How much does e-commerce development cost: budget, timeline, and what drives the price
What drives the cost of an online store: catalog, integrations, design, and platform. How to budget, what timelines are realistic, and where you can save without losing sales.
Why "how much does an online store cost" has no answer without context
"Online store" hides both a 50-product storefront without online payments and a 20,000-SKU catalog with personal prices, stock, and 1C sync. The first can be assembled on a ready platform in weeks; the second is a full product with architecture, integrations, and operations. Any precise range without context looks convincing but does not help you plan money.
The right question is: how much does it cost to launch a store that serves a specific purchase journey. The answer appears once you fix the catalog, payment and delivery methods, integrations, and who will run the storefront.
What the cost is made of
The expensive part is not "drawing a product card" but the rules and states around buying: stock, product variants, discounts and promos, delivery calculation, returns, order statuses, and roles (buyer, manager, admin). One cart screen with ten business rules can cost more than ten static pages.
| Factor | Low complexity | High complexity |
|---|---|---|
| Catalog | Up to 200 SKUs, simple products | Tens of thousands of SKUs, variants and bundles |
| Payments | One aggregator | Multiple systems, installments, B2B invoices |
| Integrations | No external systems | 1C, CRM, warehouse, carriers, marketplaces |
| Pricing | Same for everyone | Personal prices, segments, currencies |
| Delivery | Pickup only | Zones, pickup points, couriers, tracking |
| Load | Low traffic | High season, sales, highload |
Market ranges: from template to custom development
Price depends on the launch method. A ready SaaS or builder covers a simple storefront fast and cheap, but hits limits on customization and integrations. Custom development is more expensive upfront but does not constrain the journey and scales with the business.
- builder / SaaS template — fast and cheap, but limits on logic and integrations;
- a typical store on a CMS/platform — balance of price and speed, fits a standard catalog;
- custom development — free journey and integrations, higher budget and timeline;
- a marketplace or B2B portal — a separate class with roles and approvals.
Timeline: how long the launch takes
A ready solution launches in 2–4 weeks, a basic store in 8–12 weeks, custom development with integrations from 1.5–3 months. The timeline depends more on approval speed and data readiness (catalog, prices, stock) than on studio speed.
We pin the plan and keep it visible: if something slips, you hear about it before it becomes a problem.
Where you can save, and where you cannot
It is safe to save on feature breadth: launch one end-to-end purchase with one delivery and one payment, and add rare journeys later. It is dangerous to save on payments, stock, and speed — mistakes here cost lost orders and returns, not development hours.
Common questions
Can I launch an online store cheaply?
Yes, if the catalog is small and the journey is standard — a builder or a typical solution covers it in weeks. Limits appear when you need your own integrations, personal prices, or non-standard logic.
What costs more — design or integrations?
Usually integrations and business rules. A unique design adds to the price, but it is the sync with 1C/CRM, delivery calculation, and payment journeys that define development scope.
How long does a custom store take?
From 1.5–3 months for a basic custom store with integrations. Complex projects with high load and deep automation take longer.
Do I need a 1C integration right away?
If stock and prices live in 1C — yes, otherwise the store will show stale data. You can start with one exchange direction (orders) and add the rest gradually.