How Much Does Shopify Really Cost? A Detailed Guide [Updated Jan 2026]

Summary

• Shopify plans range from $5 per month for Starter to roughly $2,300+ per month for Shopify Plus.
• Payment processing with Shopify Payments usually ranges from 2.5% + $0.30 to 2.9% + $0.30 per online transaction, depending on the plan.
• Using third-party payment gateways adds an extra Shopify fee of about 0.2% to 2.0% per transaction, on top of the gateway’s own rates.
• Extra costs can include themes (about $0–$500+ one-time), apps (about $0–$2,000+ per month), domains (around $15 per year), and optional tools such as POS Pro at $89 per month.
• The total cost of running a Shopify store depends on both fixed subscription fees and variable costs that rise with sales volume and added tools.

Introduction

Shopify's advertised prices are just the beginning; the true cost of running a store involves a mix of fixed subscriptions, variable transaction fees, and operational expenses. This guide breaks down every potential cost—from monthly plans and payment processing to apps, themes, and enterprise-level pricing—so you can accurately budget for your business.

Here at First Pier in Portland, Maine, we spend much of our time inside live Shopify stores, watching how costs behave over months and years. The details below come from that day-to-day work with brands that sell online.

Key how much does shopify cost vocabulary:

• what is shopify
• features of shopify
• how does shopify work

Understanding Shopify's True Investment

How much does Shopify cost starts with a simple number—plans begin at $5 per month—but the real answer depends on how you sell and what you need to run the business.

Every Shopify store owner pays a base subscription, processing fees on each sale, and then adds themes, apps, and services as they grow. Those extra tools often end up costing far more than the plan itself.

The sticker price of the plan is usually the smallest part of the bill once you start doing real volume. For example, a store on the Basic plan that runs $100,000 in online sales in a month through Shopify Payments will spend around $3,200 on processing alone. That is far more than the $39 subscription. Add paid apps for reviews, email, search, or analytics and the monthly spend rises again.

This matters because how much Shopify costs should tie back to your margins and operating model. A store doing a few dozen orders a month can live with higher per-order costs. A store processing thousands of orders cannot. Knowing how these costs change with volume is what lets you pick the right plan, negotiate payment rates when you reach that level, and cut add-ons that are not pulling their weight.

I'm Steve Pogson, founder of First Pier, and for more than twenty years I have been helping brands plan and run Shopify stores. My team and I work with shops that are just getting started and with companies that have moved into Shopify Plus, so we see how cost structures change as a store grows.

Key how much does shopify cost vocabulary:

• what is shopify
• features of shopify
• how does shopify work

Shopify Pricing Plans: A Breakdown of Monthly Subscriptions

When you first ask yourself, "how much does Shopify cost?", the monthly subscription plans are usually the first thing that comes to mind. These plans are the base of your Shopify store and decide which core features you can use.

Shopify offers several tiers that fit different stages of growth, from first-time sellers to large brands. Picking the right plan affects your fixed monthly cost, the processing fees you pay per sale, and which tools you get without relying on apps.

Here at First Pier, we always start with your numbers: current sales, near-term goals, and needed features. The best plan is rarely just the lowest sticker price. It is the one that gives you the feature set and fee structure that keeps more money in your pocket as you grow.

Shopify Starter Plan

The Shopify Starter plan, priced at $5 per month, is Shopify's entry-level offer for people who want to sell without a full online store. It is aimed at creators and social sellers who share links in DMs, social posts, or emails.

With Starter you can create product pages with checkout links that you can drop into a link-in-bio, a blog, or an existing site. You do not get a full theme-driven storefront, but you do get a fast way to take payment online or in person without building a full site from scratch. The credit card fee for the Starter plan is 5%. You can find more details on what this plan offers on the Shopify Starter plan details page.

Shopify Basic Plan

For most new businesses that need a full online store, the Shopify Basic plan is where we suggest starting. It costs $39 per month when billed monthly, or you can pay annually at $29 per month.

Basic includes an online store with themes, unlimited products, a blog, two staff accounts, and basic reporting. You can design your storefront, manage inventory, and process orders from one place.

The Basic plan fits small brands that are either just launching or doing steady but modest volume. With Shopify Payments, the online credit card rate is 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.

Shopify Plan

The Shopify plan is usually the next logical step once your order volume grows and you need more staff access and better reporting.

This plan is $105 per month on monthly billing, or $79 per month if billed annually. It includes everything in Basic but adds up to five staff accounts and more complete reports that help you see trends in sales, products, and customers.

The online credit card rate drops to 2.7% + $0.30 per transaction with Shopify Payments. For stores doing meaningful volume, that change in rate can cover the higher subscription and then some.

Shopify Advanced Plan

The Advanced Shopify plan is built for larger stores that need deeper reporting, more complex shipping, and lower processing costs.

It is priced at $399 per month on monthly billing or $299 per month on annual billing. You get up to 15 staff accounts, a custom report builder, and third-party calculated shipping rates, which is important if you ship from more than one location or offer detailed shipping options.

