A web shop in Croatia costs from €1,500 for a simple store on an off-the-shelf platform to €50,000+ for a scalable custom build with advanced integrations. A typical store with 50-500 products, professional design, payments, shipping, and accounting integrations runs €4,000 to €15,000. The main cost drivers: platform choice, product count, languages, payment methods, and how much scope is pinned down upfront.
Quick price reference
| Store type | Cost (€) | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Mini shop on Shopify (up to 50 products) | 1,500 - 4,000 | 2-3 weeks |
| Standard shop (100-500 products) | 4,000 - 12,000 | 4-8 weeks |
| Larger shop with CRM/ERP integrations | 12,000 - 30,000 | 8-16 weeks |
| Custom platform (B2B, marketplace, high traffic) | 30,000+ | 16+ weeks |
Monthly post-launch costs: €50-€500 for standard stores, €500-€3,000 for larger systems.
Shopify, WooCommerce, or custom
Shopify is the fastest path. Monthly subscription €30-€400 (see Shopify pricing); launch in 2-6 weeks. Trade-offs: limited customisation, transaction fees, vendor dependency. Right for years one to three.
WooCommerce (WordPress) is open source and more flexible but maintenance-heavy. Launch €2,000-€8,000; monthly €50-€200 (hosting plus plugins). Endless security updates to manage.
Custom e-commerce is built when off-the-shelf cannot cover complex catalogues, high traffic, B2B logic, or serious ERP/WMS integrations. €15,000-€80,000+ upfront, €200-€2,000/month. Better long-term economics above €500,000 annual revenue. The classic custom vs SaaS trade-off applied to e-commerce.
What drives the cost
- Product count and catalogue complexity. 50 simple products vs 5,000 across 20 categories with configurators.
- Languages. Croatian plus English is standard; each extra language adds 15-25%.
- Payment methods. Stripe, PayPal, Wspay, Aircash, Corvus, invoice billing - each integration adds time.
- Shipping methods. GLS, DPD, Hrvatska pošta - real-time pricing integrations take 1-2 weeks each.
- Accounting integrations. Pantheon, Minimax, automated invoicing - practically mandatory.
- B2B features. Customer-specific pricing and open-invoice payment add significant complexity.
- Design. Theme store vs custom: €500 to €8,000+.
- SEO and migration. URL redirects, indexing, schema - 1-2 weeks of dedicated work.
Hidden monthly costs
- Hosting: Shopify included, WooCommerce €30-€200, custom €100-€1,000
- Plugins (WooCommerce): €30-€150/month combined
- Payments: 1.4-2.5% plus €0.20/transaction
- Email marketing (Mailchimp, Klaviyo): €30-€200/month
- CDN and optimisation: €20-€200/month
Realistic annual operating cost for a mid-sized store: €1,500-€8,000 plus transaction fees and ads.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can we start with Shopify and switch to custom later? Yes, and it is a common path. Migration is a separate line item (€3,000-€10,000), typically planned once revenue exceeds €300,000-€500,000 annually.
Do we need a WMS from the start? For up to 500-1,000 orders monthly, Shopify or WooCommerce admin is enough. Above that, a WMS becomes practically mandatory.
Can we use EU funds to build a web shop? Yes, through NPOO and Digitalisation Vouchers. See our EU funds article.
Related Articles
- How much does custom software cost in Croatia?
- How much does a mobile app cost in Croatia?
- How to choose a development agency
Thinking about a web shop?
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