E-commerce Development Cost Calculator (2026)

01

Cost at a glance

Typical Aalpha prices for three common project types, next to what a US agency usually charges for the same hours.

Complexity	Typical scope	Aalpha	Timeline	US agency
Simple	Shopify store on a customised theme with catalogue, checkout, shipping and SEO	$5,500 – $9,000	4–5 weeks	$36,000 – $65,000
Mid-complexity	Custom-designed Shopify brand store with subscriptions, loyalty, email flows and 3 integrations	$10,000 – $17,000	7–9 weeks	$68,000 – $123,000
Complex	Custom multi-vendor marketplace with recommendations, inventory and scalable architecture	$26,500 – $44,000	10–13 weeks	$177,000 – $318,500

Estimates. The final cost depends on the scope of work we agree.

02

How the estimate is calculated

We count hours first and then price them at one blended rate. The four steps below use the options you picked in the calculator, so the numbers match your estimate.

Step 1
Add up scope hours
Store foundation120
7 features280
Integrations32
Scope432 h
Step 2
Apply build factors
Storefront, 60% × 0.70181
Backend, 40% × 0.60104
Compliance× 1.00
Build285 h
Step 3
Apply AI savings, add delivery
Build after AI −40%171
Design and discovery55
QA and launch102
Project management 10%33
Total361 h
Step 4
Multiply by the rate
× $15 an hour$5,500
× $25 an hour$9,000
Timeline4–5 weeks

Formula. Cost = [ Build × (1 − AI) + Design + Discovery + QA + Launch ] × 1.10 × Rate, where Build = (Scope × 0.6 × Storefront + Scope × 0.4 × Backend) × Compliance. For the timeline, we divide total hours by team capacity at 32 productive hours per person per week.

Where AI saves time

Our engineers use AI coding assistants for scaffolding, repetitive UI, API boilerplate, unit tests and documentation. A senior engineer reviews every AI-generated change before it is merged. On our projects this cuts hands-on build time by about 40%, and your estimate includes that saving.

We don't discount discovery, architecture decisions, data migration checks, launch and project management, because people still do that work in full.

Without AI assistance511 h · $10,000

Aalpha, AI-assisted361 h · $7,000

Phase	Without AI	Aalpha	Saved
Discovery & planning	32 h	32 h	—
UI/UX design	29 h	23 h	−6 h
Development	285 h	171 h	−114 h
QA & testing	71 h	54 h	−17 h
Launch	48 h	48 h	—
Project management	46 h	33 h	−14 h

03

What affects the cost

Six things move the price of an e-commerce store. Each one maps to a step in the calculator.

Platform

Storefront work is about 60% of the work. Shopify and WooCommerce provide checkout and admin out of the box. Headless and custom builds create them.

× 0.70 Shopify · × 0.80 WooCommerce · × 1.20 headless · × 1.45 custom

Features

Each feature has a benchmark that covers setup, customisation and testing. Every store also includes a 120-hour foundation: environment, theme or storefront setup, navigation and content pages.

From 24 h (reviews) to 160 h (multi-vendor)

Design depth

Design is a share of build effort, because templates and states grow with the feature set.

10% theme · 18% custom · 24% premium

Backend

Backend work is about 40% of the work. Platform apps cover most needs. Custom middleware handles pricing rules, syncs and workflows. High-scale setups handle traffic peaks.

× 0.60 built-in · × 1.00 middleware · × 1.40 high-scale

Integrations

Each ERP, PIM, carrier or marketplace connection needs mapping, sync jobs, error handling and testing with real orders.

32 h per integration

Compliance

Restricted products and privacy laws add consent, age checks, audit logs and legal pages.

× 1.00 standard · × 1.05 GDPR · × 1.12 regulated

04

Cost in India compared with other countries

The same 361 hours, priced at typical agency rates in each region. Only the hourly rate changes.

Region	Typical rate	Cost for your scope	vs Aalpha
Aalpha (India)	$15–$25/h	$5,500 – $9,000	Baseline
Eastern Europe	$35–$60/h	$12,500 – $21,500	2.4× the cost
Latin America	$35–$65/h	$12,500 – $23,500	2.5× the cost
Australia	$90–$150/h	$32,500 – $54,000	6.0× the cost
Western Europe & UK	$70–$130/h	$25,500 – $47,000	5.0× the cost
United States	$100–$180/h	$36,000 – $65,000	7.0× the cost

Why India costs less

Operating and living costs are lower, so rates are lower at the same seniority.
India has one of the largest pools of software engineers in the world.
The outsourcing industry is well established, with standard delivery, security and contract practices.

