Ask what an online store costs and you get numbers from a few hundred to tens of thousands. The reason is that everyone merges different line items under one word.
Line one: the platform subscription
Paid to Salla, Zid or Shopify directly, monthly or annually, with no relation to who builds the store. Any quote that does not separate this figure is hiding a recurring cost from you.
Line two: the build
What you pay the implementer: design, product upload, payment and shipping setup, policy pages, search readiness. This is where quotes differ most, and it should be itemised line by line.
Line three: small fixed costs
- The domain: an annual fee.
- Platform apps: some free, some on monthly subscription.
- An e-invoicing app, if not already included.
Line four: transaction fees
Gateways and BNPL providers take a percentage of every order. This is not a launch cost but a permanent operating cost, and it affects your margin more than most new merchants expect.
How to compare two quotes
Ask each side to itemise: how many products uploaded? How many banners? Is e-invoicing included? Are pixels included? How many revisions after handover? A quote that refuses to itemise is not cheaper — it is just less clear.