A standard online shop in the UK costs about £2,000 to £5,000 from a freelancer and £5,000 to £20,000 or more from an agency, according to published UK price guides (2026). Most of the spread comes from what the shop needs to do. A simple shop that takes orders and card payments sits at the bottom of that range, and a large store with thousands of products, special rules and connections to other systems sits at the top.
What is the difference between a simple online shop and a big store?
Both let people buy things on a website. The difference is how much happens behind the scenes. Think of a market stall compared with a department store. Both sell, but one is run by a person and the other needs departments.
| Simple order-taking shop | Big online store | |
|---|---|---|
| Products | Tens to a few hundred | Thousands |
| Who runs it | The owner, from a phone or laptop | A team, sometimes with a developer |
| Orders | Arrive as alerts, packed by hand | Pass through stock, warehouse and accounting systems |
| Typical UK cost | £2,000–5,000 | £5,000–20,000+ |
| Time to launch | Days to a few weeks | Months |
| Examples | Bakery, florist, jeweller, craft maker | Fashion brand, multi-category retailer |
If you sell under a few hundred items and pack the orders yourself, you almost certainly need the left-hand column. Paying for the right-hand column when you need the left is the most common way small sellers overspend.
What does a freelancer charge for an online shop?
UK price guides (2026) put a standard shop built by a freelancer, using a common shop system, at £2,000 to £5,000. That usually covers the design, setting up your products, the checkout, card payments and basic delivery settings. It often does not cover product photography, writing your product descriptions, or long-term upkeep.
Ask the freelancer to count what a "product" means in the quote. Shirts in five sizes and three colours can be one product or fifteen, and the setting-up time changes with it.
What does an agency charge for an ecommerce website?
Agencies quote £5,000 to £20,000 and above. You get a designer, a developer, testing and a project manager, and the price rises with custom work: a bespoke design, special delivery rules, subscriptions, links to stock software, many languages or currencies. For a retailer turning over a lot online, that investment can pay back. For a small maker selling at fairs and online, it usually will not.
What do customer login, admin and payments actually mean?
Shop quotes are full of words that sound technical and move the price. Here they are in plain English:
- 1Customer login: a buyer creates an account, so next time they do not retype their address. It also lets them see their past orders. Nice to have, and many shoppers still prefer to check out as a guest.
- 2Order history: the page where a logged-in customer sees what they bought and when.
- 3Admin: the private area where you add products, change prices, see orders and mark them as sent. This is the part you will use every day, so it must be easy.
- 4Payments: the connection that lets customers pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. The money goes through a payment provider and then to your bank account.
- 5Order alerts: a message to you, by email or WhatsApp, each time someone buys, so you can pack it.
- 6Stock: counts per product, so you do not sell what you have run out of.
- 7Discount codes: percentage or fixed-amount offers customers type at checkout.
- 8Delivery areas: different postage prices or rules by place or weight.
Each one is a few hours of work, which is why prices stack up. Decide which are essential on day one. Payments, admin and order alerts almost always are. Discount codes and delivery areas are useful once you have regular customers.
💡 Start with what a customer needs to buy and what you need to fulfil. Everything else can be added after your first twenty orders.
How much are card payment fees on an online shop?
Card fees are charged by the payment provider, not by whoever built your site, and they come out of each sale. In general a provider takes a small percentage plus a fixed amount per payment, and the rates differ by provider, card type and sales volume. Check the current rates on the provider’s own pricing page before you decide.
Work out the fee on your average order. On a £10 order, the fixed part of the fee takes a bigger share than on a £100 order. If your typical basket is small, you may want to set a minimum order or free-postage threshold with that in mind. A good builder will not mark up these fees. At Adyft Sites the card fees are the payment provider’s, and we add nothing to them.
