The startup cost calculator for launching your online store.
LaunchSum is the honest ecommerce startup cost calculator for new founders. See how much it costs to start dropshipping, print on demand, digital products, or wholesale — pick a business model, drag a few sliders, and walk away with a launch budget you can actually trust.
Calculate your online store startup cost in two minutes.
Choose your business model, adjust the sliders to match your plans, and see exactly how much it costs to start your online store over the first three months.
One-time startup costs
Pay these once to get your store off the ground
Monthly ongoing costs
Recurring expenses to keep your store running
Estimates based on typical 2026 pricing across leading providers. Actual costs may vary by supplier and region.
An ecommerce launch budget you can actually act on.
Most startup cost calculators feel like sales pages. LaunchSum is built to give you the realistic online store startup cost you came for, then get out of your way.
Honest, realistic numbers
No inflated estimates designed to upsell you. Every default reflects what real first-time founders actually spend in 2026.
Personal to your plan
Drag a slider to change your ad budget, theme, packaging, or inventory. Your number updates instantly.
Made for the first three months
We separate one-time costs from monthly spend so you can see the runway you really need to launch and learn.
Private by design
Everything runs in your browser. No signup, no email, and your numbers never leave your device.
How to calculate the cost to start an online store in three steps.
- 1
Pick your business model
Dropshipping, print on demand, digital products, or wholesale. Each model has its own realistic cost structure baked in.
- 2
Tune the sliders to your plan
Boost your ad budget, upgrade your theme, or add packaging. Every change recalculates your total in real time.
- 3
Get your three-month launch budget
One number that tells you what to save before you start, plus a breakdown by category to share with a partner or investor.
See how much it costs to start dropshipping, POD, and more.
LaunchSum covers the four most common ways to start an ecommerce business — each with its own realistic startup cost defaults — so you know what to budget before you launch an online store.
Dropshipping
Start an online store without inventory and sell products you never touch. Lowest dropshipping startup cost, but plan for ads from day one.
Print on demand
Sell custom designs printed only when someone orders. Low print on demand startup cost and no inventory risk.
Digital products
Sell ebooks, templates, and downloads with the highest margins of any model.
Wholesale or private label
Order inventory in bulk and build a brand. Highest upfront cost, biggest upside.
Built with first time founders in mind.
I had no idea what my first store would actually cost. LaunchSum gave me a number I could budget for without guessing.
The breakdown by category made it easy to share my budget with my partner. We finally got on the same page about how much to set aside.
Most calculators feel like sales pages dressed up as tools. This one just told me the truth and let me move on.
Online store startup cost questions, answered.
Ready to turn your budget into an actual store?
Shopify offers $1 per month for your first three months. It is the easiest, lowest risk way to test the idea you just budgeted for.
- No inventory needed to start
- Cancel anytime, no contract
- Works with every model in the calculator
- Free LaunchSum budget you can re run anytime