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How much does Shopify cost? The answer depends on the Shopify plan you choose, the apps you install, your payment processing setup, and the type of ecommerce business you run.
While Shopify advertises affordable starting prices, many online store owners quickly discover additional monthly expenses like premium themes, transaction fees, email marketing software, and paid Shopify apps.
This guide breaks down Shopify pricing in 2026, including Shopify subscription plans, hidden fees, transaction costs, and realistic monthly budgets for beginners, growing stores, and enterprise ecommerce brands.
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Key Takeaways
- Shopify plans range from $5/month to $2,300+/month for enterprise businesses
- The Basic Shopify plan costs $25/month or $23/month when billed yearly
- Most beginners spend between $50 and $150 monthly running a Shopify store
- Apps, payment processing, and marketing tools increase the total cost
- Shopify Payments helps avoid additional transaction fees
- Shopify Plus is designed for enterprise ecommerce brands
- Annual billing reduces overall Shopify subscription costs
Shopify Pricing Plans at a Glance
Understanding how much Shopify costs is important before launching an ecommerce business because your monthly expenses can increase as your store grows.
Shopify offers several pricing plans designed for creators, solo entrepreneurs, growing businesses, and enterprise ecommerce brands.
| Plan | Monthly Price | Yearly Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $5/month | $5/month | Casual selling and social commerce |
| Basic | $25/month | $23/month | Solo entrepreneurs and beginners |
| Grow | $65/month | $59/month | Small teams and growing stores |
| Advanced | $399/month | $360/month | Scaling and global ecommerce brands |
| Shopify Plus | From $2,300/month | Custom pricing | Enterprise businesses |
Shopify Starter Plan
The Shopify Starter plan costs $5 per month and is designed for creators and casual sellers who want to sell products through social media, messaging apps, and simple product links.
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This plan does not include a full ecommerce website, making it less suitable for businesses that need a complete online store.
Basic Shopify Plan
The Basic Shopify plan costs $25 monthly or $23 monthly when billed yearly. It is the best Shopify plan for beginners and solo entrepreneurs.
The plan includes a complete ecommerce website, Shopify checkout, AI tools, abandoned cart recovery, multichannel selling, and support for up to 10 inventory locations.
Third-party payment providers are charged a 2% transaction fee unless Shopify Payments is used.
Shopify Grow Plan
The Grow plan costs $65 monthly or $59 monthly with annual billing. It is designed for growing ecommerce stores and small teams.
The plan includes everything in Basic plus up to 5 staff accounts and lower third-party payment provider fees of 1%.
Advanced Shopify Plan
The Advanced Shopify plan costs $399 monthly or $360 monthly when billed yearly.
It includes advanced analytics, live third-party shipping rates, better reporting, and up to 15 staff accounts.
Third-party payment provider fees are reduced to 0.6% on this plan.
Shopify Plus
Shopify Plus starts at $2,300 per month and is built for enterprise ecommerce businesses.
It includes fully customizable checkout experiences, B2B ecommerce tools, automation features, priority support, unlimited staff accounts, and up to 200 POS Pro locations.
Enterprise businesses can also explore our full guide to Shopify Plus pricing and total ownership costs.
What Does Shopify Actually Cost Per Month?
Many beginners search for how much Shopify costs monthly, but the real answer depends on your apps, transaction fees, marketing budget, and store size.
The Shopify subscription is only part of the total ecommerce cost. Most businesses spend additional money on apps, themes, domains, payment processing, and marketing tools.
Real Cost for a Beginner Shopify Store
Most beginner stores spend more than the Shopify subscription alone.
Typical beginner Shopify expenses include:
- Basic Shopify plan: $25/month
- Domain name: around $10 to $20/year
- Email marketing apps: $10 to $50/month
- SEO apps and review tools
- Payment processing fees
- Optional premium theme purchase
Most beginners spend between $50 and $150 monthly running a Shopify store.
