Understanding Shopify pricing can be confusing with multiple plans, transaction fees, and add-on costs. This guide breaks down every cost you will face when running a Shopify store in 2026, from the basic subscription to the hidden expenses most guides don’t mention.
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Shopify Plans at a Glance
Shopify offers five distinct pricing tiers designed for different business sizes and needs. Each plan includes core e-commerce features but differs in transaction fees, staff accounts, and advanced capabilities.
Shopify Starter – $5/month
The Starter plan is not a full online store. It lets you sell products through social media, messaging apps, and link-in-bio pages. You get a simple product page but no full storefront. Best for social media sellers and creators who want to monetize a following without building a traditional store.
Basic Shopify – $39/month
The Basic plan is where most new stores begin. You get a full online store with unlimited products, 2 staff accounts, and access to Shopify Shipping discounts. Credit card rates are 2.9% + $0.30 online and 2.6% + $0.10 in person. If you use a third-party payment gateway, there is an additional 2% transaction fee.
Shopify Standard – $105/month
The standard Shopify plan drops credit card rates to 2.6% + $0.30 online. You get 5 staff accounts, professional reports, and Shopify Flow automation. The third-party gateway fee drops to 1%. Ideal for stores processing $5,000+ per month.
Advanced Shopify – $399/month
Advanced brings the lowest standard card rates at 2.4% + $0.30 online. You get 15 staff accounts, custom report builder, calculated shipping rates, and duties at checkout. Third-party gateway fee is 0.6%. Best for high-volume established stores.
Shopify Plus – Starting at $2,300/month
The enterprise solution for high-volume merchants. Custom checkout, unlimited staff, dedicated support, and advanced automation. Suitable for businesses processing $500K+ annually.
Hidden Costs Most Guides Don’t Mention
Transaction Fees
With Shopify Payments, you pay only the credit card rate. Using PayPal, Stripe, or another gateway adds 0.5-2% on top. Always use Shopify Payments to avoid this double fee.
App Costs: The Real Budget Killer
Most stores install 6-12 paid apps. Budget $100-300/month for email marketing ($20-100), reviews ($0-50), upselling ($10-50), SEO ($0-50), and shipping management ($0-50). This is where total cost really climbs.
Theme and Domain
Paid themes cost $180-400 one-time. Custom domain costs $10-15/year. Budget for these in your first-year costs.
Real Monthly Cost Breakdown
Starting out: Basic $39 + domain $1 = ~$40/month. Start lean.
Growing (4-12 months): Basic $39 + apps $100-150 + theme (amortized) $15 = ~$155-205/month.
Established (year 2+): Standard $105 + apps $150-250 + premium services $50-100 = ~$305-455/month.
Which Plan Should You Choose?
Basic ($39): Processing under $5,000/month. Most new stores start here.
Shopify ($105): Processing $5,000-50,000/month. Lower fees justify the cost.
Advanced ($399): Processing $50,000+/month or selling internationally.
Money-Saving Tips
Pay annually for 25% off. Use Shopify Payments always. Start with free apps. Choose Dawn theme initially. Use the free trial to build before committing.
Pros
- Transparent base pricing
- Annual billing saves 25%
- Shopify Payments eliminates extra fees
- Free trial available
- Free apps for most categories
- Plans scale with business
Cons
- App costs add significantly
- Transaction fees without Shopify Payments
- Theme customization may need a developer
- Plus is expensive for smaller businesses
Only with third-party gateways. Shopify Payments has no additional transaction fees beyond credit card processing.
Yes, upgrade or downgrade anytime. Shopify prorates the difference.
Yes, saves approximately 25% compared to monthly billing.
