The cost of an online store depends less on the price tag of the store software than on ten cost categories—and on which of them grow along with sales. In our sample calculations, the recurring costs—excluding marketing—range from about €300 to €350 per month for a small store and from about €1,550 to €2,000 for a medium-sized store; once sales reach a certain level, payment processing fees become the largest single expense. This guide outlines all cost categories, breaks down three platform models, and lists the questions you should ask every provider before signing a contract.
At a Glance
- Shop software is just one of ten cost categories: hosting, domain, payment processing fees, revenue sharing, apps, design, legal documents, marketing, and maintenance are also included.
- Payment fees apply to every online store system —usually a percentage plus a fixed amount per payment; according to the providers’ pricing pages, thisis approximately 1.5% + €0.25 (Stripe, standard cards from the EEA) or 2.99% + €0.39 (PayPal Checkout, domestic payments), as of October 2026.
- Revenue-based platform fees increase accordingly: a 1% revenue share costs a store with €50,000 in monthly revenue €6,000 per year.
- Open source saves on the license, not on operations: You—or a service provider—pay for hosting, updates, and security.
- Anyone shipping packaged goods must register with the LUCID packaging registry and sign a system participation agreement before sending the first package—an expense that many cost estimates overlook.
- Offers can only be compared based on the total annual costs, calculated relative to your projected revenue.
What costs are involved in running an online store?
The costs of an online store are divided into ten categories. Some are one-time expenses, some occur monthly, and some are charged per order. The third group is crucial for planning: it grows automatically as the store grows.
| Cost Category | When it occurs | What determines the amount |
|---|---|---|
| Shop software (rental, subscription, or license) | Monthly or one-time | Cost model, feature set, plan limits for products, orders, or employee accounts |
| Hosting and operation | Monthly | Often included in the rental package; for self-hosted software, servers, backups, and security are additional costs |
| Domain and SSL certificate | annually | Domain extension and provider; SSL certificates are also available for free, for example from the Let’s Encrypt certificate authority |
| Payment fees | per payment | Payment method, card issuer, currency, and contract with the payment provider |
| Platform revenue share or transaction fee | Per order or revenue | Only applies to some SaaS models; added to the payment fees |
| Apps, plugins, modules | Monthly or one-time | whether basic features such as filters, reviews, or B2B pricing are included in the standard package |
| Design and setup | one-time | Standard template or custom design; provider’s setup fee |
| Legal texts | Monthly (subscription) or one-time (lawyer) | Product range, countries of delivery, residential or business customers |
| Marketing | Monthly | Channels such as search engines, ads, marketplaces, and newsletters |
| Maintenance and further development | Ongoing | Updates, adjustments, support—included in the package or billed by the hour |
How much does an online store cost per month? Two sample calculations
The following sample calculations show how the cost components break down. Two example stores: a small store with €5,000 in monthly revenue from 100 orders (average €50) and a medium-sized store with €50,000 in monthly revenue from 625 orders (average €80). All figures are illustrative estimates, net and excluding marketing; actual prices depend on the provider, pricing plan, and contract. Substitute your own figures.
Costs incurred with every online store system (per month)
| Cost Category (Assumption) | Small store | Medium-sized store |
|---|---|---|
| Payment fees: Avg. 2% + €0.30 per order (mix of credit card, PayPal, invoice, and prepayment) | €130 | €1,187.50 |
| Legal Text Subscription | 15 | 15 |
| Packaging License (System Participation, based on quantity) | 5 € | 40 € |
| Domain and email, if not included in the package | 5 € | 5 € |
| Subtotal without platform | 155 € | €1,247.50 |
Platform costs per model and total costs
| Platform model (assumption) | Small store: Platform fee per month | Small store: Total per year | Medium-sized store: Platform fee per month | Medium-sized store: Total per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A – Fixed-price package with hosting, updates, and support (€150 or €300) | €150 | €3,660 | 300 € | €18,570 |
| B – Website Builder Subscription with Revenue Share: Base fee of 40 € or 100 €, 1% of revenue, apps 60 € or 150 € | 150 € | €3,660 | 750 € | 23,970 |
| C – Open Source, self-hosted: License €0, hosting €30 or €80, maintenance by a service provider €150 or €400, plugins €20 or €60 | 200 € | 4,260 | 540 | 21,450 |
Three patterns emerge from the figures:
- For the small shop, the models are close together (€305 to €355 per month). Here, the deciding factors are the range of features, support, and the direction the shop is expected to take in the future.
- For the medium-sized shop, the revenue share drives the costs: 1% of revenue amounts to €6,000 per year. In this example, Model B therefore costs €5,400 more per year than Model A—for the same service.
- Payment processing fees become the largest expense starting at medium sales volumes: In the example, they account for a good three-quarters of Model A’s operating costs—and this holds true for every shop system. The mix of payment methods and the terms offered by payment providers should therefore be included in every calculation, regardless of the system chosen.
Marketing is deliberately not included in the examples. It is often the largest flexible expense category and depends heavily on the industry, channel, and competition.
What hidden fees are there with online stores?
“Hidden” rarely means that something is being concealed—it’s usually in the fine print or only becomes apparent as the business grows. These items are often missing from initial calculations:
- Platform transaction fees: Some SaaS models charge a percentage per order, in addition to the payment provider’s fees. In some cases, this fee is waived only if the platform’s in-house payment service is used. Our article on shop systems without revenue sharing shows how this adds up over the years.
