What does Shopify cost per month? All plans at a glance
Shopify's monthly subscription costs between $5 and $2,300+, depending on which plan you choose. The Basic plan at $39/month is where most store owners start. Grow runs $105/month, Advanced costs $399/month, and Shopify Plus starts at $2,300/month for enterprise operations. All prices reflect monthly billing as of early 2026, per the official Shopify pricing page.
| Plan | Monthly price | Annual price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $5 | $5 | Social selling, link-in-bio stores |
| Basic | $39 | $29 | New stores, under $10k/mo revenue |
| Grow | $105 | $79 | Growing stores, 5 staff accounts |
| Advanced | $399 | $299 | High-volume, 15 staff accounts |
| Plus | $2,300+ | $2,300+ | Enterprise, custom checkout, B2B |
For a full feature-by-feature comparison, see the Shopify Plans Comparison. If you are testing the waters, the Shopify Starter Plan at $5/month lets you sell via social media and messaging without building a full storefront. On the other end, Shopify Plus unlocks a fully customizable checkout, unlimited staff accounts, and B2B wholesale functionality.
Transaction fees and hidden monthly costs
The subscription price is only the beginning. Transaction fees, payment processing, apps, and third-party services regularly double the actual monthly spend. I have seen store owners budget $39/month for Basic and end up paying $150+ once everything is running. According to the Shopify Help Center, fees vary significantly depending on your plan and payment method.
| Fee type | Basic | Grow | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online card rate | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.7% + 30¢ | 2.5% + 30¢ |
| In-person card rate | 2.6% + 10¢ | 2.5% + 10¢ | 2.4% + 10¢ |
| Third-party gateway surcharge | 2.0% | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| International card surcharge | +1.5% | +1.5% | +1.5% |
On a $100 online sale using Shopify Payments on Basic, you pay $3.20 in processing fees. Switch to a third-party gateway and that jumps to $5.20. At $10,000/month in sales, that difference costs you $200. For a deeper look, read our guide on Shopify Fees and the dedicated Shopify Transaction Fees breakdown.
- Apps: Most stores spend $50-350/month on essentials like email marketing, reviews, upsells, and analytics
- Themes: Free options available, premium themes cost $150-400 (one-time purchase)
- Domain: $14-20/year through Shopify or a third-party registrar
- Shopify Email: Free for 10,000 emails/month, then $1 per additional 1,000
- POS Pro: $89/month per retail location for in-person selling
Realistic total monthly cost by revenue stage
Every pricing guide lists what Shopify charges. Few answer the question that actually matters: what does running a store cost each month? I have worked with dozens of e-commerce businesses at different stages, and the gap between the listed plan price and actual monthly spend catches almost everyone off guard.
| Stage | Monthly revenue | Recommended plan | Subscription | Apps (est.) | Transaction fees (est.) | Total monthly cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Startup | $0-1k | Basic | $39 | $30-50 | $10-30 | $80-120 |
| Growing | $1-10k | Basic or Grow | $39-105 | $80-150 | $30-290 | $150-550 |
| Scaling | $10-50k | Grow or Advanced | $105-399 | $150-300 | $270-1,250 | $525-1,950 |
| Enterprise | $50k+ | Advanced or Plus | $399-2,300+ | $200-500 | $1,250+ | $1,850+ |
Real monthly costs are typically 2-3x the base subscription price
Basic plan + essential apps + minimal transaction fees
Grow or Advanced plan for $10-50k/mo revenue stores
Available on Basic, Grow, and Advanced plans
The startup stage is deceptively affordable. The real cost jump happens between $1k and $10k monthly revenue, when you start needing better apps and transaction fees become noticeable. Plan your budget for the growing stage, not the launch.
Monthly vs annual billing: when each makes sense
Annual billing saves 25% across all main plans. On Basic, that means $29/month instead of $39, saving $120 per year. On Advanced, the savings jump to $1,200/year. The math is straightforward, but the timing matters.
| Plan | Monthly billing | Annual billing | Yearly savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $39/mo ($468/yr) | $29/mo ($348/yr) | $120 |
| Grow | $105/mo ($1,260/yr) | $79/mo ($948/yr) | $312 |
| Advanced | $399/mo ($4,788/yr) | $299/mo ($3,588/yr) | $1,200 |
How to reduce your monthly Shopify costs
Controlling Shopify costs is less about finding tricks and more about avoiding the mistakes that quietly drain your budget. Here is what actually moves the needle, based on patterns I see across stores of all sizes.
- Use Shopify Payments. Eliminating the 2% third-party surcharge on Basic saves $200 for every $10,000 in sales. Non-negotiable.
- Audit apps quarterly. Most stores accumulate 3-5 unused app subscriptions within the first year. That is $50-150/month in waste.
- Start on Basic. Upgrade to Grow only when you need 5+ staff accounts or when transaction fee savings outweigh the $66/month price difference.
- Choose free themes first. Shopify's free themes are solid. A $300 premium theme makes sense after your brand identity is established, not before.
- Switch to annual billing after month six. Once you have validated your concept, the 25% discount compounds. On Basic alone, that is $120/year back in your pocket.
- Consolidate customer service tools. Instead of stacking three or four support apps, one AI employee can handle product questions, order tracking, and returns across all channels.
That last point deserves a closer look. One of our clients, Signed, replaced multiple customer service tools with a single AI employee. The result: 70% of customer inquiries automated, 18x ROI, and a 30% increase in upselling. For stores with consulting-intensive products, an AI-powered customer service solution does not just save on app costs. It turns support interactions into revenue.
An AI employee advises your customers in real time, handles returns and order questions, and increases cart value by up to 35%. Our clients see results within the first 30 days.
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FAQ: Common questions about Shopify monthly costs
Shopify's monthly subscription ranges from $5 (Starter) to $2,300+ (Plus). Most store owners start on the Basic plan at $39/month or $29/month with annual billing. Real monthly costs, including apps and transaction fees, typically run $80-150 for new stores.
The Starter plan at $5/month is the cheapest option, but it only supports selling through social media links and messaging. For a full online store, the Basic plan at $39/month is the entry point. Shopify also offers $1/month for the first three months as an introductory promotion.
Yes. Beyond the subscription, you pay credit card processing fees (2.5-2.9% + 30¢ per transaction), a 0.6-2.0% surcharge if using a third-party payment gateway, and most stores spend $50-350/month on apps. Themes, domains, and Shopify Email add smaller recurring costs.
On the Basic plan using Shopify Payments, Shopify takes $3.20 from a $100 online sale (2.9% + 30¢). With a third-party payment gateway, that rises to $5.20 due to the additional 2% surcharge. Higher-tier plans reduce these fees.
For most small e-commerce businesses, yes. The Basic plan provides a full-featured store, abandoned cart recovery, and shipping discounts for $39/month. The platform scales as you grow, and the $1/month intro offer lets you test with minimal risk.
Shopify offers a free 3-day trial, followed by a $1/month promotional period for the first three months. After that, you need a paid plan. There is no permanently free tier, but the low intro pricing lets you validate your business concept before committing.
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Lasse is CEO and co-founder of Qualimero. After completing his MBA at WHU and scaling a company to seven-figure revenue, he founded Qualimero to build AI-powered digital employees for e-commerce. His focus: helping businesses measurably improve customer interaction through intelligent automation.
