Published on October 28, 2026 · The mitza.es team
“How much does an online store cost?” has an honest but unsatisfying answer: it depends on what you sell, how you ship it and who builds it. What you can do is break the cost down into items, know which ones are one-off and which are recurring, and not forget the ones almost nobody counts at the start (fees, maintenance, legal and marketing). This guide gives you the full map so you can ask for quotes with confidence.
The third-party figures we cite are indicative, taken from the platforms' official websites and from industry guides consulted in October 2026. They change often (and are usually published without VAT), so check the current price before deciding. For our own rates, see the pricing page.
The items that make up the cost of an online store
- Platform or software (the “engine” that manages products, cart and orders).
- Domain and hosting (the address and the place where the store lives).
- Design and launch (template, customization, product upload).
- Payment gateway (card, Bizum, PayPal…) and its fees.
- Shipping and logistics (carriers, packaging, returns).
- Legal and invoicing (legal texts, GDPR, cookies, invoicing program).
- Maintenance and security (updates, backups, support).
- Marketing (SEO, advertising, email, social media).
Platform: rented, open source or custom
This is the biggest cost decision, and each option charges differently.
SaaS platforms (Shopify and similar)
You pay a monthly subscription and everything is up and running from day one: hosting, security and updates included. According to Shopify's website, its basic plan runs between €24 and €36 a month, depending on whether you pay by the year or by the month, and on top of that come transaction fees: around 2.1% + €0.30 per payment with its own payment system on that plan, and an extra surcharge of around 2% if you use another gateway. Upside: speed and little maintenance. Downside: fees grow with your sales, and add-on apps, which are paid separately, can double the fee.
Open source (WooCommerce, PrestaShop)
The software is free, but the rest isn't: you need hosting, a theme, paid extensions for whatever it doesn't include out of the box and someone to install and maintain it. In return you get full control, with no monthly platform fee and no commission per sale. PrestaShop also offers a hosted version with prices from around €24 a month plus VAT, according to its website. It's the usual choice when the catalogue is large or you need flexibility.
Custom development
It makes sense when your business has special rules (customer-specific pricing, configurable products, integrations with your ERP or your warehouse) that a standard platform doesn't cover. It's the highest up-front investment and the one that best fits your process; if that's your case, we cover it in custom web development.
Design and launch: what it costs to have it built for you
This is the item that varies the most. Setting up a store with a template and a few products is very different from designing one with its own identity, well-crafted product pages, variations (sizes, colors) and migration of an existing catalogue. Industry guides publish ranges that go from a few hundred euros for template-based setups to several thousand for customized stores, and much more in custom projects. What matters isn't the figure but knowing what it includes: design, product upload, tax and shipping setup, legal texts, gateway, basic SEO and training.
If you'd like us to help with the launch, take a look at our ecommerce development service.
Domain and hosting
On a SaaS platform the hosting is included; with WooCommerce or PrestaShop you buy it yourself, and for a store you want a plan that can handle traffic peaks (in campaigns such as Black Friday) and that includes an SSL certificate and backups. The domain is a small annual fee. You'll find the details in our guide to domain and hosting.
Payment gateway and fees
Taking payments online isn't free: the gateway or payment processor keeps a percentage plus a fixed amount on every transaction, and the terms depend on the bank, the payment method and the volume. A small fee per transaction is very noticeable on tight margins, so compare before choosing. You'll find a full analysis in how to choose a payment gateway and compare fees.
Shipping, returns and packaging
This is the most underestimated cost. If you offer free shipping, someone pays for it: you or the product margin. Work out the average cost per order (transport, box, filler, labels), add the cost of returns and set a minimum amount for free shipping instead of always giving it away. Remember too that consumers have a 14-day right of withdrawal on online purchases, and that returns are part of the business, not an exception.
Legal, taxes and invoicing
- Legal texts: legal notice, privacy policy, cookie policy and terms of sale (including withdrawal and warranties).
- Cookies and analytics: a correctly configured consent banner.
- Invoicing: your program must comply with the anti-fraud regulation; we explain it in how to choose an invoicing program for VeriFactu.
- VAT and shipping to other countries: sales to customers in the European Union have their own rules; check them with your accountant or tax adviser before selling outside Spain.
Maintenance and security: the cost you pay every month
An online store is a living system: you have to update the platform and the plugins, make backups, watch for security flaws and resolve incidents. With SaaS the provider does it; with WooCommerce and PrestaShop it's up to you or whoever you hire. Attacks on outdated plugins are frequent, and a store that is down or hacked costs more than a maintenance plan. Details in website maintenance: what it includes and what it costs.
Marketing: no visits, no sales
A store without traffic is a shop window in an alley. Set aside a budget to attract visits: SEO (well-crafted product pages and categories, an investment that accumulates), paid advertising, email marketing to your customers and social media. A practical rule is not to spend everything on the website and be left with nothing to make it known. If you're interested in preparing a specific campaign, read our guide to preparing your online store for Black Friday.
Worked example: from the headline figure to the real cost
To estimate the first year, fill in this list with real quotes, without leaving any item blank:
- Launch (design, product upload, setup): one-off amount.
- Platform or hosting: annual fee (or monthly × 12).
- Domain: annual fee.
- Payment fees: percentage of the expected sales volume.
- Maintenance and security: monthly fee × 12.
- Invoicing program and accountant or tax adviser.
- Marketing: monthly budget × 12.
- Shipping and packaging: average cost per order × expected orders (better built into the price).
The sum will tell you how much you need to sell to cover costs. If the result is scary, it isn't necessarily a bad plan: it's better to know before launching than after.
How to save without skimping on what matters
- Start with a reduced catalogue and expand it once sales come in.
- Choose the platform by your volume: SaaS to start, open source or custom when you grow.
- Don't pay for features you won't use during the first year.
- Invest in photos, descriptions and speed: that's what turns visits into orders.
- Check whether you qualify for digitalization aid or grants before paying out of your own pocket.
- Don't cut back on security, backups or legal texts: they're the most expensive things to fix later.
When it makes sense to set up an online store (and when it doesn't)
E-commerce keeps growing in Spain (you can see the data in our analysis of ecommerce in Spain in 2026), but it isn't always the best first option. If you sell few products, a web catalogue with contact or bookings may be enough to start. If your product is bought by comparing, with simple shipping and a reasonable margin, the store makes sense. And if you're unsure, the best thing is to validate with a simple version before investing in a full one.
How we can help at Mitza
We help you choose the right platform for your volume, set up the store and maintain it. See how we work in ecommerce development and, to look at it with numbers, write to us from the contact page.