Choosing shopping software is one of the most consequential decisions a retailer can make. Beyond storefront aesthetics and plugins, the total cost of ownership can make or break margins, especially for mid-market and enterprise sellers. This article breaks down the landscape of shopping software pricing in 2025, reveals the highest publicly listed price discovered in Google search, and explains what drives those high price tags so you can decide which model fits your business.
Highest public price found in Google search
The highest explicit price discovered in public listings was for Adobe Commerce licensing, with reported annual license fees reaching up to USD 125,000 per year. These figures are shown in industry pricing breakdowns and third-party guides and align with Adobe product pages that direct prospective customers to request custom pricing for enterprise tiers.
Why shopping software prices vary so wildly
Shopping software is not one product but a spectrum that ranges from free open source engines to fully managed enterprise suites that act like mission-critical infrastructure. Pricing depends on six major factors
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Licensing or subscription model
Some platforms use flat monthly subscription tiers, others base fees on usage metrics such as Gross Merchandise Value or transaction volume, and many enterprise vendors only provide custom quotes. Shopify Plus publishes a starting monthly rate, while Adobe and SAP generally require direct engagement with sales for enterprise pricing. -
Scale and GMV
Platforms that charge a percentage of GMV can appear inexpensive for small sellers but become extremely costly for merchants with massive sales volumes. Salesforce Commerce Cloud commonly structures packages around a share of GMV, meaning very high-volume retailers may pay more than fixed-license competitors after fees are tallied. -
Implementation and customization
Upfront engineering, integration, and migration are major line items. Even the fastest SaaS deployments often require third-party integrators, custom API work, or extensive theme development. For platforms like Adobe Commerce and SAP Commerce Cloud, implementation budgets can easily exceed license fees, especially for complex multi-country rollouts. -
Ongoing operations and third-party costs
Apps, payment gateways, fraud prevention, CDN, hosting, and maintenance are recurring costs that add up. Shopify Plus, for example, publishes a base monthly fee but many merchants report substantial additional monthly spend for apps, integrations, and payment processing. -
Support and SLAs
Enterprise SLAs, dedicated account management, and premium support cost more. Vendors that promise uptime guarantees and hands-on assistance price that service into their enterprise tiers. -
Compliance and security
PCI compliance, data residency, and security features are sometimes add-ons or require specific higher tiers. Bigger companies with strict compliance obligations often choose pricier managed solutions to avoid building complex security stacks themselves.
A quick tour of pricing archetypes in 2025
To make sense of the marketplace, here are representative models you will find when shopping for commerce software.
SaaS fixed-tier subscriptions
Examples include platforms with published tiers and transparent monthly pricing. BigCommerce lists multiple tiers from entry-level monthly plans to Pro, with Enterprise pricing provided via custom quotes based on store needs. These plans are predictable and fast to deploy, suitable for small to mid-sized merchants that want predictable operating expenses.
SaaS enterprise with variable fee
Shopify Plus is a classic example: a published starting price exists, but platform fees can vary by contract, and high-volume merchants often negotiate custom terms. Listed base pricing for Shopify Plus in 2025 begins around USD 2,300 to USD 2,500 per month, with larger merchants sometimes reporting much higher total monthly costs once apps and transaction fees are included.
Usage or GMV percentage pricing
Salesforce Commerce Cloud and some Salesforce B2B offerings base at least part of their fee on GMV or other usage metrics. This aligns vendor incentives with merchant success but can cost very large retailers significantly more in absolute dollars because the fee scales with sales volume. Estimates for the GMV percentage range from roughly 1 to 3 percent depending on the contract and edition.
On-premise or licensed enterprise
Adobe Commerce (Magento Commerce) and legacy platforms like licensed SAP modules fall into this bucket. These options often have high upfront license costs plus substantial implementation budgets and ongoing maintenance. Adobe Commerce license scenarios found in public analyses range up to USD 125,000 per year for top-tier enterprise deals, and vendors may also charge for cloud hosting, optimization, and premium modules.
How to compare total cost, not just sticker price
Sticker price is only the starting point. Here is a straightforward checklist for estimating true costs
Estimate implementation costs
Gather quotes from implementation partners or in-house engineers. Implementation for enterprise migrations commonly runs from tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Model recurring fees
Add subscription or license fees, app subscriptions, hosting, CDN, and payment processing. For usage-based vendors, model expected GMV to estimate annual fees.
Include support and change control
Plan for change requests, seasonal scaling, and security patches. Enterprise support and 24/7 on-call arrangements are billable.
Factor opportunity cost and conversion impact
Faster time to market, better conversion optimization, and better headless capabilities can yield revenue uplifts that offset higher fees. Quantify expected revenue gains from improvements so you can compare net ROI.
When paying more makes sense
Spending at the enterprise level is justified when a vendor reduces risk, shortens time to market, or unlocks revenue through advanced features. Examples
Global commerce with localized experiences
If you operate in multiple currencies and regions, enterprise platforms simplify localization and compliance.
Complex B2B workflows
Companies with custom quoting, complex account hierarchies, and contract pricing often need the configurability of enterprise suites.
High-volume merchants
If your annual GMV is enormous, a platform that scales predictably and offers strong SLAs could be worth the premium, despite the higher percentage-based fees some vendors charge. Model the fees as a function of expected sales and compare to fixed-license alternatives.
Practical negotiation tips for buyers
Ask for a total cost of ownership estimate that includes implementation, third-party services, and projected GMV fees for at least 24 months. Negotiate performance-based clauses, caps on GMV percentage tiers, and bundled professional services. Many vendors are willing to structure volume discounts or commit to fixed fees if you can forecast growth commitments.
Final thoughts and the highest price perspective
In public searches across vendor pages and market analyses, the highest explicit price point surfaced was Adobe Commerce licensing reported up to USD 125,000 per year for top enterprise packages. Shopify Plus and other SaaS enterprise offerings publish lower base fees but can reach comparable or higher totals once transaction fees, apps, and operational costs are included. Salesforce Commerce Cloud and similar percentage-of-GMV models do not disclose a single sticker number because the final price is tied to how much you sell, which can make annual vendor fees scale into seven figures for the largest global merchants. For any retailer, the recommended approach is to build a two- to three-year total cost model that includes implementation, third-party apps, support, and expected GMV so you pick the platform that balances cost, capability, and speed to revenue