The online credit card rate drops again to 2.5% + $0.30 per transaction with Shopify Payments. For high-volume stores, that small difference in percentage can mean thousands of dollars a year. You can learn more about how this plan works on the More on the Advanced plan page (note: this link is primarily for Starter but provides general context for plan progression).

Understanding Transaction Fees: How Much Does Shopify Cost Per Sale?

Beyond the monthly subscription, transaction fees are a major part of how much Shopify costs for your business. These percentage-based charges apply to each sale and can add up quickly once you move real volume.

Shopify Payments vs. Third-Party Gateways

Shopify offers its own integrated payment gateway, Shopify Payments. When you use it, you pay only the credit card processing fee for your plan.

If you use a third-party provider like PayPal, Stripe, or another gateway as your primary checkout, Shopify adds its own transaction fee on top of that provider's fees. On the Basic plan, for example, that extra fee is 2%. Here at First Pier, our default recommendation is to use Shopify Payments whenever it is available to you, then add other options such as PayPal as extra payment methods rather than your main processor.

You can read more about how Shopify Payments works on the Benefits of Shopify Payments page.

Credit Card Rates by Plan

The processing fees for Shopify Payments depend on which plan you are on. The rates below apply to standard online credit card transactions.

• Basic Plan: 2.9% + $0.30 per online transaction. On a $100 order, the fee is $3.20.
• Shopify Plan: 2.7% + $0.30 per online transaction. On a $100 order, the fee is $3.00.
• Advanced Plan: 2.5% + $0.30 per online transaction. On a $100 order, the fee is $2.80.

Some premium cards, such as American Express or certain corporate cards, can have slightly different rates. Those details are in the official credit card fee details.

Additional Transaction Fees (for Third-Party Gateways)

If you turn off Shopify Payments and run your store through a third-party provider, Shopify adds an extra transaction fee on each sale. This is charged on the order total before your gateway collects its own fee.

• Basic Plan: 2.0% per transaction.
• Shopify Plan: 1.0% per transaction.
• Advanced Plan: 0.6% per transaction.

For example, on a $100 order on the Basic plan using a third-party gateway that charges 2.9% + $0.30, you would pay Shopify $2.00 and the gateway $3.20, for a total of $5.20 in fees.

You can see more details on these fees on the More on transaction fees page.

Beyond the Subscription: Additional & "Hidden" Costs

When you ask how much Shopify costs, you need to look beyond the monthly plan and processing. Most real stores also pay for themes, apps, domains, and a few other services. Some of these are optional, but in our work here at First Pier we rarely see a serious store run on the base plan alone.

How much do Shopify apps and themes cost?

Your theme and apps do most of the work to define how your store looks and behaves.

• Shopify Themes: Shopify includes free themes that are good enough for a basic launch. Many stores move to a paid theme from the Shopify Theme Store, usually between $180 and $500+. Paid themes often include more layouts, better section options, and dedicated support. Some brands choose a fully custom theme, built by a developer or agency. That is a larger upfront project and also comes with ongoing maintenance. As a rule of thumb from our projects, plan to spend about 15-25% of the initial build cost each year on updates if you run a heavily customized theme.

• Shopify Apps: The Shopify App Store has thousands of apps that add features like subscriptions, reviews, advanced search, or custom product options. Many apps are free to start, but the ones that drive revenue or save staff time usually charge a monthly fee. Costs range from a few dollars to hundreds or more per month per app.

  For a growing brand, a realistic monthly app budget is often in the $200-$500+ range once you add email, reviews, search, upsells, and reporting. For larger stores, we often see $2,000 or more per month across the full stack. If you need something that no app does well, you may end up paying for custom Shopify development instead.

Domain, Email, and POS Costs

• Custom Domain: Shopify gives you a free yourstorename.myshopify.com address, but most brands use a custom domain (for example, yourbrand.com). This usually costs around $10-$20 per year to register and renew.
• Shopify Email: Shopify Email is built into the platform. The first 10,000 emails you send each month are free. After that, Shopify charges $1 per 1,000 additional emails. If you run weekly campaigns to a large list, this can turn into a noticeable monthly line item.
• Shopify POS Pro: If you have a retail space or pop-ups and want to use Shopify as your point of sale, you can upgrade to Shopify POS Pro. It costs $89 per month per location and adds features for inventory across locations, more detailed staff permissions, and stronger retail reporting. You can review the full details on POS pricing info.

Other Service Fees

• Shopify Tax: Shopify Tax helps you calculate sales tax. There is no extra fee on the first $100,000 of global sales in a calendar year. After that, Shopify charges 0.35% on eligible orders, capped at $0.99 per order. Shopify Plus stores pay a slightly lower rate of 0.25%.
• Shopify Marketplace Connect: If you use Shopify Marketplace Connect to sync orders from channels such as Amazon or eBay, there can be extra fees. If your store syncs more than 50 marketplace orders in a month, Shopify charges a 1% fee on those synced orders, capped at $99 per month.

