Ecommerce platform costs

An ecommerce platform costs more than its advertised subscription. For an Australian store, compare the cash needed to launch against ongoing costs: platform, payment processing, apps, integrations, hosting where needed, and support. Use identical sales and payment assumptions for every option.

Build a budget you can update

Begin with expected monthly orders, average amount charged, number of payments and payment-method mix. Estimate a quiet month and a busy month too. These inputs show which costs vary with sales, without treating one forecast as certain.

Record each amount in its quoted currency. Before converting BigCommerce prices to an Australian-dollar estimate, confirm the applicable currency and tax treatment.

Essential Costs to Include in Your Australian Ecommerce Budget

Compare the cost structures

Shopify Shopify Payments card rates start at 1.7% + 30¢ AUD on Basic, 1.55% + 30¢ AUD on Grow, 1.35% + 30¢ AUD on Advanced and 1.15% + 30¢ AUD on Plus. A dearer plan may reduce an applicable payment rate, but the saving depends on the store’s payment mix and must be weighed against its subscription and feature needs.

BigCommerce also offers hosted plans, but sales can change plan cost. Its Core and Growth thresholds use trailing-12-month GMV and can trigger an automatic upgrade. Scale has a monthly GMV allowance and an overage rate.

Orders through providers in its Embedded Payment Provider programme have no additional BigCommerce order fee. Before modelling this cost, check the current provider classification and BigCommerce’s GMV definition.

WooCommerce has no subscription for its core WordPress plugin or core platform transaction fee. The store still needs hosting, a payment provider and any required paid extensions. Budget for someone to maintain the site and resolve problems, whether done in-house or purchased.

Payment Processing Fees: Shopify vs BigCommerce (AUD)

Check published prices and billing terms

Shopify Basic costs $42 a month when paid yearly, or $56 month to month; Grow costs $114 a month, Advanced $431 a month and Plus from $3,700 a month on yearly billing. Compare payment commitment and cost over the same period; don’t treat a promotional offer as the ongoing subscription price.

BigCommerce Core costs $29 a month, Growth $79 and Scale $299 when billed annually; Performance is custom-priced from $1,499 a month when billed annually. Its pricing page advertises savings with annual billing, so include the billing commitment in the comparison. Performance also includes a dedicated Customer Success Manager and 24/7 live phone and chat support.

Shopify lists POS Pro as an add-on for $129 a month for physical storefronts. Include it only if the proposed store needs those additional in-store capabilities.

Ecommerce Platform Cost Comparison for Australian Stores (Annual Billing)

Allow for WooCommerce’s chosen services

Hosting for most stores costs $25–$350 a month; extensions cost $29–$299 a year per extension. Treat these as planning figures; then confirm the currency and current price for the services selected before converting them to an Australian-dollar budget.

WooCommerce.com product assistance is available through documentation, live chat or a support ticket; phone support is unavailable. Support for the core WooCommerce plugin is provided through the WordPress.org support forum.

Separate the payment lines

A processor may charge a percentage of the payment plus a fixed amount per payment. A platform can add a separate fee under particular provider arrangements. Do not apply one card rate to all orders: estimate material payment categories separately and check terms for refunds, disputes and currency conversion.

Price the work between systems

List the tasks the store must perform, from product updates to fulfilled orders. Mark what the proposed plan already covers and what needs an app, extension or connection. For each addition, record its subscription or licence, usage basis, setup cost, renewal terms and support owner.

App charges can be recurring subscriptions, usage-based charges or one-time purchases. App subscriptions and usage charges are included in Shopify’s regular subscription bill; one-time purchases are billed separately.

Shopify subscription invoices are issued every 30 days and paid in advance for the upcoming period. App subscriptions and usage charges can have a separate 30-day billing cycle, so an app charge may not align neatly with the platform invoice.

Compare launch year and later years

Show one-off implementation work separately from recurring charges. A first-year total captures the cash needed to open; a later-year estimate captures renewals, processing, hosting and support. Keep an unquoted line marked unknown and update the estimate when sales, payment methods or plan tiers change.

Top Ecommerce Platforms by Total Cost of Ownership (Australia)