Shopify Pricing Explained: The Real Cost Beyond $39/Month
Shopify's pricing page says "Basic starts at $39/month." But by the time you add transaction fees, a premium theme, essential apps, and a payment processor, the real monthly cost is $100–$300+ for most stores. This guide breaks down every tier, every hidden fee, and what a realistic Shopify bill actually looks like.
Singh · Founder & Lead Reviewer · March 2026
Tests software tools, tracks pricing changes weekly, and builds comparison data from first-party vendor sources.
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See our methodology →Every Tier at a Glance
| Tier | Monthly | Annual (per mo) | Staff Accounts | Third-Party Transaction Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $39 | $29 | 2 | 2.0% |
| Shopify | $105 | $79 | 5 | 1.0% |
| Advanced | $399 | $299 | 15 | 0.6% |
| Plus | $2,300 | $2,300 | Unlimited | Custom |
Shopify has no free tier. There's a 3-day free trial, then a promotional $1/month for the first 3 months on some plans. After that, full pricing applies. The third-party transaction fee is charged on top of payment processor fees if you don't use Shopify Payments. Using Shopify Payments eliminates this fee.
Transaction Fees: The Cost Nobody Budgets For
Shopify charges two types of transaction fees:
| Fee Type | Basic | Shopify | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify Payments (online) | 2.9% + $0.30 | 2.7% + $0.30 | 2.5% + $0.30 |
| Third-party gateway | 2.0% + gateway fees | 1.0% + gateway fees | 0.6% + gateway fees |
| In-person (Shopify POS) | 2.6% + $0.10 | 2.5% + $0.10 | 2.4% + $0.10 |
The critical insight:If you don't use Shopify Payments, you pay the third-party transaction fee ON TOP of your payment processor's fees. On Basic, that's 2% of every sale + whatever Stripe/PayPal charges. On $10,000/month in sales, that's $200/month in extra fees just for using a non-Shopify payment processor.
When to upgrade based on transaction fees:If you process $20,000+/month and use a third-party gateway, upgrading from Basic (2% fee) to Shopify (1% fee) saves $200/month in transaction fees alone — more than the $66/month difference in plan cost.
The Real Monthly Cost: Theme + Apps + Fees
Shopify's pricing page shows the platform fee. Here's what a realistic monthly bill looks like:
| Cost | New Store | Growing Store | Established Store |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify plan | $39 (Basic) | $105 (Shopify) | $399 (Advanced) |
| Theme | $0 (free theme) | $15/mo amortized ($180 theme) | $29/mo amortized ($350 theme) |
| Apps (3–8 typical) | $30–$50/mo | $80–$150/mo | $150–$400/mo |
| Transaction fees (on $10K/mo) | $320 (Shopify Payments) | $300 | $280 |
| Realistic Total | $389–$409/mo | $500–$570/mo | $858–$1,108/mo |
The gap:Shopify advertises "starting at $39/month" but a new store doing $10,000/month in revenue realistically spends $389–$409/month when you include payment processing and a few essential apps. That's 10x the advertised price.
Hidden Costs
- Transaction fees if not using Shopify Payments. 2% on Basic, 1% on Shopify, 0.6% on Advanced — on top of your gateway's fees. This is by far the biggest hidden cost. Use Shopify Payments to avoid it.
- Paid apps average $20–$50/month each. Most stores need 3–8 apps for reviews, email marketing, upsells, SEO, and shipping. At $20–$50 each, that's $60–$400/month in app costs alone.
- Premium themes cost $180–$350. Shopify's free themes are functional but basic. Premium themes from the theme store are one-time purchases but still represent meaningful upfront cost.
- POS Pro add-on: $89/month per location. If you sell in physical stores, Shopify POS Lite is included but limited. POS Pro with staff permissions, smart inventory, and unlimited registers costs $89/month per retail location.
- No free tier. Unlike many SaaS tools, Shopify has no permanent free plan. The 3-day trial and $1/month promo period are temporary. You're paying $39+/month from month 4.
