Selling online in India has never been more accessible. UPI, affordable logistics and mobile-first shoppers have opened the market to brands of every size. But the cost of an online store goes beyond building the website. This guide covers what you will pay to launch and run one.
Indicative Development Ranges
These are broad market indications. Final costs depend on your scope.
- Template-based store on a hosted platform (theme setup, products, payment and shipping): roughly ₹30,000 to ₹1.5 lakh.
- Custom-designed store with integrations (custom design, ERP or inventory sync, advanced filters, loyalty features): roughly ₹2 lakh to ₹10 lakh.
- Multi-vendor marketplace or B2B ordering portal: roughly ₹8 lakh to ₹30 lakh or more.
Platform Choices and Their Costs
- Hosted platforms such as Shopify: monthly subscription, apps for extra features, and in some cases transaction fees.
- WooCommerce on WordPress: the plugin is free, but you pay for hosting, premium plugins, themes and maintenance.
- Custom or headless builds: higher upfront investment, more control, no per-transaction platform fees.
Each option suits a different stage of business. Our comparison guide covers this choice in detail.
Running Costs to Budget For
- Payment gateway fees: commonly around 2% on many card and net-banking transactions. UPI pricing varies by provider and merchant category.
- Shipping: per-order courier charges, usually lower with an aggregator and higher for COD orders.
- Hosting and platform subscription.
- Apps and plugins for reviews, wishlists, abandoned-cart recovery and analytics.
- Product photography and content.
- Marketing: ads, SEO, social media and email.
- Maintenance and updates.
Features That Affect Cost
- Number of products and variants.
- Search, filters and product comparison.
- Payment options: UPI, cards, wallets, EMI and COD.
- Shipping integration with pincode serviceability checks.
- GST-compliant invoices.
- Coupons, offers and loyalty points.
- Multi-warehouse inventory.
- Customer accounts and order tracking.
- Mobile apps for Android and iOS.
The COD Factor
Cash on delivery is still popular in India, but it brings higher return-to-origin rates and extra courier fees. Some stores add COD fees, confirm orders on WhatsApp or offer prepaid discounts. Plan for this in your budget and process.
"An online store is a business, not a website. Budget for selling, not just for launching."
Ways to Keep Costs in Check
- Launch with your best-selling products first.
- Use proven integrations for payments and shipping.
- Invest in speed and a smooth checkout, because they affect conversion directly.
- Track the cost per order, including returns, from day one.
Typical Timeline
A template-based store with a modest catalogue can often launch within a few weeks once products, images and policies are ready. A custom-designed store with integrations usually takes a few months. Marketplaces and B2B portals take longer because of vendor onboarding, commission logic and approvals. Most delays come from content: product descriptions, photographs and pricing data.
Pre-Launch Checklist
- Return, refund, shipping and privacy policies published.
- GST registration and invoice format confirmed.
- Payment gateway KYC completed.
- Courier accounts and pickup addresses set up.
- Test orders placed with every payment method, including COD.
- Analytics and conversion tracking installed.
How ITELLIC Can Help
We build custom e-commerce stores and work with Shopify and WooCommerce. We also offer a ready-to-launch e-commerce platform with storefront, shopping apps, UPI and card payments, shipping integration and GST invoices. We will help you choose the route that fits your catalogue, budget and growth plans.
E-Commerce Architecture
Online stores built to load fast and sell more.
