How to read these figures
The ranges below come from Australian commercial price guides published in 2026. They are not our prices, and they are not quotes. Two of the guides come from What's The Damage, a referral site that connects buyers with providers, and one from WP Creative, which sells Shopify development; both have a commercial interest in the topic, so they are labelled as commercial sources below. They are useful for one thing: knowing whether a quote you have received sits in a normal band for the scope described. How we quote is explained separately on our pricing page.
Shopify builds
One Australian guide, updated November 2026, lists these Shopify bands[1]:
| Scope | Published range (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Template store | $2,000 to $8,000 |
| Custom theme build | $10,000 to $30,000 |
| Shopify Plus or enterprise | $30,000 to $100,000 or more |
| Migration to Shopify | $3,000 to $15,000 |
| Redesign of an existing store | $3,000 to $12,000 |
The same guide gives no separate freelancer or agency price, saying the band follows the scope rather than the size of the firm[1].
A second guide, published in May 2026, breaks Shopify costs down by who builds the store[2]:
| Who builds it | Published range (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Do it yourself (first year) | $500 to $1,000 |
| Theme-based store | $500 to $3,000 |
| Freelancer-built store | $2,000 to $10,000 |
| Agency-built store | $10,000 to $50,000 |
| Shopify Plus build | $30,000 to $100,000 or more |
It also lists Shopify developer rates in Australia at about $70 to $250 an hour, depending on experience and complexity[2].
WooCommerce builds
For WooCommerce, the first guide, updated November 2026, lists[3]:
| Scope | Published range (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Standard store (theme, catalogue, payments, shipping) | $3,000 to $10,000 |
| Custom build (custom design, bespoke logic, B2B pricing, integrations) | $10,000 to $40,000 |
| Migration to WooCommerce | $3,000 to $12,000 |
| Rescue or speed work | $1,500 to $8,000 |
| Redesign of an existing store | $3,000 to $12,000 |
It also mentions a diagnostic audit of $1,500 to $3,000 as a first step for an existing store[3].
Running costs that build quotes leave out
The build is a one-off. These costs continue every month:
| Cost | What the guides say |
|---|---|
| Platform plan | One guide lists Shopify Basic at $56 a month on monthly billing and Shopify Plus at $3,700 a month on a term contract, as at May 2026[2] |
| Apps and integrations | $50 to $500 or more a month for a Shopify store, per one guide[2] |
| Hosting (WooCommerce) | Listed as an ongoing cost category, without a single figure[3] |
| Paid extensions and licences | Listed as ongoing for WooCommerce, such as subscriptions, bookings and trade pricing[3] |
| Maintenance | Described as essential for WooCommerce; one Shopify guide lists maintenance retainers from $2,500 a month[3][2] |
| Payment processing | Charged per transaction by your payment provider |
Since card surcharges on eftpos, Mastercard and Visa ended on 1 October 2026, card processing costs can no longer be passed on as a separate surcharge on those networks; the RBA says they can be reflected in overall pricing instead[4].
What moves a quote up or down
- Number of unique templates. A store with one product type needs fewer templates than one selling clothing, furniture and gift cards.
- Custom design versus a theme. Custom design adds design time and build time.
- Catalogue complexity. Many options, variants, bundles or customer-specific prices take longer to set up and test.
- Integrations. Each connection to inventory, ERP, accounting or a 3PL adds planning, build and testing.
- Migration history. Years of orders, customers, reviews and URLs take longer to move than a new store.
- Content and photography. Writing product copy and arranging photos are often underestimated.
- Accessibility and performance targets. Testing against WCAG 2.2 and Core Web Vitals takes time, and it is worth it.
Comparing quotes fairly
Two quotes for "a Shopify store" can describe very different projects. Ask each provider to state:
- The number and list of templates designed or built
- Which apps or extensions are included, and their monthly costs
- What data is migrated and how URLs are redirected
- Which integrations are included, and who maintains them
- How many revision rounds are included
- What happens after launch, and what support costs
- Who owns the theme code, design files and accounts
One price guide makes the point bluntly: a build quote that hides a large monthly app bill is not cheaper, only deferred[1].
Three-year cost is the real comparison
A cheaper build with high monthly app costs can cost more over three years than a dearer build with a lean setup. Add the build, three years of platform fees, apps or extensions, hosting where relevant, and maintenance. Then compare. Our quotes include that three-year estimate for the platform we recommend.
Questions
How much does a basic online store cost in Australia?
Published 2026 guides put a template Shopify store at about $2,000 to $8,000 and a standard WooCommerce store at $3,000 to $10,000, before monthly running costs.
Why do quotes for the same platform differ so much?
Scope. The number of templates, custom design, integrations, migration and content all change the work involved. Ask each provider to list them.
Are these your prices?
No. They are published ranges from Australian commercial price guides. Our own quotes are based on a written scope; see the pricing page.
What ongoing costs should I budget for?
Platform plan, apps or extensions, hosting for self-hosted stores, payment processing and maintenance.
Sources
Opened and checked on 3 November 2026. Each entry says what kind of source it is.
- Shopify Website Cost Australia 2026: $2,000-$30,000 Verified Pricing. What's The Damage, updated November 2026. Commercial publisher, referral site
- How Much Does Shopify Website Cost in 2026 | Full Shopify Pricing Guide. WP Creative, 6 May 2026. Commercial publisher
- WooCommerce Cost Australia 2026: $3,000-$40,000 Verified Pricing. What's The Damage, updated November 2026. Commercial publisher, referral site
- Frequently Asked Questions: Removal of Card Payment Surcharges From 1 October 2026. Reserve Bank of Australia, 2026. Regulator