Total cost of ownership

Shopify TCO Calculator

See how Shopify can help your business reduce costs and increase revenue, based on real data and research conducted by a leading consulting firm.

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Shopify’s TCO is 33% better than the competition, on average

33% better on average Total cost of ownership

23% better Platform costs

19% better Operation and maintenance costs

All values are average. Data according to research commissioned by Shopify from a leading independent consulting firm.

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Enter your business details to see how Shopify compares to your current ownership costs.

We unpack the research behind our calculations and outline best practices for optimizing your own enterprise operations.

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On average, Shopify’s implementation costs are 33% better

We unpack the research behind our calculations and outline best practices for optimizing your own enterprise operations.

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Shopify’s TCO vs. Adobe Commerce, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce

Total cost of ownership of Shopify compared with Adobe Commerce, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce, by cost area
Cost area	Shopify	Adobe Commerce (Magento)	Salesforce Commerce Cloud	BigCommerce	WooCommerce
Overall total cost of ownership	Shopify33% better TCO than the competition on average, and up to 36% better¹	Adobe Commerce (Magento)Shopify’s TCO is 29% better than Adobe Commerce (Magento)¹	Salesforce Commerce CloudShopify’s TCO is 35% better than Salesforce Commerce Cloud¹	BigCommerceShopify’s TCO is 31% better than BigCommerce¹	WooCommerceShopify’s TCO is 36% better than WooCommerce¹
Implementation and setup costs	Shopify33% better implementation costs, on average¹	Adobe Commerce (Magento)42% higher than Shopify¹	Salesforce Commerce Cloud16% higher than Shopify¹	BigCommerce88% higher than Shopify¹	WooCommerce49% higher than Shopify¹
Platform fees and ecommerce stack costs	Shopify23% better platform costs, on average¹	Adobe Commerce (Magento)42% higher than Shopify¹	Salesforce Commerce Cloud14% higher than Shopify¹	BigCommerce32% higher than Shopify¹	WooCommerce32% higher than Shopify¹
Ongoing operations and maintenance costs	Shopify19% better operating costs, on average¹	Adobe Commerce (Magento)24% higher than Shopify¹	Salesforce Commerce Cloud6% higher than Shopify¹	BigCommerce21% higher than Shopify¹	WooCommerce41% higher than Shopify¹
Time to launch a new storefront	Shopify37% faster than the average competitor¹	Adobe Commerce (Magento)Migrating to Shopify is 25% faster on average than migrating to Adobe Commerce²	Salesforce Commerce CloudShopify is 28% faster than Salesforce Commerce Cloud¹	BigCommerceShopify is 36% faster than BigCommerce¹	WooCommerceShopify is 41% faster than WooCommerce¹
Implementation speed when migrating	ShopifySpeed of implementation for brands migrating to Shopify is 20% faster than competitors, on average²	Adobe Commerce (Magento)Migrating to Shopify is 25% faster on average than migrating to Adobe Commerce²	Salesforce Commerce CloudMigrating to Shopify is 22% faster on average than migrating to Salesforce Commerce Cloud²	BigCommerceMigrating to Shopify is 10% faster on average than migrating to BigCommerce²	WooCommerceMigrating to Shopify is 10% faster on average than migrating to WooCommerce²

¹ Research commissioned by Shopify from a leading independent consulting firm, December 2023 to January 2024, based on a survey of 250 enterprises in the US and Canada with revenue of $10 million or more on Shopify, Adobe Commerce (Magento), Salesforce Commerce Cloud, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce. Cost figures are averages.
² The Pursuit of Time to Value: Unlocking Agility and Growth in Today’s Commerce Market, EY, commissioned by Shopify, 2025 (shopify.com/resource/time-to-value-guide). Figures compare migrations to Shopify with migrations to each platform. All values are averages.

Total cost of ownership FAQ

Shopify’s TCO calculator is based on research Shopify commissioned from a leading independent consulting firm, which studied total cost of ownership across five major ecommerce platforms from December 2023 to January 2024.¹ Research inputs were collected from an executive survey, in-depth executive interviews, secondary research (e.g., market and industry reports, review boards), and global subject matter advisors (SMAs) with in-depth expertise in ecommerce.

The research surveyed 250 enterprises using Shopify, Adobe Commerce (Magento), Salesforce Commerce Cloud, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce.¹ Respondents were based in the U.S. and Canada, and represented businesses of different sizes, industries, and revenue ranges (surveyed businesses had revenues of $10M and greater). The expert interviews were conducted with enterprise leaders responsible for managing and making investment decisions related to ecommerce platforms. Global SMAs knowledgeable in ecommerce platforms and enterprise pricing were also consulted throughout the research.

