Ecom Today Blog | July 6, 2021

How Much Does it Cost to Launch a Dropshipping Store in 2021?

How Much Does it Cost to Launch a Dropshipping Store in 2021?
How Much Does it Cost to Launch a Dropshipping Store in 2021?
Ecommerce is becoming more and more popular. That is why a lot of entrepreneurs decide to open online stores. Probably the easiest way is to start a dropshipping business which has become a highly profitable eCommerce business model that can be started with low investment.

Dropshipping is a super-easy way to sell physical products online without having to deal with inventory, owning a warehouse to store your products, and without having to deal with shipping and handling.

Despite the pros of the business model, still it requires sufficient expenses to launch an online store. Competition is growing, so are the budgets. In this article, we will answer one of the most popular questions: "How much does it cost to launch a Shopify store in 2021?"
Ecommerce is becoming more and more popular. That is why a lot of entrepreneurs decide to open online stores. Probably the easiest way is to start a dropshipping business which has become a highly profitable eCommerce business model that can be started with low investment.

Dropshipping is a super-easy way to sell physical products online without having to deal with inventory, owning a warehouse to store your products, and without having to deal with shipping and handling.

Despite the pros of the business model, still it requires sufficient expenses to launch an online store. Competition is growing, so are the budgets. In this article, we will answer one of the most popular questions: "How much does it cost to launch a Shopify store in 2021?"

What do I need to consider to open an online store?

If you want to start a dropshipping store on Shopify, you need to consider prices for the following things:

  • Domain name;
  • Hosting;
  • Shopify theme;
  • Website development;
  • Applications and other services;
  • Marketing expenses;
  • Advertising budget;
  • Connecting a payment gateway;
  • Cash flow gap;
  • Additional / unforeseen expenses.
Further in the article we will expand on each point and state the final cost of launching a dropshipping store. The calculations are based on the Shopify store connected to Aliexpress (without bulk orders).
What do I need to consider to open an online store?
f you want to start a dropshipping store on Shopify, you need to consider prices for the following things:

  • Domain name;
  • Hosting;
  • Shopify theme;
  • Website development;
  • Applications and other services;
  • Marketing expenses;
  • Advertising budget;
  • Connecting a payment gateway;
  • Cash flow gap;
  • Additional / unforeseen expenses.
Further in the article we will expand on each point and state the final cost of launching a dropshipping store. The calculations are based on the Shopify store connected to Aliexpress (without bulk orders).
What do I need to consider to open an online store?

1. Domain name

Cost: $10 / year

You cannot have a website without a domain name. This is the permanent address of your store, so you need to choose it wisely. The cost of a domain name also varies and depends on two main things:

  • The company (we recommend namecheap.com);
  • Domain zone (.com is more preferable, but it will have a bigger price).
The prices for domains generally range from $8 to $15 at GoDaddy or Namecheap.
1. Domain name
Cost: $10 / year

You cannot have a website without a domain name. This is the permanent address of your store, so you need to choose it wisely. The cost of a domain name also varies and depends on two main things:

  • The company (we recommend namecheap.com);
  • Domain zone (.com is more preferable, but it will have a bigger price).
The prices for domains generally range from $8 to $15 at GoDaddy or Namecheap.

2. Hosting

Cost: $29 / month

Domain and hosting are the two basic things you need for creating a website. The domain is the online address of the site while hosting is an online service that allows you to publish your website files onto the Internet.

Here you have two options: either creating a website yourself and buying hosting, or using Saas services or builders that provide you hosting.

In this article, we will focus on the most popular one – Shopify. It is probably one of the most popular platforms for eCommerce entrepreneurs which includes everything you need to create an online store. We have listed its main benefits in this article.

Hosting is included in all Shopify plans, along with other features. You have three plans to choose from:
2. Hosting
Cost: $29 / month

Domain and hosting are the two basic things you need for creating a website. The domain is the online address of the site while hosting is an online service that allows you to publish your website files onto the Internet.

Here you have two options: either creating a website yourself and buying hosting, or using Saas services or builders that provide you hosting.

