Shopify Migration Costs & Time
Many think of migrating to Shopify as a hectic technical task requiring days of planning and hours of screen time.
We see it differently: it’s a business decision.
Done right, Shopify migration sets your brand up for faster load times, better conversions, and easier management.
But without a clear understanding of the time and cost of Shopify migration, you risk scope creep, broken features, or spending thousands on a move that stalls halfway through.
This guide breaks down everything line by line:
Migrating to Shopify typically costs $500–$5,000 for small to medium stores, while enterprise migrations can range from $10,000–$50,000+. Timelines usually take 2–6 weeks, depending on your store’s size, complexity, and any custom development needs.
We’ve covered this fully in our Shopify Migration Services, helping your store move effectively while protecting traffic and improving conversions.
What Are The Factors Affecting Migration Costs?
No two migrations are priced the same.
What costs $500 for one business might cost $5,000 for another, and not because anyone is overcharging, but because the scope is completely different.
Let’s break down the key variables that impact how much does it cost to migrate to Shopify.
1. Store Size and Complexity
The number of SKUs, product variants, collections, and customer records plays a major role in determining cost.
- Small store (under 100 SKUs):
Lower cost. There is less data to clean, and fewer dependencies to break.
- Mid-size store (100–1,000 SKUs):
Expect high costs due to product relationships, inventory syncing, and metadata handling.
- Large stores (1,000+ SKUs or multi-region setups):
You’ll likely need advanced tools or professional help. Costs here can escalate fast, especially if meta fields, bundles, or multilingual content are involved.
2. Migration Type: Manual vs. Automated Tools
How you migrate determines both cost and risk. Here’s a list of factors that come into play:
- Manual Migration (CSV imports):
Cheapest method, but time-consuming. Great for basic stores without complicated SEO or customer histories.
- Automated Tools (LitExtension, Cart2Cart, Matrixify):
Faster and more structured. These tools often charge per entity (e.g., $0.30 per product or order), and costs stack up quickly.
- Hybrid (Tool + Manual Cleanup):
A popular mid-cost route. Automate bulk tasks, then manually polish SEO, product data, and design.
Warning: Automation doesn’t guarantee perfection. You’ll still need to check everything, from variant images to broken links.
3. Extra Services and Feature Replication
Most businesses want to replicate the functionality of their previous stores when migrating to Shopify. That’s where added costs sneak in with factors like:
- Theme recreation or redesign:
Customizing Shopify’s theme to match your old store can take hours or days. Expect to pay extra if animations, sticky headers, or advanced filtering are required.
- Custom functionality:
Rebuilding upsell widgets, multilingual support, or B2B pricing rules requires custom dev time or paid apps.
- App subscriptions:
Shopify apps often replace old plugins, and while easier to manage, they come with monthly costs you may not be used to.
Tip: List all current site features before starting. Migration means rebuilding from the bottom up.
4. Hiring a Migration Expert vs. DIY
Shopify migration isn’t always plug-and-play.
For a small store with a few SKUs and basic content, a DIY route might do just fine. But if you’re dealing with custom fields, legacy URLs, or thousands of product variants, the cost of trial and error can far outweigh a small budget save.
Here’s the reality check with a comparison of costs:
| Approach | Cost | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY | $0–$200 | Budget-friendly, full control | Risk of errors, time-consuming, SEO damage if mishandled |
| Agency | $1,000–$10,000 | Expertise, faster turnaround, SEO-safe | Higher upfront cost requires a clear scope but low chance of errors |
| Shopify Expert Partner | $1,000–$10,000+ | Full-service migration, custom setup | Best for complex stores with integrations |
At Uptek, we’ve helped brands migrate from WooCommerce, Magento, and even obscure custom platforms, without losing a single SEO position or breaking a customer journey.
If you’d rather trust a team that has successfully handled hundreds of migrations, Uptek’s Shopify migration experts are ready to help you move with confidence.
How Much Does It Cost to Migrate from Other Platforms to Shopify?
Your starting point matters. Migrating from WooCommerce is a very different beast compared to Magento or custom-built systems.
That’s because each platform handles data, plugins, URLs, and themes in its unique way, and translating that into Shopify takes varying levels of effort.