Ecommerce total cost of ownership (TCO) is every direct and indirect cost an enterprise incurs to buy, implement, and run a commerce platform, including licensing and transaction fees, apps, hosting, staff, and data migration.¹ Our TCO assessments holistically view the total cost that enterprises may incur from their initial purchase of an ecommerce platform to the recurring expenses needed to keep the platform operational. More specifically, for this calculator, our research design and analysis were informed by three TCO drivers:

Platform Fees & E-commerce Stack Costs
Operational & Support Costs, and
Implementation & Setup Costs

Enterprise brands can reduce commerce platform ownership costs by lowering platform fees, operating and support costs, and implementation costs. According to research commissioned by Shopify from a leading independent consulting firm, Shopify’s TCO is 33% better than competing commerce platforms on average and up to 36% better, with 23% better platform costs, 19% better operating costs, and 33% better implementation costs on average.¹

Shopify’s TCO is 29% better than Adobe Commerce (Magento), 35% better than Salesforce Commerce Cloud, 31% better than BigCommerce, and 36% better than WooCommerce, according to research commissioned by Shopify from a leading independent consulting firm.¹ Competitor costs are also higher in key TCO categories. Adobe platform and implementation costs are 42% higher, BigCommerce implementation costs are 88% higher, Salesforce operating costs are 6% higher, and WooCommerce operating costs are 41% higher than Shopify.¹

On average, Shopify’s implementation costs are 33% better than competitors’, according to research commissioned by Shopify from a leading independent consulting firm.¹ Implementation and setup costs are 88% higher for BigCommerce, 49% higher for WooCommerce, 42% higher for Adobe Commerce, and 16% higher for Salesforce Commerce Cloud.¹ A new Shopify storefront can be implemented 37% faster than with the average competitor.¹ Speed of implementation for brands migrating to Shopify is also 20% faster on average compared to competitors.²

On average, Shopify’s platform costs are 23% better than competitors’, according to research commissioned by Shopify from a leading independent consulting firm.¹ Adobe’s platform fees and ecommerce stack costs are 42% higher, BigCommerce’s and WooCommerce’s are 32% higher, and Salesforce Commerce Cloud’s are 14% higher.¹ These costs include platform and licensing fees, transaction and payment processing fees, and the third-party apps, plugins, and integrations a platform needs to meet enterprise requirements.

Operational and support costs are the recurring costs of keeping an ecommerce platform running after launch, including developer and DevOps staff, hosting and infrastructure, security, and platform administration.¹ On average, Shopify’s operating costs are 19% better than competitors’. WooCommerce’s operational and support costs are 41% higher, Adobe’s are 24% higher, BigCommerce’s are 21% higher, and Salesforce’s are 6% higher.¹ On-premise and open-source platforms such as Adobe Commerce and WooCommerce also add hosting costs.¹

Calculate ecommerce platform total cost of ownership by adding implementation and setup costs, platform fees and ecommerce stack costs, and ongoing operational and support costs, typically over a three- or five-year horizon.¹ Shopify’s TCO calculator compares five years of costs on your current platform with five years on Shopify, including implementation, and accounts for differences in checkout conversion.

A commerce platform TCO calculator should include implementation and setup costs, platform and licensing fees, payment processing and transaction fees, third-party apps and integrations, and operational and support costs such as development, hosting, and platform administration.¹ Costs that recur after launch matter as much as the purchase price, because they carry a disproportionate share of total cost over time.¹

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This tool provides an estimate only based on results extrapolated from research commissioned by Shopify from a leading independent consulting firm. Actual total cost of ownership may vary. Shopify makes no representations, warranties, or guarantees with respect to the accuracy or reliability of this tool or the results obtained, including that your actual total cost of ownership is or will be higher or lower on any platform by any amount. By using this tool, you acknowledge and agree that Shopify will have no liability directly or indirectly arising from or in connection with your use of or reliance on this tool or any results obtained.

Total cost of ownership

Shopify’s TCO is 33% better than the competition, on average

33% better on average Total cost of ownership

23% better Platform costs

19% better Operation and maintenance costs

Calculate TCO

On average, Shopify’s implementation costs are 33% better

Shopify’s TCO vs. Adobe Commerce, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce

Total cost of ownership FAQ

What research is Shopify’s TCO calculator based on?

Who participated in Shopify’s TCO research?

What does total cost of ownership mean for an ecommerce platform?

How can enterprise brands reduce commerce platform ownership costs?

How does Shopify’s total cost of ownership compare with other ecommerce platforms?

Which ecommerce platform has the lowest total cost of ownership?

How do implementation costs compare across ecommerce platforms?

How do platform fees and ecommerce stack costs compare across platforms?

What are the hidden recurring costs of an ecommerce platform after launch?

How do I calculate ecommerce platform total cost of ownership?

What should a commerce platform TCO calculator include?

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