The short version: a store doing 30 orders of $40 a month pays about $48.60 a month on a $0 software stack (card fees only) or $74.47 on Shopify Basic with a custom domain. Your monthly bill splits into fixed subscriptions that renew regardless of sales, and variable card processing fees that come out of each order. Below are exact monthly totals for three realistic sales stages, where free plans run out of room, and how auditing two apps can save over $400 a year.
Three store stacks compared
| Cost line | $0 starter stack | Lean store ($1,200/mo) | Growing store ($6,000/mo) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform subscription | Square Free ($0/mo) | Shopify Basic ($29/mo yearly) | Shopify Basic ($29/mo yearly) |
| Custom domain | Subdomain ($0/mo) | Hostinger .com ($1.67/mo) | Hostinger .com ($1.67/mo) |
| Email marketing | MailerLite Free ($0/mo) | MailerLite Free ($0/mo) | MailerLite Comfort ($12/mo) |
| Bookkeeping | Wave Starter ($0/mo) | Wave Starter ($0/mo) | Wave Starter ($0/mo) |
| Shipping tools | Pirate Ship + USPS boxes ($0) | Pirate Ship + USPS boxes ($0) | Pirate Ship + USPS boxes ($0) |
| Print on demand | Printful Free ($0/mo) | Printful Free ($0/mo) | Printful Growth ($0 at $12K/yr) |
| Fixed monthly total | $0.00 | $30.67 | $42.67 |
| Card processing fees | $48.60 (30 orders of $40) | $43.80 (30 orders of $40) | $219.00 (150 orders of $40) |
| All-in monthly total | $48.60 | $74.47 | $261.67 |
Fixed totals cover recurring software only. Physical product costs and shipping postage are variable expenses charged per sale.
Worked example: monthly bills at $0, $1,200, and $6,000 in sales
These three stores are hypothetical, but all prices, fees, and rates are real US figures checked on 2026-10-03. Each store sells physical items at an average order value of $40. Customers pay by standard domestic credit cards, and software prices use annual billing where available.
Store A: a $0 starter stack testing an idea (30 orders of $40, $1,200 in sales)
Fixed software is $0.00 using Square Free, MailerLite Free, Wave Starter, and Pirate Ship. Card fees on Square Free (3.3% + 30¢) are 3.3% of $1,200 ($39.60) plus 30¢ × 30 ($9.00) = $48.60.
| Component | Cost formula | Month total |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed software | Square Free ($0) + MailerLite Free ($0) + Wave ($0) | $0.00 |
| Card processing | 3.3% of $1,200 ($39.60) + 30¢ × 30 ($9.00) | $48.60 |
| Store A total | Fixed software + card processing | $48.60 |
Store B: a lean standalone shop (30 orders of $40, $1,200 in sales)
Store B runs on Shopify Basic ($29 a month billed yearly) and connects a custom domain renewed through Hostinger ($19.99 a year, or $1.67 a month). Fixed software is $29 + $1.67 = $30.67 a month. Card fees on Shopify Payments Basic (2.9% + 30¢) are 2.9% of $1,200 ($34.80) plus 30¢ × 30 ($9.00) = $43.80.
| Component | Cost formula | Month total |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed software | Shopify Basic ($29) + Hostinger domain ($1.67) | $30.67 |
| Card processing | 2.9% of $1,200 ($34.80) + 30¢ × 30 ($9.00) | $43.80 |
| Store B total | Fixed software + card processing | $74.47 |
Paying Shopify Basic monthly at $39 instead of $29 yearly raises fixed software to $40.67 ($39 + $1.67) and the monthly total to $84.47 ($10 more a month, or $120 more per year).
Store C: a growing shop (150 orders of $40, $6,000 in sales)
Store C handles $6,000 a month in sales (12 x $6,000 = $72,000 per year). It keeps Shopify Basic ($29) and the domain ($1.67). Its list has passed 250 subscribers, so it uses MailerLite Comfort ($12 a month). Printful Growth ($24.99 a month) is free because sales exceed $12,000 a year ($1,000 a month on average). Fixed software totals $29 + $1.67 + $12 = $42.67 a month. Card fees on Shopify Payments Basic (2.9% + 30¢) are 2.9% of $6,000 ($174.00) plus 30¢ × 150 ($45.00) = $219.00.
| Component | Cost formula | Month total |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed software | Shopify Basic ($29) + domain ($1.67) + email ($12) | $42.67 |
| Card processing | 2.9% of $6,000 ($174.00) + 30¢ × 150 ($45.00) | $219.00 |
| Store C total | Fixed software + card processing | $261.67 |
Two rules of thumb to remember
- When Shopify Basic beats Square Free: Square Free costs $0 a month but takes 3.3% + 30¢ online. Shopify Basic costs $29 a month on yearly billing but takes 2.9% + 30¢. The 30¢ fee is identical. Shopify Basic saves 0.4% on card volume (3.3% minus 2.9%). Dividing $29 by 0.004 equals $7,250 a month in card sales. Below $7,250 a month, Square Free costs less overall. Above $7,250 a month, Shopify Basic’s lower card rate saves more than its $29 subscription.
