Online stores
Shopify vs a custom website for an Indian business
Shopify is cheap to start and costs more the longer you run it. A custom store is the opposite. Here is how to tell which one your business needs right now.
Sumit KumarSoftware engineer, Vashi· 7 min read
If you sell products in India and want your own online store, you will end up choosing between three paths: Shopify, WooCommerce on WordPress, or a store built for you from scratch. Most comparisons online are written by agencies that sell one of them. This one is written by someone who has built a custom store and still tells some clients to start on Shopify.
The short answer
What each one really costs
The headline price is never the whole story. Here is what you pay for, over time:
| Shopify | Custom store | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront | Low: pick a theme and set it up yourself | From about ₹30,000 for a store with payments, shipping and an admin panel |
| Every month | Plan fee plus GST, billed for as long as the store is open | Nothing fixed beyond hosting |
| Apps and themes | Many features are paid apps, each with its own monthly fee | Features are built in, so there are no per-feature subscriptions |
| Per order | Payment gateway fees, plus Shopify’s own transaction fee on some plans when you use a third-party gateway | Payment gateway fees only |
| Hosting | Included | A few hundred to a few thousand rupees a month, depending on traffic |
| Changes later | Do it yourself, or pay a Shopify developer | Pay your developer, or ask for an admin panel for what you change often |
Shopify's plan prices change from time to time, so check the current figures on Shopify's India pricing page. The pattern doesn't change, though: Shopify is cheap to start and costs more the longer you run it and the more apps you add, while a custom store costs more at the start and little after that.
Side by side
| Shopify | Custom store | |
|---|---|---|
| Time to launch | Days | Usually 2 to 4 weeks |
| Design | Theme-based; deep changes need a developer | Built around your brand and products |
| Payments | Razorpay, PayU and others through integrations | Any gateway, integrated directly |
| Shipping | Shiprocket and others through apps | Built-in courier booking, labels and tracking |
| Unusual features | Limited to what apps offer | Anything: custom pricing, B2B orders, bookings, reels-style browsing |
| Admin panel | Shopify’s, the same for every store | Built around how your team actually works |
| Data and code | On Shopify; you can export products and orders | Yours, including the code |
| Maintenance | Handled by Shopify | Your developer, usually small and occasional |
When Shopify is the better choice
- You are still testing the idea.If you don't yet know whether the products will sell, don't spend ₹30,000 or more finding out. Launch on Shopify, learn, and decide later.
- You want to run everything yourself.Adding products, discounts and pages without calling anyone is Shopify's biggest strength.
- Your store is standard. Products, variants, a cart and checkout. If an app covers each extra you need, there is little reason to build them.
When a custom website is the better choice
- The monthly bill keeps growing. Once you pay for a plan, a premium theme and several apps, the yearly total can exceed what a custom store would cost to build.
- You need something Shopify doesn't do well. Wholesale pricing for some customers, bookings, custom product builders, a browsing experience like a video feed, or an approval step before orders ship.
- Your team works around the software.If staff copy orders into spreadsheets because the admin doesn't fit your process, a custom admin panel removes that daily work.
- You want to own it. The code, the data and the hosting are yours, and no platform can change its prices or rules under you.
An India-specific checklist
Whichever you choose, check that the store handles these before you launch:
- UPI, cards and netbanking through an Indian gateway such as Razorpay or PayU, with payments confirmed on the server (here is how payment verification works).
- Cash on delivery, ideally only for pincodes and order values you choose, since COD returns cost you shipping both ways.
- A pincode check at checkout, so customers know before paying whether you deliver to them.
- Courier booking and tracking, for example through Shiprocket, so you aren't typing addresses into a courier panel by hand (see my Shiprocket integration guide).
- GST invoices with your GSTIN and the correct tax on each item, if you are registered.
- Order updates by email or WhatsApp, which cut down “where is my order?” calls.
- A fast mobile site. Most of your customers will shop on a phone, often on mobile data.
What I recommend
If you are just starting and want to test demand, start on Shopify. It is the cheapest way to find out whether people will buy.
If you already have orders coming in, have outgrown your apps, or need something specific to your business, a custom e-commerce website pays for itself. For Ferrea Fashion, I built a store with reels-style product browsing, Razorpay payments, Shiprocket shipping and an admin panel for products and orders. That kind of experience is hard to get from a theme and a stack of apps.
Not sure which fits your business? Tell me what you sell and how you work, and I'll give you an honest recommendation, even if it's Shopify. You can also see what websites cost in India in more detail.
Questions people also ask
Is Shopify good for small businesses in India?
Yes, especially for testing products or launching quickly. It supports Indian payment gateways and shipping apps. The trade-off is a monthly fee that grows with paid apps and themes.
How much does a custom e-commerce website cost in India?
A custom online store with a catalogue, cart, online payments, shipping and an admin panel starts at about ₹30,000 with a freelance developer, plus hosting. Agencies usually charge more.
Is a custom website cheaper than Shopify in the long run?
Often, once you pay for a plan, a premium theme and several apps every month. A custom store costs more upfront but has no plan or app fees, only hosting and occasional maintenance.
Can I move from Shopify to a custom website later?
Yes. Products, customers and orders can be exported. Keep your product URLs the same or set up redirects so you do not lose Google rankings.
Shopify or WooCommerce for India?
Shopify if you want a managed store with no maintenance. WooCommerce if you already use WordPress or want lower running costs and can look after updates and hosting.