Shopify pricing lists five plan prices. Those prices are not your cost of running Shopify. The plan is the entry fee. Your actual monthly spend is the plan plus transaction fees, plus apps, plus payment processing, plus the currency conversion rate that changed in April 2026.
Most merchants on the wrong plan overpay by $2,000–$8,000 per year. This guide does the math on Shopify pricing plans so you don’t.
Key Takeaways
- Annual billing saves 25% — on Basic that’s $120/year, on Advanced it’s $1,200/year
- The 2% transaction fee on Basic (without Shopify Payments) adds $200/month on every $10K in revenue
- Average Shopify app spend is $50–$300/month — this number doesn’t appear on Shopify’s pricing page
- The April 2026 currency conversion fee change: 1.5% for US merchants, 2% globally, calculated on gross order amount
Shopify Pricing Plans 2026: The Full Lineup at a Glance
| Plan | Monthly (billed monthly) | Monthly (billed annually) | Transaction fee (3rd-party gateway) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $5 | $5 | 5% |
| Basic | $39 | ~$29 | 2% |
| Grow | $105 | ~$79 | 1% |
| Advanced | $399 | ~$299 | 0.5% |
| Plus | $2,300+ | custom | 0.2% |
Note: these are processing fees in addition to Shopify Payments credit card rates if you use a third-party gateway. Activate Shopify Payments and these fees disappear entirely.
Starter ($5/Month) — What It Actually Limits You to
Starter is not a store. It lets you add buy buttons to an existing website, blog, or social profile. There’s no full storefront, no navigation, no collections page. It’s useful if you already have an audience somewhere else and want to add a simple checkout. It is not the right Shopify pricing plan choice for anyone building a standalone e-commerce presence.
Basic ($39/Month) — The Real Entry Point for Stores
Basic is where a real Shopify store starts. It includes the full storefront, unlimited products, 2 staff accounts, and Shopify Payments eligibility. The 2% transaction fee on third-party gateways is the main cost driver to watch.
On $5,000/month revenue with Shopify Payments active: $0 in transaction fees. Without Shopify Payments: $100/month in fees on top of the plan. Activate Shopify Payments on day one.
Grow ($105/Month) — Formerly the “Shopify” Plan, Now Renamed
Shopify renamed their mid-tier plan from “Shopify” to “Grow” in 2026. The features are largely unchanged: 5 staff accounts, better shipping discounts, and the transaction fee drops to 1% for third-party gateways. The jump from Basic makes financial sense when your third-party gateway fees on Basic exceed the $66/month difference. That math works out at approximately $6,600+/month in revenue.
Advanced ($399/Month) — When the Lower Transaction Fees Pay for Themselves
Advanced drops the third-party transaction fee to 0.5% and adds third-party calculated shipping rates. It also includes the most granular reporting. The Shopify pricing plan cost justification: the 1.5 percentage point fee difference between Grow and Advanced pays for the $294/month plan upgrade at approximately $19,600/month in revenue through a third-party gateway.
If you’re using Shopify Payments, you’re comparing reporting and features — not fee savings.
Plus ($2,300+/Month) — Enterprise Features, Enterprise Price
Shopify Plus is for high-volume merchants needing unlimited staff accounts, custom checkout logic via Shopify Functions, unlimited B2B catalogs, and dedicated support. The 0.2% transaction fee becomes meaningful at $1M+/month in revenue. Under $500K/month, Advanced is almost always the right Shopify pricing call.
What Shopify Doesn’t Tell You About Fees
The plan comparison table is accurate. It’s also incomplete.
Transaction Fees When Not Using Shopify Payments
This is the most expensive oversight new merchants make. Shopify charges a separate fee on every sale if you use a third-party gateway (PayPal, Stripe, Square, anything other than Shopify’s own processor). On Basic, that fee is 2%. On $10,000/month in revenue, that’s $200/month — $2,400/year — going to Shopify as a penalty for not using their payment system.
Shopify Payments eliminates this fee entirely. If you’re in one of the 23+ supported countries, there is no reason not to activate it.
Currency Conversion Fees (Updated April 2026)
As of April 2026, Shopify updated its currency conversion fee structure. The rate is now 1.5% for US merchants and 2% globally, calculated on the gross order amount. This applies when a customer pays in a currency different from your store’s payout currency.
For merchants actively selling internationally, this fee compounds quickly. A store doing $20,000/month in international revenue at 2% conversion fee is paying $400/month in currency fees alone.
App Costs: The Number That Doesn’t Appear on the Shopify Pricing Page
Sarah runs a $15,000/month Shopify store in the home goods space. Her plan is Basic at $39/month. Her actual Shopify ecosystem spend:
- Klaviyo (email marketing): $150/month
- Gorgias (customer support): $60/month
- Loyalty Lion (loyalty program): $99/month
- Reviews app: $30/month
- Bundle builder: $49/month
- App total: $388/month
Add the Basic plan: $39. Add Shopify Payments processing at 2.9% + $0.30 on $15K in sales: ~$465. Her monthly Shopify platform cost is approximately $892/month — not $39. Knowing this upfront changes how you evaluate platform economics.
The average Shopify store spends $50–$300/month on apps. Stores beyond $10K/month typically spend at the higher end of that range.