- Apps for basic features: Filters, reviews, multilingual content, or net prices for business customers aren’t always included as standard. Each app requires its own subscription.
- Plan Limits: Caps on products, orders, storage, or employee accounts force you to switch to a more expensive plan as soon as the store grows.
- Payment provider surcharges: International cards and currency conversion cost more. On its pricing page, Stripe lists 3.15% + €0.25 for international cards and an additional 2% for currency conversion (as of October 2026).
- Marketplace commissions: Anyone who also sells on marketplaces pays a commission there per sale—regardless of the store system.
- Packaging license: Anyone selling packaged goods in Germany must be registered in the LUCID packaging registry and participate in a packaging recycling system through a system operator. The costs depend on quantity and material.
- Chamber of Commerce (IHK) Fee: Business owners are generally required to pay a fee. Sole proprietorships and partnerships not entered in the Commercial Register are exempt from this fee for business income up to 5,200 €, and founders are exempt under certain conditions during the first few years (Section 3(3) of the Chamber of Commerce Act (IHKG)).
- System-switching costs: Long contract terms, a lack of data export options, or a complex migration process can make switching systems later on expensive. These costs don’t arise until the end—so decisions about them should be made at the beginning.
What one-time costs are involved at the start?
In addition to ongoing costs, launching your business requires a separate budget. How much this amounts to depends primarily on how much you handle yourself:
- Business registration: The fee is set by the local municipality.
- Setup: Some providers charge a setup fee, others do not—check the quote.
- Design: Customization of a standard template or a custom design.
- Product data: Photos, text, and product features—often the most time-consuming task, whether done in-house or outsourced.
- Legal texts: Drafted by a lawyer or provided by a legal text service.
- Data migration: When migrating from another system, products, customers, orders, and SEO URLs are transferred.
- Launch marketing and packaging materials: Initial supplies for shipping and the first campaigns.
What should I look for in quotes for e-commerce platforms?
These questions make quotes comparable. They also cover points that are rarely listed in price tables: data protection, interfaces, and the ability to switch providers later.
| Question for the Provider | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| What’s included in the monthly price—hosting, updates, security updates, backups, SSL, support? | If any of these are missing, they’ll be added as a separate cost item. |
| Is there a revenue share or transaction fee—even one that applies only to certain payment services? | It increases with every euro of revenue. |
| Which features cost extra: apps, modules, additional user accounts? | The base price doesn’t tell you much if basic features can be added separately. |
| Where is the data hosted? Is there a data processing agreement? Is data transferred to third countries? | The store operator remains responsible for customer data; Article 28 of the GDPR requires a contract with the data processor. |
| Which payment and shipping providers are already integrated? | Every missing integration costs time, money, or an additional plugin. |
| What are the contract term, notice period, and price adjustment rules? | These factors determine how flexibly you’ll be able to respond later on. |
| In what format will I receive my data if I switch providers? | A complete export reduces the cost of switching. |
| Who provides support in case of problems, through which channels, at what times, and at what cost? | Pay-as-you-go support can end up being more expensive than a higher-tier package. |
We’ve summarized how to address data protection issues in detail in our article on GDPR-compliant shop systems.
How much does the XONIC Shop System cost?
The XONIC Shop System operates under Model A: fixed monthly prices with no revenue share. Basic costs €149, Professional €249, and Premium €449 per month with annual billing (€199, €299, and €499, respectively, with monthly billing); Enterprise pricing is negotiated individually. All prices are net plus VAT; the contract term is 12 months, and the setup fee is €0. Included are hosting in Germany, updates, an SSL certificate, daily backups, and support. Fees charged by payment providers and commissions charged by marketplaces apply as with any system; these go directly to the respective provider, and XONIC receives no share of them. Optional add-ons include marketplace integrations starting with the Professional package (from 19 € per month plus a one-time setup fee per marketplace) and additional employee accounts (20 € per month per account). If you’re switching from another system, you can commission data migration as a service at a fixed price starting at €1,200. The pricing page shows a comparison of all packages, as of October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Costs of an Online Store
Sources
- Stripe: Prices and Fees (Germany), accessed on October 4, 2026
- PayPal: Merchant Fees, accessed on October 4, 2026
- Central Packaging Register Foundation: Mail-Order and Online Retail
- Section 3 of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce Act (IHKG): Fees and Exemptions from Fees
- § 14 GewO: Obligation to File a Report
- General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679, Art. 28 Data Processors
- Let's Encrypt: Free, Automated, and Open Certificate Authority
Stephan Dunger
Stephan Dunger is one of the brains behind the XONIC store system. He has been developing the platform together with the team since 2012 - from the database to the interfaces to the checkout.
A passionate programmer, technical mind and consultant at the same time: with his in-depth knowledge of store systems and e-commerce, Stephan combines the depth of a developer with an eye for the big picture. Together with the XONIC team, he shapes the technical direction, consistently thinks about functions from the retailer's perspective and advises on customized solutions.
The result is software with a face: customers don't get an anonymous provider, but a direct line to the people who develop XONIC. Pragmatic, fast and at eye level.
