Ecommerce Website Cost Philippines: Honest 2026 Guide

If you sell anything in Metro Manila, from baked goods in Quezon City to sneakers in BGC, sooner or later you want an online store. The first question is always the same: what does an ecommerce website actually cost in the Philippines? The honest answer is that it depends less on the design and more on how you take payments, how you ship, and how many products you carry. This guide breaks down the real numbers, compares Shopify with a custom build you own, and shows a two-year total so you can plan with your eyes open.

What actually drives the cost

People assume the price of an online store is mostly about how it looks. In practice, four things move the number far more than the visuals.

• Number of products. A store with 12 items is quick to build. A catalog with 500 SKUs, variants for size and color, and stock counts takes real time to set up and organize.
• Payments. Filipino shoppers expect GCash, Maya, cards, and cash on delivery. Each one needs to be wired in and tested. COD in particular adds order confirmation and follow-up steps so you do not chase ghost orders.
• Delivery. Flat rate is simple. Rates by area, integration with Lalamove or a courier, and pickup options all add work.
• Design and content. A clean template costs less than a custom look built around your brand, your photos, and the way your customers actually buy.

Two stores can look almost identical and cost very differently because one takes three payment methods and ships nationwide while the other takes GCash only and delivers within one city.

The two roads: Shopify or a custom build

Most Metro Manila owners end up choosing between a hosted platform like Shopify and a custom store they own outright. Both can work. They just cost money in different shapes.

Shopify feels cheap on day one because you only pay a monthly fee. The catch is that the fee never stops, and Shopify takes a small cut of every sale unless you use their own payment tool, which is not fully available here yet. Add a few paid apps for things like COD or local shipping and the monthly total climbs quietly. A custom build costs more up front but has no platform fee and no transaction cut, so your costs stay flat as sales grow. We walk through this trade in more detail in our Shopify versus custom website comparison for the Philippines.

Honest peso ranges for an online store

Here is what different routes typically cost in the Philippines. Ranges reflect real small-business projects, not enterprise systems.

Our Commerce package lands at P45,000 as a one-time build. You get a full online store with your products, GCash and Maya and COD set up, delivery rules that match how you ship, and a design built around your brand. There is no platform fee taking a cut of every order, and the optional care plan at P4,000 per month is never required. You can see the full lineup on our pricing page.

A simple two-year cost comparison

Up-front numbers only tell half the story. What matters is the total over time. Here is a straightforward two-year view for a small store doing steady business, using mid-range figures.

The gap widens the more you sell, because the platform cut grows with your revenue while an owned store does not. A busy store can cross the break-even point in well under a year. That is the quiet math most price pages never show you.

The cheapest option on day one is rarely the cheapest option by month twelve. Look at the two-year total, not the sticker.

What you should really compare

Price matters, but so does what you are left holding. When you weigh options, check these points:

• Ownership. With a custom build, the store is yours. If you ever leave a hosted platform, you often leave your theme and some data behind.
• Payment fit. Make sure GCash, Maya, and COD are properly wired, not bolted on with a fragile app.
• Speed. A slow store loses sales. Custom builds tend to be lighter than a template loaded with apps.
• Support. Know who fixes things when an order breaks at 9pm before a sale.

If you are still deciding whether you even need a full store yet, our writeup on a Facebook page versus a real website is a good gut check. And if you want to see the quality of work first, browse our recent projects to judge for yourself.

The easiest way to find out your real cost

Every store is a little different, so the surest way to get a real number is to see the thing first. That is why we design a free preview of your actual store before you pay anything. You look at your products, your branding, and your checkout flow on a real page, then decide. If you love it, we finish it and you go live in about seven days. If you do not, you owe nothing.

You can start with a free website preview and we will show you exactly what your online store could look like, with honest pricing and no pressure. For a busy owner in Makati, Quezon City, or anywhere in Metro Manila, that is the fastest way to turn a vague budget worry into a clear decision.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an ecommerce website cost in the Philippines?

For a small business, expect roughly P15,000 to P150,000 up front depending on the route, plus ongoing fees on hosted platforms. Our Commerce package is P45,000 one-time for a full store you own, with no per-sale cut and hosting as the only regular cost.

Is Shopify cheaper than a custom online store?

Shopify is cheaper on day one because you only pay a monthly fee, but that fee never stops and a cut is taken from most sales. Over two years a custom build you own often costs far less overall, especially as your sales grow.

Can the store accept GCash, Maya, and cash on delivery?

Yes. Filipino shoppers expect all three, so our Commerce build wires in GCash, Maya, cards, and cash on delivery, with order confirmation steps for COD so you spend less time chasing unconfirmed orders.

What makes an online store cost more?

The biggest drivers are the number of products, the payment methods you accept, how you handle delivery, and how custom the design is. Two stores that look similar can cost very differently based on payments and shipping alone.

How long does it take to build an online store?

With Manila Web, you first see a free preview of your real store, and once you approve it we take your store live in about seven days. Larger catalogs with hundreds of products may take a little longer to organize.

Do I have to pay a monthly care plan?

No. The care plan is optional at P4,000 per month and is never required. After launch your only regular cost is hosting, and you can handle day-to-day updates yourself or ask us when you need help.