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2026 cost guide · INR

Shopify Development Cost in India (2026)

Shopify development cost in India ranges from ₹20,000 for a basic store setup to ₹20,00,000 or more for a Shopify Plus build with custom integrations. The total cost depends on store type, theme choice (free vs custom built), app requirements, number of integrations, and ongoing monthly expenses after launch.

This page gives a full 2026 cost breakdown in INR, covering platform subscriptions, theme costs, app budgets, content setup, payment gateway fees, and the India-specific costs that most international cost guides leave out: GST on agency invoices, transaction fee stacking with Razorpay, COD management, and WhatsApp commerce setup. We also publish our own project pricing at the end.

See the cost table Our own pricing
Shopify store Year 1 estimate · INR
  • Development (one-time)₹20,000 → ₹20,00,000+
  • Shopify plan × 12₹17,988 → ₹21,00,000+
  • Apps × 12₹36,000 → ₹6,00,000+
  • Domain + email₹3,000 → ₹20,000
  • Maintenance × 12₹0 → ₹7,20,000+
Year 1 total ₹56,000 – ₹52,00,000+

+ 18% GST on agency services · + 2% to 4%+ payment fees per order

Shopify Development Cost at a Glance

Shopify development cost in India varies by store complexity. This table gives you the quick answer for 2026.

  • Development cost
  • Estimated Year 1 total
Basic Store
Development
₹20,000 to ₹60,000
Year 1 total
₹56,000 to ₹2,40,000
Standard Store
Development
₹60,000 to ₹1,50,000
Year 1 total
₹2,60,000 to ₹8,30,000
Custom Store
Development
₹1,50,000 to ₹4,00,000
Year 1 total
₹8,40,000 to ₹21,20,000
Shopify Plus Store
Development
₹4,00,000 to ₹20,00,000+
Year 1 total
₹21,20,000 to ₹52,00,000+

Development cost is the one-time build cost. Year 1 total includes development cost plus 12 months of platform subscription, app fees, maintenance, and other recurring expenses detailed in the sections below. The chart uses a logarithmic rupee scale.

Shopify Development Cost by Store Type

Shopify development cost depends on what type of store you are building. A basic store with a free theme and 20 products is a different project from a custom Shopify Plus store with 90+ product finishes and ERP integration.

Tier 1

Basic Shopify Store (₹20,000 to ₹60,000)

1 to 2 weeks

A basic Shopify store costs ₹20,000 to ₹60,000 to develop in India. This covers a free or low-cost theme setup (Dawn or similar), product uploads (up to 50 products), basic page creation (Home, About, Contact, Policy pages), payment gateway integration (Razorpay or similar), shipping setup (Shiprocket or flat rates), and basic SEO configuration (meta titles, descriptions, alt tags).

A basic store suits solo entrepreneurs testing a product idea, small catalogue brands launching their first online store, or businesses moving from Instagram selling to a proper storefront. Timeline: 1 to 2 weeks.

Tier 2

Standard Shopify Store (₹60,000 to ₹1,50,000)

2 to 4 weeks

A standard Shopify store costs ₹60,000 to ₹1,50,000 to develop. This covers a premium theme purchase and customization, product uploads (50 to 500 products with variants), custom collection pages with filters, blog setup, email marketing integration (Klaviyo or Shopify Email), review app setup (Judge.me), advanced shipping configuration, and on-page SEO for all product and collection pages.

A standard store suits D2C brands with a defined product catalogue, brands running Meta and Google Ads that need a conversion-ready storefront, and businesses that want a professional store without full custom development. Timeline: 2 to 4 weeks.

Tier 3

Custom Shopify Store (₹1,50,000 to ₹4,00,000)

4 to 8 weeks

A custom Shopify store costs ₹1,50,000 to ₹4,00,000. This covers a custom designed theme built from a Figma or PSD file, complex product page layouts (configurators, swatch selectors, size guides), custom Liquid sections and templates, advanced integrations (CRM, ERP, accounting software), multi-language or multi-currency setup using Shopify Markets, custom mega menu and navigation, and detailed SEO implementation including structured data.

A custom store suits established D2C brands that need a unique storefront, brands with complex product lines (jewellery with multiple variants, furniture with finish options), and businesses migrating from WooCommerce, Magento, or custom platforms. Timeline: 4 to 8 weeks.

