E-commerce website development cost in India starts around $3,000–$8,000 for a Shopify or WooCommerce store set up with your products, payments and shipping, $8,000–$20,000 for a custom store with ERP or inventory sync and GST invoicing, and above $20,000 for multi-vendor marketplaces or high-volume stores. These are our published ranges.
Selling online looks simple from the outside, but a store that actually converts has a lot underneath it: product pages that load fast on a phone, UPI and card payments that confirm reliably, stock that stays in sync and invoices that satisfy GST rules. This guide explains what each level of store includes and what it costs to run afterwards.
E-commerce website development cost in India by store type
These are the bands on our pricing page, as of 2026:
| Store type | Typical scope | Price range |
|---|---|---|
| Platform store | Shopify or WooCommerce, theme customisation, payments, shipping | $3,000 – $8,000 |
| Custom store | Custom design, ERP or inventory sync, GST invoices, coupons | $8,000 – $20,000 |
| Marketplace or high-volume store | Multiple sellers, commissions, custom integrations | Above $20,000 |
Shopify vs WooCommerce vs a custom store
| Option | Upfront cost | Running cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify | Lower | Monthly plan plus app subscriptions | Brands that want to launch fast and grow without managing servers |
| WooCommerce | Lower | Hosting plus paid plugins | Businesses already on WordPress or wanting full control of content |
| Custom store | Higher | Hosting and maintenance | Complex pricing, B2B ordering, deep ERP integration or marketplaces |
For most new D2C brands, Shopify is the fastest route to a reliable store. A custom build makes sense when your business rules don't fit a platform — dealer pricing, bulk ordering, multiple warehouses or a marketplace with seller payouts.
What drives the cost
- Catalogue size and variants. A hundred products with sizes and colours need more setup than twenty simple ones.
- Payment gateways. Razorpay, PayU, Cashfree, UPI and cash on delivery each need integration and testing, including refunds.
- Shipping and logistics. Shiprocket or courier integrations, pin-code serviceability and tracking pages.
- GST invoicing. Correct tax calculation, HSN codes and invoice generation for every order.
- Inventory sync. Connecting the store to your ERP, Tally or warehouse system so stock never oversells.
- Custom features. Subscriptions, wholesale pricing, product builders or loyalty programmes.
Free consultation
Planning something like this?
Tell us what you need. After a short call we send a written scope, timeline and fixed quote.
Running costs after launch
A store has ongoing costs that a brochure website doesn't:
- Platform fees, such as your Shopify plan, or hosting for WooCommerce and custom stores
- Payment gateway charges on each transaction
- Paid apps and plugins for reviews, upsells, search and marketing
- SMS, email and WhatsApp messages for order updates
- Maintenance, updates and small changes — our maintenance plans start at $500–$1,500 a month
How long it takes to launch
A platform store typically launches in 3–6 weeks once products and content are ready. A custom store with integrations usually takes 8–14 weeks. Gathering product photos, descriptions and prices is often the slowest part, so start on it early.
How to spend your e-commerce budget wisely
- Start on Shopify or WooCommerce unless you have a clear reason to go custom.
- Spend on fast mobile pages and a simple checkout before fancy features.
- Integrate inventory early if you also sell offline, to avoid overselling.
- Keep the number of paid apps low; each one adds cost and slows the store.
- Make sure you own the store, domain and customer data.
How Codelix helps
We build Shopify, WooCommerce and custom stores with Indian payment gateways, GST invoicing and inventory sync, including stores for fashion and food brands. See our e-commerce development service, or estimate your project with the software development cost calculator.
