Building an online store: cost, platforms and timelines
In short
In Belgium, building an ecommerce website costs roughly €2,000 to €8,000 excl. VAT with a freelancer and €4,000 to €20,000 with an agency, more for a custom build. Add the platform subscription (Shopify: €24 to €384 a month), payment fees and maintenance.
Key takeaways
- Ecommerce costs have six parts: build, subscription, theme, apps, payment fees and maintenance.
- Shopify charges a monthly subscription; WooCommerce is free but needs hosting and plugins.
- In Belgium, Bancontact is a must: check its cost per transaction.
- Product listings (photos, copy, FR/NL translations) are often the longest task.
- Since June 2025, the European Accessibility Act applies to online retail.
How much does an ecommerce website cost in Belgium?
Building an ecommerce website costs anywhere from a few thousand to tens of thousands of euros, but the build is only one of six budget items. A Belgian guide to Shopify stores spells it out: subscription, theme, apps, payment fees and maintenance come on top of the build price.
| Provider | Market range | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Freelancer | €2,000 to €8,000 | Small catalog, standard needs |
| Agency (SMB) | €4,000 to €20,000 | Mid-sized catalog, several languages |
| Custom build | €15,000 and up | ERP integrations, specific business rules |
Sources: price guides from Searchlab, LUNIDEV and Shopify (2026), listed at the end of this article. They are not Ozapp prices: every store is quoted individually.
Competition is fierce: the French query "création site e-commerce" (ecommerce website creation) shows an estimated cost per click above $40 in Belgium, according to our DataForSEO data from October 2026.
How much do ecommerce platforms cost?
Each platform has its own model: an all-in subscription, free software you host yourself, or a custom build. The right choice depends on your catalog and internal resources.
Shopify
Shopify publishes its prices for Belgium (excl. VAT, checked in October 2026):
| Plan | Billed yearly | Billed monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | €24 per month | €32 per month |
| Grow | €69 per month | €92 per month |
| Advanced | €289 per month | €384 per month |
| Plus | on request | from €2,100 per month |
Hosting, security and updates are included. Premium themes and many apps, however, cost extra.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a free WordPress plugin. You pay for hosting, about €5 to €50 a month on shared hosting and €50 to €300 a month on managed hosting, plus plugins, up to a few hundred euros a year. Updates and security are up to you or your provider.
Lightspeed and custom builds
Lightspeed is popular with stores that also run an in-store POS: the online shop and the till share the same stock. Its prices are published on its website. Finally, a custom build is worth it for complex pricing rules, B2B or deep ERP integration.
What payment fees should you plan for?
Every sale has a payment cost, to compare with your average order value. In Belgium, offering Bancontact is close to mandatory.
Example with Shopify Payments in Belgium:
- Bancontact: €0.39 per transaction (€0.29 on Plus).
- Online card: 1.4% to 2% + €0.25 depending on the plan.
- Third-party provider (Mollie, Stripe…): Shopify adds 0.2% to 2% per transaction, on top of the provider's fees.
On a €40 order, €0.39 is less than 1%. Across thousands of orders, the choice of plan and provider really matters.
How long does it take to launch an online store?
A store on a platform with an adapted theme launches in a few weeks; a custom store takes several months. The deciding factor is rarely technical.
What takes the most time:
- The catalog — product listings, variants, photos, descriptions.
- Translations — in Belgium, a store in FR and NL doubles the amount of copy.
- Logistics — carriers, delivery zones, returns.
- Integrations — stock, accounting, ERP, POS.
- Legal pages — terms and conditions, right of withdrawal, privacy policy.
What pushes the price up?
The number of products matters less than the complexity of the rules around them. A store with 2,000 simple items can cost less than one with 50 configurable products.
The main factors:
- configurable products (sizes, options, personalization);
- B2B pricing, customer-specific discounts, online quotes;
- multiple languages and currencies;
- stock sync with a POS or ERP;
- subscriptions, pre-orders, click and collect;
- custom design rather than an adapted theme.
What about AI in ecommerce?
AI mainly helps an online store answer faster and produce its content. Two use cases pay back quickly.
- An AI chatbot that answers questions about products, delivery and returns, in FR and NL. See how much does an AI chatbot cost.
- AI content generation: product listings, translations and SEO copy produced faster, then reviewed by your team.
Try our demo on your store: AI chatbot demo.
How do you choose and budget your ecommerce site?
Start from your catalog, your order volume and your existing tools, then compare the total cost over three years. A pricier subscription can cost less than heavy maintenance.
Ozapp delivers ecommerce and web development for Belgian SMBs, in FR, NL and EN, with more than 20 years of experience and more than 100 projects delivered. Every store is quoted after a free 30-minute consultation.
For a site without a store, read how much does a website cost in Belgium.
Sources
- Shopify, pricing for Belgium (checked in October 2026): shopify.com/be-fr/tarifs
- Clickforest, "What does a webshop cost?", 2026: clickforest.com
- Searchlab, "Wat kost een webshop laten maken?", 2026: searchlab.nl
- LUNIDEV, website prices in Belgium, February 2026: lunidev.com
- Directive (EU) 2019/882 on accessibility requirements: eur-lex.europa.eu
- Cost per click in Belgium: Ozapp data via DataForSEO, October 2026.
FAQ — Ecommerce website cost
How much does an ecommerce website cost for a Belgian SMB?
According to market guides, an agency-built online store usually costs €4,000 to €20,000 excl. VAT, depending on the number of products, languages, design and integrations. A freelancer starts lower, around €2,000. On top of that come the platform subscription, payment fees and yearly maintenance.
Shopify or WooCommerce: which is cheaper?
WooCommerce is free, but you pay for hosting, a theme, plugins and WordPress maintenance. Shopify includes hosting and security in a subscription of €24 to €384 a month in Belgium, plus transaction fees. The cheaper option depends on your volume, your needs and the time you spend on technical work.
How long does it take to build an online store?
A store on a platform with an adapted theme can launch in a few weeks if product listings are ready. A custom store with its own design and integrations such as ERP, stock or logistics takes several months. Preparing the catalog, photos and translations remains the most common cause of delay.
What payment fees should you expect in Belgium?
Every payment has a cost. With Shopify Payments in Belgium, Bancontact costs €0.39 per transaction and an online card payment 1.6% to 2% plus €0.25 depending on the plan. With a third-party payment provider, Shopify adds a 0.2% to 2% fee. Compare these fees with your average order value.
Does Ozapp work with Shopify, WooCommerce or custom builds?
We choose the platform based on your catalog, volume and integrations, with no bias. Every store is quoted after a free 30-minute consultation. You get a detailed quote within 24 to 48 hours, with the build and monthly costs listed separately.
