Set sail for Premium
TL;DR: Shoptet Premium powers the top tier of Czech e-commerce today — 47,000 online stores on the platform and €2.6 billion in annual turnover. Pricing starts at €480/month excl. VAT and a typical project goes live in 5 months (4× faster than custom development). This article will help you spot the 7 signs that your store has outgrown its platform, plus the real TCO and what sets Premium apart from regular Shoptet.
As a Premium Shoptet Partner, we've built dozens of online stores on Shoptet Premium over the past 5 years. From that position we can say: Premium is currently the fastest way to build a store that behaves like a custom platform, at a fraction of the time and cost. Let's look at when it's time to switch and how you'll know.
What Shoptet Premium is (and how it fundamentally differs)
Shoptet Premium is not a Shoptet plan — it's a separate platform for mid-size and large online stores, built on the same core but with an open architecture. Three key differences from regular Shoptet (Free through Business):
A first-class REST API. Full read/write access to products, orders, stock, customers and discounts. You can connect anything — your own ERP, a production system, a B2B portal, marketing automation.
Blank template = zero UX limits. Instead of tweaking an existing Shoptet template, you build the store on a clean canvas. No more "Shoptet looks like Shoptet" — you design and build the frontend exactly the way your brand and UX strategy need it.
Custom backend logic. Custom validations, dynamic pricing, B2B workflows, multi-warehouse — things Shoptet Core can't do are a standard job on Premium.
On top of that, 350+ add-ons in the marketplace (installable in minutes), regular platform updates, and ready-made connections to every mainstream Czech integration (Pohoda, Money, ABRA, carriers, payment gateways).
Why Shoptet Premium caught on
Put simply: it makes economic sense.
| Custom-built online store | Shoptet Premium | |
|---|---|---|
| Time to launch | 12–24 months | ~5 months (4× faster) |
| Investment | €60,000–200,000 | up to 60% less |
| Platform updates | you pay for them yourself | included in the license |
| Integration ecosystem | you build it from scratch | 350+ add-ons ready to go |
| Technical debt risk | high | spread across the whole Shoptet community |
For most online stores with an annual turnover of €200,000–20 million, Premium is now the economically better route than custom development. Custom typically makes sense only above €20 million in turnover, or when you have a genuinely unusual business model.
7 signs it's time for Shoptet Premium
Signal 1: Shoptet Core limits are blocking your marketing campaigns
A classic example: you want to run a "buy three products from category X, get the fourth free" campaign. Or regional discounts. Or dynamic bundles based on the customer profile. In Shoptet Core that isn't possible, or only manually.
On Premium you write that logic yourself (or have it written) as a custom module through the API. We build custom dynamic bundles and packages for exactly these cases.
Signal 2: You have more than 30,000 products or 1,000 orders a month
Shoptet Core works great up to a certain volume. Once you pass it, you start to feel it — a slower admin, longer stock sync times, front-end performance limits during seasonal peaks.
Premium is built to scale — Shoptet itself reports 47,000 online stores on the platform, including some with tens of thousands of orders a month. Hardware and API limits are not your problem.
Signal 3: Annual turnover above €200,000
A Premium license starts at €480/month excl. VAT and can go higher depending on scope. Add a one-off investment of €8,000–16,000 for the migration and customization.
At an annual turnover of €200,000, that works out to roughly 4–8% of turnover one-off and 3% of turnover per year. Acceptable, if Premium genuinely lifts your conversion rate or enables campaigns Core can't run.
Below €120,000 in turnover, stay on Core and invest in marketing instead — Premium won't pay for itself.
Signal 4: You need to connect your store to a non-standard system
This is where Premium has no competition. The REST API can do anything:
- a connection to a production system (TwinCAT, Beckhoff, your own MES)
- a B2B portal with its own pricing system
- multi-warehouse synchronization
- a connection to a CRM (HubSpot, Pipedrive, your own)
- integration with marketing automation (ActiveCampaign, Brevo)
We've built automations for Shoptet Premium — from syncing stock levels through the API every 5 minutes to a complete ERP connection with order validation.
Signal 5: You have a B2B section or several price levels
In Core, B2B can only be done to a limited extent. If you need:
- different catalogs for different customer groups
- dynamic prices based on volume, region or agreement
- approval workflows with a manager
- a connection to a partner portal or CRM
… then Premium isn't a choice, it's a necessity. The blank template gives you full control over how the B2B section looks and behaves.
Signal 6: You have complex products that need a configurator
If you sell products the customer assembles from components — computers, furniture, jewelry, printed clothing, catering equipment — Shoptet Core only offers basic variants (up to 3-4 attributes).
On Premium you can implement a full product configurator with validations, dynamic pricing and component stock checks. We have ready-made configurator add-ons that only need to be set up and integrated — instead of months of custom development it can be 2-3 weeks.
Signal 7: You're planning to expand abroad
Multi-language and multi-currency work in Shoptet Core, but with limits — the same category structure across languages, limited options for regional pricing, restrictions on shipping methods.