What running costs does an online shop have?
| Ongoing cost | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Hosting | £50–300 a year in published UK price guides (2026), more for a busy shop |
| Maintenance and security | £300–1,200 a year if paid separately |
| Domain name | About £10–15 a year |
| Card fees | A percentage plus a fixed amount of each sale, set by the payment provider |
| Product photos | Your phone, or a photographer; priced per product |
| Postage and packaging | Your courier’s rates; not a website cost but part of every order |
Shops need more upkeep than an information site because they handle payments and customer data. An out-of-date shop system is a security risk, so budget for updates or pick a plan where somebody else does them.
When is a simple online shop enough?
A simple shop is enough if most of this describes you:
- 1You sell under about 500 products.
- 2You pack and post (or deliver) orders yourself.
- 3Customers pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay at checkout.
- 4You want to be told about each order on your phone.
- 5You change prices and products yourself now and then.
- 6You do not need the shop to talk to an accounting, warehouse or stock system.
That is most bakeries, florists, makers, boutiques, gift sellers and local food businesses. If it describes you, a £2,000 to £5,000 shop is not the starting point to aim above. It is the ceiling to stay under.
When do I need a bigger store?
Move up when something specific demands it. Common triggers are thousands of products, several people picking orders from a warehouse, selling in many currencies or countries, subscriptions that renew automatically, or your stock lives in separate software that must stay in sync. Adyft Sites handles bigger online stores from £9,999 after a free call, because those need scoping before anyone can name a fair price.
What does a done-for-you online shop cost?
Adyft Sites has two shop plans in the UK, and each includes a full website too:
| Plan | Setup | Monthly | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shop Starter | £2,999 | £99 | Website plus an order-taking shop: 50 products, customer login, order history, admin, card, Apple Pay and Google Pay, order alerts on WhatsApp and email |
| Shop Growth | £4,999 | £179 | Everything in Starter, with 500 products, discount codes, delivery areas, stock counts and staff logins |
| Bigger online store | From £9,999 | After a free call | For large catalogues and custom needs |
You answer a few questions on WhatsApp and we write the pages, set up the shop and handle upkeep. Compare Shop Starter with the freelancer range of £2,000 to £5,000 plus separate hosting, maintenance and copywriting, and the totals are in the same area, with one company to call.
How do I avoid overpaying for an online shop?
- 1List your products and count them before you ask for a quote.
- 2Decide which of login, discounts, stock and delivery rules you need on day one.
- 3Ask who pays the card fees (the answer is you, via the provider) and who sets up the payment account.
- 4Ask what is included for upkeep and whether security updates are covered.
- 5Make sure the domain and the payment account are in your name.
- 6Start with fewer products and add more once orders come in.
Questions about online shop costs in the UK
How much does it cost to build an online shop in the UK?
Published UK price guides (2026) show £2,000 to £5,000 for a standard shop from a freelancer and £5,000 to £20,000 or more from an agency. A simple order-taking shop sits at the bottom of that range.
Can I sell online without a big ecommerce website?
Yes. If you sell a few hundred items and pack orders yourself, a simple shop with checkout, card payments and order alerts is enough. You can add features later.
Who pays the card fees?
You do, on each sale, to the payment provider. They are not part of the website price. Check the provider’s current rates before you set your prices.
Do customers need to create an account to buy?
Not necessarily. Many shoppers prefer to check out as a guest. A customer login helps repeat buyers, so it is useful but not essential on day one.
How much does an online shop cost to run each year?
Hosting is £50 to £300 a year and maintenance £300 to £1,200 a year in UK price guides (2026) if bought separately, plus your domain and card fees. Done-for-you plans fold hosting, security and small changes into one monthly fee.
How long does it take to get an online shop live?
A simple shop takes days to a few weeks once your products and photos are ready. Bigger stores with custom features take months.
How many products can I have in a simple shop?
It depends on the plan. Adyft Shop Starter holds 50 products and Shop Growth holds 500. Beyond that, a bigger store is the better fit.
A simple shop, ready to take orders
Answer a few questions on WhatsApp. We build the shop, connect card payments and look after it. Shop Starter is £2,999 plus £99 a month.