The short answer
Launching an online store in Saudi Arabia in 2026 costs anywhere from almost nothing (doing it yourself on a basic plan) to SAR 5,000+ (hiring an agency). Most small businesses land somewhere in the middle: SAR 1,500–2,500 for a professionally set-up store they can run themselves.
What you pay depends on three things: the platform you choose, how many products you have, and whether you do it yourself or hire someone.
Salla vs Zid vs Shopify: platform costs compared
These are the three platforms most Saudi businesses choose. Here is what each one costs at the entry level:
- Salla — the most popular Saudi platform. Plans start low, Arabic-first, with local payment gateways (Mada, STC Pay) built in. Best if your customers are in Saudi Arabia.
- Zid — another strong Saudi option, similar pricing to Salla, good for retailers who want local support and integrations.
- Shopify — the global standard. Slightly higher monthly cost and fewer local payment options out of the box, but unmatched apps and themes. Best if you plan to sell internationally too.
Platform fees are only part of the bill. The bigger cost is setup: adding products properly, writing descriptions, setting up payments and delivery, and making the store look trustworthy. A store with 10 half-empty product pages does not sell — a store with 20 well-presented products does.
What actually affects the price
- Number of products — 20 products vs 500 products is a completely different job.
- Design — a clean ready-made theme vs a fully custom design.
- Payments & delivery — Mada, STC Pay, Apple Pay, plus Saudi delivery companies (SMSA, Aramex, Zajil) all need correct setup.
- Language — an Arabic store (or Arabic + English) takes more work than English-only, but it sells far more in Saudi Arabia.
- Content — product photos, descriptions and banners. Many stores fail here, not on technology.
DIY vs freelancer vs agency
- DIY: cheapest (just the platform fee), but expect 2–4 weeks of evenings learning everything — and most DIY stores stall at the product-upload stage.
- Freelancer: the sweet spot for small businesses. You get a working store, products uploaded, payments connected, and someone to ask questions — typically SAR 1,200–2,500 depending on size.
- Agency: SAR 5,000 and up. Worth it for large catalogs or custom features; overkill for a 20-product shop.
Hidden costs to watch for
Ask about these before you agree to anything: monthly platform fees after the first year, payment gateway transaction percentages, premium theme licenses, and who uploads the products (many cheap quotes exclude this, and it is the most time-consuming part).
How I can help
I set up online stores on Salla, Zid and Shopify — full setup, products uploaded, Mada/STC Pay connected, delivery configured — starting from $480 (shown in your local currency on my site). Message me on WhatsApp with what you sell, and I will tell you honestly what your store needs and what it should cost. No obligation.