Online Store Startup Costs: How Much Money Do You Really Need?

"How much startup capital do I need?" is one of the most common questions under Shopify videos, and the answers range from "€50" to "€5,000 for the coaching". Here you get a transparent calculation of your online store startup costs: split into fixed costs, testing budget, stock and buffer, with three example scenarios. You will find the overview of all steps from account to launch in the article starting a Shopify store.

Online store startup costs: the four pots

Most calculations online throw everything into one pot. It makes more sense to split your money into four pots, because they work differently:

1. Fixed costs: Shopify subscription, domain, legal texts, trade registration. They are due every month, whether you sell or not.
2. Testing budget: advertising and samples to find out whether a product sells at all. If in doubt, this money is gone.
3. Working capital: money you use to pay for stock or suppliers before your customers' money reaches you.
4. Buffer: returns, chargebacks, back tax payments, unplanned app costs.

If you only plan for pot 1, you start with "little startup capital" and find yourself without an ad budget after four weeks. If you only know pot 2, you get into trouble as soon as the first orders come in.

Fixed costs: what the store costs over six months

Six months is a realistic period to test a store idea fairly. This is what the calculation looks like for a small Shopify store (as of October 2026, approximate Shopify euro prices):

Without the introductory offer and with one or two paid apps, you will end up closer to €350 to €450. All individual items are explained in the article what does Shopify really cost?. The trade registration itself is cheap; you will find the steps under registering a trade for your online store.

Advertising and testing budget: the biggest item

The store itself is cheap. What is expensive is bringing visitors into it. If you rely on paid advertising, the testing budget is almost always the biggest pot.

How much budget per test?

• Meta (Facebook, Instagram): technically possible from around €1 per day. For meaningful results, practitioners tend to recommend €15 to €30 per day and ad set. This depends heavily on the product and the goal.
• TikTok: according to TikTok's help center, a campaign needs a daily budget of more than $50, an ad group more than $20.

Example calculation: you test three products, each for seven days at €20 per day. That is 3 × 7 × €20 = €420. If none of them works, you need a second round. So plan at least double that, around €800, if advertising is going to be your main channel. That is more than the €300 to €500 we mention in the Meta Ads article for a first campaign test: there it is about a single test, here about several products and a second round.

How to set up your first campaign without burning your budget in the learning phase is shown in Meta Ads for Shopify beginners.

Samples and content

Order every product you sell at least once yourself. You check quality and delivery time and have real material for photos and videos. Depending on the product, expect €20 to €100 per sample including shipping. For print on demand, some providers offer discounted sample orders; details are in the comparison print on demand with Shopify.

Pre-financing: you pay before Shopify pays out

Almost everyone forgets this pot. With dropshipping and print on demand, you pay the supplier immediately when you pass on the order. But your customer's money arrives later: with Shopify Payments, the minimum payout period in Germany is 3 business days, often longer for new accounts. There are no payouts on weekends and public holidays.

Example calculation: an ad is performing well and you get 10 orders a day. Each one costs you €25 at the supplier. That is €250 per day you have to advance. If the money only arrives after 5 to 7 days (weekend, new account), €1,250 to €1,750 is "in limbo" at the same time. On top of that, the advertising keeps running, and that has to be paid for too.

This is exactly the moment when stores that actually work fail: the card is maxed out, the supplier isn't paid, orders are delayed. A buffer of at least one week of purchasing and advertising costs at your target revenue prevents this; as a new store with a longer payout period, two to three weeks is better. Why payouts for new stores sometimes take longer is explained in Shopify payouts: when your money arrives. The complete path of an order from customer to supplier is shown in what happens after the first order?.

Three scenarios with concrete numbers

The following values are example calculations for six months, not a guarantee. They show how the pots shift depending on the business model. Fixed costs in B and C are slightly above the table above, because a paid app is also budgeted there, for example for dropshipping or shipping labels.

• Scenario A gets by with little money, but costs you a lot of time for social media and content. The margin per unit is usually small with print on demand.
• Scenario B is faster, but the testing budget is real risk money. Whether the model still pays off in 2026 is discussed honestly in is dropshipping still worth it in 2026?.
• Scenario C ties up the most capital in stock. In return you have better margins and control quality and delivery time. With your own stock, also pay attention to your obligations as the party placing goods on the market, such as registration in the LUCID packaging register (free) and participation in a packaging compliance scheme (Systembeteiligung, paid).

