An online store can be built in three ways. Shopify is a hosted platform with a monthly subscription, WooCommerce is a free open-source extension for WordPress, and a custom build is software made for one business. In 2026, VirtuoLab indicates a webshop build at €5,000 to €20,000. The exact fixed price follows after a free intake call. First, Shopify suits a fast start with standard products and a small team. Second, WooCommerce suits WordPress sites with a lot of content. Third, a custom build with Next.js suits unusual sales processes, for example B2B ordering with customer-specific prices. Finally, every option must work well on a phone, because 64.97% of Dutch web traffic came from a phone in September 2026, according to StatCounter. VirtuoLab builds every shop in-house, and after delivery the client owns the code and the data.
What are the three ways to build an online store?
The three ways to build an online store are a hosted platform such as Shopify, an open-source plugin such as WooCommerce, and a custom build. Each route trades convenience against control. First, Shopify includes hosting, an SSL certificate and security in every plan, and the merchant pays a monthly subscription. Second, WooCommerce runs inside WordPress on hosting the merchant chooses, so the merchant controls everything but also maintains everything. Third, a custom build, for example with Next.js and PostgreSQL, gives complete freedom at a higher starting cost. Both platforms are large. WooCommerce runs on 7.8% of all websites and Shopify on 5.3%, according to W3Techs in October 2026. Among websites with a known content management system, the shares are 11.6% and 7.9%. In practice, the best route depends less on popularity and more on three questions: how unusual the sales process is, which systems the shop must connect to, and who maintains the shop after launch.
When is Shopify the right choice?
Shopify is the right choice when speed to market matters more than full control, and when the sales process looks like a standard retail flow. In 2026, Shopify plans run from Basic to Plus, and the Shopify pricing page lists hosting and a free SSL certificate as included, alongside certification for PCI DSS Level 1. Additionally, Shopify reports 99.9% uptime as a platform. One cost catches merchants out: orders paid through a third-party payment provider instead of Shopify Payments carry an extra transaction fee, and the rate depends on the plan. Custom logic is possible through apps and Shopify Functions, which run custom code during checkout for discounts, delivery options and validation. One limit matters for bespoke work. Only stores on Shopify Plus can use custom apps with Shopify Function APIs, while public apps from the Shopify App Store with functions work on any plan. For example, a store with standard products, a few variants and a small team can launch quickly on Shopify.
When is WooCommerce the right choice?
WooCommerce is the right choice when a business already runs WordPress, publishes a lot of content, or needs custom logic without platform restrictions. WooCommerce calls itself the world's top open-source platform, mentions no monthly platform fees, and says merchants fully own the site, code and data. The flip side is responsibility. For recent versions, WooCommerce lists PHP 8.3, WordPress 6.9, HTTPS and a memory limit of 256 MB as minimum requirements. Someone must keep hosting, WordPress, WooCommerce and every extension updated. Updates matter for security as well, because plugins accounted for 91% of the 11,334 WordPress vulnerabilities which Patchstack counted in 2025. Additionally, the order storage changed: High-Performance Order Storage has been the default for new stores since WooCommerce 8.2, released in October 2023. In practice, WooCommerce works well with a solid host, a small set of extensions and custom plugins built with WordPress hooks for the parts no extension covers. Such extensions from VirtuoLab are custom WordPress plugins.
When is a custom online store worth the investment?
A custom online store is worth the investment when the sales process itself is the competitive advantage, or when standard platforms force too many workarounds. Typical cases in 2026 are B2B ordering with customer-specific prices for 300 businesses, product configurators, subscriptions with unusual rules, and deep links with an ERP or warehouse system. Additionally, a middle route exists. Headless commerce separates the storefront frontend from the backend, according to Shopify. The Shopify Storefront API serves products, collections, search and the cart, and then hands customers off to the Shopify checkout. A frontend built with Next.js can then deliver a fully custom design on top of Shopify, with Shopify still handling payments. A fully custom build goes one step further, for example with Next.js, PostgreSQL and Stripe, where a standard European card payment costs 1.5% + €0.25. The client then owns every line of code, but also carries the responsibility for hosting, security and payment flows.
