You have probably already seen wildly different numbers — ₹5,000 template sites, ₹25,000 custom builds, ₹1,50,000+ agency quotes. Here is what actually drives the price, and what you should expect to pay.
Starting cost: ₹0–10,000 setup, but a mandatory monthly subscription starting ₹399–1,499/month, plus a transaction fee on every sale. Since Shopify Payments is not available in India, you will pay both a gateway fee and Shopify’s own cut. Apps for basic features you would expect built-in often add ₹3,000–30,000/month more.
Best for: Launching today with zero technical help, if you are comfortable with an ongoing monthly cost that grows with your store.
Starting cost: ₹5,000–20,000, often built on a pre-made template with limited customisation.
Watch out for: Hidden limitations — many “cheap” template builds cannot handle a real product catalogue, custom checkout flow, or growth beyond a handful of products without a rebuild.
Starting cost: ₹25,000, one-time, no monthly platform fee, no per-sale cut.
What determines your final price: catalogue size (10 products vs. 500 products changes build complexity), payment gateway integration, custom features beyond a standard catalogue + cart (subscriptions, bulk pricing, wishlist), and design complexity.
Ongoing costs: hosting (~₹3,000–8,000/year), domain (~₹800–1,500/year), and optional maintenance for future changes — no forced monthly platform rent.
It depends entirely on your time horizon. For a quick test or a very small catalogue, a builder platform’s low starting cost can make sense.
But for a brand planning to sell consistently for years, the monthly subscription and transaction fees on a builder platform typically add up to far more than a one-time custom build over a 2–3 year period.
Ask yourself: am I testing an idea, or building a brand I am committed to for the next few years? If it is the former, a builder platform gets you moving fast. If it is the latter, the math increasingly favors owning your site outright.
Get a tailored quote for your catalogue and features → Contact One Payload