Custom online stores in the UAE: what they are, what they cost and who needs one
What a custom online store is, how it differs from Shopify and other ready-made platforms, what it costs, and the signs your UAE business needs one.
By the Samay.ae teamUpdated 12 min read
A custom online store is designed and built from scratch for one business, instead of being set up from a ready-made template. It works the way that business sells, and there is no platform plan and no platform fee on each sale. But it usually costs more to build than a store you set up yourself, and someone has to host it (keep it online), update it and look after it.
It suits businesses with needs a ready-made platform can't meet, such as trade prices, made-to-order products or delivery time slots. It also suits any business that wants a store that works exactly the way it works. If you sell a few standard products and want to do it all yourself, a ready-made platform may be enough.
A note before we start: Samay.ae builds custom online stores, so we are not neutral. We have tried to keep this guide fair, and we say plainly when a ready-made platform is the better choice.
What is a custom online store?
Most online stores run on a ready-made platform: an online store system that many businesses sign up to and share, such as Shopify, which millions of businesses use. You choose a theme (a design template), add your products and add apps (add-on features) from its app store, and you work within the platform's rules. WooCommerce, a free plugin that turns a WordPress website into a store, works in a similar way, but on hosting you arrange yourself.
A custom online store, also called a bespoke store or a custom e-commerce website, starts from a blank page. The design is made for your brand, and the features are built around how your business works, not picked from a theme or an app store. A developer connects your payment provider, Tabby, Tamara and your courier to the store, usually through each one's API. An API is a link that lets two systems pass orders and payments to each other.
Think of clothes. A ready-made platform is like buying off the rack: quick, good value, and it fits many people well enough. A custom store is like a tailored kandura or abaya: made to your measurements, so it fits properly, but it costs more and you need a tailor you trust.
Custom store vs a ready-made platform such as Shopify
Here is how they compare, using Shopify's prices at the time of writing (October 2026).
| Topic | Ready-made platform (such as Shopify) | Custom store |
|---|---|---|
| How it is built | A system many stores share | Built from scratch for your business |
| Design | A theme, changed to suit your brand | Designed for your brand |
| Features | What the platform and its apps offer | Built around how you sell |
| Monthly plan | Yes: Shopify Basic is $29 a month paid yearly (about AED 107), plus VAT | None |
| Fee per sale | Shopify adds 2% on Basic with a third-party payment provider, 1% on Grow | None: you pay only your payment provider's fees |
| Apps | From an app store: many free, some monthly | Features are part of the store |
| Arabic, right to left | Depends on the theme: Shopify's newer Horizon themes support it | Built in from the start, if you need it |
| Payment providers | Those with an app for the platform | Any provider that accepts you and can be connected |
| Who looks after it | The platform: hosting, security and updates | The company that built it, or your developer |
| Cost to start | Low if you set it up yourself | Usually more than a do-it-yourself template store |
The fee per sale is the line many owners miss. Shopify Payments, Shopify's own payment service, adds no extra fee, but in the UAE it is in early access and only on the Advanced and Plus plans. So most small Shopify stores here pay the extra fee. On AED 10,000 of card sales a month, 2% comes to AED 2,400 a year, more than the Basic plan itself.
A ready-made platform wins on the cost to start and on doing it yourself. A custom store wins on fit and control. For a three-way comparison that includes WooCommerce, see Shopify, WooCommerce or a custom store.
Signs your business needs a custom store
Do you keep hearing "the platform can't do that"? Do you need several paid apps and workarounds to make a store work like your business? Then a custom store is worth a look. Here are everyday examples.
- Trade or wholesale prices for some customers. Salons log in and see trade prices and minimum order quantities, while the public sees retail prices.
- Made-to-order products. Customers pick the fabric, size and length of an abaya, or add engraving to a gift, and the price changes with each choice. Our guide to starting an abaya business online covers custom lengths.
- Delivery dates and time slots. A florist or bakery lets customers pick a day and a time slot, with a cut-off time for same-day orders.
- Gift messages. Customers add a card message, send the order to another address and hide the price from the person who receives it.
- Bookings. A perfume shop sells consultations, or a tailor sells fittings, in the same checkout as its products.
- Regular or subscription orders. Customers order water, coffee or pet food every week or month, and can pause or skip a delivery.
- A link to the systems you already use. New orders go straight into your stock or accounting system, so nobody types them twice.
- Several branches. Each branch has its own stock, customers collect from the nearest one, and staff see their own branch's orders.
One of these on its own may work on a platform with the right app. The more of them you need, and the more they must work together, the stronger the case for custom.
Other reasons are not about features: no fee on each sale, full control of the design and checkout, and a look no other store shares. If you also have a shop, a store built around it can keep one stock count for both: see how to take your shop online.
When a ready-made platform is enough
A custom store is not always the right answer. A ready-made platform such as Shopify is often enough when:
- You are testing an idea with a few products.
- You sell standard products, at one price for everyone, with simple delivery.
- A free theme and a few apps already do everything you need.
- You want to set up and run the store yourself, and you have time to learn.
- Your sales are still small, so the fee on each sale is small too.
In that case, start simple. You can move to a custom store later, when your business outgrows the platform. Your products, customers and past orders can come with you: see how to move your online store without losing sales or Google rankings.
