Quick Answer: The real ongoing monthly cost of running an online business typically includes the Shopify subscription ($29-39), any app subscriptions beyond core automation ($0-100 depending on additions), and for SaaS specifically, platform hosting ($15-40) — a smaller, more predictable number than startup cost, but one that compounds over time and deserves its own planning. Startup cost gets most of the attention in planning discussions. Here's the monthly number that matters just as much.
Most planning conversations, including plenty on Reddit's small business and solopreneur forums, focus entirely on startup cost — the one-time number to launch. I want to walk through the ongoing monthly cost instead, since this is the number that actually determines long-term sustainability.
The Baseline — Platform Subscription
Key Takeaway: Shopify's monthly subscription is the one truly unavoidable ongoing cost, typically $29-39 depending on your plan tier.
Every Shopify store carries this baseline monthly cost regardless of anything else — typically $29 to $39 depending on your specific plan. This is the one genuinely unavoidable recurring line item, covered as part of the broader startup planning in our minimal budget guide.
App Subscriptions Beyond Core Automation
Key Takeaway: Core automation should already be included in a done-for-you store, but additional apps beyond that add real monthly cost worth tracking deliberately.
Beyond core automation — which should already be included and configured in a genuinely done-for-you store, covered in our fully managed setup cost guide — additional apps you add over time carry their own monthly fees. This is exactly why adding apps deliberately, one at a time with real measurement, matters for controlling this ongoing number.
| Line Item | Typical Monthly Cost |
|---|---|
| Shopify subscription | $29-39 |
| Additional apps (per app) | $10-50 each |
| SaaS platform hosting (if applicable) | $15-40 |
SaaS-Specific — Platform Hosting Adds a Recurring Line Item
Key Takeaway: A SaaS business specifically carries an additional ongoing hosting cost that other business types don't, worth factoring in separately.
If you're running a SaaS app specifically, the underlying no-code platform's own hosting fee, typically $15-40 monthly, is an ongoing cost that doesn't apply to other business types. This is the one recurring line item unique to this category, covered in more depth in our cheap SaaS breakdown.
Why This Number Deserves Its Own Planning
Key Takeaway: A small monthly number compounds meaningfully over a year — plan for it deliberately rather than letting it creep up unchecked.
Even a modest $50-100 monthly total compounds to $600-1,200 over a year — a real number worth planning for deliberately, not letting creep up through unmanaged app additions. Review your actual monthly subscriptions periodically and cut anything not clearly earning its cost.
Start with core automation already included — browse EcomChief's catalog.
Core Automation Already Included, No Surprise Monthly Additions
Key Takeaway: Only the base Shopify subscription as your ongoing cost — everything else optional, not required.
The stores in EcomChief's catalog are built using the exact method described in this post. Not templated. Not assembled from a page builder. Custom sections, locked design systems, production-ready — the same standard I hold my own theme to. Every store starts at $99, with an optional $148 traffic package if you want marketing support from day one. If you want to own a store built this way without spending months developing the method yourself, this is where to start.
The Bottom Line
Key Takeaway: Shopify subscription, optional apps, and SaaS hosting if applicable — a real, planned number, not an afterthought.
The ongoing monthly cost of running an online business is smaller and more predictable than startup cost, but it compounds over time and deserves deliberate planning, not being treated as an afterthought once the store is live.
Helpful EcomChief Resources
Key Takeaway: Quick links to browse, plan, and get answers.
Here are useful links:
- Browse All Businesses — From $99
- What's Included
- Talk to Us Before You Buy
- Fully Managed Ecommerce Setup Cost
- Minimal Budget Planning
- Cheap SaaS Businesses for Sale
Ready to start with a low ongoing cost? Browse the catalog.
