What an Online Store Really Costs in Nigeria: Custom Build or Shopify?

"How much does an online store cost?" is like asking "how much does a car cost?" The honest answer starts with another question: what do you need it to do?

This article does not give you one price. A price we invented would only mislead you. Instead we show you where the money goes in each route, the questions to ask, and a simple sum to find the break-even point for your own shop. For a wider view of getting started, see How to Start an Ecommerce Business in Nigeria.

The two routes

Shopify (a hosted platform). You rent a ready-made store system. You choose a theme, add products, connect payments and start selling. They run the servers and the updates. You pay a monthly fee, and often more through apps and payment fees.

A custom store. A developer builds a store for you, or sets one up on a platform you host. You own the code, and the shop can be shaped to your exact needs. You pay mostly up front, then smaller amounts for hosting and care.

Where the money goes with Shopify

• A monthly plan. Shopify bills in dollars, so the naira cost moves with the exchange rate. Look up the current plan prices on their site, and check how you will pay a dollar bill from Nigeria.
• A theme, if you do not use a free one.
• Apps. Reviews, upsells, email, delivery tools and subscriptions often cost extra each month. Apps add up faster than people expect.
• Payment fees. Check which payment options work for a store based in Nigeria. At the time of writing, Shopify's own payment product is not offered in Nigeria, so many Nigerian stores connect third-party gateways. Shopify can charge an extra fee on sales made through outside gateways, so check the current rules before you decide.
• A developer, if you want changes the theme does not allow.

Where the money goes with a custom store

• The build. The biggest cost. It depends on your product range, features and design. You can list your needs in our quote builder for a rough figure.
• Hosting and a domain. Smaller monthly or yearly amounts.
• Payment gateway fees. You pay Paystack or Flutterwave directly, with no platform fee on top.
• Care and updates. Security updates, backups and fixes. Do not skip this line. A store nobody looks after will break.
• Changes later. Each new feature is a new piece of work.

What matters in Nigeria in particular

Payments. Your customers pay by card, bank transfer and sometimes cash on delivery. Make sure the store supports what your customers actually use, and that payments are confirmed safely, so you never ship an order that was not paid. Many Nigerian shoppers still prefer to pay on delivery, so check that your platform allows it and that you can handle the extra risk of refusals.

Delivery. Delivery fees depend on the state, sometimes the area, and the courier. A store that charges one flat shipping price will either lose you money or lose you sales. A custom shop can set shipping by state and offer free shipping above a set amount. Some Shopify apps do this too, but often for an extra fee.

Phone first. Most of your visitors use phones. Test the store on a cheap Android phone before you launch.

WhatsApp. Many Nigerian shoppers ask questions on WhatsApp before they buy. A store that links to chat, or lets customers order through a bot, can turn those questions into sales. We explain the cost side in why customers buy inside chat apps.

Selling to other countries. If you plan to sell abroad, check how you will receive foreign currency and ship across borders before you choose.

A sum to find your break-even point

Fill in your own numbers.

1. Shopify route, per month: plan + apps you need + extra payment fees on your sales.
2. Custom route, per month: hosting + care + gateway fees, plus the build cost spread over the months you expect to use it (for example, over 24 months).
3. Compare the two monthly totals.

Illustrative example. These numbers are made up, only to show the method. Suppose the platform route costs a total of 100 units a month. Suppose the custom route has a build cost of 1,200 units, spread over 24 months, which is 50 units a month, plus 30 units for hosting and care. That is 80 units a month. The custom route is cheaper after the build is paid for, but only if you really use the store for two years, and only if the build cost is real.

Now put in your own numbers and see. If your answer is close, other things should decide: speed to launch, who looks after it, and how special your needs are.

When Shopify is the better choice

• You want to start this month, with little money.
• Your needs are standard: products, a cart, a checkout.
• You do not have anyone to look after a custom site.
• You want to test whether your idea sells before you invest.

When a custom store makes sense

• You have special needs: wallets, bookings, special pricing for groups of customers, local delivery rules or unusual payments.
• You sell enough that the monthly platform and app fees are a large cost.
• You want to own everything and not depend on a foreign company's plans and prices.
• You have a developer or agency to look after it.

A middle road

Some owners start on a platform, learn what customers want, and move to a custom build when they know exactly what they need. This is often the safest path, as long as you keep a copy of your product data and customer list and plan the move, so you do not lose search ranking when the address changes.

Get a real figure

If you want a rough price for your own store, list your features in our quote builder, or tell us what you sell and we will give an honest view of whether a custom build is worth it for you. You can also start from the e-commerce solution page to see what our store builder already includes.