Shopify Pricing 2026: Every Plan, Fee, and Hidden Cost Explained
See what Shopify actually costs for your store size. Not the advertised price. The real price, including transaction fees, apps, and the charges Shopify does not put in the headline.
What Will Shopify Actually Cost You?
Enter your monthly revenue and average order value. The calculator shows your estimated total monthly cost on every plan, including transaction processing fees.
Monthly Cost Calculator
Enter your store details to see the real monthly cost on each plan, including transaction fees.
Based on 300 transactions/month at $50 average order value. Does not include app or theme costs.
All Plans Side by Side
A complete comparison of every Shopify plan feature, from subscription cost to shipping discounts and staff account limits. This table covers what Shopify shows on their pricing page, plus the details they leave for the fine print.
| Feature | Starter | Basic | Grow | Advanced | Plus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $5 | $39 | $105 | $399 | $2,300 |
| Annual price (per month) | $5 | $29 | $79 | $299 | $2,300 |
| Online credit card rate | 5% | 2.9% + 30c | 2.7% + 30c | 2.5% + 30c | 2.15% + 30c |
| In-person card rate | N/A | 2.6% + 10c | 2.5% + 10c | 2.2% + 10c | 2.15% + 10c |
| Third-party surcharge | 5% | 2.0% | 1.0% | 0.6% | 0.2% |
| Staff accounts | 1 | 2 | 5 | 15 | Unlimited |
| Inventory locations | 2 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 200 |
| International markets | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 50 |
| Shipping discount | None | Up to 77% | Up to 88% | Up to 88% | Up to 88% |
| Professional reports | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Custom report builder | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| POS Lite included | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Abandoned cart recovery | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Calculated shipping rates | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Checkout customization | No | No | No | No | Yes |
Which Plan Do You Need?
The right Shopify plan depends almost entirely on your monthly revenue. Transaction fee savings at higher tiers offset the subscription cost increase once you cross specific revenue thresholds. Here is the revenue-based recommendation that reflects real total-cost math, not marketing.
Only if you sell through social media links or messaging apps. No full storefront. The 5% transaction fee makes this expensive at higher volume.
The sweet spot for most new and small stores. Full online store with abandoned cart recovery, discount codes, and up to 77% shipping discounts. Transaction fees are 2.9% + $0.30 per sale.
When your monthly revenue exceeds $33,000, the 0.2% lower transaction fee on Grow saves more than the $66/month subscription increase. You also get professional reports and shipping insurance.
At $100K/month, Advanced saves money over Grow through even lower fees. At $500K+/month, Plus becomes worth evaluating for checkout customization and expansion stores.
Your Subscription Is 30-50% of the Real Cost
Shopify advertises $39/month for Basic, but a typical store doing $20,000/month in revenue actually pays $300-$500/month when you include transaction processing fees, essential apps, and a premium theme. The subscription is just the starting point. Here is what a realistic cost breakdown looks like for a mid-size store.
Explore Each Plan in Detail
Every plan has nuances that the comparison table does not capture. Our dedicated plan guides include feature breakdowns, revenue-based cost modeling, and specific upgrade recommendations with breakeven math.
- ✓ Product page links
- ✓ Social media selling
- ✓ Shopify admin access
- ✓ Full online store
- ✓ 2 staff accounts
- ✓ Abandoned cart recovery
- ✓ Up to 77% shipping discount
- ✓ 5 staff accounts
- ✓ Professional reports
- ✓ Shipping insurance
- ✓ USPS Priority Mail Cubic
- ✓ 15 staff accounts
- ✓ Custom report builder
- ✓ Calculated shipping rates
- ✓ Duties & import taxes
- ✓ Unlimited staff
- ✓ Checkout customization
- ✓ Expansion stores
- ✓ B2B channel
- ✓ Online, in-person, and manual rates
- ✓ Third-party gateway surcharges
- ✓ International card fees
When Shopify Might Not Be the Best Fit
Shopify is the strongest e-commerce platform for most merchants, but it is not always the cheapest. Below a certain revenue level, simpler platforms cost less. Above a certain complexity level, different platforms may better fit your needs. Here is an honest revenue-based assessment of when to consider alternatives.
| Revenue Range | Recommendation | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Under $2K/mo | Consider Squarespace | Cheaper for simple stores with fewer than 50 products. Better design templates. No transaction fees on Commerce Advanced plan. |
| $2K - $50K/mo | Shopify Basic or Grow | Best app ecosystem, most developer talent, excellent shipping integrations. The go-to platform for this revenue range. |
| $50K - $500K/mo | Shopify Advanced | Lower per-transaction costs offset the $399/month subscription. Custom reports and calculated shipping become valuable. |
| $500K+/mo using many payment gateways | Consider BigCommerce | Zero transaction fee surcharge regardless of payment processor. More built-in B2B features without apps. |
| $500K+/mo on Shopify ecosystem | Shopify Plus | Checkout customization, expansion stores, and the lowest transaction rates in the Shopify ecosystem. |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Shopify cost per month?
Shopify ranges from $5/month for the Starter plan to $2,300/month for Shopify Plus. The most popular plans are Basic at $39/month and Grow at $105/month. However, your real monthly cost includes transaction fees, apps, and themes, which typically add 50-200% on top of the base subscription depending on your revenue and store complexity.
What percentage does Shopify take per sale?
With Shopify Payments, credit card processing rates range from 2.15% + $0.30 on Advanced to 2.9% + $0.30 on Basic for online transactions. The Starter plan charges 5% per transaction. If you use a third-party payment gateway instead of Shopify Payments, there is an additional surcharge of 0.2% to 2% depending on your plan, on top of your gateway's own processing fees.
Is Shopify free to use?
Shopify is not permanently free, but it offers a 3-day free trial followed by a promotional rate of $1/month for the first 3 months on any plan. After the promotional period, full pricing applies. There is no free tier, but the Starter plan at $5/month is the most affordable option for sellers who only need product links for social media and messaging apps.
Which Shopify plan is best for small business?
For most small businesses doing under $33,000 per month in revenue, the Basic plan at $39/month (or $29/month with annual billing) is the best value. It includes a full online store, 2 staff accounts, abandoned cart recovery, and discount codes. If you exceed $33,000/month in revenue, the Grow plan becomes cheaper overall because its lower transaction fees offset the higher subscription cost.
What hidden fees does Shopify have?
Beyond the subscription, expect to pay for apps ($50-$300/month for a typical store), premium themes ($150-$380 one-time), third-party payment gateway surcharges (0.2-2% if not using Shopify Payments), currency conversion fees (1-1.5%), POS Pro ($89/location/month), and email marketing overage charges. A realistic total monthly cost for a $20K/month store is $300-$500, not the $39 advertised for Basic.
Should I pay for Shopify monthly or yearly?
Annual billing saves 25% on all plans, which means $120/year on Basic, $312/year on Grow, and $1,200/year on Advanced. However, you should only switch to annual billing after 3-4 months of consistent revenue. The breakeven point is 9 months, so if there is any chance you will cancel before then, monthly billing is safer. The $1/month promotional rate is only available with monthly billing.