Tier 4

Shopify Plus Store (₹4,00,000 to ₹20,00,000+)

10 to 20 weeks

A Shopify Plus store costs ₹4,00,000 to ₹20,00,000 or more depending on the scope of custom development. This covers everything in a custom store plus Checkout Extensibility (custom checkout fields, validation, post-purchase flows), B2B channel with wholesale pricing and trade portals, multi-store setup with expansion stores, Shopify Flow automation and Launchpad for scheduled campaigns, server-side tagging (GTM), custom app development, and enterprise integrations (NetSuite, SAP, Salesforce).

A Shopify Plus build is for brands with high traffic, complex operational requirements, B2B alongside D2C, or checkout flows that standard Shopify cannot support. Timeline: 10 to 20 weeks.

Shopify development cost by store type: Basic, Standard, Custom and Shopify Plus

Ledger A

Shopify Platform Subscription (INR Pricing)

Shopify charges a monthly subscription fee for every store. These are the current INR prices from Shopify's official India pricing page (shopify.com/in/pricing) as of October 2026.

PlanMonthly Billing (INR)Yearly Billing (INR)Third Party Fee
Basic₹1,994/mo₹1,499/mo2%
Grow₹7,447/mo₹5,599/mo1%
Advanced₹30,164/mo₹22,680/mo0.6%
Plusfrom ₹1,75,000/mo—0.2%

Yearly billing saves 25% on Basic, Grow, and Advanced. Shopify also offers ₹20 per month for the first 3 months on standard plans after a 3 day free trial. All prices exclude 18% GST.

Ledger B

Theme Cost (Free vs Premium vs Custom)

Shopify theme cost is the biggest single variable in development pricing.

Theme TypeCost (INR)What You Get
Free theme (Dawn, Taste, Craft, etc.)₹0Clean, fast, mobile-responsive. Limited customization without Liquid code.
Premium theme (from Shopify Theme Store)₹8,000 to ₹25,000 (one time)More sections, design options, built-in features. Faster setup than custom.
Custom theme (designed and built from scratch)₹50,000 to ₹2,00,000+Unique design. Full control over layout, sections, and brand expression. Requires Figma/PSD design + Liquid development.

Most D2C brands in India start with a free theme (Dawn is the most used) or a premium theme and invest in customization as the business grows. A full custom theme is justified when the brand needs a unique storefront that no existing theme can deliver.

Ledger C

Apps and Integration Costs

Shopify app costs are recurring monthly expenses that grow with your store. Most brands underestimate this category.

Store StageTypical Monthly App Cost (INR)Common Apps
Basic store (3 to 5 apps)₹3,000 to ₹8,000/moReviews (Judge.me), email (Shopify Email), SEO, analytics
Growing store (6 to 10 apps)₹8,000 to ₹20,000/moEmail (Klaviyo), returns, loyalty, upsells, social proof
Scaling store (10+ apps)₹20,000 to ₹50,000+/moMarketing automation, subscription, inventory management, B2B

App costs compound. A brand that installs 3 apps at launch and adds 2 more every quarter is paying ₹15,000 to ₹25,000 per month in app fees within a year. Budget for app growth, not just launch-day app cost.

Ledger D

Domain and Business Email

A domain name costs ₹800 to ₹1,200 per year for a .in domain and ₹1,000 to ₹2,500 per year for a .com domain. Shopify includes a free myshopify.com subdomain, but every serious store uses a custom domain.

Business email through Google Workspace costs approximately ₹125 to ₹250 per user per month (₹1,500 to ₹3,000 per user per year). Most stores need 2 to 5 email accounts.

.in domain
₹800 – ₹1,200/yr
.com domain
₹1,000 – ₹2,500/yr
Google Workspace
₹125 – ₹250/user/mo

Ledger E

Payment Gateway Setup

Payment gateway integration costs ₹5,000 to ₹15,000 as a one-time setup fee, depending on the gateway and the complexity of the integration. Razorpay, Cashfree, and PayU are the most commonly used gateways for Shopify stores in India. The setup includes account creation, API integration, test transactions, and configuration within Shopify.