What does it cost to have an online store built?
In 2026, an online store built by VirtuoLab is a fixed-price project between €5,000 and €20,000. The price depends on catalogue, integrations and design, and the exact amount follows after a free intake call. Three things push a webshop towards the upper end. First, integrations with an ERP, an accounting package or a warehouse system add mapping and testing work. Second, a custom design with unusual product pages, for example a product configurator, takes longer than an adjusted theme. Third, B2B features such as customer-specific prices, quotes and order approval add logic. Accessibility also deserves budget, because 61% of the largest Dutch online stores were not digitally accessible in tests reported by ACM in March 2026. Platform costs such as a Shopify subscription or WooCommerce hosting come on top and recur. A store which grows into a full ordering platform is effectively a web app, at €10,000 to €25,000 for a medium build. VirtuoLab builds every shop in-house, with Shopify, WooCommerce or Next.js.
How do you choose between Shopify, WooCommerce and custom?
The right platform is the platform which fits the sales process, the systems around the shop and the people who maintain the shop. Step 1: write down the processes which make the business different, such as pricing, delivery or returns. Step 2: list every system the shop must talk to, for example a link with Exact Online, a product information system or a warehouse. Step 3: decide who handles updates, security and hosting after launch. Step 4: compare the total cost over 3 years, not only the build price. Step 5: check how products, customers and orders can be exported, so a later migration stays possible. Finally, test every step on a phone, because 64.97% of Dutch web traffic came from a phone in September 2026, according to StatCounter. In practice, a standard retail shop run by 3 people often lands on Shopify, a content-driven brand on WordPress lands on WooCommerce, and a B2B process with unusual rules lands on a custom or headless build.
Frequently asked questions
Can I move from WooCommerce to Shopify later?
Moving from WooCommerce to Shopify, or the other way round, is possible, but a migration is a project of its own. Products and customers can be exported and imported via Shopify tools, and the details decide the effort. First, product variants, custom fields and reviews rarely map one to one. Second, URLs change, so every old product and category URL needs a redirect with status 301. Google then keeps rankings and links attached to the new pages. Third, the Shopify Help Center states that customer passwords cannot be migrated from another store with a CSV, so customers receive an invitation to create a new password. Order history needs a separate route, because a customer CSV in Shopify cannot carry orders. For example, a store with 2,000 products, 5,000 customers and years of orders deserves a full test migration before the live switch. In practice, a frozen catalogue during the switch prevents most surprises, whichever direction the move goes.
Which platform is best for SEO?
No platform is automatically best for SEO, because rankings depend on content, speed, structure and links rather than on the shop software. Speed is a real differentiator, according to HTTP Archive: only 48% of mobile websites passed all three Core Web Vitals in 2025. The differences between platforms lie in control. First, WooCommerce gives full control over URLs and templates, but speed depends on the host and the number of plugins. Second, Shopify takes hosting off the merchant, and theme quality and installed apps then decide much of the speed. Finally, a custom build with Next.js gives complete control over rendering and structured data, which helps Google and AI assistants such as ChatGPT read product pages. For example, product pages with clear specifications, prices and availability in structured data are easier for search engines to interpret. In practice, unique category texts and a clear rule for product variants matter more than the platform choice.
Can VirtuoLab extend an existing Shopify or WooCommerce store?
VirtuoLab extends existing stores as well as building new ones, because the VirtuoLab stack includes WordPress, WooCommerce and Shopify plugins. First, for WooCommerce, an extension is a custom WordPress plugin which hooks into the order flow, the checkout or the admin, and a simple plugin costs €2,000 to €5,000. Second, for Shopify, the options depend on the plan. Shopify Functions can change discounts, delivery options and checkout validation, but custom apps with Shopify Function APIs require Shopify Plus. On other plans, public apps from the Shopify App Store with functions still work. For example, a link which sends paid Shopify orders to Exact Online is a simple API integration, indicated at €1,500 to €4,000 in 2026. A sensible start is a review of the current shop, the theme, the installed extensions and the data in Google Search Console. A fixed price from VirtuoLab follows before any work begins, and after delivery the client owns the code.