Why one number doesn't exist
A low price might cover only a template and basic setup. A high price might include photography, product entry, integrations and a year of care. Those are different jobs, so an average of them doesn't tell you much. Compare quotes by what's included, not by the total.
Published professional prices
| Source | What it publishes | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Upwork (freelance) | $15 to $30 an hour, custom design examples $45 to $75 and up | Past contracts worldwide. Not a US average. |
| Clutch (agency directory) | $2,000 to $100,000 a project, $100 to $149 an hour | Updated Sept 21, 2026. Worldwide, self-selected firms. |
| WebFX (US agency) | $1,000 to $100,000 a project | The agency's own marketing range. |
| OuterBox (US agency) | Small professional store $5,000 to $25,000 and up. Growth-stage custom store $25,000 to $150,000 and up. | May 18, 2026. A planning guide, not a market survey. |
| Braun Design Co (Austin studio) | Starter from $5,000, Plus from $12,000, Premium from $20,000 | One studio's own Shopify packages. |
These numbers don't confirm each other, and none of them is a national median. I couldn't find a US small business price survey that compares equal scopes. Treat them as examples of what's on offer.
Your first-year budget
Add up: setup, platform or hosting, domain, email, theme or licenses, apps or plugins, care, photos and copy, data cleanup, and payment fees.
Here is a plain example. It assumes a $20 domain, one $84 email account, no paid theme or apps, and no professional labor.
- Shopify Basic, billed yearly: $348 plus $104 is $452 for the year.
- Shopify Basic, billed monthly: $468 plus $104 is $572.
- WooCommerce on a $25 a month host: $300 plus $104 is $404.
Those are my sums from public list prices, not quotes or real customer cases. A paid app, a premium theme or any labor pushes the total up. WooCommerce itself is free software, but hosting, extensions and upkeep aren't.
DIY compared with hiring help
On yearly billing, Shopify Basic, Wix Core and Squarespace Core all land at $348 a year. Equal prices don't mean equal features. Professional fees usually sit on top of the subscription. What you're paying for is work done: catalog setup, mobile checkout testing, shipping and payment setup, accessibility checks, redirects and training. I couldn't find a comparable US study showing that professional setup raises a small store's sales, so no one can honestly promise that.
What changes a quote
- Number of products and variations, and how clean your product data is.
- Custom design or a modified theme.
- Photos and writing: who makes them and who owns them.
- Integrations such as shipping, tax, email and inventory.
- Subscriptions, personalization or other special features.
- Care after launch: updates, backups and support hours.
If a line in a quote is blank, don't assume it's included. Ask.
An example from my own studio
At siteupwell the published starting prices are about $790 for a refresh (5 to 7 business days), $2,490 for a revamp (3 to 4 weeks), $5,900 for a full restore (6 to 8 weeks) and $6,900 for a rebuild from scratch (6 to 10 weeks). Care is from $149 a month. Final scope is confirmed in writing after the inspection.
What to do next
- Write down your product count, platform preference and deadline.
- Ask each provider for a written scope with deliverables, not only a total.
- Add the running costs for the first year before you decide.
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Rules, numbers and dates change often. This page reflects the sources below as checked on Nov 9, 2026. Confirm current figures with the official source before you act.