With Shopify pricing offering predictable plans and Magento’s flexibility often demanding more investment, understanding their pricing structures is crucial. Scroll down to explore what is the difference!
A. Shopify Pricing
Shopify offers six distinct plans, recognizing the diverse needs of various businesses.
| Shopify Plan | Annual Price | Monthly Price | Best For |
| Basic Shopify | $29/month | $39/month | Small businesses with growth potential |
| Shopify | $79/month | $105/month | Established stores expanding operations |
| Advanced Shopify | $299/month | $399/month | Large-scale businesses |
| Shopify Plus | Custom pricing (1) | Custom pricing (2) | Enterprise-level businesses |
(1), (2): Merchants with monthly sales volumes below the specified threshold are charged a standard monthly platform fee.
| Platform fee pricing | Term | |
| 1 year | 3 years | |
| Monthly platform fee | $2,500 | $2,300 |
| Annual cost | $30,000 | $27,600 |
| Monthly sales VPF thresholds | $625,000 | $657,000 |
Merchants exceeding the monthly sales volume threshold incur a fixed platform fee as follows:
| Variable platform fee pricing | Term | |
| 1 year | 3 years | |
| Monthly sale VPF threshold | $625,000 | $657,000 |
| Online | 0.004% | 0.0035% |
| Retail | 0.0025% | 0.0025% |
| B2B | 0.0018% | 0.0018% |
Let’s review an example to demonstrate how Shopify’s variable pricing adjusts based on sales exceeding the monthly threshold for brand A:
Monthly Sales Volume: $700,000
Monthly Sales VPF Threshold: $625,000
Excess Sales Volume: $700,000 – $625,000 = $75,000
– Fee Breakdown:
Online Sales Fee (0.004%):
75, 000 × 0.004% = $3
Retail Sales Fee (0.0025%):
75,000 × 0.0025% = $1.88
B2B Sales Fee (0.0018%):
75,000 × 0.0018% = $1.35
– Total Monthly Fee:
Adding the variable platform fees to the base monthly platform fee of $2,500, the total cost would be:
$2,500 (base fee) + $3 (online) + $1.88 (retail) + $1.35 (B2B) = $2,506.23
1. Basic Shopify ($29/month)
Shopify pricing at the basic plan includes essential tools for growth and expansion, such as:
– Unlimited product listings
– Simple customizable checkout: Add your brand’s logo, change colors, and modify fonts to match your business branding
– 24/7 support with AI-powered live chat
– Multichannel selling (TikTok, Shopify Marketplace)
– Standard analytics and abandoned cart recovery
– Free SSL certificates and fraud analysis for security
– Shopify Tax for automated sales tax calculations
The Basic plan is a solid foundation for businesses looking to expand, providing access to a wide range of e-commerce functionalities at a competitive price.
Additional Shopify pricing for website development & maintenance:
– Domain Name: $10 to $20 per year
– Theme: Free or $100 to $300 for a premium theme
– Optional Features and Add-ons: $50 to $200+ per month
– Marketing and Promotion Expenses: Variable, but allocate a few hundred to several thousand dollars per month
– Ongoing Care Service: $100 to $300+ per month
2. Shopify Plan ($79/month)
For more established businesses, Shopify’s plan offers additional capabilities. This package enhances shipping discounts, allows for more staff accounts, and provides shipping insurance through Shopify Payments, and the following features:
– Custom reports and analytics
– 10 inventory locations
– Enhanced 24/7 chat support
– Localized global selling (3 markets) + add markets for $59 USD/mo each
– 15 additional staff accounts
– 10x checkout capacity
– POS Lite
Additional Shopify cost for website development & maintenance:
– Shopify Subscription: $299 to $2,000+ per month (Shopify Plus plan)
– Domain Name: $10 to $20 per year
– Theme: Free or $100 to $500+ for a premium theme
– Optional Features and Add-ons: $200 to $1,000+ per month
– Marketing and Promotion Expenses: Variable, but allocate several hundred to several thousand dollars per month
– Ongoing Care Service: $300 to $1,000+ per month
3. Advanced Shopify ($299/month)
For large-scale businesses, this plan offers custom reports, up to 15 staff accounts, third-party calculated shipping rates, 10x increased checkout capacity, and enhanced support for critical business operations.
