Quick answer
The sticker price of Shopify in 2026 is:
- Basic: $39/month
- Shopify: $105/month
- Advanced: $399/month
But the real monthly cost for a typical new store is \(59–\)159/month once you add themes, essential apps, payment processing, and transaction fees. Here’s the honest breakdown.
The three plan prices (2026 US)
|
Plan
|
Monthly (month-to-month)
|
Monthly (annual billing)
|
Best for
|
|
Basic
|
$39
|
~$25
|
New stores, < $5k/month revenue
|
|
Shopify
|
$105
|
~$65
|
Growing stores, \(5k–\)50k/month
|
|
Advanced
|
$399
|
~$265
|
Scaling stores, $50k+/month
|
Annual billing saves you roughly 25%, but it locks you in. Start month-to-month while you’re validating.
What’s actually included
Every Shopify plan gives you:
- Unlimited products
- 24/7 support
- Free SSL certificate
- Abandoned cart recovery (Basic plan got this in 2023)
- Gift cards (on Shopify plan and above)
- Discount codes
- POS (point of sale) lite
You don’t need to pay extra for the basics. The extra cost comes from apps and payment processing.
The real monthly cost breakdown
Let’s build a realistic first-year budget for a new store doing ~$2k/month in sales.
Plan
|
Item
|
Cost
|
|
Basic Shopify (month-to-month)
|
$39
|
|
Domain (if not already owned)
|
~$1.25/month amortized
|
Themes
|
Item
|
Cost
|
|
Free theme (Dawn, Sense, Craft)
|
$0
|
|
Premium theme (optional)
|
\(0–\)40 one-time = \(0–\)3/month amortized
|
Essential apps
|
App category
|
Typical cost
|
|
Product reviews (Loox, Yotpo free tier)
|
\(0–\)10
|
|
Email popups (Klaviyo free tier)
|
$0
|
|
Upsell / cart protection (Often Reorder)
|
\(0–\)20
|
|
Shipping label printer integration
|
\(0–\)10
|
Realistic app spend: \(0–\)40/month.
Payment processing
This is the biggest hidden cost. On $2,000/month in sales:
- Shopify Payments rate: 2.9% + 30¢ per order
- If you average \(50/order, that’s 40 orders/month = \)580 in processing fees
- This comes out of your revenue, not your pocket separately, but it’s a real cost
Total real monthly cost
|
Scenario
|
Monthly
|
|
Bare bones (free theme, free apps, Basic)
|
$39
|
|
Realistic starter (one premium theme, 1–2 paid apps)
|
\(60–\)80
|
|
Growth (Shopify plan + several apps)
|
\(130–\)180
|
The costs nobody tells you about
1. App creep
The #1 way Shopify bills balloon. You install one app for reviews (\(10), one for email (\)30), one for upsells (\(20), one for shipping labels (\)15), and suddenly you’re paying $75/month on top of your plan.
Audit your apps every quarter. Delete anything you haven’t used in 30 days.
2. Using a non-Shopify Payments gateway
If you use PayPal or Stripe directly instead of Shopify Payments, Shopify slaps an extra 2% / 1% / 0.5% fee on every transaction (depending on your plan). On \(2k/month in sales, that’s an extra \)40/month on Basic.
Use Shopify Payments where it’s available in your country. It removes the extra fee entirely.
3. Chargebacks and refunds
Shopify doesn’t charge you fees for refunds, but payment processors often keep their cut. Factor 1–2% of revenue for this.
4. Themes are one-time, but redesigns are not
Premium themes cost \(200–\)400 once. Plan for it. Free themes are fine to start.
Which plan should you pick?
Start on Basic ($39/month) if:
- You’re doing under $5k/month in sales
- You’re just validating a product
- You don’t need advanced reporting
Upgrade to Shopify ($105/month) when:
- You’re consistently doing \(5k–\)50k/month
- You need gift cards, professional reports, or lower credit card fees
- You’re adding staff accounts
Jump to Advanced ($399/month) only when:
- You’re doing $50k+/month
- You need third-party calculated shipping rates
- You have a real operations team
Almost no first-time founder needs anything above Basic in year one.
How to save money on Shopify
- Bill annually if you’re committed — saves ~25%.
- Use Shopify Payments to avoid the 0.5–2% extra transaction fee.
- Stick to free themes (Dawn, Sense, Refresh) until you’re doing $10k/month.
- Use free app tiers — Klaviyo, Loox, and most review apps have free plans that cover your first few hundred orders.
- Don’t buy the “Shopify Email” add-on until you’re sending 10k+ emails/month; Klaviyo’s free tier is better.
Frequently asked questions
Is Shopify worth $39/month?
For a first-time seller, yes. Compare that to spending 3 weeks fighting WooCommerce instead of selling, and $39 is cheap. The platform cost is small compared to the opportunity cost of not shipping.
Can I start Shopify for free?
There’s no free plan, but there’s a 3-day free trial (no credit card required for the basic trial). You can build your whole store before deciding to pay.
Are there hidden fees?
The only “hidden” fees are: (1) the 0.5–2% extra transaction fee if you don’t use Shopify Payments, and (2) apps that quietly add \(10–\)100/month. Plan for both.
Do I need to pay for a theme?
No. Free Shopify themes (Dawn, Sense, Refresh, Craft) are fully responsive, fast, and conversion-tested. Upgrade to a premium theme only when you have real traffic and want better design control.
What happens if I cancel?
You can close your store anytime. You keep your product data and customer list (exportable as CSV). You won’t be charged after cancellation.
Ready to see the real cost for your store?
The best way to know if Shopify fits your budget is to start a free trial and play with the dashboard for a few days. No credit card required for the trial, and you can build your entire store before committing.
Last updated: October 2026. Prices are US-based. Check Shopify’s pricing page for the latest rates.