Cost of Ownership Guide
Mage-OS is free to download, but running a successful online store involves real costs. This guide helps you plan and budget for a Mage-OS implementation.
The Mage-OS Cost Advantage
What you don't pay for—and what you do
$0 Licensing
Mage-OS is free and open source forever. No per-seat fees, no GMV percentage, no licensing costs at any scale.
You Control Costs
Choose your own hosting, developers, and service providers. Scale costs up or down based on your needs.
No Vendor Lock-in
Own your code and data. Switch hosting providers or agencies without platform restrictions.
What You'll Pay For
The main cost categories for running a Mage-OS store
Hosting Infrastructure
Web servers, databases, caching, CDN, SSL certificates. Range: $50-$500+/month for small-medium stores, $500-$5,000+/month for high-traffic enterprise.
Initial Development
Design, theme development, custom functionality, integrations, data migration. Range: $10,000-$100,000+ depending on complexity.
Ongoing Maintenance
Security patches, core updates, bug fixes, performance monitoring, backups. Range: $500-$3,000+/month.
Extensions & Integrations
Third-party modules, payment gateways, shipping providers, ERP connections. Range: $0-$10,000+ depending on needs.
Typical Budget Ranges
What stores at different scales typically invest
Setup: $10K–$25K Monthly: $500–$1,000 First Year: $16K–$37K
Setup: $25K–$75K Monthly: $1,000–$3,000 First Year: $37K–$111K
Setup: $75K–$250K+ Monthly: $3,000–$10,000+ First Year: $111K–$370K+
Comparison
How Does Mage-OS Compare on Cost?
A simplified comparison of typical costs across different e-commerce platforms
| Cost Factor | Mage-OS | Shopify Plus | Adobe Commerce |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual License | $0 | $24,000-$200,000+ | $22,000-$125,000+ |
| Transaction Fees | None (you choose payment provider) | 0.15-0.30% | None |
| Hosting | $600-$60,000+/yr | Included | $6,000-$120,000+/yr |
| Dev Cost (similar build) | $25,000-$150,000 | $15,000-$100,000 | $30,000-$200,000 |
| Customization | Unlimited | Limited by platform | Unlimited |
| Scale Without License Increase | Yes | No (GMV-based) | No (GMV-based) |
Ways to Reduce Costs
Spend Smart, Not Big
The most successful Mage-OS stores invest strategically in what matters for their business, not in features they don't need yet.Start with community extensions
Thousands of free and low-cost extensions exist. Only invest in premium when free options don't meet your needs.
Right-size your hosting
Start smaller and scale up as traffic grows. Don't pay for enterprise hosting before you need it.
Leverage community support
Discord, forums, and Stack Exchange can solve many issues for free before you call an agency.
Invest in training
Training your team to handle routine tasks reduces ongoing agency costs significantly.
Hidden Costs to Plan For
Don't get caught off guard—budget for these often-overlooked expenses
One-Time Costs
- • Data migration: Moving products, customers, and orders from your current platform
- • Training: Teaching your team to use the new admin panel and workflows
- • SEO transition: Redirect mapping and search ranking recovery period
- • Integration setup: Connecting ERP, CRM, email marketing, and other systems
Recurring Costs
- • SSL certificates: If not included with hosting ($100-$500/year)
- • Email services: Transactional email providers ($20-$500/month)
- • Extension renewals: Annual support/update fees for premium modules
- • Staging environment: Test server for updates before going live
Ready to Plan Your Project?
Take the next step toward your Mage-OS implementation