On Premium you can set up a separate structure, prices, carriers, payment methods and content for each language version. Plus we have an AI product translator that handles the localization of 5,000 products in a matter of hours.
What gives the Premium ecosystem its unique edge
Besides technical flexibility, there's also the network effect of the Shoptet Premium platform:
- 350+ add-ons in the marketplace — typical functionality (reviews, shipment tracking, marketing integrations) can be installed in minutes, not through a developer sprint
- Our own ecosystem — we build 17 of our own add-ons for Shoptet with 1,500+ installations, plus specialties for Premium: Revelor AI search, Influencer Portal with UGC, Returns & Complaints Manager, custom shipping
- A stable platform — regular updates, security patches, documentation, technical support — the things you have to handle in-house with a custom solution
Together that means your team can do business instead of babysitting technology.
The real TCO — what to factor in
The Premium license is €480/month and up, but that's not the whole picture. The good news: the migration from Shoptet Core to Premium itself is free at Shoptet — products, orders, customers and history all transfer at no charge. What costs money is customizing the new frontend and the integrations.
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Monthly Shoptet Premium license | from €480/month |
| Data migration from Shoptet Core | free (part of the switch at Shoptet) |
| Front-end customization (blank template) | €4,000–12,000 one-off |
| Custom features / API integrations | €2,000–20,000 depending on scope |
| Monthly maintenance with a partner | €320–1,000/month |
| Commercial add-ons (e.g. tracking, marketing) | €40–400/month |
For a mid-size online store it typically works out to €6,000–16,000 one-off to get started (front-end + integrations only, data migration is free) and €1,000–2,000 a month to run. At €400,000 in annual turnover that's acceptable. At €2 million in turnover the investment is extremely reasonable — it pays for itself within the first 1–2 months of higher conversion.
When it actually makes sense to stay on Shoptet Core
To be fair — Premium isn't automatically the right choice for everyone:
- Annual turnover below €120,000 — you're probably overpaying. Put the money into marketing, SEO and content.
- A standard store with no customization — if Shoptet Core does everything you need, Premium adds nothing.
- A team without the capacity to run a bigger project — Premium = more complexity. You need an internal owner (ideally someone who can talk to developers) or a long-term partner.
- An uncertain sales strategy or a pivot ahead — Premium is a long-term investment. In uncertain times Core is more flexible.
What the switch looks like in practice
Migrating from Core (or from another platform) to Premium typically takes 6–12 weeks:
- Weeks 1-2: Audit of your current store, migration plan, defining the customizations, design of the blank template
- Weeks 3-6: Front-end development, custom logic, API integrations, test environment
- Weeks 7-9: Data migration (products, orders, customers), end-to-end testing
- Week 10: Launch + monitoring + DNS switch
- Weeks 11-12: Fine-tuning, first iteration based on real orders
The key is not to underestimate testing the order flow with real carriers and payment methods. That's the most common place where bugs show up after a migration.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Shoptet Premium cost per month?
The monthly license starts at €480 excl. VAT and grows with the scope of the project (number of users, add-on services, traffic volume). You'll get a specific quote from Shoptet after a no-obligation consultation. On top of that, budget €320–1,000/month for maintenance with a partner.
Can I switch from Shoptet Profi/Business straight to Premium?
Yes, and the data migration is free at Shoptet. Products, orders, customers, history — everything transfers automatically at no charge. What costs money is the new customization on the blank template and the integrations with your systems. That's a different technical foundation and usually has to be written from scratch.
How long does the switch take?
Typically 6–12 weeks. Shoptet reports an average of 5 months for complete end-to-end projects (including design, customization and integrations).
Is Premium worth it for a B2B store?
For most B2B stores, yes. Shoptet Core has limited B2B options (discount levels, approvals, custom catalogs). Premium gives you full control thanks to the API and custom logic.
What is a "blank template" and why does it matter?
Standard Shoptet has a fixed template that can only be customized to a limited degree. The blank template on Premium is an empty canvas — your team (or your partner) builds the frontend completely from scratch to match your UX. No Shoptet visual limits. You can use a modern stack (React, Vue), tailor every detail, A/B test radically different variants.
Which partner should you choose?
Look for an officially certified Shoptet Premium Partner with reference projects in your category — you'll find the complete list at partneri.shoptet.cz/profesionalove/shoptet-premium/. Watch for: how fast they respond to an inquiry, transparent invoicing, the ability to admit "this one is beyond us", experience with API integrations and custom add-ons.
Conclusion
For mid-size and large Czech online stores, Shoptet Premium is currently the fastest route to a professional platform. It combines a fast start (5 months on average) with the flexibility of custom development (REST API, blank template, premium support and more) and the stability of a proven platform (47,000 online stores, €2.6 billion in annual turnover).
If you recognize yourself in 3 or more of the signs in this article, it's time for a serious conversation about switching. If it's 0–2, wait — the money you'd spend on Premium will do more for you right now in marketing or SEO.
And if you want to talk through your specific case, get in touch. We're a Premium Shoptet Partner and the first consultation is free — we'll tell you straight whether the switch makes sense, what it will really cost and how fast we can do it.