Ecommerce app development cost at a glance
- Ecommerce MVP, web
- Build cost, our model$38,500 to $53,500
- Build time5 to 7 weeks
- Main cost driversAccounts, checkout, search, one payment connection
- Shopping app, iPhone and Android, cross-platform
- Build cost, our model$74,500 to $95,000
- Build time10 to 12 weeks
- Main cost driversCheckout, search, push, store and payment connections
- Shopping app, two native apps
- Build cost, our model$91,000 to $111,500
- Build time9 to 11 weeks
- Main cost driversA second codebase for iPhone and Android
- Shopping app with loyalty, admin and languages
- Build cost, our model$84,000 to $116,000
- Build time8 to 11 weeks
- Main cost driversAdmin panel, translations, CRM or loyalty connection
- Headless storefront, web
- Build cost, our model$59,500 to $81,500
- Build time8 to 11 weeks
- Main cost driversCustom front end, content pages, email
- B2B wholesale ordering portal
- Build cost, our model$65,500 to $94,000
- Build time9 to 12 weeks
- Main cost driversCompany accounts, buyer roles, invoices, ERP
- Multi-vendor marketplace
- Build cost, our model$76,500 to $116,500
- Build time8 to 11 weeks
- Main cost driversSeller roles, payouts, messaging, seller dashboard
- AI product search or shopping assistant
- Build cost, our model$24,000 to $38,000
- Build time5 to 8 weeks
- Main cost driversAssistant over your catalog, analytics
| Ecommerce app type | Build cost, our model | Build time | Main cost drivers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecommerce MVP, web | $38,500 to $53,500 | 5 to 7 weeks | Accounts, checkout, search, one payment connection |
| Shopping app, iPhone and Android, cross-platform | $74,500 to $95,000 | 10 to 12 weeks | Checkout, search, push, store and payment connections |
| Shopping app, two native apps | $91,000 to $111,500 | 9 to 11 weeks | A second codebase for iPhone and Android |
| Shopping app with loyalty, admin and languages | $84,000 to $116,000 | 8 to 11 weeks | Admin panel, translations, CRM or loyalty connection |
| Headless storefront, web | $59,500 to $81,500 | 8 to 11 weeks | Custom front end, content pages, email |
| B2B wholesale ordering portal | $65,500 to $94,000 | 9 to 12 weeks | Company accounts, buyer roles, invoices, ERP |
| Multi-vendor marketplace | $76,500 to $116,500 | 8 to 11 weeks | Seller roles, payouts, messaging, seller dashboard |
| AI product search or shopping assistant | $24,000 to $38,000 | 5 to 8 weeks | Assistant over your catalog, analytics |
Every row is a result of our own estimate model at $89 per hour of team time, with design, QA and project management included. They are model results for the features listed, not quotes. Run the same model with your own features in the estimate and you get your own range.
Why cost guides quote $20,000 to $400,000
Ecommerce cost guides published by agencies in 2026 quote anything from $20,000 for a basic app to $400,000 and more for an enterprise platform. The spread is that wide because the guides mix three different things: a store owner who needs a shopping app on top of an existing store, a founder building a marketplace from zero, and a retailer replacing its whole commerce platform. If you already sell on a commerce platform, you are almost always in the first group, and your app is a new front end on top of a catalog, checkout and order system that already exist. That is the cheapest case, and it is the one our table above prices.
How much does it cost to build an ecommerce app per feature?
Each feature adds a fixed band of hours in our model, and design, QA and project management add 45 percent on top. These are the lines that move an ecommerce budget most:
- Checkout and payments
- Hours32 to 64
- Added cost with design, QA and PMabout $4,100 to $8,300
- Product search and filters
- Hours16 to 40
- Added cost with design, QA and PMabout $2,100 to $5,200
- Push notifications for drops, carts and restocks
- Hours16 to 32
- Added cost with design, QA and PMabout $2,100 to $4,100
- Admin panel for merchandising and support
- Hours40 to 80
- Added cost with design, QA and PMabout $5,200 to $10,300
- Multiple languages
- Hours16 to 32
- Added cost with design, QA and PMabout $2,100 to $4,100
- In-app chat with support or sellers
- Hours40 to 80
- Added cost with design, QA and PMabout $5,200 to $10,300
- AI shopping assistant
- Hours48 to 96
- Added cost with design, QA and PMabout $6,200 to $12,400
- Each connection to a store, ERP, CRM or loyalty system
- Hours16 to 48
- Added cost with design, QA and PMabout $2,100 to $6,200
- Second native platform instead of one cross-platform app
- Hours216 instead of 90
- Added cost with design, QA and PMabout $27,900 instead of $11,600
| Feature | Hours | Added cost with design, QA and PM |
|---|---|---|
| Checkout and payments | 32 to 64 | about $4,100 to $8,300 |
| Product search and filters | 16 to 40 | about $2,100 to $5,200 |
| Push notifications for drops, carts and restocks | 16 to 32 | about $2,100 to $4,100 |
| Admin panel for merchandising and support | 40 to 80 | about $5,200 to $10,300 |
| Multiple languages | 16 to 32 | about $2,100 to $4,100 |
| In-app chat with support or sellers | 40 to 80 | about $5,200 to $10,300 |
| AI shopping assistant | 48 to 96 | about $6,200 to $12,400 |
| Each connection to a store, ERP, CRM or loyalty system | 16 to 48 | about $2,100 to $6,200 |
| Second native platform instead of one cross-platform app | 216 instead of 90 | about $27,900 instead of $11,600 |
The connection lines are where ecommerce budgets surprise people. A shopping app usually talks to the commerce platform, a payment processor and often a review, loyalty or search service. Three connections add $6,200 to $18,600 before any screen gets designed.
