What Affects E-Commerce Website Prices?
Explains the items that affect e-commerce website prices, the hidden costs that appear later, and how a single all-inclusive package differs from tiered plans.
Aurora YazılımEditorial team
6 min read
E-commerce website prices vary with whether the design is custom or ready-made, whether marketplace, shipping and e-invoice integrations are included in the package, whether a commission is charged per sale, add-on module fees and the scope of support. For a fair comparison, you need to look not at the starting price but at the total annual cost.
Why Can't There Be a Single Price?
When you ask about e-commerce website prices, you run into very different figures, and that is confusing. The reason is that products sold under the same name actually contain very different things. One quote covers only the storefront, while another also includes design, integrations, training and support.
Instead of giving a price range, this article goes through the items that make up the price one by one. Our aim is to help you compare the quotes in front of you on the same criteria, because the quote that looks cheapest at first glance can be the most expensive option at the end of a year.
Another factor that affects the price is your business itself. A boutique selling a few dozen products and a wholesaler selling thousands of variants across several marketplaces do not have the same needs. That is why, before requesting quotes, listing your product count, sales channels and the bank, shipping and invoicing providers you use in one place helps make the quotes you receive realistic.
The Key Items That Set the Price
The cost of an e-commerce project is made up of a few main items. Asking in writing which of these items are included and which are excluded in each quote prevents surprises later.
| Item | How does it affect the price? |
|---|---|
| Design | Ready-made theme, adapted theme or custom design |
| Software license | One-time, monthly or annual; tiered plans |
| Integrations | Marketplace, shipping, e-invoice, payment; included or separate? |
| Add-on modules | Are features such as campaigns, multiple languages, B2B and blog sold separately? |
| Sales commission | Does the platform take a percentage of every sale? |
| Setup and data transfer | Bulk product import, migration from the old site |
| Training and support | Support hours, channels and whether extra fees apply |
The Impact of Design
A store built on a ready-made theme launches quickly, but it looks similar to other stores using the same theme and some points may not fit your product structure. In custom design, category, product and checkout pages are built around your products. At Aurora, no ready-made themes are used; concept design is prepared separately for each store and is included in the package.
Where Do Hidden Costs Hide?
Hidden costs usually come not from bad intent but from the package structure. The starter plan includes the basics; as your business grows, every feature you need is added as a separate line item. In the end you get a monthly expense far above the first price.
- Plugin and module fees: separate payment for features such as coupons, multiple languages, product reviews and advanced filters.
- Intermediary integration program: a subscription paid to a third company for marketplace and accounting connections.
- Commission per sale: an expense that grows as revenue grows.
- Forced plan upgrades: moving to a higher plan when you hit a product or order limit.
- Theme and design changes: a separate work fee even for a small edit.
- Support fee: paid support outside certain hours or above a certain quota.
Single Package vs. Tiered Plans
There are two basic models on the market. In the tiered model, you start with a basic plan and add modules and plugins as needs arise. In the single-package model, all features and integrations are included in the package from the start; you do not change software or plans as you grow.
Aurora Smart E-Commerce is offered as a single package; there is no plan, module or add-on distinction, and no hidden costs appear later. Custom design; PayTR, iyzico and bank virtual POS (payment gateway) connections; eight marketplaces; shipping and e-invoice connections; a campaign and coupon system; multilingual international sales; a mobile management app; backup and security; training and 24/7 support are all included in this package. You can find the details on our e-commerce infrastructure page.
| Criterion | Tiered plan | Single package, everything included |
|---|---|---|
| Starting cost | Usually looks low | The scope is clear from the start |
| Cost as you grow | Rises with every new need | Stays fixed on the software side |
| Integrations | Often a separate module or program | Inside the system, no intermediary program |
| Budget planning | Hard to predict | The annual cost is known in advance |
Costs Outside the Platform
Whichever infrastructure you choose, some expenses go directly to third parties and are not part of the software price. They need to be added to the budget separately; otherwise you will estimate the software cost lower than it is.
- Virtual POS commission: the share a bank or payment institution takes from every transaction. For details, see our article on what a virtual POS (payment gateway) is.
- Shipping fees: determined by the agreement you make with the shipping company.
- E-invoice provider fee: the agreement made with the private integrator you choose.
- Domain renewal: a small item paid annually.
- Advertising budget: marketing spend set aside to bring in visitors.
- Product photography and content: for the initial upload and for new products.
Cost Calculation on Commission-Based Platforms
Some platforms charge a percentage per sale on top of a monthly fee, or apply extra transaction fees for external payment methods. At a start with low turnover the difference looks small, but as sales grow it can become the biggest expense item.
The calculation is simple: multiply your estimated annual turnover by the platform's per-sale rate and add the monthly fee. Do the same calculation for an infrastructure that charges no commission. We covered this topic in more detail in our Shopify alternative article, where we compare global platforms with local needs.
Annual total = (monthly fee x 12)
+ (annual revenue x sales commission rate)
+ extra module and plugin fees
+ intermediary integration program subscription
+ paid support and design changesThe Hidden Price of the Cheap Option
Cost is not just the fee you pay. A store that loads slowly, a complicated checkout step or a system with no stock sync creates a price measured in lost orders. Every order abandoned in the cart is unpaid but lost revenue; we covered this in our article on cart abandonment rate.
Time is a cost as well. Logging in to each marketplace panel separately to update stock, issuing invoices by hand and creating shipping labels one by one takes a full-time employee's whole day as orders increase. An integration structure that automates these jobs is a direct saving in labor.
Comparing Quotes Correctly
Put the quotes in front of you into the same table and fill in every row. Blank rows show the items you will pay for later. If you will also sell on marketplaces, ask separately whether marketplace integration is included in the package.
- Is the design custom or a ready-made theme?
- Which integrations are included and which cost extra?
- Is there a commission per sale?
- Is there a limit on products, orders or users?
- What is the scope of training and support, and is there an extra fee?
- Can you take your data and domain whenever you want?
Frequently Asked Questions
01Why don't you state the price directly?
Because the right price becomes clear based on your product structure, your language needs and the providers you use. A business that knows its line items can compare quotes itself. Since Aurora has a single package, the scope of the quote is always the same.
02Is the virtual POS commission included in the e-commerce package?
No; the virtual POS (payment gateway) commission is paid to the bank or payment institution according to the agreement you make with it. The software provides this connection but does not set the commission rate. You can compare rates by getting quotes from a few institutions.
03I use DionPOS. Is it included in the package?
DionPOS is a separate POS and ERP program; its license is purchased separately from DionPOS. If you use it, it connects to your Aurora panel and stock and prices are synced with the site, but the program itself is not part of the e-commerce package.
04Is a single package too much for a small store?
The advantage of a single package is that as you grow you never have to switch software or buy new modules. A feature you do not use today is already ready when the need arises, with no extra fee. When deciding, think not about today's size but about your scale two or three years from now.
When comparing e-commerce website prices, look not at the starting figure but at the total you will pay at the end of a year and the time you will lose. You can explore our all-inclusive e-commerce infrastructure model on the e-commerce solutions page, and reach us for a comprehensive quote through our contact page.