Additional Shopify pricing for website development and maintenance:
– Shopify Subscription: $2,000+ per month (Shopify Plus Enterprise plans)
– Domain Name: $10 to $50 per year for brand protection across multiple domains
– Theme: $500+ for a premium or custom-built theme for a fully tailored design
– Optional features and add-ons: $1,000 to $5,000+ per month for advanced functionalities
– Marketing and promotion expenses: Variable, generally several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars monthly for large-scale campaigns
– Ongoing care service: $1,000 to $5,000+ per month for dedicated support and security
4. Shopify Plus (Starting at $2,300/month)
Utilized by big names like Mattel and Sony, Shopify Plus is designed for successful, fast-growing, and complex businesses. The cost begins at $2,300 per month, with options for one-year or three-year subscriptions and increases based on the company’s requirements. Companies with yearly earnings exceeding $750,000 are the target for this plan. Shopify Plus offers these notable features:
– Competitive rates for high-volume merchants
– Custom reports and analytics
– 200 inventory locations
– Priority 24/7 phone support
– Localized global selling (50 markets)
– Unlimited staff accounts
– Fully customizable checkout with 40x capacity
– 200 POS Pro locations with Shopify Payments
– Wholesale/B2B selling capability
B. Magento pricing
1. Magento Themes Pricing: ($0 – $200+)
There are two main theme options: pre-built or custom-built.
Pre-built Magento Themes:
For those looking to save time and cost, pre-built themes are available for prices ranging from $0 to $200 or more. These themes are quick to implement and have limited customization options.
Custom-Built Themes:
For businesses seeking a unique design, developing a custom theme is ideal. However, expenses like development, developer fees, QA and testing, and ongoing support arise on the complexity and time invested. Hiring developers also cost around $100 to $1,000+, depending on their expertise and the time required.
2. Magento Extensions Pricing: ($60–$600 per extension)
Magento’s functionality can be extended through additional features like advanced navigation and customer support systems. Some extensions are free, but most premium options range between $60 for simple features, minimal customization like one-step checkout, SEO Suite ultimate, and $600 for enhanced functionality, and improved user experience such as Amasty’s Layered Navigation or Mirasvit’s Advanced Product Feeds.
3. Payment Pricing (2.9% + $0.30/transaction)
Magento also supports several payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, and Authorize.net, all of which offer no upfront fees. However, they charge 2.9%+ $0.30 per transaction, which can add up based on the volume of sales.
4. Magento-built Hosting Pricing
Magento hosting varies based on the level of control and performance you desire. Below is a comprehensive comparison of the main hosting options:
| Hosting Type | Price Range | Features |
| Shared Hosting | $10 – $25/month | Limited resources, suitable for small or basic sites |
| Virtual Private Server (VPS) | $60 – $300/month | Flexible, more resources, ideal for small to medium-sized stores |
| Dedicated Hosting | Up to $2,000/month | High-performance, fully customizable, for large stores |
| Cloud Hosting | Up to $4,000/month | Scalable, handles high traffic spikes, optimal for large-scale operations |
To learn about top Magento hosting providers, check out our latest Magento blogs!
5. SSL Certificate Costs: ($50–$300/year)
An SSL certificate is essential for securing customer data on the Magento store. The cost depends on the type of SSL:
| SSL Type | Price Range | Features |
| Domain-Validated (DV) | $10 – $100 | Basic domain ownership validation |
| Organization-Validated (OV) | $50 – $200 | Domain + business verification |
| Extended-Validation (EV) | $100 – $500 | Highest security, displays company name |
6. Additional cost for website development & maintenance
| Additional features | Pricing |
| Domain cost | New domain: $10 – $15/year Expired domain: $20 – $400/year |
| SEO and SEM | Between $10,000 and $40,000 annually |
| Maintenance and support | Between $100 to $500 per month |
| Marketing and Advertising | Start at $100 per month |
C. When to choose Shopify and Magento?
1. Opt for Shopify if:
– A business requires a user-friendly platform that can be set up quickly without extensive technical expertise.
– The company values pre-built features and solutions that facilitate a fast launch and support growth without the need for significant development resources.
2. Consider Magento if:
– The business seeks full control over the design and functionality of the site, backed by a development team capable of managing customizations.
– Long-term growth is prioritized, with a need for a flexible platform that supports complex requirements like custom product catalogs, advanced workflows, and deep integrations with existing systems.
Once reviewing the fundamental differences between Magento and Shopify pricing, you’ll be able to choose the one that can help you meet your eCommerce store needs faster. Whether you choose Magento or Shopify, we at Wgentech can help you maximize your traffic and conversions along with state-of-the-art website development.
D. Reference
Micheal Keenan (July 2024), “Ecommerce Website Cost: Full Guide for 2024”, retrieved from: https://www.shopify.com/blog/ecommerce-website-cost
Shopify (October 2024), “Positioning the Shopify advantage” retrieved from: https://www.shopifyacademy.com/path/selling-shopify-fundamentals/positioning-the-shopify-advantage/1974236
Magestore ( December 2023) “Magento pricing: The true cost of running a Magento website”, retrieved from: https://www.magestore.com/blog/magento-pricing-true-cost-of-magento-website/
