Online Store Cost in Egypt (2026): A Line-by-Line Breakdown

The cost of an online store in Egypt can start at zero on a free tier and reach tens of thousands of pounds if you commission a custom build from an agency. The real number comes from six lines: the platform subscription, online payment fees, shipping, the domain, design, and advertising. The question that matters is not "how much is the store?" but "what does each order cost me once all of that is in?"

The short version: on a hosted platform the fixed cost is the subscription (Baseet, for example: a free tier to start, then EGP 500 a month or EGP 4,999 a year for unlimited orders). Variable costs arrive with every order: payment gateway fees (Paymob lists 2.75% + EGP 3 per transaction), shipping and ads. Do the maths per order, not just per month.

This article is part of our guide to starting an online store in Egypt. Every price below comes from a pricing page published by the company itself, with the source and date next to it.

The six cost lines

Line	Type	Who charges it	Notes
Platform or hosting	Fixed, monthly or yearly	The platform or host	Some platforms have a free tier to start
Online payment fees	Variable, per transaction	The payment gateway	Cash on delivery has no gateway fee, but couriers usually charge for collection
Shipping and returns	Variable, per order	The courier	Varies by governorate and weight; returns are charged to you
Domain	Fixed, yearly	The domain registrar	The platform subdomain is usually free
Design and content	Usually one-off	You, a designer or an agency	Ready-made themes cut this sharply
Ads and marketing	Variable	Facebook, Google, TikTok and others	Usually the biggest line in the first months

So when someone asks "how much does it cost to open an online store?", the honest answer is that the first three lines can be calculated and the last three depend on you.

Platform subscription: published prices compared

These are the prices as shown on each company's website in October 2026. Prices change, so check them on the day you decide:

Platform	Currency	Free option	Paid plans (as listed)	Commission or extra fees
Baseet	Egyptian pound	Free tier to start, no credit card	One plan: EGP 500 a month or EGP 4,999 a year, unlimited orders and every feature	No per-order commission
Shopify (Egypt page)	US dollar	Three-day trial, then USD 1 a month for three months	Basic USD 19 a month billed yearly or USD 27 monthly; Grow USD 54 or 72; Advanced USD 299 or 399	2% on Basic if you use a third-party payment provider, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced
Zid	Saudi riyal	Free "Starter" plan	SAR 99 a month and SAR 299 a month tiers	Depends on the plan
Salla	—	Homepage invites you to "create your store for free"	We could not reach a published pricing page at the time of writing	Check on their site
WooCommerce	—	The software is free	Hosting, a domain and extensions, each priced separately	Depends on extensions

What Shopify costs an Egyptian merchant

Shopify prices in US dollars, so the cost in pounds moves with the exchange rate. And if you use an Egyptian gateway such as Paymob instead of Shopify's own payments, Shopify's pricing page lists an extra percentage per transaction depending on the plan (2% on Basic). On Basic you would pay Paymob's fee plus 2% to Shopify on the same sale, before any apps you might need for order confirmation and local shipping.

Salla and Zid

Salla and Zid are Saudi-first platforms, and Zid's published prices are in riyals. If your store and customers are in Egypt, ask before subscribing: are Egyptian couriers supported, are Egyptian gateways supported, and which currency will you be billed in? For a detailed Salla comparison, read Salla vs Baseet 2026.

Payment fees and shipping

Payment gateway. Paymob lists on its pricing page a standard rate of 2.75% + EGP 3 per transaction, with no monthly or subscription fee, and weekly settlement to your bank account. An EGP 400 card order therefore costs EGP 14 in fees (11 + 3). Setup details are in connecting Paymob to your online store.

Cash on delivery. There is no gateway fee, but couriers usually charge a collection fee, and a refused order costs you shipping both ways with no sale.

Shipping. Prices vary by courier, governorate and weight, so there is no single number we can honestly print. Ask two or three couriers for a written quote and compare their return and collection fees too. See e-commerce shipping in Egypt.

