A shop platform suits you if your range is manageable and your processes are standard: show products, take payment, ship. A custom shop pays off if prices, order paths or the connection to your systems differ from the standard and that is what your business is about. At SIMPLY CODE SOLUTIONS a small shop is CHF 1'800 – 2'800, a shop with customer accounts is CHF 6'000 – 9'000.
What is a shop platform?
A shop platform is a ready-made system for selling online. You rent it by subscription or run standard software on your own hosting. Cart, payment and order management are included, and extensions come from a marketplace. With the rented option, the provider takes care of updates and security.
What is a custom shop?
A custom shop is developed for your business. It does exactly what you need, such as prices per customer group, your own order logic or a direct connection to your inventory system. In return, you carry the cost of development and operation, and every new feature is a project of its own.
The differences at a glance
- Start: A platform is usually up faster, a custom shop needs more time for concept and development.
- Cost: With a platform you keep paying the subscription and often fees per sale. With a custom shop more falls due at the start, plus operation.
- Adaptation: A platform does what it and its extensions allow. With a custom shop you set the rules.
- Dependence: With a rented platform you depend on the provider's prices and rules. With a custom shop you depend on the people who know the code.
- Maintenance: The provider maintains a rented platform. Self-hosted software and a custom shop need regular updates.
Five questions for the decision
- Do you sell like everyone else, or is your order path what makes your offer special?
- Do you have prices per customer, volume discounts or framework agreements that a platform cannot handle?
- Must the shop talk to an existing system for stock, accounting or production?
- Who maintains products, texts and images, and how much time is there for it?
- How many products and orders do you expect in two years?
If the first three answers point to something special, a custom solution is worth a look. Otherwise a platform is the more sensible start.
The middle way
The choice is rarely final. Many businesses start on a platform, learn what sells, and later add a custom feature through an interface. What matters is that you can export your product and customer data at any time. Check this before you sign.
What this means for your budget
You will find the guide prices under What does an online shop cost? and on the pricing page. In a conversation we work out which path suits your range, even if that means a platform.