How much does Shopify cost per month?

Shopify starts at $29/month for Basic, $79/month for Shopify, and $299/month for Advanced. Shopify Plus for enterprises starts around $2,000/month. All plans also have transaction fees of 2.4-2.9% + $0.30 per sale (lower if using Shopify Payments).

Is Shopify worth it for a small business?

Shopify is worth it if you want a professional online store without technical skills. For low-volume sellers, fees may eat into profits—consider alternatives like Etsy or Square. For growing businesses, Shopify's scalability and features justify the cost.

Can I start a Shopify store for free?

Shopify offers a 3-day free trial, then $1/month for the first 3 months on select plans. After that, you pay full price starting at $29/month. There's no permanent free tier, but the trial lets you build your store before committing.

What Is Shopify? Complete Guide to Costs & Features (2026)

What Is Shopify?

Overview

Feature	Details
What it is	E-commerce platform
Founded	2006
Based in	Ottawa, Canada
Stores using it	4+ million worldwide
Monthly users	Serves billions of shoppers

What You Can Do

Capability	Included
Build online store	Yes
Accept payments	Yes
Manage inventory	Yes
Fulfill orders	Yes
Sell in-person (POS)	Yes
Sell on social media	Yes
Sell on marketplaces	Yes (Amazon, eBay, etc.)

Shopify Pricing Plans

Monthly Plan Comparison

Plan	Monthly Cost	Best For
Starter	$5/month	Social selling, link-in-bio
Basic	$29/month	New businesses
Shopify	$79/month	Growing businesses
Advanced	$299/month	Scaling businesses
Plus	~$2,000+/month	Enterprise

Annual Pricing (Save 25%)

Plan	Monthly (Billed Annually)	Annual Total
Basic	$22/month	$264/year
Shopify	$59/month	$708/year
Advanced	$224/month	$2,688/year

Transaction Fees

Plan	Shopify Payments	Third-Party Gateway
Basic	2.9% + $0.30	2.9% + $0.30 + 2%
Shopify	2.6% + $0.30	2.6% + $0.30 + 1%
Advanced	2.4% + $0.30	2.4% + $0.30 + 0.5%
Plus	2.15% + $0.30	Custom + 0.15%

What Each Fee Means

Fee Type	Explanation
Credit card rate	Per transaction (2.4-2.9% + $0.30)
Third-party fee	Added if NOT using Shopify Payments
Monthly fee	Plan subscription
App fees	Optional, per app
Theme fees	One-time or subscription

Plan Features Compared

Core Features by Plan

Feature	Starter	Basic	Shopify	Advanced
Online store	Limited	Full	Full	Full
Products	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Staff accounts	1	2	5	15
24/7 support	Chat	Chat, email, phone	Full	Full
Reports	Basic	Basic	Standard	Advanced
Discounts	Link only	Full	Full	Full
Gift cards	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
POS Lite	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Shipping discounts	None	Up to 77%	Up to 88%	Up to 88%

Advanced Features

Feature	Basic	Shopify	Advanced
Professional reports	No	Yes	Yes
Third-party calculated shipping	No	No	Yes
Custom report builder	No	No	Yes
International pricing	No	Yes	Yes
Duties and import taxes	No	Yes	Yes

True Cost of Running a Shopify Store

Monthly Cost Breakdown (Small Store)

Expense	Cost Range
Shopify Basic plan	$29
Domain name	$1-$2/month ($14/year)
Theme (one-time)	$0-$380
Apps	$0-$100+
Email marketing app	$0-$30+
Transaction fees (on $5,000 revenue)	~$160
Total monthly	~$200-$300

Transaction Fee Examples

Monthly Sales	Basic Rate	Transaction Fees
$1,000	2.9% + $0.30 × 40 orders	~$41
$5,000	2.9% + $0.30 × 150 orders	~$190
$10,000	2.9% + $0.30 × 300 orders	~$380
$50,000	2.9% + $0.30 × 1,000 orders	~$1,750

When to Upgrade Plans

Revenue	Recommended Plan	Why
Under $10k/month	Basic	Lowest cost
$10k-$50k/month	Shopify	Better rates, reports
Over $50k/month	Advanced	Best rates, more features
Over $500k/month	Plus	Volume discounts

Shopify Features

Store Building

Feature	Description
Themes	100+ free and paid templates
Drag-and-drop editor	No coding required
Mobile responsive	All themes work on mobile
Custom domains	Connect your own domain
SSL certificate	Free, included
Blog	Built-in blogging platform
Pages	Create unlimited pages

Product Management

Feature	Description
Unlimited products	No limits on any plan
Variants	Size, color, etc.
Collections	Group products
Inventory tracking	Automatic updates
Digital products	Sell downloads
Product reviews	Built-in or via apps

Payment Options

Payment Method	Availability
Shopify Payments	US, UK, Canada, 20+ countries
PayPal	All countries
Amazon Pay	Via app
Apple Pay	With Shopify Payments
Google Pay	With Shopify Payments
Klarna, Afterpay	Buy now pay later
Crypto	Via apps

Shipping

Feature	Description
Carrier-calculated rates	Real-time quotes
Shopify Shipping	Discounted USPS, UPS, DHL
Free shipping rules	Set thresholds
Shipping labels	Print from Shopify
International shipping	Duties calculator (higher plans)
Local delivery	Delivery zones
Store pickup	In-store fulfillment

Shopify Apps

What Apps Do

Purpose	Examples
Marketing	Klaviyo, Privy, Omnisend
Reviews	Judge.me, Loox, Yotpo
SEO	Plug in SEO, SEO Manager
Upselling	Bold Upsell, ReConvert
Shipping	ShipStation, Shippo
Dropshipping	DSers, Spocket
Accounting	QuickBooks, Xero
Customer service	Gorgias, Zendesk

