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Key Insights in 60 Seconds
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5 plans from $5 to $2,300+/mo — Starter, Basic ($39), Grow ($105), Advanced ($399), and Plus (from $2,300).
Card rates: 2.9% down to 2.25% — higher plans get lower processing fees, saving thousands at scale.
Third-party payment fees: 0.2%–2% — using Shopify Payments eliminates these entirely.
Apps cost $100–$500+/mo on average — the single biggest hidden cost most store owners underestimate.
Plan fee = 5–15% of true cost — transaction fees, apps, themes, and development make up the rest.
Annual billing saves 25% — switching from monthly to yearly on Basic saves $120/year.
Fee crossover for Grow at ~$33K/mo revenue — lower card rates offset the $66/mo plan price difference.
Plus pays for itself at $800K+/year — checkout customization and lower fees drive measurable ROI.
What You'll Learn
1Exact pricing for every Shopify plan in 2026
2How transaction fees work with Shopify Payments
3Hidden costs most merchants miss
4At what revenue level to upgrade plans
5Whether Shopify Plus is worth it for your business
6Money-saving strategies to reduce total costs
Shopify Plans at a Glance: 2026 Pricing
Shopify offers five pricing tiers designed for businesses at every stage — from side hustles to enterprise operations doing millions in monthly revenue.
Here's what each plan costs and who it's designed for. All prices shown are USD monthly rates for the United States; annual billing saves up to 25%.
Pricing varies by region
Shopify adjusts plan pricing and transaction fee rates by country. For example, Basic costs ₹2,099/mo in India, €36/mo in Germany, and £25/mo in the UK. Card processing rates also differ — some regions get lower rates, while others may not have access to Shopify Payments at all. Always check shopify.com/pricing from your region for exact local pricing and available payment methods.
$5/mo
Starter
$39/mo
Basic
$105/mo
Grow
$399/mo
Advanced
$2,300+/mo
Plus
Source: Shopify Official Pricing Page (March 2026)
1
Starter — $5/mo
Social selling with link-based storefront. 5% + 30¢ card rates. No custom store design. Best for: testing products on social media.2
Basic — $39/mo
Full online store with unlimited products. 2.9% + 30¢ card rates. Up to 87% shipping discounts. Best for: new stores and solo entrepreneurs.3
Grow — $105/mo
Everything in Basic plus 5 staff accounts, lower card rates (2.7% + 30¢), and professional reports. Best for: growing teams doing $5K+/mo.4
Advanced — $399/mo
Everything in Grow plus 15 staff accounts, 2.5% + 30¢ rates, live third-party shipping rates, and enhanced support. Best for: scaling businesses with global reach.5
Plus — from $2,300/mo
Enterprise-grade with customizable checkout, unlimited staff, B2B wholesale, bot protection, and the most competitive card rates. Best for: $800K+ annual revenue.Save 25% with annual billing
Switching from monthly to annual billing drops Basic from $39 to $29/mo, Grow from $105 to $79/mo, and Advanced from $399 to $299/mo. That's up to $1,200/year in savings on Advanced alone. Shopify Plus enterprise contracts are negotiated individually.
Side-by-Side Plan Comparison
The plan fee is just the starting point. What really differentiates Shopify plans are the card rates, staff accounts, features, and API limits. Here's the complete feature-by-feature comparison:
Shopify Plans: Feature Comparison 2026
| Feature | Basic | ShopifyPopular | Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $39 | $105 | $399 / $2,300+ |
| Annual Price (per mo) | $29 | $79 | $299 / Negotiated |
| Online Card Rate | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.7% + 30¢ | 2.5% / 2.25% + 30¢ |
| 3rd-Party Tx Fee | 2.0% | 1.0% | 0.6% / 0.2% |
| Staff Accounts | 1 (owner) | 5 | 15 / Unlimited |
| Inventory Locations | 10 | 10 | 10 / 200 |
| Checkout Customization | Limited | Limited | Limited / Full |
| Shipping Discounts | Up to 87% | Up to 87% | Up to 87% |
| 3rd-Party Shipping Rates | No | Add-on | Yes / Yes |
| B2B / Wholesale | No | No | No / Yes |
| 24/7 Support | Live chat | Live chat | Enhanced / Priority |
Transaction & Payment Processing Fees
Transaction fees are where most of your Shopify costs actually come from — not the subscription. Understanding the fee structure is critical to choosing the right plan and keeping your margins healthy.