Annual vs. Monthly Billing — The 25% You’re Leaving on the Table
Annual billing saves approximately 25% on Basic, Grow, and Advanced Shopify pricing plans. The break-even calculation:
- Basic: monthly = $39, annual = ~$29/month. Savings: $120/year. Break-even: commit at month 5.
- Grow: monthly = $105, annual = ~$79/month. Savings: ~$312/year.
- Advanced: monthly = $399, annual = ~$299/month. Savings: ~$1,200/year.
If you’re past the 90-day trial window and committed to the platform, switch to annual billing immediately. The only reason to stay monthly is uncertainty about whether you’ll stay on Shopify — and if that uncertainty exists, resolve it before spending money on advertising.
Shopify offers a 3-day free trial. The first month for $1 promotion runs periodically. Don’t pay the first monthly bill until you’ve confirmed the platform is the right fit for your catalog and workflow.
Real Total Cost of Ownership by Revenue Stage
New Store ($0–$10K/Month): What You Actually Need
Basic plan. Shopify Payments activated. Minimal app stack: email capture (Klaviyo free tier or Shopify Email), abandoned cart recovery (built-in), and nothing else until you identify a specific conversion problem.
Estimated monthly platform cost: $39–$150. Keep it here until you’re doing consistent revenue.
Growing Store ($10K–$100K/Month): When to Upgrade Your Shopify Plan
Marcus was on Basic at $22,000/month using PayPal as his primary gateway. His transaction fees: 2% × $22,000 = $440/month. Grow plan at $105/month drops that fee to 1% = $220/month. Net savings after plan upgrade: $115/month. He should have made the switch six months earlier.
The upgrade decision is simple math. Calculate your monthly third-party transaction fees. If they exceed the plan upgrade cost, upgrade. If you’re on Shopify Payments, the upgrade decision is about features and reporting, not fees.
High-Volume Store ($100K+/Month): Advanced vs. Plus Math
At $200,000/month in revenue using a third-party gateway:
- Advanced plan fee (0.5%): $1,000/month in transaction fees + $399 plan = $1,399/month
- Plus plan fee (0.2%): $400/month in transaction fees + $2,300 plan = $2,700/month
At $200K/month, Advanced wins. The math favors Plus somewhere around $600,000–$700,000/month in transaction volume — but by that point you’re likely also needing Plus features (custom checkout, unlimited staff accounts, dedicated support) beyond just the fee structure.
Looking for a Shopify setup that accounts for your revenue stage from the start? See our Shopify development services → or browse our fixed-price Shopify packages.
Conclusion
Shopify’s plan pricing is transparent. The total cost of running Shopify is not something the pricing page advertises clearly. Your actual monthly spend is: plan + apps + transaction fees (if not using Shopify Payments) + payment processing + currency conversion fees on international orders.
For a new store on Basic with Shopify Payments active and a lean app stack, expect $150–$300/month in real platform costs. For a growing store at $50K/month with a full app ecosystem, expect $600–$1,200/month.
The Shopify pricing plan upgrade decisions are math problems, not intuition calls. Calculate your transaction fees. If switching to a higher plan saves you more in fees than it costs in plan upgrade price, switch. If you’re on Shopify Payments, upgrade decisions come down to features and reporting needs.
Annual billing is almost always the right call past month three. The 25% savings is material at any plan level.
For the technical configuration side — getting your payment setup, app stack, and store architecture right from the start — our Shopify Solutions packages cover setup at $3,500 for a standard build.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest way to use Shopify?
The Starter plan at $5/month is the cheapest Shopify pricing option, but it’s not a real store. For a functioning standalone storefront, Basic at $39/month (or ~$29/month billed annually) is the minimum. Activate Shopify Payments and avoid third-party transaction fees — that’s the most significant cost reduction available to any merchant.
Does Shopify charge fees on every sale?
Yes, in two ways. First, payment processing fees (2.9% + $0.30 on Basic via Shopify Payments) apply to every credit card transaction. Second, if you use a third-party payment gateway instead of Shopify Payments, an additional transaction fee of 0.5%–2% applies depending on your plan. Activating Shopify Payments eliminates the second fee entirely.
What’s the difference between the Shopify plan and the Grow plan?
Shopify renamed its mid-tier plan from “Shopify” to “Grow” in 2026. The pricing and features are effectively the same: $105/month (monthly billing), 5 staff accounts, 1% third-party transaction fee, and better shipping discounts than Basic. If you’re on the old “Shopify” plan, you’re now on what’s called Grow.
Is Shopify Plus worth it for small businesses?
Almost never. Shopify Plus starts at $2,300/month and makes financial sense for merchants doing $500,000+/month in revenue who need the exclusive features: custom checkout via Shopify Functions, unlimited B2B catalogs, 200+ staff accounts, and dedicated support. For small businesses, Advanced at $399/month provides all the tools needed to scale to significant revenue.
Can I change my Shopify pricing plan after I sign up?
Yes, at any time from Settings → Plan. Upgrades take effect immediately. Downgrades take effect at the next billing cycle. If you switch from monthly to annual billing mid-cycle, Shopify calculates a prorated credit. The process is straightforward and there’s no penalty for changing plans.