Shopify agencies usually bill in one of three ways: fixed price, by the hour or with a monthly budget. With a fixed price, you know the total upfront, but the scope has to be clear. By the hour, you’re flexible, but you carry the risk if it takes longer. For a new store or a migration, a fixed price is almost always the better choice.
The three models compared
| Fixed price | Hourly rate | Monthly budget | |
|---|---|---|---|
| You know the cost upfront | Yes | No, only an estimate | Yes, per month |
| Who carries the risk of extra work | Agency | You | Shared |
| Changes along the way | Via change request | Anytime | Anytime within budget |
| Right for | New store, migration, clearly defined module | Small tasks, troubleshooting | Ongoing support, SEO, optimization |
| Typical trap | Unclear scope | Open-ended | Budget gets used up without a plan |
No model is better than the others. It comes down to how well you know upfront what you want.
When each model fits
Fixed price fits when the result can be described: a new store with a set number of pages, a migration with a known amount of data, a module with a clear function. The agency factors its risk into the price. In return, there are no surprises on the invoice.
Hourly rate fits when nobody knows upfront how long it will take: a bug whose cause is unclear, small tweaks here and there, consulting. A cap is key. “Five hours max, then we’ll get back to you” protects both sides.
Monthly budget fits everything that’s never finished: SEO, conversion optimization, ongoing development. It only works with a plan for what happens each month and a report on what did happen.
5 questions to ask before you get a quote
- What exactly is included in the price? Pages, features, apps, data migration, copy, images. If it’s not in there, it’s not included.
- How many revision rounds are there? Two is standard. After that, it’s often billed extra.
- What does a change during the project cost? Is there an hourly rate for change requests, and is it announced in advance?
- How is payment handled? Deposit, installments by milestone, the rest at go-live. Everything upfront at 0% progress is a red flag.
- What happens after launch? How long is the warranty, and what does support cost afterwards?
How we bill
- Projects at a fixed price. Store, migration, B2B, modules. You get the price in writing after the intro call, with everything that’s included.
- 70% at the start, 30% after sign-off. You only pay the rest once you’ve signed off on the finished store.
- Audit at a fixed price. €490, results in three business days. If you then do a project with us, we credit half of it.
- Ongoing work as a monthly budget. SEO and optimization at a fixed amount with a monthly report.
Why this way? Because as a merchant, you need to plan. An open-ended hourly bill doesn’t fit a budget.
FAQ
Isn’t a fixed price more expensive? Sometimes slightly, because the agency carries the risk. In return, you never pay more than agreed. Hourly billing often ends up costing more than estimated.
What if I come up with something new during the project? Then you get a short change request quote. You decide whether it goes in now or after launch.
Why does your website only show a range? Because the price of a store depends on scope, data and integrations. A store with us costs €4,990 to 24,990. Where you land in that range is set out as a fixed price in the quote after the intro call.
How quickly will I get a quote? Usually a few days after the intro call.