One of the most common questions we hear: "How much does it cost to build or optimize my Shopify store?"
The honest answer is: It depends on many things. But the dishonest answer -- from Google search results -- is completely worthless. This article shows the actual costs in the DACH region for different approaches and scenarios.
We want you to be able to budget with real information. Not blindly -- but with a genuine understanding of what you get for different investments.
The Four Ways to Build a Shopify Store
Path 1: DIY -- Do It Yourself
Costs:
- Shopify plan: 36-384 EUR/month
- Theme: 0-300 EUR (free or premium theme)
- Apps: 50-300 EUR/month
- Domain: 10 EUR/year
- Total Month 1: 96-694 EUR (without theme purchase)
Time Investment:
- Store setup: 20-40 hours
- Theme configuration: 30-60 hours
- App integration: 20-40 hours
- Total time: 70-140 hours (2-3.5 weeks full-time)
Realistically: If you calculate your own time as "free," that's not accurate. 100 hours at 50 EUR/hour is 5,000 EUR in opportunity costs.
When does this make sense:
- You have technical experience
- You have available time
- Store has < 100 products, simple structure
- No B2B, no integrations needed
Risks:
- Poor checkout = 3-5% lower conversion
- Security vulnerabilities from wrong app combinations
- Performance issues you don't see
- No redundancy or monitoring
Path 2: Freelancer
Typical Hourly Rates in Germany/Switzerland/Austria (2026):
- Beginner (0-2 years): 40-60 EUR/hour
- Junior (2-5 years): 60-90 EUR/hour
- Mid-level (5-10 years): 90-150 EUR/hour
- Senior/Expert (10+ years): 150-250 EUR/hour
Realistic Project Budgets:
Basic Store (simple setup):
- Scope: 200-300 hours
- Senior freelancer: 200h x 100 EUR = 20k EUR
- Duration: 6-8 weeks
- Includes: Theme customization, 20 products, basic optimization, training
Extended Store (custom features):
- Scope: 400-600 hours
- Senior freelancer: 500h x 100 EUR = 50k EUR
- Duration: 12-16 weeks
- Includes: Custom features, app integration, checkout customization, basic SEO
Store with Complexity (B2B, integrations, custom logic):
- Scope: 800-1,500 hours
- Expert: 1,000h x 150 EUR = 150k EUR
- Duration: 6-8 months
- Includes: Deep customization, ERP/CRM integration, performance optimization, security audit
Note: Costs are often underestimated.
We regularly see freelancer projects that were budgeted at 10k EUR and ended up costing 25k EUR -- because change requests weren't anticipated.
Freelancer Advantages:
- Flexibly scalable
- No long-term contracts
- Often cheaper than agencies
- Direct contact
Freelancer Disadvantages:
- Single person = single point of failure
- Often less experience with edge cases
- Difficult to handle larger projects
- Post-launch support is unclear
Path 3: Digital Agency
Typical Agency Hourly Rates (2026):
- Junior/mid-level team: 90-120 EUR/hour
- Established agency: 120-180 EUR/hour
- Premium agency: 180-300 EUR/hour
Plus: Agency overhead (20-30%) for project management, admin, support.
Realistic Project Budgets:
Basic Store (simple setup):
- Freelancer equivalent: 20k EUR
- Agency markup: +30-50%
- Agency cost: 26,000-30,000 EUR
Extended Store:
- Freelancer equivalent: 50k EUR
- Agency markup: +30-50%
- Agency cost: 65,000-75,000 EUR
Store with Complexity:
- Freelancer equivalent: 150k EUR
- Agency markup: +20-40%
- Agency cost: 180,000-210k EUR
Why the markup?
- Account manager who communicates with you
- Quality assurance and testing
- Scalability for larger projects
- Post-launch support and maintenance
- Team backups when people are unavailable
Agency Advantages:
- Project management included
- Team resources (design, dev, QA)
- Clear service levels
- Support and maintenance available
- Experience with large projects
Agency Disadvantages:
- More expensive than freelancers
- Often less flexible with changes
- Overhead costs are passed on
- Large agencies have higher minimum project sizes
Path 4: Technical Partner (like smplx.)
