E-commerce Website Cost in Pakistan (2026): Shopify, WooCommerce or Custom

An online store in Pakistan costs anywhere from PKR 40,000 to more than PKR 500,000 to build, and the build is the smaller half of the decision. A store also has running costs a brochure site never has: a platform or hosting bill every month, a fee on every online payment, a courier charge on every parcel, and returns you pay for twice.

This guide prices the three routes most Pakistani businesses choose between, then the costs that arrive after launch.

The three routes compared

Shopify: the fastest launch, billed in dollars

A Shopify store set up on a good theme, with your products loaded, shipping rules configured and a local payment option connected, usually costs PKR 40,000 to PKR 90,000. A custom-designed theme pushes that to PKR 100,000 to PKR 150,000.

The subscription is the part to watch. The entry plans are priced in US dollars, roughly US$25 to US$39 a month depending on plan and billing cycle, so the rupee cost moves with the exchange rate and your bank may add a foreign transaction charge on top. Check the current price on Shopify's own pricing page before budgeting, and assume the figure will drift upward over a year.

Shopify's own payment service is not available to Pakistani merchants, so card and wallet payments run through a third-party gateway, and some delivery and cash-on-delivery tools are paid apps. Add those monthly charges to the plan price before comparing Shopify with anything else.

WooCommerce: cheaper to run, more to maintain

WooCommerce is free software that runs on WordPress. A properly built store costs PKR 80,000 to PKR 200,000, depending on how many products, how much custom design, and how many integrations.

The monthly bill is lower and in rupees: PKR 2,000 to PKR 8,000 for hosting that can handle a store, plus annual licences for any paid plugins. The trade is upkeep. WordPress, the theme and every plugin update on their own schedule, and a store that nobody maintains is the one that breaks during a sale. Budget for a care plan or name the person responsible. Our WordPress pricing guide lists those running costs line by line.

Custom build: only when the store is the business

A store built from scratch starts around PKR 250,000 and passes PKR 500,000 quickly. It makes sense for made-to-order products, wholesale and retail pricing in one catalogue, or stock synced with a point-of-sale system. For a standard catalogue it buys nothing a well-built Shopify or WooCommerce store does not already do.

The costs after launch

Payment gateway. Local gateways and bank card processors charge a percentage of each online transaction, and some add a setup or annual fee. Ask for the merchant rate sheet in writing before your developer integrates one, because switching later is paid work.

Cash on delivery. Most Pakistani orders are still paid in cash at the door. Couriers charge per parcel, commonly PKR 200 to PKR 400 for a small package depending on weight and city, and usually a handling fee on the cash they collect for you.

Returns. A refused parcel costs you delivery both ways and comes back days later. Refusal rates on cash orders are high enough that many stores confirm every order on WhatsApp before dispatch. Price your products with this in mind, not after the first month's courier invoice.

Product photography. A store sells with its photos. Shooting 30 to 50 products properly is a separate job from building the site, and it is the line most often missing from a quote. See content creation in Karachi for what a product shoot involves.

Domain and email. PKR 3,000 to PKR 6,000 a year for the domain, plus business email if you want orders to come from your own address.

Do you need a store at all?

If you sell under ten products, or services rather than products, a full store is usually the wrong purchase. A catalogue page with clear prices and a WhatsApp order button costs a fraction to build, has no monthly platform fee, and matches how most customers here already order.

Build a store when you have the volume to justify it: a few dozen products, regular repeat orders, or enough daily enquiries that taking them by hand is costing you sales. For the cost of a standard business site instead, see how much a website costs in Pakistan.

Five questions before you accept a quote

Whose name is the store account, domain and payment gateway registered in? How many products will you load, and who writes the descriptions? Which paid apps or plugins does the build depend on, and what do they cost per year? Which courier is integrated, and is order tracking automatic? What does support cost after the first month?

The first question matters most. A store registered in the agency's account is a store you cannot leave without rebuilding.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an e-commerce website cost in Pakistan?

A Shopify store typically costs PKR 40,000 to 150,000 to set up, a WooCommerce store PKR 80,000 to 200,000, and a custom build PKR 250,000 or more. Monthly platform or hosting fees, payment gateway charges and courier costs are extra.

Is Shopify or WooCommerce cheaper in Pakistan?

Shopify is usually cheaper to launch and WooCommerce cheaper to run. Shopify bills monthly in US dollars, so its cost rises with the exchange rate. WooCommerce runs on rupee hosting but needs regular updates and maintenance.

What are the running costs of an online store?

The platform subscription or hosting, a percentage fee on online payments, a courier charge on each parcel, the cost of refused cash-on-delivery orders, and paid apps or plugin licences.

We build a homepage mockup before any money changes hands, and we will tell you if a simple catalogue would serve you better than a store. See website design in Karachi, Lahore, or Islamabad.