Fig. 02Cost over 3 years
What a shop costs over three years.
I compare the total cost over 36 months. Payment processing fees are left out, because you pay them everywhere. A subscription is cheaper to start, but you pay it for as long as the shop runs.
Fig. 03What is included
What you get for the money.
On a platform you pay for convenience and ready-made parts. With your own shop you pay once and everything is yours. This is the difference in practice.
| With me | Shopify | WooCommerce | Agency | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subscription | none, you only pay hosting | from €24 a month | none, you pay hosting and plugins | depends on the contract |
| Platform commission | none, only the Stripe fee per payment | up to 2% per order, depending on the gateway | none | depends on the contract |
| Code and data | yours from day one | stay on the platform | yours | depends on the contract |
| Unusual features | built in code, quoted before we start | through paid apps | through plugins or a developer | depends on the contract |
| When sales grow | the same price, no higher plan or commission | a higher plan as sales grow | stronger hosting and tuning | depends on the contract |
| Updates | 3 months included, then support if you want it | done by the platform | on your side | depends on the contract |
| Who you talk to | me, from start to finish | support | the developer | a project manager |
Fig. 04When a subscription wins
A subscription makes sense more often than you think.
Not every shop needs its own code. This is how I choose between a platform and a shop you own.
- You are just starting
- If you do not know whether the product will sell, a €24 monthly plan is a cheaper test than a €3,000 shop. Pick a platform.
- A simple catalogue
- A few dozen products, standard shipping and payments. A ready-made theme does that well and for less.
- Growing sales
- On Shopify with a gateway outside Shopify Payments you pay 2% per order. At €12,000 a month in sales that is €240 every month.
- An unusual process
- A configurator, trade prices for businesses, bookings, a link to your warehouse. On a platform that means more apps and more subscriptions.
- Heavy traffic and sales peaks
- On a platform, more sales means a higher plan. I build your shop to serve many customers at once, so Black Friday does not change your price.
- A shop for years
- A subscription never ends. With your own shop, after launch you pay only for hosting and the changes you ask for.
Fig. 05Questions before you choose
Five questions before you choose a platform.
Ask them of anyone who offers you a shop, including me. If an answer is vague, ask for it in writing. My answers are next to the questions.
Ask the provider
My answer
- What does the subscription cost after the first year?There is none. You pay once, in three instalments.
- Does the platform take a commission on orders?No. You only pay the Stripe fee for each payment.
- Can I move the shop, products and customers to another company?Yes. The code and the database are yours, any developer can take them over.
- What do the extras I will need cost?Card and local payments through Stripe, shipping and invoices are included. Other integrations are quoted before we start.
- Who updates the shop, and what does that cost?Fixes are included for 3 months. After that, support and growth from €25 a month, if you want it.
Print this list and take it to every meeting with a provider.