Our model is based on three package tiers:
Foundation (6k EUR)
- Goal: Build a functioning, optimized store or fundamentally improve an existing one
- Scope: 15-20 working days
- Includes: Checkout optimization, load time optimization, conversion basics, one custom feature
- Suitable for: New stores, basic optimizations, stores with simple requirements
- Duration: 4-6 weeks
- ROI: Typically +20-35% conversion through optimization
Architecture+ (10k EUR)
- Goal: Complete technical optimization and technical strategy
- Scope: 25-30 working days
- Includes: Comprehensive tech audit, performance optimization, SEO optimization, 2-3 custom features, security audit, API strategy consulting
- Suitable for: Growing stores, stores with technical issues, stores wanting to scale
- Duration: 6-8 weeks
- ROI: Typically +30-60% conversion, 40-70% faster pages
Scale (1.5k EUR/month)
- Goal: Ongoing optimization, monitoring, maintenance
- Scope: 1-2 days per week available
- Includes: Monthly performance reviews, continuous optimization, monitoring, app management, rapid fixes
- Suitable for: Stores that are actively growing and need systematic optimization
- Duration: Unlimited (monthly contract)
- ROI: Typically +10-20% conversion/month through continuous optimization
Why is our model different?
We don't work by hourly rates. We work by results:
- With Foundation, you're not paying 200 hours x 100 EUR = 20k EUR
- You pay 6k EUR and get a specific outcome (faster store, higher conversion)
- If we accomplish it in 100 hours, it was still worth it
- If it takes 300 hours, you don't pay more (but that signals something is fundamentally wrong)
Technical Partner Advantages:
- Focus on business outcomes, not hours
- Specialization in Shopify (vs. generalist agency)
- Transparent price ranges
- Long-term partnership possible (Scale model)
- Deep Shopify expertise
Technical Partner Disadvantages:
- Specialization in only one platform
- Often higher minimum project sizes
- Not ideal for very small or very large projects
Cost Comparison: 4 Concrete Scenarios
Scenario 1: New Store, Simple Structure (100 Products)
| Approach | Cost | Time | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY | 1.5k EUR (Plan + Theme + Apps, 100h of your time) | 8-12 weeks | Low, due to setup errors |
| Freelancer | 15k EUR | 6-8 weeks | Medium |
| Agency | 20k EUR | 4-6 weeks | Good |
| smplx. Foundation | 6k EUR | 4-6 weeks | Very good (basic optimizations) |
Winner: smplx. Foundation. Best price-performance ratio. A good agency could also win, but costs 3x more.
Scenario 2: Existing Store, Moderate Problems (Conversion, Load Time)
| Approach | Cost | Time | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY | 0 EUR + lots of time = incalculable | Unlimited | Often poor, since you don't know what to do |
| Freelancer | 25k EUR | 8-10 weeks | Medium (depends on freelancer quality) |
| Agency | 35,000 EUR | 6-8 weeks | Good (structured approach) |
| smplx. Architecture+ | 10k EUR | 6-8 weeks | Very good (double conversion + 60% faster) |
Winner: smplx. Architecture+. Costs less but delivers a more comprehensive diagnosis than a junior freelancer and is specialized in Shopify.
Scenario 3: Store with B2B Integration, ERP Connection, Custom Features
| Approach | Cost | Time | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freelancer | 100k EUR | 5-6 months | Medium (single freelancer often overwhelmed) |
| Specialist agency | 150k EUR | 4-5 months | Good |
| Technical partner + agency | Architecture+ (10k) + Specialist agency (100k) = 110k EUR | 3-4 months | Better (Shopify specialization + technically deep partner) |
Winner: Technical partner + specialized agency. The Shopify specialization saves time and avoids flawed architecture.
