What does a webshop really cost? The monthly figure Shopify or a WooCommerce host quotes is usually just the tip of the iceberg. The real costs hide in transaction fees, paid apps and integrations that run every month.
Below I put the three most popular options side by side, Shopify, WooCommerce and a custom webshop on Medusa, and show where your money actually goes.
The three options in short
Shopify is an off-the-shelf platform: live fast and everything included, but you pay a monthly subscription, a fee on every sale and separate apps for extra features.
WooCommerce is a free plugin for WordPress. No platform fee on your revenue, but you pay for hosting, a theme and soon a row of (paid) plugins.
Medusa is an open source platform for building a custom webshop. No platform subscription and no fee per sale: you pay for hosting and development, plus your payment provider's normal fees.
The real costs side by side
An honest comparison looks beyond the monthly figure at the total: subscription, transaction fees, apps and integrations combined.
| Shopify | WooCommerce | Medusa (custom) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform per month | ~ $39 (Basic) up to $399+ | Free plugin + hosting (~ $20-50) | Open source $0, or Cloud from ~ $29 |
| Fee per sale | 2.9% + $0.30, plus 0.2-2% platform fee* | None (only your payment provider) | None (only your payment provider) |
| Features & apps | Many via paid apps (~ $5-50+ /mo each) | Many via (paid) plugins | Built in, custom |
| Integrations | Via apps, often subscription | Via plugins | Custom-built |
| Ownership | Vendor lock-in | Your own site | Fully open source, no lock-in |
Where costs add up: fees, apps and integrations
With Shopify the transaction fee is the silent cost. If you don't use Shopify Payments, a platform fee of 0.2 to 2% per order is added on top of your payment provider's costs. At a few thousand in monthly revenue that adds up fast.
On top of that, Shopify charges a paid app for almost every extra feature: reviews, subscriptions, advanced shipping or an accounting integration. Each a few tens per month, together a real bump in your fixed costs.
WooCommerce has no platform fee on revenue, but goes the same way with plugins: a (often yearly) licence for every extension, plus maintaining WordPress and all those plugins together.
Why Medusa is often cheaper as you grow
At a handful of orders a month you barely notice. But as your revenue grows the bill flips. Shopify's fee per sale and the stack of apps grow with your success, while a custom webshop on Medusa keeps a fixed base: hosting plus development, and your provider's normal payment fees.
So you pay no percentage on your revenue and no monthly apps that keep running. The store is also yours, open source and without vendor lock-in. That's why custom on Medusa is often the most affordable route over its lifetime for growing webshops.
What fits you?
Want a simple shop online today and is a monthly subscription fine? Then Shopify is a solid start. Already on WordPress and your shop stays small? Then WooCommerce can do the job.
Want to grow seriously without your costs growing too, do you have specific needs around products, checkout or integrations, or are you hitting the limits of your current platform? Then a custom webshop on Medusa is worth considering. Request a free comparison and I'll work out what it would save in your situation.
The figures in this article are indicative (2026) and may change; check the current rates with the providers.
