Ecommerce website cost in Kerala and India (2026): build, Shopify fees and running costs
An online store has two price tags: what it costs to build, and what it costs every month to run. Most quotes only show you the first. Here's the full picture for Kerala and Indian businesses in 2026.
Build cost by type of store (2026)
These ranges come from 2026 price guides published by Kerala and Indian ecommerce developers. They're planning ranges, not a rate card, and GST (usually 18%) is extra.
| Type of store | Typical build cost | Typical timeline | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry store: Shopify or WooCommerce template, 10–40 products | ₹30,000–₹90,000 | 2–5 weeks | Testing demand, small catalogues, first online store |
| Growth store: custom layouts, courier sync, coupons, GST invoices | ₹90,000–₹2,50,000 | 6–10 weeks | Brands moving from Instagram DMs to a proper store |
| Custom or headless store: ERP sync, B2B pricing, multi-currency | ₹1,20,000–₹5,00,000+ | 8–16 weeks | High-volume brands and unusual product workflows |
| Marketplace or multi-vendor platform | ₹4,50,000 and up | 3–5 months+ | Platforms where other sellers list products |
The biggest price drivers aren't the number of pages. They're the size and complexity of your catalogue (variants, size charts, custom fields), the integrations you need, and whether you're migrating products, customers and orders from an old store.
Shopify plan prices in India (2026)
If you choose Shopify, you pay a monthly plan on top of the build. These are Shopify India's listed prices as of October 2026, before 18% GST:
| Plan | Billed yearly (per month) | Billed monthly | Shopify fee with a third-party gateway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | ₹1,499 | ₹1,994 | 2% |
| Grow | ₹5,599 | ₹7,447 | 1% |
| Advanced | ₹22,680 | ₹30,164 | 0.6% |
| Plus | From ₹1,75,000 a month | — | 0.2% |
Shopify changes prices and runs introductory offers, so always check the live pricing page on the day you sign up.
The fee most Indian store owners miss
Shopify Payments isn't available to businesses in India, so Indian stores use a gateway like Razorpay, Cashfree or PayU. That means two charges on every online sale: the gateway's fee and Shopify's own third-party transaction fee. Razorpay's standard pricing is 2% per successful domestic transaction, plus 18% GST on that fee.
Worked example: ₹2,00,000 a month in online sales on Shopify Basic
| Cost line | Monthly amount |
|---|---|
| Shopify Basic plan (billed yearly) | ₹1,499 |
| Shopify third-party fee (2%) | ₹4,000 |
| Razorpay fee (2%) | ₹4,000 |
| GST on Razorpay fee (18%) | ₹720 |
| Total before apps | ₹10,219 |
That's about 5% of sales before you add a single app. As sales grow, the Grow plan's lower 1% fee eventually pays for its higher monthly price, so it's worth recalculating every few months.
WooCommerce or custom: no platform fee, more upkeep
WooCommerce and custom-built stores don't charge a percentage of your sales, so you only pay the gateway fee. Instead you pay for good hosting, premium plugins or custom features, and regular maintenance to keep the store fast and secure. For stores with steady, growing sales, that trade often works out cheaper over two or three years. For a new brand with a small team and no developer on call, Shopify's managed setup is usually the calmer choice.
Running costs to budget every year
- Domain: roughly ₹800–₹1,500 a year.
- Platform or hosting: the Shopify plan, or hosting for WooCommerce and custom stores.
- Apps and plugins: reviews, WhatsApp alerts, COD verification, bundles. Many are priced in US dollars and billed monthly.
- Payment fees: about 2% plus GST on the gateway, plus Shopify's fee if you're on Shopify.
- Shipping and COD: COD orders skip the gateway fee, but courier COD charges and return-to-origin costs replace it.
- Maintenance and changes: updates, fixes, new banners and campaign pages.
Integrations every Indian store needs
- UPI, cards and net banking through an RBI-compliant gateway.
- Courier aggregator sync (Shiprocket, Delhivery) for automatic shipping labels and tracking.
- OTP verification on cash-on-delivery orders to cut fake orders and returns.
- GST-ready invoices.
- WhatsApp order and dispatch updates, which customers in Kerala actually read.
Selling to the Gulf from Kerala
Many Kerala brands sell to customers in Qatar, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Plan for this from day one: a second currency, international shipping rules, and possibly an Arabic version. We built Spice Valley's online store, which serves customers across Qatar. If that's your market, see how we work with businesses in Qatar and Dubai.
How to get comparable quotes
- Count your products and variants, and note anything unusual like made-to-order items or weight-based pricing.
- Estimate monthly online sales. You need it to pick a platform and a plan.
- List the integrations: gateway, courier, invoicing, inventory, WhatsApp.
- Say who provides product photos and descriptions. This delays launches more than code does.
- Ask every developer for a written scope and a 12-month running-cost estimate.
- Make sure the store, domain and gateway account are in your business's name.
We build online stores for brands in Kochi, across Kerala and in the Gulf, starting from how your customers actually buy. See our website and ecommerce development service, or read our guide to website development costs in Kerala.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an ecommerce website cost in Kerala?
A template Shopify or WooCommerce store built by a Kerala developer typically costs ₹30,000 to ₹90,000 in 2026. Stores with custom design and courier or inventory integrations cost ₹90,000 to ₹2.5 lakh, and fully custom builds start around ₹1.2 lakh and can exceed ₹5 lakh.
How much does Shopify cost per month in India?
Shopify India lists Basic at ₹1,499 a month, Grow at ₹5,599 and Advanced at ₹22,680 when billed yearly, as of October 2026, plus 18% GST. Monthly billing costs more, and Plus starts at ₹1,75,000 a month.
Does Shopify charge transaction fees in India?
Yes. Shopify Payments is not available in India, so stores use gateways like Razorpay, and Shopify adds a third-party transaction fee of 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced and 0.2% on Plus, on top of the gateway's own fee.
What does Razorpay charge per transaction?
Razorpay's standard India pricing is a 2% platform fee per successful domestic transaction, with 18% GST charged on that fee, and no setup or annual maintenance charge.
Is WooCommerce cheaper than Shopify in India?
WooCommerce has no platform subscription or sales percentage, but needs good hosting, plugins and regular maintenance. Shopify bundles hosting and security for a monthly fee. Compare the total cost over two or three years at your expected sales, not just the monthly price.
How long does it take to build an online store?
A template store usually takes two to five weeks. A store with custom design and integrations takes six to ten weeks, and product photos and descriptions are often what decides the real launch date.
Sources: Nexlotech, Shopify Development Cost in India (2026); Webeez, E-Commerce Website Development Cost in Kerala (2026); DigitalXBrand, Ecommerce Website Cost India 2026; Razorpay pricing; Shopify India pricing.
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