Shopify Payments (Built-In Processor)
Shopify Payments is Shopify's built-in payment processor. When you use it, you pay only the credit card processing fee — no additional Shopify transaction fee.
Skip lengthy third-party activations and go from setup to selling in one click. Shopify Payments comes with your account, all you need to do is turn it on.
Shopify Payments: Card Rates by Plan
| Fee Type | Basic | Grow | Advanced | Plus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online standard card | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.7% + 30¢ | 2.5% + 30¢ | 2.25% + 30¢ |
| Online premium card | 3.5% + 30¢ | 3.3% + 30¢ | 3.1% + 30¢ | Best rates |
| International surcharge | +1% | +1% | +1% | Best rates |
| In-person card | 2.6% + 10¢ | 2.5% + 10¢ | 2.4% + 10¢ | Best rates |
| PayPal Wallet | Starting at 3.49% + 49¢ (all plans) | |||
Source: Shopify Pricing Page (March 2026)
Third-Party Payment Provider Fees
If you use a third-party payment gateway instead of Shopify Payments (e.g., Authorize.net, WorldPay), Shopify charges an additional transaction fee on top of whatever your gateway charges:
2.0%
Basic
1.0%
Grow
0.6%
Advanced
0.2%
Plus
Third-party fees stack with gateway fees
If you use an external gateway that charges 2.9% + 30¢ while on Basic, your total processing cost becomes 2.9% + 30¢ + 2.0% = 4.9% + 30¢ per transaction. This is why Shopify Payments is almost always the better choice — it eliminates the additional Shopify transaction fee entirely.
If you're not using Shopify Payments and you want to accept credit cards, then you can choose from over 100 credit card payment providers for your Shopify store.
The Hidden Costs Most Merchants Miss
Your Shopify plan fee is typically just 5–15% of your total monthly cost. Here's a realistic breakdown of where the rest of your money goes — and what catches most store owners off guard. For a detailed look at Shopify App Store pricing and Theme Store costs, browse the official marketplaces.
Apps & Plugins: $100–$500+/mo
The biggest hidden cost. Email marketing, reviews, SEO, upsells, subscriptions — each app adds $10–$100+/mo. Most stores run 10–20 apps.
Transaction Fees: 2.25%–2.9%
At $50K/mo revenue, card fees alone cost $1,125–$1,450/mo. This is usually your largest single expense after product costs.
Premium Theme: $180–$400
One-time cost, but most themes need updates or customization. Free themes are viable but limited in design flexibility.
Development: $500–$50K+
Custom features, theme modifications, app integrations, or migration work. Ranges from small tweaks to full custom builds.
Domain: $14–$20/year
Custom domain through Shopify or any registrar. Minor but recurring cost.
POS Pro: $89/mo per location
Required for serious brick-and-mortar retail. Adds advanced inventory, staff management, and in-store pickup features. See full POS pricing at shopify.com/pos.
Real-world cost example: Basic plan at $15K/mo revenue
Subscription: $39/mo | Transaction fees: ~$525/mo ($15K × 2.9% + 300 orders × 30¢) | Apps (8 essential): ~$250/mo | Theme: ~$20/mo (amortized) | Total: ~$834/mo — that's 21× the plan fee. For a deeper look at how all these components fit together, see our guide to how Shopify works.
True Cost Calculator
Use this interactive calculator to estimate your actual monthly Shopify costs based on your revenue, average order value, and plan choice. This accounts for subscription fees, transaction fees, and estimated app costs.