Ongoing gateway transaction fees are separate and covered in the India-specific costs section below.

Ledger F

Content, Product Upload, and Data Setup

Product upload costs ₹10 to ₹50 per product depending on the complexity of each listing (number of variants, image editing, description writing). A 200 product store with 3 variants each and custom descriptions costs approximately ₹10,000 to ₹30,000 for product data setup.

Static page content (About Us, FAQ, shipping policy, return policy) costs ₹500 to ₹2,000 per page for professionally written content. Banner and homepage content design is usually included in the theme development cost.

Ongoing Monthly Costs After Launch

Shopify store costs do not stop after development. Every live store has recurring monthly expenses.

Basic plan · 3 apps · no retainer ₹5,000 – ₹10,000/mo
Grow plan · 8 apps · part-time retainer ₹30,000 – ₹50,000/mo

A basic Shopify store on the Basic plan with 3 apps and no maintenance retainer costs approximately ₹5,000 to ₹10,000 per month in recurring expenses. A growing store on the Grow plan with 8 apps and a part-time maintenance retainer costs ₹30,000 to ₹50,000 per month.

Monthly statementYour Shopify store · recurring
Recurring CostMonthly Range (INR)
Shopify plan subscription₹1,499 to ₹1,75,000+
App subscriptions₹3,000 to ₹50,000+
Maintenance (minor updates, bug fixes)₹8,000 to ₹20,000
Maintenance (active retainer, dedicated dev)₹20,000 to ₹60,000+
Domain renewal (amortised monthly)₹70 to ₹210
Business email (Google Workspace)₹125 to ₹250 per user
Payment gateway transaction fees2% to 4%+ per order

Payment fees explained in the India-specific section ↓

India only

India Specific Costs Most Shopify Articles Miss

Indian Shopify stores face four cost categories that most international and even many Indian cost guides do not cover. These costs are real, recurring, and affect your profit margins directly.

01

GST on Agency Invoices and App Subscriptions

GST at 18% applies to every agency invoice in India. A ₹2,00,000 development project costs ₹2,36,000 after GST. A ₹10,000 per month maintenance retainer costs ₹11,800 per month after GST. Over a year of maintenance, that is ₹21,600 in GST alone.

GST also applies to Shopify app subscriptions when billed to an Indian entity. Some apps charge in USD and the GST is added at checkout. Others absorb GST into their listed price. Check each app's billing to understand your actual cost.

02

Transaction Fee Reality (Shopify Fee Plus Gateway Fee Combined)

Every order on an Indian Shopify store is charged twice: once by your payment gateway (Razorpay at 2% + 18% GST on the fee) and once by Shopify as a third-party transaction surcharge (2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced, 0.2% on Plus).

Razorpay fee (2%)₹20.00
GST on Razorpay fee (18%)₹3.60
Shopify surcharge₹20.00
Total payment cost₹43.60 (4.4%)

On a Shopify Basic store using Razorpay, a ₹1,000 order incurs ₹20 + ₹3.60 GST in Razorpay fees and a ₹20 Shopify surcharge — ₹43.60 per ₹1,000 order (approximately 4.4%). On Shopify Grow, the total drops to approximately 3.4% per order. On Advanced, approximately 3.0%. On Plus, approximately 2.6%.

This fee stacking exists because Shopify Payments is not available in India. Every Indian merchant uses a third-party gateway and pays both fees. At ₹10 lakh monthly revenue on Basic, you pay approximately ₹43,600 per month in combined payment fees. Switching from Basic to Grow saves approximately ₹10,000 per month on those same ₹10 lakh in sales — the plan upgrade pays for itself in transaction fee savings.

03

COD and UPI Payment Flow Setup

Cash on delivery (COD) accounts for 40 to 60 percent of orders for many Indian D2C brands. COD orders require additional setup in your Shopify store: order confirmation flows (WhatsApp or SMS to reduce fake orders), return-to-origin handling when packages are refused, and prepaid conversion nudges (discounts for online payment).

UPI payments through Razorpay or similar gateways are standard in India. UPI integration is part of your payment gateway setup. Some gateways offer lower fees for UPI transactions due to RBI's zero-MDR policy on certain UPI payments.

Setting up COD management properly (confirmation messages, COD fee, return handling) costs ₹5,000 to ₹15,000 as a one-time development task.