- Shopify Payments availability. Shopify Payments isn't available in all countries. If you're in an unsupported country, you're forced to use a third-party gateway and pay the additional transaction fee.
Which Tier Do You Need?
Basic ($39/mo)— Starting a new store, under $10,000/month in revenue, 1–2 people managing the store. Basic covers all essential e-commerce features. Most new stores should start here.
Shopify ($105/mo)— Growing stores doing $10,000–$50,000/month. The lower transaction fees (1% vs 2% on third-party gateways) and professional reports justify the upgrade at this volume. Need 5 staff accounts.
Advanced ($399/mo)— Established stores doing $50,000+/month, selling internationally (duties and import taxes), or needing advanced reporting and custom pricing. The 0.6% transaction fee and 15 staff accounts suit mid-market operations.
Plus ($2,300/mo)— Enterprise e-commerce with custom checkout, unlimited staff, Shopify Functions, and dedicated support. Typically for stores doing $500,000+/month or brands needing checkout customization.
When to Upgrade: The Transaction Fee Break-Even
| Monthly Revenue | Basic + 2% fee | Shopify + 1% fee | Savings on Shopify |
|---|---|---|---|
| $5,000 | $39 + $100 = $139 | $105 + $50 = $155 | -$16 (Basic wins) |
| $10,000 | $39 + $200 = $239 | $105 + $100 = $205 | $34 (Shopify wins) |
| $25,000 | $39 + $500 = $539 | $105 + $250 = $355 | $184 (Shopify wins) |
| $50,000 | $39 + $1,000 = $1,039 | $105 + $500 = $605 | $434 (Shopify wins) |
Break-even point: At roughly $6,600/month in sales using a third-party gateway, upgrading from Basic to Shopify saves money. If you use Shopify Payments (no third-party fee), the upgrade decision is based on features and staff accounts, not fees.
Cheaper Alternative
WooCommerceis free (open-source) and runs on WordPress. Hosting costs $7–$40/month, and you avoid Shopify's platform fees entirely. The tradeoff: you need technical knowledge to set up, maintain, and secure a WooCommerce store. Plugin costs ($50–$300/year each) and developer time can add up. For technically capable teams, WooCommerce is significantly cheaper at scale.
For digital products only: Gumroad charges 10% per sale with no monthly fee, and Lemon Squeezy charges 5% + $0.50 per sale. If you sell digital products exclusively, these platforms are dramatically simpler and cheaper than Shopify for low-volume sellers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Shopify actually cost per month?
Platform fee: Basic $39, Shopify $105, Advanced $399, Plus $2,300. But the real monthly cost includes transaction fees, apps ($60–$400/mo), and themes. A typical new store on Basic doing $10,000/month in revenue pays $389–$409/month total.
Does Shopify have a free plan?
No. Shopify offers a 3-day free trial and sometimes a $1/month promotional rate for the first 3 months. After that, Basic starts at $39/month. There is no permanent free tier.
What are Shopify transaction fees?
If you use Shopify Payments: 2.9% + $0.30 (Basic), 2.7% + $0.30 (Shopify), 2.5% + $0.30 (Advanced) per online transaction. If you use a third-party gateway (Stripe, PayPal): add an extra 2% (Basic), 1% (Shopify), or 0.6% (Advanced) on top of your gateway's fees. Using Shopify Payments avoids the extra fee.
When should I upgrade from Shopify Basic?
Upgrade to Shopify ($105/mo) when you exceed $6,600/month in sales using a third-party gateway (the fee savings pay for the upgrade), need more than 2 staff accounts, or need professional reports. Upgrade to Advanced ($399/mo) when you sell internationally or exceed $50,000/month.
Shopify vs WooCommerce: which is cheaper?
WooCommerce has no platform fee (it's open-source). Hosting costs $7–$40/month. At low volumes, WooCommerce is cheaper. At scale, WooCommerce saves significantly on platform and transaction fees but costs more in developer time and plugin management. Shopify wins on simplicity; WooCommerce wins on total cost for technical teams.
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