Is Shopify cheaper than a custom build?

Usually, yes — Shopify avoids the development cost of building a store engine from scratch. A custom build only earns its price when Shopify genuinely can't do what you need.

What ongoing costs should I budget for?

Shopify's own monthly subscription (covers hosting, security and updates) plus standard payment processing fees. That's it beyond the build — no separate agency lock-in fee on top.

How Much Does an Ecommerce Website Cost in Melbourne?

Q: How much does an ecommerce website cost in Melbourne?

Melbourne agencies typically quote $5,000–$25,000+ for a custom-built online store, depending on catalogue size and features. Our Shopify builds start from a fixed $1,699, quoted upfront once we know your catalogue.

Ask three Melbourne agencies what an online store costs and you'll get three different numbers. Real quotes cluster from about $5,000 up past $25,000, and it's not always clear why.

So here's a straight answer: what an ecommerce website actually costs in Melbourne in 2026, what moves the number, and how a fixed-price Shopify build compares.

The short answer (Melbourne market, 2026)

What Melbourne businesses typically pay for an online store:

DIY builder (Shopify, Wix): from about $29–$100/month, plus your own time setting it up.
Agency-built Shopify store: roughly $5,000–$10,000, depending on catalogue and features.
Fully custom-built store: $10,000–$25,000+ — usually only worth it for an unusual catalogue or deep software integration.

Most small and medium stores don't need the custom-build version. They need a fast, findable store that actually converts — which a properly set-up Shopify build does for a fraction of the price.

What actually changes the price

Catalogue size and complexity. Twenty simple products costs a lot less to set up than two thousand with variants.
Payments, shipping and subscriptions. Standard checkout is quick to set up; recurring billing or complex shipping rules add time.
Custom vs Shopify. See our ecommerce website design guide for the full Shopify-vs-custom breakdown.
Who supplies the product photos and copy. Bring your own and the build moves faster, and costs less.

The hidden costs nobody quotes upfront

Platform subscription. Whichever platform you pick, there's an ongoing monthly fee — budget for it as part of the real cost, not a surprise later.
Payment processing fees. A small percentage per transaction, standard across every platform. No agency can remove this one.
Lock-in. Some agencies build on a platform only they can touch, so every future change goes through them. Ask before you sign.
Apps and add-ons. Extra features like reviews, upsells or loyalty programs often carry their own small monthly fee. Start lean, add only what you actually use.

So where does Whale fit?

We build on Shopify, properly set up rather than a default theme with your logo dropped on top. It's a one-off fixed price from $1,699, quoted upfront once we know your catalogue and what you need to sell.

See the full breakdown — cost, Shopify vs custom, and what makes a store actually sell — on our ecommerce website design page, or get a quote scoped to your catalogue.

The cheapest store is the one that actually gets visitors to check out.

Whichever budget you're working with, the store is only half the job. The other half is people finding it and trusting it enough to buy.

If you're weighing this up against a brochure-style site instead, see what a small business website costs in Melbourne for comparison. Tell us what you're selling and we'll send back a clear, fixed quote, agreed before we start — get a proposal.