04

WhatsApp Commerce and Marketing

WhatsApp is the highest engagement marketing channel for Indian D2C brands. WhatsApp commerce tools (WATI, Interakt, AiSensy, Zoko) cost ₹2,000 to ₹8,000 per month depending on message volume and features.

  • Order confirmation
  • Abandoned cart recovery
  • Shipping updates
  • Broadcast campaigns

WhatsApp setup for a Shopify store includes order confirmation messages, abandoned cart recovery, shipping updates, and broadcast campaigns. For many Indian D2C brands, WhatsApp generates higher ROI per message than email marketing because open rates and response rates are significantly higher in the Indian market.

Payment cost on a ₹1,000 order on Shopify Basic with Razorpay

What Factors Drive Shopify Development Cost Up

Eight factors push Shopify development cost higher than the base estimates.

  1. 13–5×

    Custom design instead of a pre-built theme.

    A custom theme designed from scratch in Figma and built in Liquid costs 3 to 5 times more than customizing a free or premium theme. Custom design is justified when the brand needs a unique visual identity that no existing theme provides.

  2. 21,000+ SKUs

    Large product catalogue.

    A store with 1,000+ products with multiple variants (size, colour, material) costs more to set up than a 50-product store. Product data setup, collection organization, and filter configuration scale with catalogue size.

  3. 3₹50K–₹2L+

    Complex integrations.

    Connecting Razorpay or Shiprocket is standard (₹5,000 to ₹15,000). Integrating NetSuite, Salesforce, or a custom ERP with real-time inventory sync costs ₹50,000 to ₹2,00,000+ depending on the integration depth.

  4. 4+₹20K–₹80K

    Multi-language and multi-currency.

    Setting up Shopify Markets for international selling with localized content, currency conversion, and region-specific pricing adds ₹20,000 to ₹80,000 to the development scope.

  5. 5+₹30K–₹2L+

    Migration from another platform.

    Migrating from WooCommerce, Magento, or a custom platform adds product data transfer, customer data migration, order history preservation, URL redirect mapping, and post-migration testing to the project scope. Migration adds ₹30,000 to ₹2,00,000+ depending on the source platform and data volume. See our Shopify migration services for the full process.

  6. 6Plus only

    Checkout customization (Shopify Plus only).

    Custom checkout fields, conditional logic, post-purchase upsells, and branded checkout flows require Shopify Plus with Checkout Extensibility. This adds both the Plus platform cost (from ₹1,75,000/mo) and the development cost for custom checkout logic.

  7. 7+20–50%

    Timeline compression.

    A 4-week project compressed into 2 weeks costs 20 to 50 percent more. Rush work disrupts developer schedules and requires parallel work streams that increase coordination overhead.

  8. 8#1 overrun cause

    Scope ambiguity.

    The most common cause of cost overruns is unclear scope. "Build me a Shopify store" is not a scope. A defined brief with wireframes, product list, integration requirements, and feature specifications produces accurate quotes. Without it, developers add contingency buffers or you face scope creep during the project.

Why Shopify Development Quotes Vary So Much

Shopify development quotes vary by 10× or more for the same words because "Shopify store" means completely different things to different agencies.

One agency quotes ₹30,000 for a basic theme setup with product uploads. Another quotes ₹3,00,000 for a custom-designed store with integrations, SEO, and post-launch support. Both call the project "Shopify store development." The scope, team experience, included services, and post-delivery support behind each quote are entirely different.

QUOTE · "Shopify store development"

  • Theme setup
  • 50 product uploads
₹30,000

QUOTE · "Shopify store development"

  • Custom storefront design
  • Built in Liquid
  • Razorpay + Shiprocket
  • SEO configuration
  • 30 days post-launch support
₹3,00,000

The factors that cause quote variance

  1. Scope definition. A quote for "set up a theme and upload 50 products" is different from "design a custom storefront, build it in Liquid, integrate Razorpay and Shiprocket, configure SEO, and provide 30 days of post-launch support." The second scope is 5 to 10 times the work.
  2. Team tier. An entry-level freelancer charging ₹500 per hour and a senior agency team charging ₹3,000 per hour produce different output quality at different speeds.s
  3. Included services. Some quotes include only development. Others include design, content writing, SEO configuration, app setup, training, and post-launch support. Always compare what is included, not just the bottom-line number.
  4. Post-delivery support. Some agencies deliver and walk away. Others include 30, 60, or 90 days of post-launch support. This support period has real value — launch-week bugs, content fixes, and configuration adjustments are inevitable.

