— Online store · No platform subscription
An online store without Shopify
Every hosted platform charges rent. This page puts a real, dated number on what that rent costs over time, next to what an owned build costs instead — no platform subscription, ever.
01 · The answer
How much does an online store without Shopify cost?
An owned store starts at $1,490 to build. You pay for card processing and your own hosting, with no platform subscription. Later changes receive a separate fixed quote.
The comparison below covers platform subscription fees. Card processing, hosting and later changes are separate costs.
02 · The platform cost
What does Shopify actually cost over time?
Shopify's published Australian pricing, checked 7 September 2026, runs $56 a month on its Basic plan to $149 a month on its Grow plan, paid monthly, before a single sale is made.
Basic ($56/mo) to Grow ($149/mo), paid monthly, before any sales. Paying annually lowers the monthly rate but is billed upfront.
Charged on every online card sale through the platform's own payment gateway — in the same ballpark as a card fee anywhere.
Choosing a different payment processor adds this platform cut on top of that processor's own fee — a genuine double charge, not a card-network cost.
Source: Shopify's own Australian pricing page, checked 7 September 2026. Figures move — check the current page before treating these as quotes.
03 · The trade
What do you give up by owning it?
The platform's app marketplace, its one-click checkout updates, and its handling of PCI compliance and uptime. An owned build makes those your responsibility, or your studio's — that is the real trade, not a hidden catch.
For a small catalogue that does not need a marketplace of third-party apps, that trade is usually a good one. For a large, fast-moving catalogue leaning on plugins, it may not be — this page is a cost comparison, not a claim that ownership suits everyone.
04 · What ships instead
What does an owned online store need to include?
A hosted platform bundles these into its subscription. An owned build has them built in from day one, with nothing metered by usage.
Tax by destination
GST-inclusive at home, GST-free on export, handled by where the order ships — not just by IP address.
Live freight quotes
A real carrier rate per cart, from the actual parcel dimensions and weight — not a flat table that quietly over- or under-charges.
Tax-invoice emails
Every order confirmation is a compliant tax invoice, not a plain receipt.
Order desk + stock control
A staff view for orders and refunds, and a stock ledger that restocks on cancellation.
05 · Proof
Has this actually been built?
Yes. Outlap has shipped one: an online store for an engineering business, selling machined parts and licensed software worldwide, from first commit to taking live card payments in three days — with every item above already running.
Get your number
Tell us about the store: what you sell, where, and roughly how many products. Two to four minutes, mostly taps, and a fixed quote comes back within 2 business days.
Start your buildPrefer to talk first? Contact us.