What does a custom online store cost?
There is no standard price for a custom store, because no two are the same. Here is what drives the cost, and our own prices as a real example.
What drives the cost of building
- Custom features. A gift message is simple. Trade prices with customer logins, or a link to your accounting system, take more work.
- Products. How many you have, and how many photos, options and descriptions need adding.
- Languages. Arabic and English means two versions of every page, with a right-to-left layout for the Arabic. See how to build an Arabic and English online store.
- An app for Android and iPhone, if you want one. Read when a shopping app is worth it first.
The costs after launch
A custom store has running costs too. Ask any builder which of these their price covers.
| Cost | What it is | Who you pay |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | The computers that keep your store online | The builder or a hosting company |
| Updates and security | Keeping the store safe and working | The builder or your developer |
| Support and changes | Fixing problems and making changes | The builder or your developer |
| Domain name | Your web address, such as yourbrand.ae | A domain seller, every year |
| Payment fees | A fee on each card payment | Your payment provider |
As a rough guide, a domain name costs about AED 50 to 250 a year. What you do not pay is a platform plan, or a platform fee on each sale. For every other cost, from your license to marketing, see how much an online store costs in the UAE.
Our prices
Our Website package is 7,870 AED a year. We design the store for your brand, for phones and computers, add your products, and set up payments and delivery in Arabic and English. Customers can pay by card, Apple Pay, Tabby, Tamara or cash on delivery. You also get 8 custom features of your choice, such as a size guide, gift wrapping or a way to pick a delivery date. We connect your own web address, show you how to run the store and help after launch.
Hosting is included in the yearly price, and the only cost paid separately is your domain name, paid straight to the provider. There is no platform plan and no platform fee on each sale. Payment and courier fees are paid to those companies, as with any store.
Our Website + App package is 9,880 AED a year. It adds your own app for Android and iPhone, published on Google Play and the App Store, and we pay those store fees. You can split either price into smaller payments with Tabby, and scholarships take 20% to 100% off for shops that need help with the cost. See our packages and prices and what every store includes.
How a custom store gets built, step by step
This is how we build a store. Whoever you hire, expect similar steps.
- A free call. You tell us about your business and how you sell. There is no pressure to buy.
- We agree what you need, in writing. Before we start, you get it all in writing: the pages, the features, the languages and the price. We also tell you how long it will take.
- Design. We design the store for your brand, for phones and computers.
- Build. We build it from scratch, with the custom features you chose.
- Products. We add your products, with their photos, options and prices.
- Payments and delivery. We set up card, Apple Pay, Tabby, Tamara and cash on delivery, and your delivery prices. Payment accounts are in your business's name.
- You check it. You try the store, place test orders and tell us what to change.
- Launch. Your store goes live on your own web address.
- Help after launch. We show you how to run your store, and stay with you to fix problems and help you grow.
The risks of going custom, and how to avoid them
A custom store depends on the people who build it. Most problems come from three gaps, and you can close each one before you sign.
Unclear ownership
If the builder registers your web address or runs the store in their own name, leaving can mean starting again. Get it in writing that the store, the web address and the customer list are yours. Check that you can log in to your domain account yourself, and that payment and courier accounts are in your business's name.
No support after launch
A custom store needs hosting, updates and fixes for as long as it runs. A cheap build from someone who disappears after launch can cost more in the end. Ask who hosts and updates the store, what support costs each year, how fast they reply, and what happens to the store if you stop working together.
A vague scope
"A store with a few extras" means different things to different people. Write down every feature, page and language, what is not included, and how changes after launch are priced.
Tip: Start with the features that bring sales or save time now, and add the rest once real customers have used the store.
Our guide to choosing an e-commerce agency in the UAE lists 12 questions to ask any builder, with good answers and red flags. For our part, the store, the web address and your customer list are all in your name, and a real person replies within 48 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Is a custom online store better than Shopify?
Not for everyone. Shopify is a good fit for many simple stores, especially if you want to set one up yourself. A custom store is better when your business has needs a template or app can't meet, or you want no platform fee on each sale and full control. It costs more to build, and someone must look after it.
How much does a custom e-commerce website cost in Dubai?
It depends on the features, the number of products, the languages and what is included after launch, so compare written quotes for the same work. As one example, our Website package is 7,870 AED a year, with hosting included and only the domain name paid separately.
How long does it take to build a custom online store?
A simple store is quick to build. A big store with more features takes longer. Whoever you hire should tell you how long it will take before they start, as we do.
Can a custom store take Tabby, Tamara and Apple Pay?
Yes. Once you are approved as a merchant, a developer connects your payment provider, Tabby and Tamara, usually through each one's API. Apple Pay depends on your payment provider, so check before you choose. Every store we build takes card, Apple Pay, Tabby, Tamara and cash on delivery.
Who owns a custom online store?
It should be you, so check the contract before you sign. The store, the web address and the customer list should all be in your name. With us, all three are.
Can I move my Shopify or WooCommerce store to a custom store?
Yes. Your products, customers and past orders can move, though customers usually need to set a new password. When we move a store, old links keep working, and your old store stays open until the new one is ready.