In this article, we will focus on the most popular one – Shopify. It is probably one of the most popular platforms for eCommerce entrepreneurs which includes everything you need to create an online store. We have listed its main benefits in this article.

Hosting is included in all Shopify plans, along with other features. You have three plans to choose from:
Hosting is included in all Shopify plans, along with other features
We suggest that you start with the Basic plan for $29. It is a ready-to-use tool for your business. You can try a free 14-day trial period to test all the features of Shopify.
We suggest that you start with the Basic plan for $29. It is a ready-to-use tool for your business. You can try a free 14-day trial period to test all the features of Shopify.

3. Shopify Theme

Shopify has a store with numerous free and paid themes. If you are just starting your eCommerce business, we recommend using free themes like:

You will understand how the platform operates and what its main functions are. However, to launch the store and enjoy the full functionality, we recommend one of the paid themes. Paid themes are easily customized and have a responsive design. If you set up a theme with no errors, your site will show a high conversion rate, speed, and other metrics. We have shared the guide on choosing a Shopify theme in one of our articles.

Shopify themes cost an average of $180, which is quite an expense for a beginner launching the first store. As an alternative, you can also consider themeforest.net. There you can purchase responsive themes for $50-100.

You can also get access to more than 30 paid Shopify themes free of any charge in our application EcomToday App.
3. Shopify Theme
Shopify has a store with numerous free and paid themes. If you are just starting your eCommerce business, we recommend using free themes like:

You will understand how the platform operates and what its main functions are. However, to launch the store and enjoy the full functionality, we recommend one of the paid themes. Paid themes are easily customized and have a responsive design. If you set up a theme with no errors, your site will show a high conversion rate, speed, and other metrics. We have shared the guide on choosing a Shopify theme in one of our articles.

Shopify themes cost an average of $180, which is quite an expense for a beginner launching the first store. As an alternative, you can also consider themeforest.net. There you can purchase responsive themes for $50-100.

You can also get access to more than 30 paid Shopify themes free of any charge in our application EcomToday App.

4. Website development

Cost: $0-300 and more

This is one of the most important steps of creating a store. As you start a free trial and install the theme, you can build the store yourself without any coding skills. Watching some YouTube tutorials will be enough for the start.

The only concern will be the quality of the website. No doubt much depends on your experience and knowledge. If you want to create a Shopify dropshipping store, minimize risks and be sure that your store contains relevant products, works correctly, we offer you a prebuilt dropshipping store service to let you start your entrepreneurial journey. You will get a fully functional eCommerce website that is optimized to build your brand and sell your products all over the world.
4. Website development
Cost: $0-300 and more

This is one of the most important steps of creating a store. As you start a free trial and install the theme, you can build the store yourself without any coding skills. Watching some YouTube tutorials will be enough for the start.

The only concern will be the quality of the website. No doubt much depends on your experience and knowledge. If you want to create a Shopify dropshipping store, minimize risks and be sure that your store contains relevant products, works correctly, we offer you a prebuilt dropshipping store service to let you start your entrepreneurial journey. You will get a fully functional eCommerce website that is optimized to build your brand and sell your products all over the world.
Cost: $0-300 and more This is one of the most important steps of creating a store. As you start a free trial and install the theme, you can build the store yourself without any coding skills. Watching some YouTube tutorials will be enough for the start. The only concern will be the quality of the website. No doubt much depends on your experience and knowledge. If you want to create a Shopify dropshipping store, minimize risks and be sure that your store contains relevant products, works correctly, we offer you a prebuilt dropshipping store service to let you start your entrepreneurial journey. You will get a fully functional ecommerce website that is optimized to build your brand and sell your products all over the world.

5. Applications and other services

Cost: $50-80 / month

After you build a store and add products, you will need to connect the necessary apps. Some of them will optimize the ordering process, others will automate email marketing or increase conversion.

Shopify app store is a treasure trove of functionality you can use to add to your online store. It has over 1,500 free and paid apps for any purpose. Most of them provide trial periods from 7 to 30 days.

