Ecommerce Website Cost in Pakistan (2026): WooCommerce vs Shopify
Ecommerce Website Cost in Pakistan (2026): WooCommerce vs Shopify
Thinking of opening your own online store? The first question: how much will an ecommerce website cost? And the second, even more important one: WooCommerce or Shopify — which platform should you pick?
You’ll find both answers in this guide. We’ll keep it straight: the real ranges for online store cost in Pakistan in 2026, a full WooCommerce vs Shopify price comparison (development + monthly fees + transaction fees), and which one is right for your business.
Key Takeaways (2-minute summary)
- In Pakistan, a WooCommerce store usually costs PKR 90,000–200,000 (no monthly platform fee)
- A Shopify store’s development costs PKR 100,000–250,000 + a monthly subscription starting at ~$29/month (Basic plan)
- Custom ecommerce (Laravel and similar) goes up to PKR 250,000–600,000+
- Watch out for transaction fees on Shopify — in Pakistan, with a third-party gateway, Shopify takes an extra 2% (Basic plan)
- The platform decision depends more on your business model than your budget — there’s a decision guide below
In this guide:
– Ecommerce Price Table — 2026
– WooCommerce vs Shopify: Detailed Comparison
– 5 Factors That Change the Price
– Hidden / Yearly Costs
– Which Platform Should You Choose? (Decision Guide)
– Daraz vs Your Own Website
– FAQs
Ecommerce Website Cost in Pakistan — 2026 Price Table
| Store Type | Development Cost (PKR) | Monthly/Yearly Extra |
|---|---|---|
| WooCommerce store (WordPress) | 90,000 – 200,000 | Hosting ~PKR 12,000–30,000/year (no platform fee) |
| Shopify store | 100,000 – 250,000 | Starts at ~$29/month (~PKR 8,000–9,000) + transaction fees |
| Custom ecommerce (Laravel/React) | 250,000 – 600,000+ | Hosting + maintenance (depends on the project) |
These are the online store development charges actually running in the market. A small store (20–50 products, standard features) is built at the lower end of the range; a large store (hundreds of products, custom features) goes higher.
WooCommerce vs Shopify: Detailed Comparison
This is the comparison everyone looks for but nobody explains straight:
| WooCommerce | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|
| Platform cost | Free (WordPress plugin) | Starts at ~$29/month (Basic) |
| Development cost | PKR 90,000–200,000 | PKR 100,000–250,000 |
| Transaction fee | WooCommerce takes nothing — only your payment gateway’s fee | On the Basic plan, with a third-party gateway, Shopify takes 2% extra |
| Hosting | You buy it yourself (PKR 12,000–30,000/year) | Included with Shopify |
| Speed/Security | Depends on your hosting and setup | Shopify handles it |
| Can you run it yourself? | Yes — WordPress is easy to learn | Yes — the easiest dashboard of all |
| Best for | Budget control, customization, large catalogs | Fast launch, zero technical headaches |
What does Shopify’s monthly cost actually work out to in Pakistan? The Basic plan is ~$29/month — at the dollar rate, that’s roughly PKR 8,000–9,000/month, meaning PKR 100,000+ a year in platform fees alone. That’s separate from the development cost. (Shopify changes its prices from time to time — check the latest on Shopify’s site.)
How transaction fees work: Shopify Payments isn’t available in Pakistan, so you have to use a third-party gateway (JazzCash, EasyPaisa, or a card processor). On that, the gateway takes its own fee and Shopify takes an additional 2% on the Basic plan. That double charge eats into your profit on every sale — make sure it’s in your calculations.
5 Factors That Change an Ecommerce Website’s Price
1. Number of products
A store with 20 products and a store with 2,000 products are not built the same way. Data entry, categories, filters, search — the bigger the catalog, the higher the cost. (Product uploading is often charged separately, or you do it yourself.)
2. Payment gateways
JazzCash and EasyPaisa integration is standard in Pakistan — this is how customers pay. A separate processor is needed for debit/credit cards. Every gateway has a setup cost and a per-transaction fee; adding two or three gateways raises the development cost.
3. Shipping and delivery system
Simple flat-rate shipping is cheap. But city-wise rates, weight-based shipping, and integrating courier APIs like TCS/Leopards — that’s all custom work, and it pushes the cost up. The COD (cash on delivery) flow is also built separately.
4. Discounts, coupons and marketing features
Running a sale, coupon codes, “buy 1 get 1”, abandoned cart emails, WhatsApp order notifications — these are the features that turn a store into a selling machine. A basic store doesn’t have them; ask for them and the price goes up.
5. Multilingual / multi-currency
If you’re only selling in Pakistan, Urdu/English is enough. If you want to target customers in the Gulf or the UK, you’ll need multi-currency and region-wise pricing — that’s an advanced setup.