App Pricing

Cost Category	Examples
Free	Basic reviews, simple popups
$0-$20/month	Email marketing starters
$20-$50/month	Advanced marketing tools
$50-$100/month	Enterprise features
Usage-based	Scales with sales

Essential Apps for Most Stores

App Category	Free Option	Paid Alternative
Email marketing	Shopify Email	Klaviyo ($20+)
Reviews	Judge.me (free tier)	Loox ($9.99+)
SEO	Built-in	Plug in SEO ($30)
Social proof	Free popup apps	Fomo ($25+)
Shipping	Shopify Shipping	ShipStation ($9+)

Shopify Themes

Free Themes

Theme	Style	Best For
Dawn	Clean, modern	General stores
Craft	Artisanal	Handmade products
Sense	Beauty, wellness	Health/beauty
Refresh	Modern	Fashion
Ride	Bold	Sports, outdoors
Taste	Food-focused	Food and beverage
Studio	Creative	Art, design

Paid Themes

Price Range	What You Get
$0 (Free)	Basic customization, functional
$180-$380	Advanced features, unique designs
$380+	Premium designs, extensive customization

Theme Considerations

Factor	Free Themes	Paid Themes
Design quality	Good	Premium
Features	Standard	Advanced
Support	Shopify only	Theme developer
Customization	Limited	Extensive
Updates	Regular	Developer dependent

Selling Channels

Where You Can Sell

Channel	How It Works
Online store	Your Shopify website
Shop app	Shopify’s shopping app
Facebook/Instagram	In-app shopping
TikTok	Product tagging, shop
Pinterest	Buyable pins
Google	Shopping ads, free listings
Amazon	Sync inventory
eBay	Sync inventory
Walmart	Marketplace integration

Platform	Requirements
Facebook/Instagram	Business account, catalog sync
TikTok	Business account, TikTok Shop
Pinterest	Business account

Shopify POS (Point of Sale)

POS Plans

Plan	Cost	Includes
POS Lite	Free with Shopify	Basic in-person sales
POS Pro	$89/month per location	Advanced retail features

POS Hardware

Hardware	Price
Tap & Chip Reader	$49
POS Go (mobile)	$399
Retail Kit (stand, reader)	$219
Countertop Kit	$459
Barcode scanners	$229+
Receipt printers	$299+

POS Lite vs Pro

Feature	Lite	Pro
Accept payments	Yes	Yes
Track inventory	Basic	Advanced
Staff management	No	Yes
Exchanges	No	Yes
Store analytics	Basic	Advanced

Shopify vs Alternatives

Platform Comparison

Platform	Monthly Cost	Best For
Shopify	$29-$299	All-in-one, any size
WooCommerce	Free (+hosting)	WordPress users
BigCommerce	$39-$399	B2B, large catalogs
Squarespace	$33-$65	Design-focused
Wix	$29-$49	Simple stores
Etsy	Free (+fees)	Handmade, vintage
Amazon	$0.99-$39.99	Large marketplace reach

Detailed Comparison

Factor	Shopify	WooCommerce	BigCommerce
Ease of use	Very easy	Moderate	Easy
Themes	100+	Thousands	100+
Apps/plugins	8,000+	55,000+	1,000+
Hosting	Included	You provide	Included
Transaction fees	Yes (if not using Shopify Payments)	No	No
Scalability	Excellent	Good	Excellent
Support	24/7	Community	24/7

When to Choose Shopify

Choose Shopify If	Choose Alternative If
Want easy setup	Already have WordPress (WooCommerce)
Need 24/7 support	Budget very tight (WooCommerce)
Selling in-person too	Only selling on marketplaces (Etsy)
Growing quickly	Selling digital only (Gumroad)
Want all-in-one	Need maximum customization (WooCommerce)

Getting Started with Shopify

Setup Checklist

Step	Action
1	Start free trial
2	Choose and customize theme
3	Add products
4	Set up payment methods
5	Configure shipping
6	Set up domain
7	Create legal pages
8	Test checkout
9	Connect sales channels
10	Launch!

Timeline

Task	Time Needed
Basic store setup	1-2 days
Adding 10-50 products	2-5 days
Customizing theme	1-3 days
Testing everything	1 day
Total minimum	1-2 weeks

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need technical skills to use Shopify?

No. Shopify is designed for non-technical users. You can build a professional store using drag-and-drop editors and pre-built themes. For advanced customization, you can hire a Shopify expert or learn Liquid (Shopify’s template language).

Can I migrate to Shopify from another platform?

Yes. Shopify offers migration tools and apps to import products, customers, and orders from platforms like WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento, and Etsy. Complex migrations may require professional help.

What happens if I cancel Shopify?

You keep your data. Export products, customers, and orders before canceling. Your store goes offline immediately when canceled. You can reopen within 2 years without losing data.

Is Shopify good for dropshipping?

Yes. Apps like DSers (AliExpress), Spocket, and Modalyst integrate easily. Shopify handles orders and payments while suppliers fulfill orders. Many successful dropshipping businesses run on Shopify.

Bottom Line

Factor	Verdict
Best for	Anyone wanting easy e-commerce
Starting cost	$29/month + transaction fees
True monthly cost	$50-$300 (including fees, apps)
Ease of use	Excellent
Scalability	Excellent
Support	24/7, multiple channels

Key takeaways:

Start with Basic plan ($29/month) for most new stores
Factor in transaction fees (~3% of sales)
Apps add functionality but also costs
Free themes work well—don’t overspend initially
Use Shopify Payments to avoid extra transaction fees
Upgrade plans as sales grow to get better rates

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