We suggest that you do not add numerous applications, as it will affect the site loading speed and result in additional expenses. We recommend installing the following applications:

  • Abandonment Protector for sending a series of letters to those who have abandoned the cart;
  • Loox Reviews for importing the reviews from Aliexpress to your online store;
  • Vitals for increasing conversions and average check.
You will also need to subscribe to various third-party services for searching for products or video creatives. We know how to save 90% off the original cost.

The Ecom Today team has developed an app that allows you to enjoy the full functionality of top spy tools: AdSpy, Ecomhunt, and Niche Scraper saving almost $200 / month. Just sign up at ecomtoday.vip, pay for the subscription and download the Ecom Today App (Windows / macOS). A trial period is also available.
5. Applications and other services
Cost: $50-80 / month

After you build a store and add products, you will need to connect the necessary apps. Some of them will optimize the ordering process, others will automate email marketing or increase conversion.

Shopify app store is a treasure trove of functionality you can use to add to your online store. It has over 1,500 free and paid apps for any purpose. Most of them provide trial periods from 7 to 30 days.

We suggest that you do not add numerous applications, as it will affect the site loading speed and result in additional expenses. We recommend installing the following applications:

  • Abandonment Protector for sending a series of letters to those who have abandoned the cart;
  • Loox Reviews for importing the reviews from Aliexpress to your online store;
  • Vitals for increasing conversions and average check.
You will also need to subscribe to various third-party services for searching for products or video creatives. We know how to save 90% off the original cost.

The Ecom Today team has developed an app that allows you to enjoy the full functionality of top spy tools: AdSpy, Ecomhunt, and Niche Scraper saving almost $200 / month. Just sign up at ecomtoday.vip, pay for the subscription and download the Ecom Today App (Windows / macOS). A trial period is also available.

6. Marketing

Cost: $0-70

Even if you create a fully optimized store with great design and winning products, it is unlikely to bring you huge profit since there is no traffic on the website.

If you want to sell products abroad, you need to spend your time and money on promoting the store via various channels (Facebook mainly).

We recommend you to study the process of launching ads and have basic knowledge of working with advertising platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest, Google Ads, etc.

One of the marketing expenses is ad creatives. In this article, we have reviewed the process of making the best ad creatives and shared useful tips for the selling structure. The higher the quality of your video creative is, the more traffic for the established budget you can attract to your site.

If you do not have enough experience or want to save your time and effort, you can address our specialists. We will analyze winning competitors' creatives, search for suitable videos, compose the video structure that will help you sell the product, select music, create a thumbnail, and insert a watermark. The video ad you get is guaranteed to meet all Facebook requirements and bring you sales.

On average, the cost of making video creatives for one product ranges from $40 to $70.
6. Marketing
Cost: $0-70

Even if you create a fully optimized store with great design and winning products, it is unlikely to bring you huge profit since there is no traffic on the website.

If you want to sell products abroad, you need to spend your time and money on promoting the store via various channels (Facebook mainly).

We recommend you to study the process of launching ads and have basic knowledge of working with advertising platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest, Google Ads, etc.

One of the marketing expenses is ad creatives. In this article, we have reviewed the process of making the best ad creatives and shared useful tips for the selling structure. The higher the quality of your video creative is, the more traffic for the established budget you can attract to your site.

If you do not have enough experience or want to save your time and effort, you can address our specialists. We will analyze winning competitors' creatives, search for suitable videos, compose the video structure that will help you sell the product, select music, create a thumbnail, and insert a watermark. The video ad you get is guaranteed to meet all Facebook requirements and bring you sales.

On average, the cost of making video creatives for one product ranges from $40 to $70.
Cost: $0-300 and more This is one of the most important steps of creating a store. As you start a free trial and install the theme, you can build the store yourself without any coding skills. Watching some YouTube tutorials will be enough for the start. The only concern will be the quality of the website. No doubt much depends on your experience and knowledge. If you want to create a Shopify dropshipping store, minimize risks and be sure that your store contains relevant products, works correctly, we offer you a prebuilt dropshipping store service to let you start your entrepreneurial journey. You will get a fully functional ecommerce website that is optimized to build your brand and sell your products all over the world.