Agency prices for building a store

If an agency or freelancer builds the store, you pay a one-off project fee plus monthly or yearly maintenance. We will not print a figure, because quotes vary enormously with scope and any single number would mislead you. What to compare in a quote:

• Who owns the code, the domain and the hosting?
• Are payment and shipping integrations included or extra?
• What does maintenance cover, and how fast are faults fixed?
• Are small changes after delivery charged?

The full comparison of store builder, WordPress and agency is in online store design in Egypt: 4 options compared. WooCommerce states on its WordPress.org page that its core is free and open source, but hosting, extensions and maintenance are paid.

Worked example: 100 orders a month on Baseet

This is a hypothetical example to show the method, not a market average. Replace the numbers with your own:

• 100 orders a month, average order EGP 400.
• 30 orders paid online through Paymob, 70 cash on delivery.
• Baseet monthly subscription: EGP 500.

Line	Calculation	Monthly cost
Platform subscription	Monthly plan	EGP 500
Paymob fees	30 × (2.75% × 400 + 3) = 30 × 14	EGP 420
Platform commission on orders	None, according to Baseet's website	EGP 0
Total before shipping and ads		EGP 920

That is about EGP 9.20 per order before shipping and advertising. On the yearly plan (EGP 4,999) the subscription works out at under EGP 417 a month, saving EGP 1,001 a year compared with paying monthly (12 × 500 = 6,000). Work out shipping, returns and ad cost per order with the formula in what a cash-on-delivery order really costs you.

How to keep the cost down

1. Start on a free tier and test before you pay for a subscription. What is really free, and what is not, is in free online store in Egypt.
2. Use a ready-made theme instead of a custom design at the start.
3. Use the platform subdomain until orders are steady, then buy a domain.
4. Confirm every cash-on-delivery order before shipping to cut returns, the most expensive hidden cost.
5. Compare subscription with commission. A platform that takes a cut of every sale can end up dearer than a flat fee as you grow.
6. Pay yearly once you know you are staying.

How Baseet keeps costs predictable

What Baseet publishes on its website: a free tier to start with no card, and a single paid plan at EGP 500 a month or EGP 4,999 a year for unlimited orders and every feature, with no per-order commission and no app-store fees. Your fixed cost stays the same however many orders you take. Local payments (cash, Fawry, Paymob, Tabby) and shipping (Bosta, Mylerz, J&T) are handled from the dashboard, so you do not pay for separate tools for the basics.

FAQ

How much does it cost to create an online store in Egypt?

On a hosted platform you can start at zero on a free tier, then pay a fixed subscription; on Baseet that is EGP 500 a month or EGP 4,999 a year. Add online payment fees, shipping and ads. A custom build from an agency is a much larger project fee that depends on scope.

What does an online store cost per month?

The fixed cost is the subscription. Variable costs come with each order: gateway fees (Paymob lists 2.75% + EGP 3 per transaction), shipping and ads. Work it out from your expected order volume, as in the example above.

What is the cheapest way to open an online store?

A free tier on a hosted platform, with a ready-made theme, the free subdomain and cash on delivery. You pay no fixed cost until you decide to upgrade. WooCommerce software is free, but hosting and maintenance make it not the cheapest if you lack technical skills.

Is Shopify more expensive than Baseet?

Shopify prices in dollars; its Egypt page lists Basic at USD 19 a month billed yearly or USD 27 monthly, plus an extra percentage if you use a third-party payment provider. Baseet lists EGP 500 a month or EGP 4,999 a year with no commission. Compare at the exchange rate on the day you decide, and add the cost of any apps you need.

Does cash on delivery cost me anything?

There is no gateway fee, but couriers usually charge for collection, and a refused order costs you shipping with no sale. That is why confirming orders before shipping saves real money.

Is it cheaper to pay monthly or yearly?

If you are sure you will stay a year, yearly is cheaper. On Baseet, EGP 4,999 a year instead of EGP 6,000 if you pay 500 every month, a saving of EGP 1,001. Start monthly or free until you are sure.

Written by Sara Mahmoud, E-commerce Strategist at Baseet. Last updated: 6 October 2026.

Find your real cost by trying it: start your store on Baseet for free.