E-commerce Website Cost in India 2026: Shopify vs WooCommerce Breakdown

How much does an e-commerce website cost in India in 2026?

For Indian D2C founders, launching an online store in 2026 typically costs between ₹25,000 and ₹1,50,000 in year one. The exact amount depends on your platform, payment gateway, shipping partner and design choices. Here is a transparent, line-by-line breakdown.

Platform cost: Shopify vs WooCommerce

| Cost item | Shopify | WooCommerce | |---|---|---| | Platform / plugin | ₹1,994–₹7,596/mo | Free (WordPress plugin) | | Hosting | Included | ₹3,000–₹15,000/yr | | SSL certificate | Included | ₹0–₹5,000/yr | | Themes | ₹0–₹15,000 (one-time) | ₹0–₹12,000 (one-time) | | Transaction fees | 0% (with Shopify Payments) | 0% | | Maintenance | Minimal | ₹5,000–₹20,000/yr |

Bottom line: Shopify is predictable and faster to launch; WooCommerce is cheaper upfront but needs more hands-on maintenance. Most Indian D2C brands prefer Shopify.

Payment gateway integration fees

Razorpay and Cashfree are the two dominant choices for Indian e-commerce.

• Razorpay: 2% per transaction (UPI, cards, netbanking, wallets, EMI). No setup fee for most merchants.
• Cashfree: 1.9%–2% per transaction. Often slightly cheaper for high-volume stores.
• TDS: 1% TDS on gross payments is auto-deducted and can be claimed later.

Both support UPI, which drives 60%+ of Indian e-commerce checkouts. Always negotiate rates once you cross ₹10L/month in GMV.

Shipping and logistics costs

Shiprocket and Delhivery are the most popular e-commerce logistics platforms in India.

• Shiprocket: ₹25–₹50 per 500g shipment (within city), ₹50–₹90 (inter-city). Cash-on-delivery orders add ₹15–₹30 extra.
• Delhivery: Similar pricing; often better for bulk shipments.
• Packaging: ₹5–₹25 per order depending on box size and branding.

Factor in return-to-origin (RTO) costs — roughly 20–30% of COD orders in India are returned or refused. RTO shipping is usually charged at half the forward rate.

Additional costs to budget for

1. Domain name: ₹800–₹1,500/yr (.in or .com)
2. GST registration and invoicing: Free if you DIY; ₹3,000–₹10,000 if you hire a CA for setup
3. Product photography: ₹5,000–₹30,000 for a professional shoot
4. Content writing: ₹2,000–₹10,000 for basic product descriptions and policy pages
5. Email/SMS marketing: ₹0–₹2,000/mo (Klaviyo, Mailchimp, or Indian tools like Netcore)
6. WhatsApp Business API: ₹0.5–₹1 per conversational message after the free tier

Hidden costs most founders miss

• Chargebacks and fraud: Budget 0.5–1% of GMV for disputed transactions.
• App/plugin subscriptions: Shopify apps for reviews, subscriptions, or bundles can add ₹1,000–₹10,000/mo.
• Compliance: GST filings, privacy policy updates, and term-of-service reviews cost ₹5,000–₹15,000/yr.
• Ad spend: This is not part of the website cost, but most D2C brands need ₹20,000–₹1,00,000/mo in Meta/Google ads to get traction. Do not underestimate it.

Total first-year cost estimate

| Store type | Setup | Year 1 running cost | Total year 1 | |---|---|---|---| | Basic Shopify (self-setup) | ₹10,000–₹20,000 | ₹35,000–₹50,000 | ₹45,000–₹70,000 | | Professional Shopify (agency) | ₹25,000–₹50,000 | ₹50,000–₹80,000 | ₹75,000–₹1,30,000 | | WooCommerce (self-hosted) | ₹15,000–₹30,000 | ₹30,000–₹60,000 | ₹45,000–₹90,000 | | Custom headless | ₹75,000+ | ₹1,00,000+ | ₹1,75,000+ |

Getting started with Invonext

Invonext builds Shopify and WooCommerce stores for Indian D2C brands starting at ₹14,999 — including Razorpay/Cashfree setup, Shiprocket integration, GST-ready invoicing, UPI-first checkout and WhatsApp order alerts. Launch in 5–10 days with transparent pricing and no hidden fees.