7. Advertising budget

Cost: $1000 or more

The biggest expense when creating a store is the advertising budget. The more you invest in promoting your store and testing the products, the more traffic you attract, and the more sales you get. You should be ready that the competition in the international market high. Thus, launching the ads and collecting data is more expensive. The main factors that will influence the amount of money spent on launching ads are:

  • Your ad setup skills;
  • The GEO of your target audience;
  • The quality of video creatives;
  • Website conversion;
  • The average check on the website.
Due to recent events like pandemics, and rapid growth in the eCommerce industry, more advertisers come to Facebook and other platforms. Today, the price for showing your ad to your target audience is relatively higher than even a year ago. Thus, $100 is hardly enough to test the product. We suggest that you have at least $200-250 for one product to get the necessary information on whether the product is good for testing or not.

Be ready that you will never know the criteria of a 100% winner. So you need to have a budget for launching several products. Our recommendation is a minimum of $1000.
7. Advertising budget
Cost: $1000 or more

The biggest expense when creating a store is the advertising budget. The more you invest in promoting your store and testing the products, the more traffic you attract, and the more sales you get. You should be ready that the competition in the international market high. Thus, launching the ads and collecting data is more expensive. The main factors that will influence the amount of money spent on launching ads are:

  • Your ad setup skills;
  • The GEO of your target audience;
  • The quality of video creatives;
  • Website conversion;
  • The average check on the website.
Due to recent events like pandemics, and rapid growth in the eCommerce industry, more advertisers come to Facebook and other platforms. Today, the price for showing your ad to your target audience is relatively higher than even a year ago. Thus, $100 is hardly enough to test the product. We suggest that you have at least $200-250 for one product to get the necessary information on whether the product is good for testing or not.

Be ready that you will never know the criteria of a 100% winner. So you need to have a budget for launching several products. Our recommendation is a minimum of $1000.
The biggest expense when creating a store is the advertising budget

8. Connecting a payment gateway

Cost: $0-149

Supporting various online payments has become one of the requirements for modern businesses. Though there is a wide range of payment systems, it is still complicated to choose the best payment gateway.

One of the most affordable options for newbies is Paypal. Despite its popularity, this payment system does not guarantee stable payment acceptance.

The option that we recommend is Stripe. It uses the best security tools and practices to maintain a high level of security, data storage, recurring payments, and withdrawals. Study this article to know more about Stripe and other payment options.

Our partners from Easy Payments offer the service that allows accepting online payments with Stripe worldwide. If you live in a country where Stripe is not supported, or you cannot accept online payments due to any other reason, there is a solution.

For future work with Stripe, you need to take into account the commission of 2.9% + $ 0.30 per transaction.
8. Connecting a payment gateway
Cost: $0-149

Supporting various online payments has become one of the requirements for modern businesses. Though there is a wide range of payment systems, it is still complicated to choose the best payment gateway.

One of the most affordable options for newbies is Paypal. Despite its popularity, this payment system does not guarantee stable payment acceptance.

The option that we recommend is Stripe. It uses the best security tools and practices to maintain a high level of security, data storage, recurring payments, and withdrawals. Study this article to know more about Stripe and other payment options.

Our partners from Easy Payments offer the service that allows accepting online payments with Stripe worldwide. If you live in a country where Stripe is not supported, or you cannot accept online payments due to any other reason, there is a solution.

For future work with Stripe, you need to take into account the commission of 2.9% + $ 0.30 per transaction.

9. The cash gap

Cost: $100-200

In this article, we review the store connected to Aliexpress. Here you do not need to pay for products in advance and send them to the fulfillment center. You can start selling without the pre-purchase.

However, inspired by the first sales, many entrepreneurs forget that you cannot withdraw money instantly. You will need to wait for 7 days on average. That is why you need to have at least $100-200 (depending on the cost of purchasing goods) reserved.
9. The cash gap
Cost: $100-200

In this article, we review the store connected to Aliexpress. Here you do not need to pay for products in advance and send them to the fulfillment center. You can start selling without the pre-purchase.