How many products and how much stock should you start with?

Fewer than most people think. Without inventory (dropshipping, print on demand), it is better to test one to three products thoroughly than 30 products halfheartedly, because every product needs its own testing budget, samples and good content. Whether a single product, a niche or a broad range suits you is compared in one-product store, niche store or general store?

With your own stock, a simple rule of thumb helps for the first order: expected sales per week times the restocking time in weeks, plus a buffer. If you cautiously expect 5 sales per week and your supplier needs 4 weeks, that is 20 units plus a buffer, so around 25 to 30 units. If the product sells better, you reorder in time. If it sells worse, your entire startup capital isn't sitting on the shelf.

Can you start without startup capital?

Honest answer: not with €0. A Shopify store, domain, legal texts and trade registration cost at least around €200 to €300 in the first six months. What does work is starting with very little money if you invest time instead:

• Print on demand or digital products, so you don't pre-finance stock.
• Reach through organic content, such as TikTok, Instagram or Pinterest, instead of paid advertising.
• Your own product photos taken with your phone instead of expensive photo shoots.

But then expect months rather than weeks until you have stable sales. What that looks like in practice is shown in first sales without an ad budget. And be skeptical of anyone who promises "dropshipping without startup capital": without ad money or reach, nobody comes to your store.

Are coaching programs costing several thousand euros worth it?

Coaching programs that supposedly require "€4,000 to €5,000 in startup capital" keep coming up in the comments. Our assessment: you don't need coaching on that scale to get started. The knowledge for setup, legal matters and first campaigns is freely available. What no course can replace is a real testing budget and your own experience with your products.

If you have €5,000 available, in most cases it makes more sense to use part of it to set up a store properly and use most of it as testing and advertising budget. Whether you do the work yourself or pay a professional is best decided with hiring Shopify experts: costs, selection & process. Before signing up for any coaching offer, check: are there verifiable results from participants, a clear description of services and fair cancellation terms?

FAQ

How much startup capital do I need for dropshipping?

If you work with paid advertising, plan around €1,500 to €2,000 for the first six months. Of that, around €200 to €300 is fixed costs for the store, domain, legal texts and trade registration, approx. €800 is the testing budget for advertising, and the rest is pre-financing and buffer. With less than €500, starting dropshipping with ads hardly makes sense.

Do I have to pay for the goods before the customer pays?

With dropshipping, the customer does pay first, but the money only reaches your account days later. You pay the supplier immediately, however. So you advance the cost of goods. With 10 orders a day at €25 purchase cost each, that quickly adds up to more than €1,000 in transit at the same time.

How much ad budget per day should I plan for?

For Meta Ads, €15 to €30 per day and ad set is a common starting value; technically it works from about €1 per day. On TikTok, the minimum budget per campaign is more than $50 a day. More important than the daily amount is the total budget per product test and a fixed stop limit.

Do I have to prove startup capital to the trade office?

No. For a sole proprietorship there is no minimum capital and no proof required at the trade office (Gewerbeamt). Minimum capital only applies to corporations, for example €25,000 in share capital for a GmbH. For the trade registration itself, you pay a fee of approx. €15 to €65 depending on the municipality.

How much money do I need for a T-shirt store with print on demand?

Less than with most other models, because you don't buy stock. For six months, expect approx. €250 in fixed costs and around €100 for samples of your designs. If you sell organically through social media, you can get by with approx. €550 to €750. With advertising, you also need a testing budget.

Is €100 or €300 enough for a Shopify store?

€100 covers the first months of a Shopify subscription on the introductory offer, but not legal texts, trade registration and samples. With around €300 you can cover the fixed costs of the first six months if you start without paid apps and without advertising. For dropshipping with ads, that is too little. In that case, an organic start with print on demand or digital products is realistic.

Is a store with little startup capital doomed to fail?

No, but you will be slower. With little money you can test fewer products and have to build reach yourself instead of buying it. That works if you invest time and start with a model without inventory. It gets risky if you put your entire budget into your first ad test.

Last updated: October 2026. All amounts are example calculations and guide values, not a guarantee for your situation. Shopify euro prices and advertising recommendations may vary. This article is not legal or tax advice.