Real Cost for a Growing Ecommerce Brand
Growing ecommerce stores often rely on multiple Shopify apps, automation software, subscription tools, and marketing platforms.
Shipping expenses can also affect your monthly ecommerce budget, especially as order volume increases. Learn more about how Shopify shipping works.
Additional expenses may include:
- Email marketing software
- Upsell and conversion apps
- Inventory management tools
- Shipping and fulfillment software
- Advertising costs
- Professional Shopify development
Growing Shopify stores often spend between $300 and $2,000+ monthly depending on traffic and order volume.
Hidden Shopify Costs Most Beginners Miss
Many ecommerce beginners focus only on the Shopify subscription price and overlook additional recurring expenses.
Shopify Transaction Fees
Shopify charges payment processing fees on every sale. Businesses using Shopify Payments avoid additional transaction fees charged by Shopify.
However, using third-party payment gateways may result in extra fees depending on the Shopify plan.
| Plan | Third-Party Transaction Fee |
|---|---|
| Basic | 2% |
| Grow | 1% |
| Advanced | 0.6% |
| Plus | 0.2% |
If you want a more detailed breakdown of payment processing expenses, read our guide on how much Shopify takes per sale.
Shopify App Costs
Apps are one of the largest hidden Shopify expenses. While some apps are free, many advanced ecommerce tools require monthly subscriptions.
Many businesses also invest in multichannel selling integrations like learning how to connect Shopify to Amazon.
Common paid Shopify apps include:
- Email marketing tools
- SEO optimization apps
- Subscription and recurring billing apps
- Product review apps
- Loyalty and rewards programs
- Upsell and cross-sell tools
Many Shopify businesses eventually spend more on apps than on the Shopify subscription itself.
Shopify Theme Costs
Shopify offers free themes, but premium themes usually cost between $100 and $400 as a one-time purchase.
Premium themes often include better customization options, advanced ecommerce features, and improved performance.
If you are comparing store designs, this guide shows how to identify popular Shopify themes used by successful ecommerce brands.
Shopify POS Costs
Businesses selling in physical stores may need Shopify POS hardware and Shopify POS Pro.
Shopify POS Pro costs $89 per month per location and includes advanced retail tools, staff permissions, inventory management, and flexible in-store pickup options.
Developer and Design Costs
Some ecommerce businesses hire Shopify developers or designers for store customization and advanced functionality.
Professional Shopify development services can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars depending on project complexity.
Shopify Pricing Comparison Table
| Feature | Basic | Grow | Advanced | Plus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $25 | $65 | $399 | From $2,300 |
| Yearly Price | $23 | $59 | $360 | Custom |
| Third-Party Payment Fees | 2% | 1% | 0.6% | 0.2% |
| Staff Accounts | Not included | 5 | 15 | Unlimited |
| Inventory Locations | 10 | 10 | 10 | 200 |
| Best For | Beginners | Growing Stores | Scaling Businesses | Enterprise Brands |
Which Shopify Plan Is Best for You?
Best Shopify Plan for Beginners
The Basic Shopify plan is the best starting point for most beginners because it includes everything needed to launch a professional ecommerce website.
After choosing a pricing plan, follow our tutorial on how to set up a Shopify store.
Best Shopify Plan for Dropshipping
Most dropshipping businesses start with the Basic Shopify plan and upgrade later as sales volume increases.
Best Shopify Plan for Print-on-Demand Stores
Print-on-demand businesses usually perform well on the Basic Shopify plan because fulfillment and production are managed through integrated apps.
Best Shopify Plan for Small Businesses
Small businesses generating consistent monthly sales may benefit from the Grow plan due to lower transaction fees and additional staff accounts.
Best Shopify Plan for Enterprise Ecommerce
Large ecommerce brands processing high sales volumes typically require Shopify Plus for advanced customization, automation, and enterprise support.
