Connecting Shopify to Exact Online
For most Shopify shops a standard connector is the logical route: off-the-shelf connections exist from €12 per month (xCore, 2026). What's decisive is your Exact Online variant — entries and invoices work on any licence, sales orders and inventory require Handel (Trade). Custom development, an indicative €1,500 to €15,000, only comes into play with multi-warehouse, B2B price lists or partial payments.
- Fixed monthly fee
- Fixed project price up front
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How do you connect Shopify to Exact Online?
With a standard connector, a workflow tool or a custom connection on the APIs of both systems — in that order of cost and build time. For most webshops a standard app is enough: it turns orders, customers and payments automatically into entries or invoices and is set up within a few days. Only once your process falls outside that standard scope does the step to a custom connection pay off; how that calculation works you can read in What does an API integration cost? and what such a flow looks like you can see in the interactive Flow Lab.
What most comparisons skip: which connection you can use depends on your Exact Online variant. With Boekhouden (Accounting) a connector can create sales entries and invoices; more extensive invoicing sits in the Premium variants; items, sales orders and inventory require Handel (Trade). So check your licence first and only then choose the connector — the other way around, you buy functionality your administration can't handle. If your shop runs on WooCommerce, read Connecting WooCommerce to Exact Online; if you do your bookkeeping in Moneybird, see Connecting Shopify to Moneybird.
Connectors and prices compared.
| Option | Type | Indicative cost | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|---|
| xCore | Standard app | €12–€25 p/m, optional one-off €250 implementation (xCore, 2026) | From sales entries to sales orders and inventory in Exact Online Handel |
| Combidesk | Standard app | $18–$54 p/m (Shopify App Store, 2026) | Orders, customers and refunds as entries; Shopify Payments in the more expensive plans |
| Webwinkelfacturen | Standard app | $15.95 p/m (Shopify App Store, 2026) | Orders automatically as an invoice or entry, no frills |
| Order2Flow | Standard app | On request (Order2Flow, 2026) | Real-time order sync and order management alongside the accounting |
| Conneqt | Standard app (ERP-focused) | €159 p/m (Conneqt, 2026) | B2B shops that make Exact leading for prices, inventory and documents |
| Make / Zapier / Power Automate | iPaaS workflow | From $9 p/m (Make, 2026) to $19.99 p/m (Zapier, 2026) in licences | Custom flows and exceptions alongside or instead of a standard connector |
| Custom development on the API | Custom | Indicative €1,500–€15,000 one-off (see What does an API integration cost?) | Multi-warehouse, B2B price lists, partial payments and custom business rules |
What does and doesn't sync?
Orders, customers and refunds go across with almost every connector; Shopify Payments payouts, inventory and B2B prices are the parts where standard and custom diverge. The table shows what you can expect for each piece of data.
| Data | Standard connector | Custom connection |
|---|---|---|
| Orders and customers | Yes | Yes |
| Refunds and credit invoices | Yes — with most connectors | Yes |
| Shopify Payments payouts | Limited — often only in the more expensive plans | Yes |
| Sales orders and inventory | Limited — requires Exact Online Handel and a connector variant that creates orders | Yes, provided your Exact licence allows it |
| B2B price lists and partial payments | No — outside the standard scope | Yes |
| History before the start date | No | Optional |
Three questions that decide the choice.
Does a standard connector cover your fields and volumes?
Yes → choose a standard app and be live within days. No → go on to question two before you pay for anything.
Does your Exact Online variant fit what you want to sync?
Yes → entries and invoices work on any variant. No → sales orders and inventory require Exact Online Handel; either upgrade your licence first or limit the connection to the accounting.
Are multi-warehouse, B2B price lists or partial payments in play?
Yes → work out the custom option; standard connectors aren't built for this. No → standard is enough, optionally supplemented with an iPaaS flow for one deviating step.
The rule of thumb: start standard and only move to custom work once your process demonstrably falls outside the connector — not because it might one day be needed.
Where this connection breaks down in practice.
The connector doesn't fit your Exact variant
An app that promises sales orders can only create them if your licence includes Handel. Before buying, check which Exact Online variant you have and which connector variant goes with it — that avoids a forced upgrade afterwards.
VAT and ledger only set up after going live
The connection posts exactly what you configure — even if that's wrong. Establish in advance with your accountant which ledger accounts revenue, shipping costs and payment fees land on, and which VAT codes apply, and test every scenario with a trial order.
Shopify Payments payouts get stuck
Shopify pays out revenue minus transaction fees. If you only post orders, your bank never reconciles with your revenue. Choose a connector plan that includes payouts or arrange the reconciliation separately in Exact.
No one notices when the connection stalls
An expired API token or a changed field stops the sync silently; you only see it at the VAT return. Agree who receives error messages and periodically check that the order numbers in Exact run on.
What shops ask us beforehand.
What does a connection between Shopify and Exact Online cost?
Standard connectors cost roughly €12 to €25 per month at xCore (2026) or $18 to $54 per month via the Shopify App Store (2026), depending on synchronisation speed and whether Shopify Payments is included. Custom development on the API costs an indicative €1,500 to €15,000 one-off; a webshop-to-accounting connection usually sits at the lower end of that, an indicative €500 to €2,000. We work with a fixed project price, so you know where you stand in advance.
How long does setting up a Shopify-Exact Online connection take?
A standard connector is usually running within a few days, including setting up ledger accounts and VAT codes and testing with a trial order. Custom work takes several weeks instead, mainly because of testing edge cases such as returns, partial payments and foreign VAT.
What if the connector stops or hits its limits?
Your data always lives in Shopify and Exact Online themselves, so you lose nothing — only the flow stops. Because both systems have a well-documented API, you can switch to a different connector or have the connection rebuilt as custom work. You simply carry over the ledger and VAT setup.
Who manages and monitors a connection like this?
With a standard connector the supplier manages the software, but you are the one who notices when orders stop coming through. So agree who receives error messages and who steps in. We manage and monitor custom connections for a fixed monthly fee, so a silent failure doesn't go unnoticed for weeks.
Do I need a different Exact Online variant for the connection?
Only if you want more than entries and invoices. With Exact Online Boekhouden (Accounting) a connector can create sales entries or invoices; if you also want to synchronise items, sales orders and inventory, you need the Handel (Trade) variant. So check your licence first and only then choose the connector — not the other way around.
Connect it right once, never retype again.
Book an intro call and we'll think along about the route that fits your shop and Exact variant — or start with the free Operations Scan.