Hidden / Yearly Costs (Don’t Ignore These)
After the development quote, these costs come up every year (or every month):
- Domain (.com): ~PKR 3,000–5,000/year
- Hosting (WooCommerce): ~PKR 12,000–30,000/year — get good hosting for a store; cheap shared hosting will be slow, and a slow store = fewer sales
- Shopify subscription: starts at ~$29/month (~PKR 100,000+/year)
- Premium theme/plugins: PKR 5,000–25,000/year (on WooCommerce, as needed)
- Payment gateway fees: ~2–3% on every transaction (depends on the gateway)
- Maintenance: PKR 8,000–25,000/month (updates, security, backups — strongly recommended for a store; a hacked store is a closed shop)
When taking a quote, ask in writing: “Are the first year’s domain, hosting and Shopify subscription included in this, or separate?”
Which Platform Should You Choose? (Decision Guide)
In plain words:
Choose WooCommerce if:
– You want to avoid a monthly fee (it works out cheaper in the long run)
– You want customization — design and features your way
– You have a lot of products (Shopify’s plans get expensive with large catalogs)
– You or your team are a little technical (or you have agency support)
Choose Shopify if:
– You want a fast launch — everything is ready-made, and the store can go live within a week
– You want to stay away from technical things (hosting, security, updates — all Shopify’s job)
– Your budget can carry the monthly fee
– It’s your first online store and you want a simple start
Choose custom ecommerce (Laravel/React) if:
– You need a special system — a multi-vendor marketplace, subscription boxes, or complex B2B pricing
– You need to go beyond WooCommerce/Shopify’s limits
Choosing the wrong platform is the most expensive mistake — migrating after 6 months costs about the same as building the website all over again. Before deciding, spend 10 minutes on your business model, or get advice from someone experienced.
Is Selling on Daraz Better Than Your Own Website?
Every new seller asks this question — both have their own advantages:
- Daraz: easy to start, ready-made customers. But commission is cut from every sale, your brand’s identity gets buried inside Daraz, and the customer data isn’t yours.
- Your own website: no commission, full brand control, the customer data is yours. But you have to bring the traffic yourself (ads, SEO, social media).
The smart strategy: both. Start on Daraz, and build your own website alongside it. As soon as orders start coming from your website, you start saving Daraz’s commission — and the brand becomes your own. We’ve seen that sellers who stay only on a marketplace remain at that marketplace’s mercy forever.
FAQs — Ecommerce Website Cost Pakistan
How much does an ecommerce website cost in Pakistan?
In 2026, a standard online store usually costs PKR 90,000–250,000 — depending on the platform (WooCommerce vs Shopify), the number of products and the features. Custom ecommerce starts at PKR 250,000.
WooCommerce vs Shopify — which is cheaper?
At the start, both have similar development costs. Over the long run, though, WooCommerce is cheaper — there’s no monthly platform fee. On Shopify, ~$29/month keeps running every month, plus transaction fees.
What does Shopify cost per month in Pakistan?
The Basic plan is ~$29/month — at the dollar rate, roughly PKR 8,000–9,000/month, which means over PKR 100,000 a year in platform fees alone. That’s separate from the development cost.
Can JazzCash/EasyPaisa be added to a Shopify store in Pakistan?
Yes — JazzCash and EasyPaisa can be added to a Shopify store through third-party apps and integrations. But remember: Shopify Payments isn’t available in Pakistan, so on the Basic plan Shopify also takes an additional 2% transaction fee.
Is there a monthly fee for a WooCommerce store?
No — WooCommerce itself is free and takes no transaction fee. You only pay for hosting (~PKR 12,000–30,000/year), the domain, and your payment gateway’s per-transaction fee.
How long does it take to build an ecommerce website?
A simple store: 3–6 weeks. A feature-rich store (custom shipping, multiple gateways): 6–10 weeks. Custom ecommerce: 3–5 months.
At how many products should I go for custom ecommerce?
Complexity matters more than the number of products. 5,000 simple products run fine on WooCommerce. But if you need a multi-vendor system, subscriptions or complex B2B pricing, custom development is the better route.
Can I add and update products myself?
Yes — on both platforms. The WooCommerce (WordPress) and Shopify dashboards are both easy to use, and a good agency will give you basic training so you don’t need a developer for every small change.
What is an ecommerce store’s yearly cost?
WooCommerce: domain and hosting together come to ~PKR 15,000–35,000/year (plus optional maintenance). Shopify: the subscription alone is ~PKR 100,000+/year, with the domain and transaction fees on top.
Can a COD (cash on delivery) system be set up?
Yes — COD is still the most popular payment method in Pakistan. The COD flow can be set up on both platforms, and syncing orders with a courier partner is also possible.
Need an exact quote for your store? DM us or email contact@abizglobalservices.com — just tell us what you sell, how many products you have, and which platform you’re considering. You’ll get a free quote, no pressure.
ABiz Global Services — ecommerce stores, business websites and web applications. See our work in our portfolio. More guides: Website Cost in Pakistan (2026), Shopify Store Setup Checklist (coming), WooCommerce Maintenance Guide (coming).
— Ibrar Ul Hassan — CTO & Co-Founder, ABiz Global Services