Shopify Cost Calculator
Enter your estimated monthly numbers to see the true cost across all Shopify plans.
BasicBest
$489
per month
Plan fee$39
Processing$350
Apps$100
% of Revenue4.9%
Grow
$535
per month
Plan fee$105
Processing$330
Apps$100
% of Revenue5.3%
Advanced
$809
per month
Plan fee$399
Processing$310
Apps$100
% of Revenue8.1%
Plus
$2,675
per month
Plan fee$2300
Processing$275
Apps$100
% of Revenue26.8%
* Estimates based on Shopify Payments rates. Actual costs may vary based on location, currency, and negotiated rates. Does not include theme, domain, or developer costs.
Total Cost by Revenue Level
How much does Shopify actually cost at different revenue levels? This chart shows the estimated total monthly cost (subscription + transaction fees) for each plan at various revenue tiers. App and development costs are excluded for direct plan comparison.
The crossover point
Grow becomes cheaper than Basic at around $33K/mo in revenue. That's because the 0.2% card rate reduction (2.9% → 2.7%) saves $0.10 per $50 order. You need ~660 orders/mo ($33K at $50 AOV) for the card rate savings to exceed the $66/mo plan price difference. At $50K/mo, the net savings are ~$34/mo — modest, but the extra staff accounts and professional reports add significant operational value.
When to Upgrade Your Shopify Plan
Upgrading too early wastes money; upgrading too late costs you in higher fees and missing features. Here's a data-driven framework for when each upgrade makes financial sense:
1
Stay on Basic: $0–$33K/mo
Basic handles everything a solo entrepreneur needs. The higher card rate hasn't cost enough to justify the plan upgrade. Focus on growing revenue. Upgrade earlier if you need staff accounts.2
Upgrade to Grow: $33K+/mo or team needs
Card rate savings exceed the $66/mo plan difference at ~$33K/mo. But upgrade earlier if you need 5 staff accounts, professional reports, or better internationalization.3
Upgrade to Advanced: $150K+/mo or feature needs
The 0.2% card rate difference requires ~$147K/mo revenue to offset the $294/mo plan price gap. Upgrade earlier only if you need live third-party shipping rates, 15 staff accounts, or enhanced support.4
Upgrade to Plus: $800K+/yr revenue
On pure fees, the crossover is ~$760K/mo — unrealistically high. Plus pays for itself much sooner through checkout customization (10–15% conversion lift), Shopify Audiences (20–50% lower CAC), and B2B features. Most merchants see positive ROI at $800K+/yr.Don't upgrade for features you don't use
The most common mistake: upgrading to Advanced for "better analytics" when you're only doing $15K/mo. At that revenue, you're paying an extra $294/mo for reports you could get from Google Analytics for free. Upgrade when the math works or when you genuinely need the operational features.
Shopify Plus: Is It Worth $2,300/Month?
Shopify Plus is Shopify's enterprise tier, starting at $2,300/month. It's a significant investment — but for the right business, the ROI can be substantial. Plus unlocks checkout extensibility, B2B wholesale, and Shopify Audiences — features unavailable on lower plans.
Shopify Plus gives you all the power you need to scale and manage your business across online, retail, and B2B—without the weight and cost of traditional commerce software.
Customizable Checkout
Full control over checkout UI, logic, and branding. Checkout extensibility lets you add upsells, custom fields, loyalty points, and more — proven to boost conversion by 10–15%.
Unlimited Staff Accounts
No restrictions on team size. Plus includes custom user groups and granular permissions for large organizations.
B2B & Wholesale
Built-in wholesale channel with custom pricing, catalogs, payment terms (net 30/60), and company account management.
Shopify Audiences
AI-powered audience lists exported to Meta, Google, TikTok, and Pinterest. Typically reduces customer acquisition costs by 20–50%.
