The cost of setting up an online store in 2026: every item and what the plan price hides
What it costs to open an online store: the platform subscription, domain, design, payment fees, shipping, returns and ads, and hidden costs such as commission and paid apps, with a realistic starting budget.
The ArabyBot teamOfficial Meta partner · written from our own platform dataOn this page 5
The short answer
An online store costs four kinds of money: the platform subscription each month, one-off start-up costs such as the domain, template and photos, per-order costs such as gateway fees, shipping and returns, and the ad budget. What raises the real cost most is what the plan price does not show: a share of every order, paid apps you add, and cash-on-delivery returns. ArabyBot Store takes no commission on orders, the first template and link are free, and tools such as abandoned carts, reviews and points are built in with no apps.
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The cost items
| Item | When you pay it | What sets it |
|---|---|---|
| The platform subscription | Monthly or yearly | The plan and what it includes in products and staff |
| The domain | Yearly, and optional at the start | The extension and provider |
| Template and design | Once | A free or paid template, or a custom design |
| Payment gateway fees | With every online payment | Your contract with the gateway |
| Shipping | With every order | The courier, zone and weight |
| Returns | With every order that comes back | The refusal rate at the door |
| Ads | Monthly | Your budget and the cost per order from ads |
The costs the plan price hides
- A share of every order: some platforms take a commission or a fee on every transaction, which grows with your sales.
- Paid apps: abandoned carts, reviews, points and order confirmation can each be a separately billed app.
- Cash-on-delivery returns: every order refused at the door costs you shipping out and back. Work out the returns loss.
The cost with ArabyBot Store
ArabyBot Store's plans are monthly: «Start» at 350 EGP or 35 SAR, «Pro» at 750 EGP or 75 SAR and «Unlimited» at 1,500 EGP or 150 SAR. A year is priced as nine months; there is a 7-day trial before you pay; accounts on a running paid bot plan get 20% off; and no commission is taken on orders.
| Item | In ArabyBot Store |
|---|---|
| Commission on orders | None |
| Template and link | The first template and the arabybot.store link are free; premium templates are a one-off purchase |
| Abandoned carts, reviews and points | Built in, no apps |
| WhatsApp order confirmation | Built in, with Meta's messages at their price |
Start with the first plan, the free template and link, cash on delivery with confirmation before shipping, photos from your phone, and a small ad budget to test one product. Add the domain, a premium template and a gateway once orders repeat. To price your product from its full cost: the product price calculator.
A ready platform or a developer-built store?
| A ready platform | A developer-built store | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | Days | Weeks or months |
| First cost | A subscription and a template | Development, design and hosting |
| Maintenance and updates | On the platform | On you and the developer |
| Suits | Most stores | Very specific requirements |
Frequently asked questions
Can I open an online store for free?
Some platforms offer a limited free plan and make up for it with a share of orders or paid apps. Work out a full month with your orders before judging. A free online store.
How much does designing an online store cost?
On ready platforms a free template or a one-off paid one is enough, and you adjust colours and logo yourself. A custom design from a designer or developer costs far more and varies with what is required. Designing an online store.
Is a domain necessary?
Not to start; the store runs on a free platform link, and a domain with your store's name builds trust as you grow. In ArabyBot Store you buy one in settings or connect one you own, with a free security certificate. A custom domain for the store.
How we write these guides Figures come from our platform and Meta's actual invoices, dated with their sample; we describe what works today, not what we plan, and say what we do not do and when someone else is the better choice. Reviewed by the ArabyBot team on 21 October 2026.
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