When comparing quotes, ask each agency for a scope document that lists every deliverable, and compare deliverables against deliverables, not price against price.

Two quotes for the same words: ₹30,000 vs ₹3,00,000

How to Control Shopify Development Cost Without Cutting Quality

Shopify development cost can be controlled without cutting quality by making scope decisions early and avoiding common budget traps.

  1. 1Defer ₹50,000+

    Start with a free theme and customize later.

    Dawn is Shopify's default theme. Dawn is fast, mobile-responsive, and Online Store 2.0 compatible. Customize sections within Dawn before spending ₹50,000+ on a custom theme. Many successful Indian D2C brands launched on Dawn.

  2. 2Avoid overruns

    Define your scope in writing before engaging a developer.

    A written brief with wireframes, product list, page list, integration list, and feature requirements eliminates scope ambiguity. Scope ambiguity is the most common cause of cost overruns.

  3. 3≤ 5 apps

    Limit your launch-day app stack to 5 or fewer.

    Every app costs ₹500 to ₹5,000+ per month. Start with essentials only (reviews, email, analytics, shipping, SEO) and add apps as revenue grows.

  4. 4Version 2 later

    Separate "must have" from "nice to have."

    A product page needs images, price, description, and an add-to-cart button at launch. Custom size guides, 360-degree product views, and AR try-on can come in version 2 after the store generates revenue.

  5. 5Revenue sooner

    Launch with MVP, then iterate.

    A ₹60,000 standard store that launches in 2 weeks and starts generating revenue is better than a ₹3,00,000 custom store that takes 8 weeks and delays revenue by 2 months. Build what you need to sell. Add what you want after validation.

  6. 6Save ₹22,176/yr

    Negotiate annual Shopify billing.

    Yearly billing on Shopify saves 25% compared to monthly billing. On the Grow plan, that is ₹22,176 saved per year (₹7,447 × 12 = ₹89,364 monthly vs ₹5,599 × 12 = ₹67,188 yearly).

Total Year 1 Cost Summary

This table combines all cost categories into a single Year 1 cost estimate for each store type. Year 1 includes the one-time development cost plus 12 months of all recurring expenses.

Cost CategoryBasic StoreStandard StoreCustom StorePlus Store
Development (one-time)₹20,000 to ₹60,000₹60,000 to ₹1,50,000₹1,50,000 to ₹4,00,000₹4,00,000 to ₹20,00,000+
Shopify plan (12 months, yearly billing)₹17,988₹67,188₹67,188 to ₹2,72,160₹21,00,000+
Apps (12 months)₹36,000 to ₹96,000₹96,000 to ₹2,40,000₹2,40,000 to ₹6,00,000₹6,00,000+
Domain + email (12 months)₹3,000 to ₹5,000₹3,000 to ₹8,000₹5,000 to ₹10,000₹10,000 to ₹20,000
Maintenance (12 months)₹0 (DIY)₹96,000 to ₹2,40,000₹2,40,000 to ₹7,20,000₹7,20,000+
Year 1 Total₹56,000 to ₹2,40,000₹2,60,000 to ₹8,30,000₹8,40,000 to ₹21,20,000₹21,20,000 to ₹52,00,000+

These are estimates based on market data and do not include GST (18% on agency services) or payment gateway transaction fees (2% to 4%+ per order). Add GST and transaction fees to the Year 1 total for a fully loaded cost picture.

Freelancer vs Agency vs DIY

Shopify store development falls into three approaches, each with a different cost structure and trade-off.

DIY (self-built)

Platform cost only (₹1,499/mo+)
Best for
Solo founders with time, willing to learn Shopify admin
Key risk
Limited design. No custom code. Slow setup.

Freelancer

₹20,000 to ₹1,50,000
Best for
Defined scope, tight budget, basic to standard stores
Key risk
No backup. Quality varies. Limited accountability.