However, inspired by the first sales, many entrepreneurs forget that you cannot withdraw money instantly. You will need to wait for 7 days on average. That is why you need to have at least $100-200 (depending on the cost of purchasing goods) reserved.

10. Additional expenses

Cost: $100 - $500

In any business, you can hardly calculate all the potential costs. There is always a shade of unpredictability, or seasonal fluctuations, or sudden blocks of your ad accounts, and delivery delays that may change the plans. These factors form additional expenditures.

You should consider the following:

  • Refunds (even if you have a "white" business);
  • Shopify commission – 2% from each transaction at the Basic plan for $29;
  • Stripe commission – 2.9% + $ 0.30 from each transaction;
  • Additional commissions for withdrawing the funds;
  • Social Accounts and Facebook Business Managers for ads;
  • Additional services;
  • Paid training materials;
  • Proxy / VPN;
  • Taxes.
10. Additional expenses
Cost: $100 - $500

In any business, you can hardly calculate all the potential costs. There is always a shade of unpredictability, or seasonal fluctuations, or sudden blocks of your ad accounts, and delivery delays that may change the plans. These factors form additional expenditures.

You should consider the following:

  • Refunds (even if you have a "white" business);
  • Shopify commission – 2% from each transaction at the Basic plan for $29;
  • Stripe commission – 2.9% + $ 0.30 from each transaction;
  • Additional commissions for withdrawing the funds;
  • Social Accounts and Facebook Business Managers for ads;
  • Additional services;
  • Paid training materials;
  • Proxy / VPN;
  • Taxes.
These factors form additional expenditures

Total budget for launching a dropshipping store

Now that we have reviewed each point in detail, we can calculate the approximate total cost of the store. Note that the data stated above in the article are average and may differ from the actual data.

Considering the option where you develop a dropshipping store and set up advertising on your own, but apply for the service of connecting a payment system, then the total cost of launching the store will start from $1500.

In this article, we have reviewed the main points that form the overall budget for launching a Shopify dropshipping store. If you are just planning to start your first store, you can rely on the information stated to build your strategy. Also, keep in mind that the Ecom Today team is always ready to help you start your dropshipping business, as we provide a complete set of services for a turnkey online store.

If you have any questions wondering this or any other topic, you are free to ask them in our Telegram. Our specialists will provide fast help to solve your problem and offer the solution.
Total budget for launching a dropshipping store
Now that we have reviewed each point in detail, we can calculate the approximate total cost of the store. Note that the data stated above in the article are average and may differ from the actual data.

Considering the option where you develop a dropshipping store and set up advertising on your own, but apply for the service of connecting a payment system, then the total cost of launching the store will start from $1500.

In this article, we have reviewed the main points that form the overall budget for launching a Shopify dropshipping store. If you are just planning to start your first store, you can rely on the information stated to build your strategy. Also, keep in mind that the Ecom Today team is always ready to help you start your dropshipping business, as we provide a complete set of services for a turnkey online store.

If you have any questions wondering this or any other topic, you are free to ask them in our Telegram. Our specialists will provide fast help to solve your problem and offer the solution.
Start your 14-day free trial to test all Shopify features today!
Start your 14-day free trial to test all Shopify features today!
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Useful links

ecomlife.pro/services – prebuilt dropshipping stores, Shopify store development, store review, video editing and other services.

@shopifyeasy – our fast-growing Ecommerce & Dropshipping community.

@ecomtoday_en – information channel with useful articles and topical news.
Useful links

ecomlife.pro/services – prebuilt dropshipping stores, Shopify store development, store review, video editing and other services.

@shopifyeasy – our fast-growing Ecommerce & Dropshipping community.

@ecomtoday_en – information channel with useful articles and topical news.

In our Ecommerce Community, we unite everyone who shares an interest in selling items online and wants to enhance knowledge in this area.
In our Ecommerce Community, we unite everyone who shares an interest in selling items online and wants to enhance knowledge in this area.