Bot Protection
Enterprise-grade bot protection for flash sales and product launches. Prevents bots from buying limited inventory.
500% Higher API Limits
Critical for stores with complex integrations, ERP connections, or high-volume automation workflows.
Plus ROI Example: $100K/mo Revenue Store
| Factor | Advanced | Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly plan fee | $399 | $2,300 |
| Card processing ($100K × rate) | $2,500 (2.5%) | $2,250 (2.25%) |
| Total monthly platform cost | $2,899 | $4,550 |
| Checkout conversion lift (est. 10%) | — | +$10,000 revenue |
| Est. gross profit on extra revenue (~40%) | — | +$4,000 profit |
| Shopify Audiences CAC savings (est.) | — | −$1,500 ad spend |
| Net ROI vs Advanced | Baseline | +$3,849/mo net gain |
9 Strategies to Reduce Your Shopify Costs
Whether you're on Basic or Plus, these proven strategies can save you hundreds to thousands of dollars per month. Start with Shopify's own built-in email marketing and discounted shipping rates before investing in third-party alternatives:
1. Switch to Annual Billing
Save 25% instantly. Basic: $120/yr saved. Grow: $312/yr. Advanced: $1,200/yr.
2. Use Shopify Payments
Eliminates 0.2%–2.0% third-party fee. On Basic at $20K/mo, that's $400/mo saved vs an external gateway.
3. Audit Apps Quarterly
Remove unused apps, eliminate overlap. Many stores run 3 analytics apps when one suffices. Target: under $300/mo.
4. Use Built-In Features First
Shopify Email, abandoned cart recovery, discount codes, and analytics are all free. Don't pay for apps that replicate them.
5. Start with a Free Theme
Horizon (Shopify's new default), Dawn, Sense, Craft are well-optimized. Save $280–$400 premium theme cost for after product-market fit validation.
6. Use Shopify Shipping
All plans include up to 87% off carrier rates. Use Shopify Shipping before negotiating your own rates.
7. Grab Promotions
Shopify offers $1/mo for first 3 months for new stores. Time your launch to validate with minimal investment.
8. Don't Over-Upgrade
Don't pay for Advanced ($399/mo) at $5K/mo. Follow revenue thresholds — upgrade only when math justifies it.
9. Negotiate Plus Contracts
Plus pricing is negotiable. Multi-year commitments and competitive offers give leverage. Many get below $2,300/mo.
Frequently Asked Questions
Shopify's subscription ranges from $5/mo (Starter) to $2,300+/mo (Plus). However, the true monthly cost includes transaction fees (2.25%–2.9% + 30¢ per sale), apps ($100–$500+/mo average), theme costs ($0–$400 one-time), and potentially development costs. For a typical store doing $10K/mo in revenue on the Basic plan, expect to pay around $350–$500/mo total — not just the $39 plan fee.
Yes, Basic ($39/mo or $29/mo annual) is sufficient for most new stores. It includes all core features: unlimited products, a full online store, abandoned checkout recovery, discount codes, and 24/7 support. The main limitations are: no additional staff accounts, higher card rates (2.9% vs 2.7% on Grow), and limited reporting. Consider upgrading to Grow once you consistently exceed $5K–$10K/mo in revenue.
With Shopify Payments (the built-in payment processor): Basic charges 2.9% + 30¢, Grow charges 2.7% + 30¢, Advanced charges 2.5% + 30¢, and Plus gets the most competitive rates starting at 2.25% + 30¢. If you use a third-party payment gateway instead, Shopify adds an additional transaction fee: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced, and 0.2% on Plus — on top of whatever your payment processor charges.
Only if you use a third-party payment provider instead of Shopify Payments. When using Shopify Payments, you pay only the credit card processing fee (2.25%–2.9% + 30¢ depending on plan). If you use an external gateway like Authorize.net or WorldPay, Shopify adds an additional fee (0.2%–2%) on top of whatever that gateway charges. This makes Shopify Payments almost always the more cost-effective choice.