Native or cross-platform for a shopping app
For most shopping apps, a single cross-platform codebase covers iPhone and Android and costs 15 to 18 percent less than two native apps in our model ($74,500 to $95,000 against $91,000 to $111,500). Product lists, product pages, carts and checkout do not need anything a cross-platform framework cannot do well. Native Swift and Kotlin earn their cost when the app leans on the device: camera-based try-on, heavy offline catalogs for field sales reps, or deep wallet and widget features. Our mobile app development page compares both in more detail.
Ecommerce app development cost vs an app builder subscription
App builders for commerce platforms are the main alternative to a custom build. A common Shopify app builder lists paid plans at $250, $500 and $1,000 a month in 2026, and Apple and Google charge $99 a year and a one-time $25 for developer accounts no matter which route you take.
- Build
- App builder at $500 a monthSetup time only
- Custom cross-platform shopping app$74,500 to $95,000
- Monthly platform or maintenance
- App builder at $500 a month$18,000
- Custom cross-platform shopping app$35,640 on our $990 Care plan, optional
- Total, three years
- App builder at $500 a monthabout $18,000
- Custom cross-platform shopping appabout $110,100 to $130,600
- Custom checkout, bundles and pricing rules
- App builder at $500 a monthWithin the builder's blocks
- Custom cross-platform shopping appBuilt to your rules
- Who owns the code
- App builder at $500 a monthThe builder
- Custom cross-platform shopping appYou
| Cost over three years | App builder at $500 a month | Custom cross-platform shopping app |
|---|---|---|
| Build | Setup time only | $74,500 to $95,000 |
| Monthly platform or maintenance | $18,000 | $35,640 on our $990 Care plan, optional |
| Total, three years | about $18,000 | about $110,100 to $130,600 |
| Custom checkout, bundles and pricing rules | Within the builder's blocks | Built to your rules |
| Who owns the code | The builder | You |
The honest answer is that an app builder is far cheaper for a store that needs its website in an app wrapper. A custom build is worth paying for when the app has to do something the builder cannot: wholesale price lists and buyer roles, a subscription flow the builder does not support, a marketplace with seller payouts, or a loyalty program wired to your own CRM. If you are not sure the app is the bottleneck at all, run a conversion audit of your current product and checkout pages first. Fixing the mobile web checkout is cheaper than any app.
What does an ecommerce app cost after launch?
Budget four lines once the app is live. App store accounts are $99 a year for Apple and $25 once for Google. Hosting for an app that reads from your existing store is usually small, because the commerce platform carries the catalog and the orders. Third-party services such as search, reviews or push messaging bill by their own plans. Maintenance covers new iOS and Android versions, platform API changes and small fixes, and our software maintenance plans start at $990 a month. Skipping maintenance is how a shopping app breaks quietly after the next operating system update.
How long does it take to build an ecommerce app?
Most ecommerce apps in our model take 8 to 12 weeks of build after a one week Discovery, and an MVP takes 5 to 7 weeks. Apple and Google review sit outside the build and usually take a few days. Plan the launch two to three weeks before your peak season, never inside it, so the first fixes do not land on your busiest days.
How to keep ecommerce app development cost down
- Keep the store as the source of truth. The app should read products and write orders through the platform API, not keep its own copy of the catalog.
- Launch cross-platform first. One codebase is cheaper to build and cheaper to maintain.
- Cut the admin panel to what support needs on day one. Merchandising tools can stay in the commerce platform you already pay for.
- Price every connection separately. Ask any vendor to list each integration with hours, so you can drop the ones that do not pay back.
- Buy in stages. Our Discovery stage costs 10 percent of the estimate, at least $1,900, and fixes the price of design, build and launch before you pay for them.
Get your ecommerce app priced
Our ecommerce app development company page shows the full scope we build, from shopping apps to B2B ordering portals and marketplaces. If you are launching a new store business from zero, MVP development cost covers how to size a first version. Pick your platform, features and connections in the estimate and you get hours, team, timeline and cost in about a minute.