Scenario 4: Growing Store, 6-Month Perspective
Month 1-3: Launch and Optimization
| Approach | Cost | Conversion | AOV |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY (ongoing) | 500 EUR/month | 2.5% | 50 EUR |
| Freelancer (one-time) | 20k EUR one-time | 3.2% | 52 EUR |
| Agency (one-time) | 25k EUR one-time | 3.5% | 53 EUR |
| smplx. Foundation + Scale | 6k EUR + 1.5k EUR/month | 4.2% | 56 EUR |
Month 4-6: Continuous Optimization
| Approach | Cumulative Costs | Revenue (at 5k visitors/month) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY | 1.5k EUR | ~312.5k EUR | Stagnation |
| Freelancer (alone) | 20k EUR | ~325k EUR | No improvement after launch |
| Agency (alone) | 25k EUR | ~350k EUR | Good, but no support afterward |
| smplx. Foundation + Scale | 10,500 EUR | ~420k EUR | Continuous optimization, +34% vs agency |
Winner (over 6 months): smplx. Foundation + Scale. Costs less but delivers continuous improvements while others stagnate after launch.
Hidden Cost Items in Development
1. Changes and Scope Creep
About 30% of development projects become more expensive because:
- Requirements change during development
- "Small changes" add up
- User feedback leads to revisions
That's why we're transparent: Foundation and Architecture+ are fixed price. Small changes are included. Larger scope changes are negotiated separately.
2. Testing and QA
Many freelancers and budget agencies cut corners here. Consequences:
- Checkout bugs (conversion killers)
- Mobile issues
- Payment gateway errors
- Security vulnerabilities
This costs you later: A checkout bug costs you 50-500 EUR per day in lost conversion.
3. Migration and Data Migration
If you're switching from another platform to Shopify:
- Product migration: 1,000-5,000 products = 5,000-25k EUR (often underestimated)
- Customer data migration: 2,000-10k EUR
- Order history migration: 3,000-15k EUR
- CMS content migration: 2,000-8,000 EUR
Freelancers often don't know these costs until they start.
4. Apps and Integrations
Many developers forget the ongoing app costs:
- Email marketing: 50-150 EUR/month
- Reviews/Social Proof: 40-100 EUR/month
- Upselling: 50-150 EUR/month
- Shipping/Fulfillment: 30-100 EUR/month
- Analytics: 20-50 EUR/month
Monthly app bill can quickly reach 200-500 EUR.
5. SEO and Content
Many stores forget: A technically perfect store without content won't be found.
SEO audit: 2,000-5,000 EUR Content creation (50 product descriptions): 2,000-5,000 EUR On-page optimization: 3,000-8,000 EUR
This is often calculated separately from technical development and can double the total costs.
Our Recommendation: Budget Framework by Business Type
New Brands, Under 50k EUR Annual Revenue
Budget: 5,000-10k EUR
- DIY or smplx. Foundation
- Basic store optimization
- Wait with large custom features until you've found product-market fit
Growing Stores, 50k-250k EUR Annual Revenue
Budget: 10,000-30,000 EUR
- smplx. Foundation or Architecture+
- Or good freelancer/small agency
- Focus on conversion, performance, app efficiencies
Established Stores, 250k-1M EUR Annual Revenue
Budget: 30,000-100k EUR
- smplx. Architecture+ + Scale
- Or established agency with Shopify specialization
- Focus on scaling, B2B features, automation
Enterprise, 1M EUR+ Annual Revenue
Budget: 100k EUR+
- Shopify Plus instance
- Technical partner + specialized agency
- Dedicated resources for continuous optimization
The ROI Calculation: Why Good Development Pays Off
Assume you invest 10k EUR in smplx. Architecture+:
- Your current conversion: 2.5%
- After optimization: 3.5% (+40%)
- Your current revenue: 10k EUR/month
- After optimization: 14,000 EUR/month (+4,000 EUR/month)
ROI on 10k EUR investment:
- Month 1: +4,000 EUR = 4,000 EUR profit
- Month 2: +4,000 EUR = 8,000 EUR cumulative
- Month 3: +4,000 EUR = 12k EUR cumulative
The investment pays for itself in 2.5 months. After that, it's pure profit.
That's why we say: The question isn't "Can you afford optimization?" but "Can you afford not to do it?"
Claudio Gerlich is Technical Architect and founder of smplx. He has been building e-commerce stores since 2006 and has helped over 100 businesses optimize their Shopify setup. At smplx., we believe that development budgets should be transparent -- and that the best ROI doesn't come from the cheapest solution, but from the smartest solution.