The most common hidden costs include: (1) Apps — the average store spends $100–$500/mo on apps for email marketing, reviews, SEO, etc. (2) Premium themes cost $180–$400 one-time. (3) Transaction fees if not using Shopify Payments. (4) Custom domain ($14–$20/year). (5) Email beyond 10,000 contacts with Shopify Email costs extra. (6) POS Pro for physical retail is $89/mo per location. (7) Development costs for custom features, which can range from $500 to $50,000+ depending on complexity.
Upgrade to Grow when: (1) You need additional staff accounts (Grow allows 5). (2) You have a growing team that needs professional reports. (3) You're selling internationally and need better localization. On pure fee math, Grow becomes cheaper than Basic at ~$33K/mo revenue. But if you need staff accounts or advanced reporting, the upgrade pays for itself through operational efficiency well before that threshold.
Shopify Plus is worth it for businesses doing $800K+/year in revenue. At that scale, the lower transaction fees (2.25% + 30¢ vs 2.5% on Advanced) save thousands annually. Plus also includes: fully customizable checkout (proven to increase conversions 10–15%), unlimited staff accounts, B2B/wholesale features, Shopify Audiences for ad optimization, bot protection, 200 POS Pro locations, and priority support. Many Plus merchants report 15–30% ROI improvement from checkout customization alone.
Most essential Shopify apps cost $10–$100/mo each. A typical store running email marketing (e.g., Klaviyo $20–$150/mo), reviews ($15–$50/mo), SEO tools ($20–$80/mo), and a few utility apps spends $100–$500/mo total on apps. Enterprise stores can spend $1,000–$2,000+/mo. To manage costs: audit apps quarterly, remove unused ones, and prefer Shopify's built-in features (email, abandoned cart, analytics) before paying for third-party alternatives.
Yes — annual billing saves up to 25% on subscription fees. Basic drops from $39/mo to $29/mo (saving $120/year), and Grow drops from $105/mo to $79/mo (saving $312/year). Advanced drops from $399/mo to $299/mo (saving $1,200/year). Shopify Plus does not offer annual pricing discounts through the standard pricing page — enterprise contracts are negotiated individually. Annual billing is one of the easiest ways to reduce your total Shopify costs.
Shopify is more expensive upfront ($29–$399/mo plan fee) but includes hosting, SSL, security, and maintenance. WooCommerce is 'free' (open-source plugin) but requires separate hosting ($20–$100+/mo), SSL, security plugins, and ongoing maintenance — total cost often reaches $100–$500/mo for a comparable setup. The key difference: Shopify's costs are predictable and bundled; WooCommerce costs are fragmented and variable. For most businesses, total cost of ownership is comparable, but Shopify saves significant time on technical management.
The absolute cheapest entry is the Starter plan at $5/mo — it gives you a simple link-based storefront and Shopify's checkout to sell through social media, messaging apps, or any website. However, card rates are high at 5% + 30¢. For a proper online store, Basic at $29/mo (annual billing) is the best value. Take advantage of Shopify's $1/mo for the first 3 months promotional offer to test the platform with minimal risk. Use free themes, Shopify's built-in features, and start with only essential apps.
No — all Shopify plans include unlimited web hosting, free SSL certificates, automatic security patches, DDoS protection, and PCI DSS Level 1 compliance at no additional cost. This is a significant advantage over self-hosted platforms like WooCommerce, where you'd pay separately for hosting ($20–$100+/mo), SSL ($0–$100/year), and security plugins/services ($50–$300/year).
About This Article
Written by
Shopify Developer & E-Commerce Writer
9+ years with Shopify since 2017
Front-end developer specializing in Shopify since 2017. Experienced in building custom Liquid themes, optimizing storefront performance, and integrating third-party apps. Writes in-depth, data-driven e-commerce guides based on hands-on experience with real merchant stores.
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