Website Development Cost in India (2026): A Transparent Price Guide
What does a website really cost in India? Clear price ranges for business, ecommerce and custom websites, what drives the cost, th...
Read articleQuick answer: In India, a professionally set up Shopify store usually costs ₹40,000–₹1,50,000 plus a monthly subscription. A WooCommerce store costs ₹50,000–₹2,00,000 plus hosting. A custom ecommerce platform starts around ₹2,50,000. Every option also pays payment gateway charges, typically around 2% per transaction on standard plans.
Starting an online store has never been easier — and choosing how to build it has never been more confusing. Shopify ads promise a store in minutes, WordPress fans swear by WooCommerce, and developers tell you only custom code will scale. All three are right for someone. This guide compares the real cost of each in India, so you can choose for your business rather than for the loudest opinion.
Ecommerce website cost at a glance
| Shopify | WooCommerce | Custom build | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional setup | ₹40,000 – ₹1,50,000 | ₹50,000 – ₹2,00,000 | ₹2,50,000 – ₹10,00,000+ |
| Monthly running cost | Shopify plan + paid apps | Hosting ₹500–₹3,000 + plugin licences | Cloud hosting + maintenance |
| Time to launch | 2–5 weeks | 4–8 weeks | 2–6 months |
| Best for | D2C brands that want to launch fast | Owners who want flexibility and control | Unique business models, B2B, marketplaces |
Ranges exclude GST and assume a professionally designed store with product setup, payments, shipping and basic SEO — not a bare template.
Shopify: the fastest way to start selling
Shopify is a hosted platform: you pay a monthly subscription and Shopify handles servers, security and updates. Its plans in India are priced in rupees and change from time to time, so check Shopify's own pricing page for current figures.
Where it shines: fast launch, reliable checkout, a huge app store, and very little technical maintenance. It's an excellent choice for D2C brands selling a few hundred products.
Watch out for:
- App costs add up. Reviews, WhatsApp notifications, COD verification, upsells and GST invoicing are often separate paid apps. Five apps at a few hundred rupees each quickly matches or exceeds the plan itself.
- Extra transaction fees. Shopify adds its own fee on top of your gateway's charges when you use a third-party payment gateway — which most Indian stores do.
- Limited control. Deep customisation of checkout and complex B2B pricing are restricted on lower plans.
WooCommerce: flexible, and you own it
WooCommerce is a free plugin that turns a WordPress website into a store. You host it yourself, so you own everything and can customise almost anything.
Where it shines: content plus commerce (great for SEO-led stores with a blog), no platform transaction fees, thousands of plugins, and full control over design and data.
Watch out for:
- Maintenance is your responsibility. WordPress, WooCommerce and plugins need regular updates and security monitoring.
- Performance needs care. A WooCommerce store on cheap hosting with twenty plugins gets slow. Good hosting and a lean build matter.
- Premium plugins carry yearly licence fees.
Custom ecommerce: when off-the-shelf stops fitting
A custom platform — built for example on Laravel with a modern frontend — makes sense when your business model doesn't fit standard templates:
- B2B ordering with customer-specific prices, credit limits and bulk RFQs
- Multi-vendor marketplaces with commissions and vendor payouts
- Deep integration with your ERP, Tally or warehouse system
- Subscriptions, rentals, made-to-order or configurable products
- Very high traffic or flash sales where you need full control over performance
It costs more up front, but there are no per-sale platform fees and no app subscriptions, and the store does exactly what your business needs.
Costs every Indian online store pays
- Payment gateway: Razorpay, PayU, Cashfree, PhonePe and others typically charge around 2% per transaction on standard plans, with lower rates negotiable at higher volumes. Compare settlement times too.
- Shipping: aggregators like Shiprocket or Delhivery give you multiple couriers, COD remittance and tracking. Rates depend on weight and zone.
- Product photography: often the best money you'll spend. Good photos lift conversions more than any feature.
- Marketing: a store without traffic doesn't sell. Budget for SEO, social media and, eventually, ads.
- GST compliance: GST-compliant invoices and correct HSN codes on products.
Must-have features for Indian shoppers
- UPI as a prominent payment option, alongside cards, wallets and net banking
- Cash on delivery with OTP or WhatsApp verification to cut fake orders
- Order updates on WhatsApp — customers read WhatsApp far more than email
- Pincode serviceability check on the product page
- Automatic GST invoices with your GSTIN
- Fast mobile pages. Most shoppers browse on phones over mobile data
- Easy returns information — it builds trust with first-time buyers
Which one should you choose?
- Choose Shopify if you want to launch quickly, have a standard D2C model and prefer not to deal with hosting or updates.
- Choose WooCommerce if content and SEO are central to your growth, you want to avoid platform fees, and you have a partner to maintain it.
- Choose custom if your pricing, ordering or fulfilment is unusual, you need tight ERP integration, or platform fees would cost more than development over two to three years.
Not sure? Many brands start on Shopify or WooCommerce to validate demand and move to a custom platform once sales justify it. A good partner will plan for that from day one, so your products, customers and SEO move with you.
Frequently asked questions
Can I start an ecommerce website with ₹50,000?
Yes. ₹50,000 is a realistic budget for a professionally set up Shopify or WooCommerce store with a customised theme, up to a few dozen products, payment gateway, shipping integration and basic SEO. Large catalogues, custom features or a fully custom design will cost more.
Which payment gateway is best for a small online store in India?
Razorpay, PayU, Cashfree and PhonePe are all solid choices. Compare transaction fees, settlement time, onboarding requirements and support. Most stores choose based on which gateway approves their account fastest and settles money quickest. We integrate all of them.
Do I need a GST number to sell online?
Marketplaces like Amazon and Flipkart generally require a GSTIN. If you sell only through your own website, the normal GST registration thresholds apply, but payment gateways will still ask for business documents. Rules have specific exceptions, so confirm with your chartered accountant.
How long does it take to build an online store?
Two to five weeks for a Shopify store, four to eight weeks for WooCommerce and two to six months for a custom platform. Product data — titles, descriptions, photos and prices — is usually what takes longest, so start preparing it early.
Is Shopify or WooCommerce better for SEO?
Both can rank well. WooCommerce gives you more control over URLs, structured data and content, which helps content-led SEO. Shopify handles technical basics well out of the box. Page speed, product content and a blog matter more than the platform itself.
Planning an online store? Tell us about your products and goals and we'll recommend the right platform with an itemised quote. See our ecommerce development service or our work for retail brands.
