Almost every first call we take starts the same way. "Roughly how much will a Shopify website cost?" It's a fair question, and the frustrating answer is "it depends". So let's make that answer useful. Once you know what you're actually paying for, comparing quotes gets a lot easier and you won't get surprised six months after launch.
What you're really paying for
A Shopify website budget has five parts. Some you pay to Shopify, some to other companies, and one to whoever builds the store.
The Shopify plan. This is a monthly (or yearly) fee paid straight to Shopify for hosting, security and checkout. Prices change and vary by country, so check Shopify's current Indian pricing before you budget. Most new brands start on the Basic plan and only move up when orders justify it.
Your domain. A .com or .in usually costs a few hundred to a couple of thousand rupees a year. Please buy it in your own name. We've seen too many founders locked out of their own domain because a freelancer registered it.
A theme. Shopify's free themes are genuinely good. A premium theme is a one-time purchase and is worth it when you need something specific, like mega menus or look-books, that would otherwise mean custom code.
Apps. Reviews, WhatsApp chat, subscriptions and so on. Plenty have free plans, but paid ones are billed monthly and they add up. They also add code, and code slows your store down. A good developer will talk you out of apps you don't need.
Design and development. The one-time fee for setting up, designing and launching the store. This is where quotes vary wildly, because it depends entirely on scope.
Why one quote is Rs 30,000 and another is Rs 1,50,000
They're almost never quoting for the same work. The things that move the price most are:
- how many products and collections need setting up
- whether you want a custom design or a customised theme
- special features like bundles, product builders or B2B pricing
- integrations with shipping, inventory or marketing tools
- who writes the copy and shoots the photos
- whether SEO and speed are done properly at launch or "later"
What we charge, for reference
We publish our prices because we think agencies should. Our Basic Shopify Website is Rs 45,000. It covers store setup, theme customisation, homepage design, product listing setup, payment guidance and basic SEO and speed setup, and suits startups and small businesses. Our Advanced Shopify Website is Rs 80,000, for growing brands that need a premium homepage, collection setup, essential apps and proper mobile, SEO and speed work.
In both cases, the domain, Shopify subscription, paid apps and premium themes are extra and paid directly by you.
The costs people forget after launch
This is where budgets usually go wrong. A store isn't a one-off purchase; it needs looking after.
- Maintenance. Product uploads, banner changes, app glitches, small fixes. Our Shopify maintenance plan covers this for the year.
- SEO and content. A new store gets very little free traffic on its own. Our Monthly SEO package includes 8 blogs a month for exactly this reason.
- Speed. Stores slow down as you add apps and images. An occasional speed clean-up keeps things quick.
- Marketing. For most D2C brands, ads end up being the biggest ongoing cost by far.
Rough budgets by stage
If you're testing a new idea, keep it lean: a free theme, a basic build and only essential free apps. Spend on marketing, not polish, until you know people want the product.
If you're a growing D2C brand with steady sales, it's worth investing in an advanced build, reviews and WhatsApp apps, monthly SEO content and a maintenance plan.
If you're established, you're likely looking at custom design, integrations with your inventory and shipping systems, ongoing speed monitoring and an SEO retainer.
Six questions to ask before you sign
- What exactly is included, page by page?
- How many rounds of revisions do I get?
- Is basic SEO included (meta tags, headings, alt text, sitemap)?
- What speed score will the store have when you hand it over?
- Who owns the store, domain and design files afterwards?
- What support do I get after launch, and for how long?
If an agency gets vague on any of these, treat that as your answer.
A quick word on "cheap"
The most expensive Shopify store we see is the one that has to be rebuilt a year later. Slow code, messy structure and no SEO cost you sales every single day it's live. Spending a bit more up front on a solid foundation nearly always pays for itself.
Questions we get asked a lot
Can I build it myself? Absolutely, Shopify is designed for that. People usually hire help when they want a professional look, a faster launch and fewer expensive mistakes.
How long does a build take? For most stores, about three weeks from brief to launch, as long as content and approvals come through on time.
Any hidden costs? The usual surprises are paid apps, premium themes and transaction fees. Ask for them in writing before you start.
If you'd like a straight answer for your own store, have a look at our pricing or book a free discovery call. We'll tell you honestly which package fits, even if it's the smaller one.