(E-commerce)
Shopify vs a custom online store: fees, ownership and control
Hosted platforms made selling online easy. A store you own outright can make it cheaper and more yours. Here’s how to decide.
What you pay for on a hosted platform
Hosted e-commerce platforms charge a monthly subscription, and most stores add paid apps for things like reviews, bundles, wishlists or advanced search. Depending on the payment setup, there may also be a platform fee on top of standard card-processing fees. Individually these look small; together they’re a permanent monthly cost that grows with your store. Check the platform’s current pricing page for exact numbers — they change regularly.
What a custom store includes
A custom store is built around your catalogue and your customers, on code you own. A typical Pabloch Tech store includes:
- A product catalogue with collections
- Cart, checkout and a payment gateway
- Order management and confirmation emails
- Customer accounts and order tracking
- Search, filters and bundles
- Shipping and tax configuration
You can see all of this working on Al-Abuzer Perfumes (opens in a new tab), a live store we designed and built: eight collections, a full-bleed video homepage, customer accounts and an order-tracking page that answers “where’s my order?” before anyone has to email.
Ownership: the part that matters later
On a hosted platform, your store lives inside someone else’s system. You can export products and orders, but the design, apps and checkout don’t come with you. With a custom store, the code, the domain and the data are yours — you can change hosts, developers or direction without starting again.
When a hosted platform is the better choice
- You want to launch this week and manage everything yourself.
- You’re testing an idea and may not continue.
- You rely on a specific integration that only exists as a platform app.
When a custom store is the better choice
- Your brand sells on atmosphere and you don’t want to look like every template.
- You’re paying for several apps to get features that could simply be built in.
- You want a feature the platform can’t do well — bundles, custom catalogues, tailored order tracking.
- You want to own the store outright.
Thinking about a store? Tell us what you sell — you’ll get a fixed price and a free working draft before you pay anything.
Common questions
Is a custom online store cheaper than Shopify?
A custom store usually costs more up front but has no platform subscription or app fees, so over several years it can cost less. Payment-processing fees apply either way.
How long does it take to build a custom online store?
At Pabloch Tech, the production build for an online store takes 3–5 weeks after you approve the free first draft.