Shopify vs Competitors: Cost Comparison
Shopify vs WooCommerce
WooCommerce itself is free, but businesses must pay separately for hosting, plugins, security, and maintenance.
Shopify offers a simpler all-in-one ecommerce solution with predictable pricing and less technical management.
Shopify vs Wix Ecommerce
Wix Ecommerce may appear cheaper initially, but Shopify offers better scalability, ecommerce tools, and app integrations for serious online businesses.
Shopify vs BigCommerce
BigCommerce includes many built-in ecommerce features, but Shopify provides a larger app ecosystem and more flexibility.
Shopify vs Squarespace Commerce
Squarespace is ideal for visually focused websites, but Shopify remains stronger for advanced ecommerce functionality and multichannel selling.
Is Shopify Worth the Cost?
Many merchants find Shopify worthwhile because of its scalability and earning potential. Here are proven ways to make money on Shopify.
Major Shopify benefits include:
- User-friendly dashboard
- Reliable hosting and security
- Fast website performance
- Large Shopify App Store ecosystem
- Mobile-friendly themes
- Built-in SEO features
- Multichannel selling support
- Integrated AI commerce tools
Although Shopify may cost more than some alternatives, the platform reduces technical complexity and ongoing maintenance.
How to Reduce Shopify Costs
Use Shopify Payments
Using Shopify Payments helps avoid additional transaction fees from third-party payment providers.
If you are new to ecommerce payments, this guide explains how Shopify pays you after customer purchases.
Avoid Installing Too Many Apps
Installing unnecessary Shopify apps can significantly increase monthly expenses and slow down your ecommerce website.
Start With a Free Shopify Theme
Many free Shopify themes are professionally designed and suitable for beginners launching a new online store.
Pay Annually
Annual Shopify billing reduces subscription costs compared to monthly billing.
Remove Unused App Subscriptions
Review your installed apps regularly to eliminate recurring subscriptions that no longer provide value.
Shopify Cost Examples by Business Type
Small Clothing Store
- Basic Shopify plan
- Email marketing app
- Product review app
- Social media advertising
Estimated monthly cost: $80 to $250
Dropshipping Business
- Basic Shopify plan
- Dropshipping app
- Product research tools
- Paid advertising
Estimated monthly cost: $100 to $500+
Print-on-Demand Brand
- Basic Shopify plan
- Print-on-demand software
- Email marketing tools
- Graphic design software
Estimated monthly cost: $70 to $300
Handmade Products Store
- Basic Shopify plan
- Shipping tools
- Packaging supplies
- Photography equipment
Estimated monthly cost: $50 to $200
Large Ecommerce Brand
- Shopify Plus
- Enterprise apps
- Automation software
- Dedicated development support
Estimated monthly cost: $2,000 to $20,000+
People Also Ask
How much does Shopify cost for beginners?
Most beginners spend between $50 and $150 monthly when including Shopify subscription fees, apps, domains, and payment processing costs.
Does Shopify charge transaction fees?
Yes. Shopify charges additional transaction fees when using third-party payment providers instead of Shopify Payments.
Can you use Shopify for free?
Shopify offers a free trial, but a paid subscription is required to continue selling products online.
What is the cheapest Shopify plan?
The Shopify Starter plan is the cheapest option and costs $5 per month.
Is Shopify cheaper than WooCommerce?
Shopify often has higher monthly costs, but WooCommerce businesses may spend more on hosting, plugins, maintenance, and technical support.
Final Thoughts
Understanding Shopify pricing helps ecommerce businesses choose the right plan and avoid unexpected expenses. While Shopify may not be the cheapest ecommerce platform available, its ease of use, scalability, and built-in tools make it one of the best options for online selling.
Before launching your Shopify store, calculate your expected monthly expenses carefully, including apps, domains, transaction fees, marketing tools, and optional design costs. This helps create a more realistic ecommerce budget and supports long-term business growth.