Below is a breakdown of estimated Shopify migration costs based on the source platform, assuming a mid-size store (100–1,000 SKUs) and a mix of automated tools plus manual cleanup.
If you’re working with a smaller or larger catalog, expect numbers to scale accordingly.
Migration Cost by Platform (Estimated Ranges)
| Source Platform | Migration Method | Estimated Cost Range | Why It’s Priced This Way |
|---|---|---|---|
| WooCommerce | LitExtension + Manual Fixes | $500–$1,500 | CSV formats are compatible, but plugins like Yoast or product bundles need manual mapping. |
| Magento | Third-party App + Dev Help | $2,500–$5,500 | Complex database structures often need a full theme rebuild and SEO redirects. |
| BigCommerce | Native Tool + Cleanup | $300–$1,000 | Shopify has a native importer, but collections and SEO tags may break. |
| Wix | Shopify Native Import | $150–$500 | Basic stores migrate easily, though product formatting often needs correction. |
| Custom Platforms | Fully Manual + Dev Team | $1,000–$8,000+ | No import tools are available; require full rebuild, field mapping, and testing. |
Tip: Most third-party tools charge based on volume. For example, 500 products + 500 customers + 1,000 orders = ~2,000 entities. At $0.30 per entity, you’re already looking at $600 before custom fixes.
How Long Does Shopify Migration Take?
While cost is often the first concern, time is where most migrations go off track.
Delays in syncing data, correcting formats, or redoing layout work can eat up days if not weeks.
But let’s simplify this:
The time it takes to migrate depends heavily on how much you’re moving, how prepared your current data is, and whether you’re doing it yourself or hiring help.
Shopify Migration Timeline by Store Size
| Store Size | Estimated Timeline | What Affects It |
|---|---|---|
| Small (under 100 SKUs) | 2–5 days | Basic setup, simple product data, minimal integrations |
| Mid-size (100–1,000 SKUs) | 1–2 weeks | Product relationships, SEO checks, and design customization |
| Large (1,000+ SKUs or multi-language) | 3–6 weeks | Complex data, theme rebuilding, 3rd-party integrations |
Tip: Don’t just look at “days” rather look at active hours. A migration may span 2 weeks but only needs 20–25 hours of hands-on work if done right.
Step-by-Step Time Breakdown (Estimated Hours)
| Migration Task | Estimated Time |
|---|---|
| Store Setup (Shopify settings, legal pages, domain) | 2–3 hours |
| Product Data Prep & Import | 4–12 hours |
| Customer Data Import | 2–4 hours |
| Collection & Navigation Setup | 3–5 hours |
| Theme Selection + Customization | 6–15 hours |
| SEO Cleanup & Redirect Mapping | 3–6 hours |
| Testing (orders, checkout, responsiveness) | 3–6 hours |
| App Installations & Config | 2–5 hours |
| Launch Day Prep | 1–2 hours |
These numbers will scale based on:
- If your product descriptions have HTML formatting
- If product images are hosted externally
- If you need pixel tracking, GA4 setup, or custom shipping rules
How to Build a Shopify Migration Timeline (Week-by-Week Plan)
Time is harder to estimate than cost, and store owners often ask:
“How long will this take?”
For a perfect and detailed estimate, we recommend getting a free quote from our professionals at Uptek.
In general, Shopify migrations can take anywhere from a weekend to six weeks. The difference lies in your store’s complexity, how prepared you are, and who’s managing the work.
This week-by-week roadmap breaks the migration into digestible phases, giving you clarity, confidence, and a launch date you can commit to.
Wrap-Up
Migrating to Shopify is about future-proofing your business.
Yes, costs vary. Yes, timelines shift. But behind that uncertainty lies one golden rule:
The better your preparation, the smoother your launch.
Whether you’re running a one-person store or managing a multi-SKU operation, every dollar invested in strategic planning saves you five later in bug fixes, SEO drops, and missed sales.
Use this guide to build your roadmap, estimate your budget, and avoid hidden traps most store owners don’t see until it’s too late.
Still unsure where to start?
Bring in experts who’ve done it before. Request a Brainstorm with Uptek.