- When Shopify Grow beats Shopify Basic: Shopify Grow costs $79 a month on yearly billing ($50 more than Basic’s $29) and lowers the card fee to 2.7% + 30¢ (a 0.2% saving). Dividing $50 by 0.002 equals $25,000 a month in card sales. At Store C’s $6,000 monthly volume, Grow saves only $12.00 on card processing (0.2% of $6,000), leaving you $38.00 behind each month ($50 minus $12.00 = $38.00). Stay on Basic until card sales pass $25,000 a month or you need 5 staff accounts.
Run it with your own numbers: fixed subscriptions + (monthly sales × card %) + (orders × flat fee). The profit per order calculator calculates net margin for your exact product unit costs and shipping postage.
Free tools stack: how to sell for $0 and where the limits hit
A new store can launch for $0 in software before making its first sale. Here is what each free plan delivers, and the exact threshold where each plan stops being enough:
- Square Free (storefront and payments): Lists $0 a month per location with no setup fees. Online orders cost 3.3% + 30¢, and in-person orders cost 2.6% + 15¢. The limit arrives when online sales pass $7,250 a month, where Shopify Basic or Square Plus ($49 a month, 2.9% + 30¢) become cheaper.
- MailerLite Free (email): Covers up to 250 active subscribers and 2,500 emails per month for $0. Sending locks once you pass 250 subscribers until you upgrade to Comfort at $12 a month.
- Omnisend Free (email alternative): Includes up to 250 contacts and 500 emails per month for $0, with 24/7 live chat and email support. Upgrading to Standard costs $16 a month for up to 500 contacts.
- Shopify Email (for Shopify users): Includes 10,000 free emails per calendar month on all paid Shopify plans. Extra emails cost $1 per 1,000, so sending 15,000 emails in a month adds $5.00.
- Wave Starter (bookkeeping): Costs $0 a month for unlimited bookkeeping records, invoices, and expense tracking. Wave Pro is $19 a month for discounted payment processing.
- Pirate Ship (shipping software): Has no monthly subscription fees or markup. It passes along discounted commercial rates for USPS and UPS. UPS discounts apply only to shipments originating in the United States.
- USPS Priority Mail supplies (boxes): Provides Priority Mail boxes and envelopes at $0 from the USPS store. They may only be used with Priority Mail postage.
- Printful and Printify Free (inventory): Both platforms charge $0 a month to list products. You pay production and shipping only when an item sells. Printful Growth ($24.99 a month) becomes free at $12,000 a year in sales. Printify Premium ($24.99 a month yearly, $39 monthly) gives up to 20% product discounts.
App audit: how cutting two subscriptions can save $443.88 a year
Small monthly subscriptions renew whether you use them or not. Two hypothetical examples of what an audit can find:
- Downgrading email to match list size: An owner who signed up for MailerLite Comfort ($12 a month) with a list of 180 subscribers can downgrade to MailerLite Free ($0 a month, up to 250 subscribers). This saves $12 a month, or $144.00 a year ($12 × 12).
- Waiving or dropping an unneeded manufacturing tier: An owner paying for Printful Growth ($24.99 a month) whose store reaches $12,000 a year in sales qualifies for the free tier, saving $24.99 a month, or $299.88 a year ($24.99 × 12). For Printify users, paying Printify Premium yearly ($24.99 a month, $299.88 a year) instead of monthly ($39 a month, $468 a year) saves $168.12 a year ($468 minus $299.88).
Cancelling or downgrading those two tools saves $36.99 a month, or $443.88 a year ($144.00 + $299.88) without losing features. For the full audit workflow, see how to cut your store app subscriptions.
Line by line: where your money actually goes
Store platform
Shopify Basic lists $29 a month billed yearly ($348 a year) or $39 a month paid monthly ($468 a year). Grow is $79 yearly ($105 monthly), and Advanced is $299 yearly ($399 monthly). Shopify also offers 3 days free, then $1 a month for 3 months. Basic includes hosting, SSL, unlimited products, abandoned checkout recovery, gift cards, and automated sales tax. See Shopify vs Squarespace vs Wix and how to open an online store.