Shopify Plus: Pricing for Enterprise-Level Businesses

For high-volume merchants and larger companies, how much Shopify costs looks different. Shopify Plus is Shopify's enterprise offer for brands that need more control, more stores, and more support than the core plans provide.

Shopify Plus Base Costs and Structure

Shopify Plus pricing is custom to each merchant, but there is a common structure.

Pricing typically starts around $2,300 per month. For revenue up to $800,000 USD per month, the platform fee is usually a flat $2,000 USD per month. When your monthly revenue goes above $800,000, the fee is the lower of $2,000 or 0.25% of your total monthly sales. For example, at $1,000,000 in sales for a month, 0.25% would be $2,500, so your fee would be $2,500 instead of $2,000.

Most Shopify Plus contracts have at least a 12-month term. To get exact pricing and scope, you need to speak directly with Shopify or a Shopify Plus partner. You can find more general information on Shopify Plus pricing details.

Included Features and Reduced Fees

Shopify Plus is more than a bigger version of Advanced. The fee includes several features that would either cost extra or not be available on lower plans:

• Expansion stores: A Plus contract usually includes one main store and up to nine expansion stores. We see merchants use these for international sites, wholesale portals, and separate brands under the same umbrella. Extra stores beyond that first group come with additional cost or a revenue share.
• Wholesale channel: Built-in tools for wholesale and B2B sales that otherwise require extra apps or custom work.
• Shopify Flow: An automation tool that connects events across apps and your store. Teams use it to handle tasks like tagging high-risk orders, routing orders to different warehouses, or granting perks to VIP customers.
• Checkout customization: Plus stores can edit the checkout in ways that are not possible on other plans. That includes branding, extra fields, and logic based on cart contents or customer groups.
• Dedicated support: Plus merchants get priority support and a Launch Engineer to help plan and carry out migrations or larger projects.
• Lower transaction fees for third-party gateways: If you cannot use Shopify Payments for all orders, the extra fee Shopify charges for third-party gateways is reduced to 0.2% on Plus (compared with 0.6% on Advanced and higher on lower plans).

Here at First Pier, we work with Plus merchants to map these features to real projects: handling complex shipping, running separate B2B and B2C stores, or cleaning up app stacks that grew too fast. That way the higher platform fee turns into cleaner operations instead of just another cost line.

Here at First Pier, we work closely with enterprise clients to help them get real value from Shopify Plus, not just a higher tier on paper. Our Shopify Plus optimization services focus on cost structure, performance, and day-to-day operations.

Frequently Asked Questions about Shopify Costs

How much does Shopify take per sale?

Shopify's cut per sale is a combination of its credit card processing fee and, if applicable, a third-party transaction fee. If you use Shopify Payments, you only pay the credit card processing fee. For an online sale on the Basic plan, this is 2.9% + $0.30. On the Shopify plan, it's 2.7% + $0.30, and on the Advanced plan, it's 2.5% + $0.30.

If you use an external gateway like PayPal or Stripe, Shopify also takes an additional transaction fee. This fee is 2.0% on the Basic plan, 1.0% on the Shopify plan, and 0.6% on the Advanced plan. This additional fee is on top of whatever your third-party payment provider charges. For example, a $100 online sale on the Basic plan using an external gateway would incur Shopify's 2% ($2.00) plus the external gateway's fees (e.g., 2.9% + $0.30, totaling $3.20), meaning Shopify and the gateway together take $5.20.

Can I use Shopify for free?

No, Shopify is a paid service. While you can start building your store with a free trial (typically 3 days), to actually sell products and process customer orders, you must choose and pay for a monthly or annual plan. The free trial allows you to explore the platform's features and set up your store before committing financially.

Which Shopify plan is best for a new business?

For most new businesses, the Basic Shopify plan is the most recommended starting point. It provides all the essential features needed to launch and run a fully functional online store, including unlimited product listings, a website and blog, 24/7 support, and fraud analysis tools. At $39 per month (or $29 with annual billing), it offers a predictable cost while providing a robust platform to get your business off the ground. As your sales grow, you can easily upgrade to the Shopify or Advanced plans to benefit from lower transaction fees and more advanced features.

Calculating Your Total Shopify Cost

To see how much Shopify really costs your business, you have to pull all of the pieces together:

• Your core subscription (Starter, Basic, Shopify, Advanced, or Plus)
• Processing fees based on your volume, average order value, and payment mix
• Themes and apps that run key parts of your site
• Other services such as domains, email, tax tools, POS, and marketplace integrations

For many small and medium brands, Shopify is a clear, manageable way to sell online, especially if you are careful about which apps you add and keep a close eye on payment fees.

As your business grows, though, percentage-based fees and expanding app stacks can change the economics quickly. That is usually when it pays to step back and run the numbers, compare plans, and decide which tools you actually need.

Here at First Pier in Portland, ME, we do this kind of cost review with clients on a regular basis. We look at actual order data, app usage, and staffing to build a budget that fits how the business really runs, not just what the plan page says.

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