ROI Calculator – Custom Online Shop vs. Marketplace
Marketplace commissions eating your margins? Calculate when your own online shop pays off.
Marketplace commissions grow with your revenue, while the costs for your own shop remain relatively constant. Our ROI calculator shows when the investment in your own online shop pays off and how much you save over 5 years through saved commissions.
Marketplace commissions scale linearly with your revenue – at 15% commission and €200,000 annual revenue, you're already paying €30,000 in fees alone. The costs for your own shop, on the other hand, remain largely fixed. There's also an often underestimated factor: on marketplaces, customer data doesn't belong to you. Your own shop gives you full control over customer relationships, email marketing, and repeat purchases – creating long-term business value that far exceeds the pure commission savings.
ROI calculator
Own online shop vs. marketplace sales
Does an own shop pay off compared to marketplace fees? Compare commissions with investment and operating costs.
30,000 €
5,000 €500,000 €
15 %
5 %30 %
40 €
0 €500 €
25,000 €
5,000 €200,000 €
400 €
100 €3,000 €
2 %
1 %5 %
10 %
0 %30 %
Spread initial costs over 6 years (72 months) instead of paying upfront.
Cost comparison over 5 years
Break-even
8 months
Difference after 1 year
+17,480 €
Difference after 3 years
+116,948 €
Difference after 5 years
+239,119 €
Marketplace / platform
332,075 €
Total costs over 5 years
Own online shop
92,957 €
Total costs over 5 years
Important note
This calculator provides a simplified estimate. Actual costs depend on many factors (team size, technology, integrations, compliance, etc.). In a free initial consultation we create an individual analysis for your company. All prices plus VAT.
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Ihre ROI calculator online shop-Ergebnisse
Monthly online revenue30,000 €
Marketplace commission15 %
Marketplace base fee/month40 €
Own shop investment25,000 €
Monthly shop operating costs400 €
Payment fees2 %
Annual revenue growth10 %
LeasingNo
Break-even8 months
5-year difference239,119 €
Why Marketplace Commissions Eat Your Margins
Growing Fees
At €100,000 annual revenue, 12% commission already costs €12,000 per year – and increases with every additional euro of revenue. With your own shop, costs remain constant at approx. €3,000–6,000/year.
No Customer Data
Marketplaces don't give you email addresses or contact details of your customers. Direct marketing, repeat purchases, and customer retention are difficult. Your own shop gives you full control.
Dependency
Marketplace rules can change at any time, accounts can be suspended, and algorithms determine your visibility. Your own shop gives you independence and control over your business strategy.
Typical Break-Even Timeframes
12–18 Months
High Revenue
€100,000+ annual revenue
High marketplace commission (12–15%)
Standard shop sufficient
18–30 Months
Medium Revenue
€50,000–100,000 annual revenue
Custom features desired
Long-term brand building
30+ Months
Low Revenue / Strategic
Under €50,000 annual revenue
Focus on brand building
Long-term investment
Finance Your Investment: Leasing & Subsidies
The investment in your own online shop typically ranges from €15,000–80,000. With software leasing, you pay €250–1,300 monthly. Especially attractive: if your marketplace commissions are at 15% and you generate €30,000/month in revenue, you save €4,500 monthly – the leasing rate practically pays for itself.
E-commerce projects are supported through digitalization programs, especially when they enable entry into online retail or digitally extend existing brick-and-mortar businesses. Funding rates of 30–50% are realistic for SMEs.
A custom shop is especially worthwhile with: high revenue (from approx. €50,000/year), growing marketplace fees, need for customer data and marketing control, special requirements (e.g., B2B features), and long-term brand building. The break-even typically occurs within 12–30 months, depending on sales volume.
What does a custom online shop cost?
The investment varies depending on requirements: Standard shop (e.g., Shopware, WooCommerce) from €15,000 plus VAT. Custom shop with special features €30,000–80,000 plus VAT. Enterprise shop with complex integrations €80,000–200,000 plus VAT. Ongoing costs are €200–1,000/month for hosting, maintenance, and updates.
What ongoing costs does a custom shop incur?
Ongoing costs include: hosting and SSL certificate €50–200/month, maintenance and updates €100–500/month, payment provider fees (approx. 1–2% of revenue), shipping provider integration, and marketing tools (optional). Typically €200–1,000/month total plus transaction fees – significantly less than marketplace commissions at higher revenue.
What advantages does a custom shop have over marketplaces?
Advantages: No commissions (saves 5–15% of revenue), full control over customer data and marketing, better SEO opportunities, custom features and design, no dependency on marketplace rules, and long-term brand building. Disadvantages: Higher initial investment, own marketing required, and technical responsibility.
How quickly can I launch a custom shop?
A standard shop can go live in 4–8 weeks: 1–2 weeks planning and design, 2–4 weeks development, 1–2 weeks testing and go-live. For custom requirements, it takes 2–4 months. You can already prepare marketing in parallel. ROI begins from the first sale – without marketplace commissions.
Can I run a marketplace and my own shop in parallel?
Yes, many merchants start with marketplaces and build their own shop in parallel. This way, you leverage marketplace reach for your entry while simultaneously developing your own brand. Your own shop can later become the main sales platform, while marketplaces serve as an additional sales channel.
Will I lose reach if I leave the marketplace?
No, because we recommend a multi-channel strategy: your own shop becomes the main platform, while marketplaces can remain as supplementary sales channels. Through SEO, email marketing, and social media integration, you build your own reach that belongs to you long-term – independent of marketplace algorithms.
Which payment providers can be integrated?
All common payment providers: Stripe, PayPal, Klarna, Mollie, Apple Pay, Google Pay, as well as classic payment methods like credit card, direct debit, and invoice. Integration is seamless so your customers can use their preferred payment method. Transaction fees are 1–2%, significantly lower than marketplace commissions.
How much effort is involved in running your own shop?
With professional hosting and a maintenance contract, operational effort is minimal. We handle updates, security patches, and performance optimization. You focus on your core business – products, marketing, and customer service. Technical operations typically cost €200–500/month, making it predictable and manageable.
Next Step
Need a custom cost estimate for your project?
We provide a realistic effort estimate based on your specific requirements.
