E-commerce Website Cost in Ireland: 2026 Price Guide
Quick answer: A professional e-commerce website for an Irish small business typically costs €2,000–€6,000 to build, plus running costs of €50–€300+ per month (platform fees, payments, apps, maintenance). Simple shops on Shopify can launch for less; large catalogues or custom requirements cost more. The build price matters less than most owners think — the design quality of your product pages and checkout determines whether the shop actually sells.
Platform choice drives everything
| Platform | Build cost | Monthly running | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify | €1,500–€4,000 | €36–€100+ (plus app fees) | Most Irish product businesses — fastest to launch, least maintenance |
| WooCommerce (WordPress) | €2,000–€6,000 | €30–€150 (hosting, plugins, upkeep) | Content-heavy shops; more control, more maintenance |
| Custom build | €6,000+ | varies | Unusual requirements, integrations, scale |
Our honest default for Irish SMEs: Shopify unless there's a specific reason not to. The €36/month fee buys you hosting, security, checkout compliance and updates you'd otherwise pay a developer to maintain.
The costs nobody mentions up front
- Payment fees — typically 1.5–2.9% + fixed per transaction (Stripe/Shopify Payments); factor it into margins
- Product photography and copy — often the difference between a shop that sells and one that doesn't; budget for it
- Apps/plugins — reviews, email, shipping calculators add €20–€100/month surprisingly fast
- Marketing — "build it and they will come" fails online; plan for SEO and/or ads from day one
What makes an Irish online shop actually sell
- Product pages with real photos, honest descriptions, visible price including VAT and clear delivery costs to Ireland/UK/EU
- A checkout with no forced account creation and Apple/Google Pay enabled
- Trust signals: reviews, returns policy, a real Irish address and phone number
- Fast loading on mobile — most Irish shopping traffic is a phone on 4G
- Local SEO if you also have a physical shop — "click and collect Kilkenny" is a real search
Is an online shop worth it for your business?
Sometimes the honest answer is no — a €4,000 shop selling €20 items needs real volume to pay back. Sometimes it transforms the business overnight. The maths is knowable in advance: average order value × realistic monthly orders × margin, versus build + running + marketing cost. Book a free call and we'll do that maths with you before you spend anything.