Agency

₹60,000 to ₹20,00,000+
Best for
Custom or Plus builds, complex integrations, teams that need PM + QA
Key risk
Higher cost. Need to verify team quality.

The cost gap between freelancer and agency is not just the hourly rate — it is the scope of what is delivered. An agency quote typically includes design, development, testing, SEO configuration, app setup, and post-launch support. A freelancer quote typically includes development only. Compare what is included in each quote, not just the number.

Where TBP Fits in This Cost Range

The Bright Preneur's Shopify development pricing is published here for direct comparison with the market data above.

Every project based engagement includes 1 Year of Free Technical Support after delivery. This covers bug fixes, minor updates, and technical troubleshooting for 12 months after the store goes live — included in the project cost, not billed separately.

All engagements include NDA coverage, full code ownership transfer, and a dedicated project manager. We build from our office in Ghaziabad, Delhi NCR, and serve D2C brands across India and UK clients.

Our project based pricing starts at the Standard tier (₹45,000+), which places TBP in the mid-to-senior agency segment of the Indian market.

TBP rate card

Project based Shopify buildsFrom ₹45,000
Hourly developmentFrom ₹2,000/hr
Part-time monthly engagementFrom ₹40,000/month
Full-time monthly engagementFrom ₹70,000/month
  • NDA coverage
  • Full code ownership
  • Dedicated project manager
  • 1 Year Free Technical Support (project builds)

Frequently Asked Questions

01How much does Shopify development cost in India?
Shopify development cost in India ranges from ₹20,000 for a basic store to ₹20,00,000 or more for a Shopify Plus build with custom integrations. The cost depends on store type, theme choice, number of products, integrations, and whether you hire a freelancer or an agency.
02What is the cheapest way to build a Shopify store in India?
The cheapest approach is DIY: use the Shopify Basic plan (₹1,499/mo yearly), pick the free Dawn theme, upload products yourself, and integrate Razorpay for payments. Total launch cost: under ₹5,000 (first month). This works for solo entrepreneurs testing a product idea. For a professionally built store, costs start at ₹20,000 with a freelancer.
03What are the ongoing monthly costs after launching a Shopify store?
Ongoing monthly costs include Shopify plan subscription (₹1,499 to ₹1,75,000+), app subscriptions (₹3,000 to ₹50,000+), maintenance (₹8,000 to ₹60,000+), domain renewal, business email, and payment gateway transaction fees (2% to 4%+ per order for Indian merchants).
04Does GST apply to Shopify development costs in India?
Yes. GST at 18% applies to all agency invoices and most app subscriptions billed to Indian entities. A ₹2,00,000 project costs ₹2,36,000 after GST. Include GST in your project budget.
05How much does a Shopify Plus store cost to build in India?
A Shopify Plus store costs ₹4,00,000 to ₹20,00,000+ to develop in India, depending on custom checkout requirements, integrations, and scope. The Shopify Plus platform subscription starts at ₹1,75,000 per month on top of the development cost.
06How long does it take to build a Shopify store in India?
A basic store takes 1 to 2 weeks. A standard store takes 2 to 4 weeks. A custom store takes 4 to 8 weeks. A Shopify Plus build takes 10 to 20 weeks. Timelines depend on scope clarity, content readiness, and number of revision cycles.
07What is the difference between development cost and hourly rate?
Development cost is the total project investment — the full price to build your store. Hourly rate is what a developer charges per hour of work. A ₹1,50,000 project might take a senior developer 60 hours at ₹2,500/hr or a mid-level developer 120 hours at ₹1,250/hr.
08Is it cheaper to build on Shopify or WooCommerce in India?
Shopify has higher fixed monthly costs (platform subscription) but lower infrastructure management costs (hosting, security, updates are included). WooCommerce is free to install but requires separate hosting, security, and maintenance. For most non-technical founders, Shopify's total cost of ownership is comparable or lower when you include the developer time WooCommerce requires for maintenance.

Get a scope document, not just a number

Compare deliverables against deliverables, not price against price. Tell us what you are building and we will send a scope with every deliverable listed, so you can compare it line by line with any other quote.

  • Project builds from ₹45,000
  • 1 Year Free Technical Support on project builds
  • NDA, code ownership, dedicated project manager
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