What to check with any offshore team

How many working hours overlap with yours, and who your daily contact is.
Who owns the code, what the NDA covers and how access to your data is controlled.
References and live products in your industry.

How Aalpha handles it

A dedicated project manager whose hours overlap with US, UK, EU and Middle East clients.
An NDA before kickoff, and full transfer of source code and IP to you.
Case studies and references from clients in 55+ countries.

05

Example estimates

Three common project types priced with the calculator. Load any of them to see the full breakdown and adjust it.

D2C skincare brand

Custom Shopify design with subscriptions, reviews, loyalty points, email flows and ERP sync. GDPR-ready.

$10,000 – $17,000

682 hours · 7–9 weeks

B2B wholesale portal

Headless store with customer-specific pricing, quotes, bulk ordering and warehouse stock sync.

$13,500 – $23,000

916 hours · 7–9 weeks

Multi-vendor marketplace

Seller onboarding, commissions, payouts, AI recommendations and a custom admin.

$26,500 – $44,000

1,769 hours · 10–13 weeks

06

Why teams choose Aalpha

~40%

Fewer build hours with AI

Engineers use AI tools and a senior engineer reviews every change. The hours saved come off your estimate.

7,000+

Projects behind the benchmarks

The effort benchmarks in this calculator come from 18 years of Aalpha delivery records.

Fixed

Price after discovery

You get a written scope of work, milestone billing and a demo every week.

ISO 27001

Security practices

We follow ISO 27001-aligned practices, sign NDAs and keep code in secure repositories. We have delivered GDPR and HIPAA projects.

100%

Code and IP ownership

Source code, designs and documentation are handed over to you at every milestone.

3

Countries with offices

Offices in the United States, the UAE and India, with 250+ engineers in Bangalore and Hubli.

07

Frequently asked questions

How much does an e-commerce website cost in 2026?

At Aalpha's rate of $15 to $25 an hour, with AI-assisted delivery, a Shopify starter store costs about $5,500 to $9,000, a custom-designed brand store with subscriptions and integrations $10,000 to $17,000, and a multi-vendor marketplace $26,500 to $44,000 or more. These are estimates, and the final cost depends on the scope of work we agree.

Shopify, WooCommerce or custom: which is cheaper?

Shopify is usually cheapest to build, then WooCommerce. Headless and custom platforms cost more up front but suit complex catalogues, B2B pricing, marketplaces and high traffic.

Can you migrate my existing store?

Yes. Products, customers, orders and SEO redirects can be migrated from Magento, WooCommerce, Shopify and custom platforms. Migration effort is confirmed after we review your data.

How long does it take to build an online store?

A Shopify starter store takes about 4 to 6 weeks. Custom brand stores take 2 to 3 months and marketplaces 3 to 5 months.

What isn't included in the estimate?

Platform subscriptions, paid themes and apps, payment processing fees, hosting and product photography.

Why might the final quote differ from the calculator?

The calculator uses typical scope for each item. When we review your requirements, the price can come down, for example if we reuse existing modules or simplify a flow. It can also go up if there are complex business rules or legacy systems. We send a fixed quote after a free discovery call.

Why is development cheaper in India?

Operating and living costs are lower, the pool of software engineers is one of the largest in the world, and the outsourcing industry is well established. Together these let Indian firms charge much less than US, UK and Australian agencies for the same hours.

Can I get a fixed-price quote?

Yes. After a short discovery phase we agree a written scope of work, milestones and a fixed price. If you'd rather stay flexible, you can hire a dedicated team by the month.

Have a question that isn't here? Ask our team.

08

Sources and review

Effort benchmarks: Aalpha delivery records from 7,000+ projects since 2008, updated every quarter.
AI savings: Measured on Aalpha projects delivered with AI-assisted engineering in 2025 and 2026.
Regional rates: Typical agency hourly ranges published on Clutch and GoodFirms, checked in October 2026.
Not included: Platform subscriptions, paid themes and apps, payment fees, hosting and product content.

TA

Written by

Team Aalpha

PP

Technically reviewed by

Pawan Pawar

Director

Last updated

21 October 2026

Next review

January 2027