Custom domain
Shopify includes a myshopify.com subdomain. Connecting a custom domain creates a recognizable brand. Hostinger lists standard .com renewals at $19.99 a year with free WHOIS privacy, which equals $1.67 a month. Promotional first-year rates expire, so always budget the standard annual renewal.
Email marketing
Free plans from MailerLite (250 subscribers) and Omnisend (250 contacts) cost $0. When lists grow, MailerLite Comfort starts at $12 a month and Omnisend Standard at $16 a month. Shopify Email gives 10,000 free sends monthly. See the best email marketing for a new online store.
Payment processing fees
Card fees are charged per transaction. Shopify Payments Basic and Stripe charge 2.9% + 30¢ for domestic cards. Avoid outside gateways on Shopify Basic: using an external processor adds a 2% third-party fee ($20.00 per $1,000 in sales) on top of the processor’s rate. Shopify Payments waives that fee. See Stripe vs PayPal vs Square vs Shopify Payments.
Shipping supplies and postage
USPS provides Priority Mail boxes at $0. Discounted Commercial Rates are available online via USPS Click-N-Ship, Shopify Shipping, or Pirate Ship. Custom branded packaging should be budgeted separately.
Inventory and production
Print-on-demand services (Printful, Printify) carry zero upfront inventory cost. With wholesale stock, unit costs depend on supplier minimums. Use our profit per order calculator and read how to price your products.
Who should pick something else
- Fewer than 10 orders a month: A $29 monthly subscription takes too much margin from tiny volumes. Sell on a marketplace or use Square Free ($0 monthly fee) until sales pick up. See sell on Etsy, Amazon, or your own store.
- Existing WordPress site: Add WooCommerce instead of paying a monthly store builder subscription. Read Shopify vs WooCommerce.
- Digital courses or memberships: Squarespace offers built-in digital transaction tiers (7% on Basic, 5% on Core, 1% on Plus, 0% on Advanced), avoiding extra app subscriptions.
- In-person sellers: Square Free ($0 a month per location, 2.6% + 15¢ in person) keeps overhead at zero for pop-up shops.
Common mistakes with store costs
- Upgrading for card rates too early: Shopify Grow saves 0.2% on cards but costs $50 more a month, needing $25,000 a month in card volume to break even.
- Budgeting introductory domain rates: Always budget the $19.99 standard annual renewal rather than a first-year promo price.
- Paying unnecessary gateway fees: Routing payments outside Shopify Payments on Basic adds a 2% fee ($20.00 per $1,000 in sales).
- Missing trial expiration dates: Shopify’s $1-a-month promotional rate ends after 3 months, after which standard rates apply.
- Installing apps before sales arrive: Unused $15-a-month subscriptions quickly double your fixed overhead.
How to decide your monthly budget this week
- Estimate your monthly sales volume and average order size.
- Choose your platform: Square Free for $0 fixed testing, or Shopify Basic ($29 a month yearly) for a standalone store.
- Secure a custom domain at its standard renewal price ($19.99 a year, or $1.67 a month).
- Activate free tiers for email (Shopify Email or MailerLite Free) and bookkeeping (Wave Starter).
- Use free USPS Priority Mail boxes and Pirate Ship for discounted postage.
- Calculate net unit margins with the profit per order calculator.
- Review your checkout with our launch checklist before opening.
This guide is general information, not legal, tax, or financial advice.
Sources (checked 2026-10-03)
- Shopify: pricing, plan prices, trial offer, card rates, third-party provider fees
- Shopify Help Center: domains, myshopify.com address and custom domains
- Shopify Help Center: Shopify Shipping, discounted labels and tracking
- Shopify Help Center: Shopify Messaging Email pricing, 10,000 free emails per calendar month and $1 per 1,000 overage
- Hostinger: domains, .com renewal price and free WHOIS privacy
- Square: pricing, Free, Plus and Premium plans, online and in-person card processing rates
- MailerLite: pricing, Free and Comfort plans, subscriber and send limits
- Omnisend: pricing, Free and Standard plans, contact and send limits, 24/7 support
- Printful: pricing, Free and Growth plans, $12K annual threshold
- Printify: pricing, Free and Premium plans, annual and monthly billing
- USPS Store: free shipping supplies, free Priority Mail boxes and envelopes
- USPS: online shipping, Click-N-Ship commercial rates
- Pirate Ship: home, free shipping software, no monthly fees
- Wave: pricing, Starter plan at $0, Pro plan at $19
- Stripe: pricing, card rate for domestic online payments
