Shopify’s entry tier is Basic, which costs $29 a month on yearly billing or $39 paid monthly, plus 2.9% + 30¢ on every standard online card order. For a store doing 30 orders of $40 a month, that comes to about $73 a month when you process payments through Shopify Payments. This guide breaks down the full cost across every plan tier, shows exact monthly bills at two sales levels, and calculates the break-even points where upgrading actually pays for itself.
The four Shopify plans at a glance
Shopify offers four main subscription tiers. Each plan is priced per month, with a lower rate when you pay for a year upfront.
| Fee or feature | Basic | Grow | Advanced | Plus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Target user | Solo entrepreneurs | Small teams | Global reach | Complex businesses |
| Billed yearly | $29/mo | $79/mo | $299/mo | From $2,300/mo |
| Billed monthly | $39/mo | $105/mo | $399/mo | n/a |
| Online card rate | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.7% + 30¢ | 2.5% + 30¢ | 2.25% + 30¢ |
| In-person card rate | 2.6% + 10¢ | 2.5% + 10¢ | 2.4% + 10¢ | 2.3% + 10¢ |
| Third-party fee | 2% | 1% | 0.6% | 0.2% |
| Staff accounts | None | Up to 5 | Up to 15 | Unlimited |
Every subscription includes unlimited web hosting, a custom domain connection, an SSL certificate, unlimited products, abandoned checkout recovery, gift cards and automated sales tax calculations. Built-in fraud analysis is included with Shopify Payments.
The entry plan gives a solo founder everything needed to run a catalog and accept payments. Moving to higher tiers brings lower card rates, more staff logins, lower third-party fees.
Worked example: what a month costs at 30 and 150 orders
These two stores are hypothetical, but use verified rates. Both sell a $40 item paid by standard US card under yearly billing.
Store A: a new shop doing 30 orders a month ($1,200 in sales).
Card fees on Basic (2.9% + 30¢) are 2.9% of $1,200 ($34.80) plus 30¢ × 30 orders ($9.00), totaling $43.80.
| Plan | Plan + card fees + store fee | Month total |
|---|---|---|
| Basic (Shopify Payments) | $29 + $43.80 + $0 | $72.80 |
| Basic (outside provider, 2%) | $29 + $43.80 + $24.00 (2%) | $96.80 |
| Grow (Shopify Payments) | $79 + $41.40 + $0 | $120.40 |
On Grow (2.7% + 30¢), card fees are 2.7% of $1,200 ($32.40) plus 30¢ × 30 ($9.00) = $41.40. Adding the $79 subscription gives $120.40. That makes Grow $47.60 more expensive each month ($120.40 minus $72.80) than Basic. The $2.40 card fee saving ($43.80 minus $41.40) does not justify the $50 subscription gap ($79 minus $29).
Connecting an outside payment provider on Basic adds Shopify’s 2% third-party transaction fee. On $1,200 in sales, that adds $24.00 (2% of $1,200), raising the monthly total to $96.80.
Store B: the same store doing 150 orders a month ($6,000 in sales).
At 150 orders of $40, gross sales reach $6,000. On Basic (2.9% + 30¢), card fees are 2.9% of $6,000 ($174) plus 30¢ × 150 ($45) = $219. The monthly total is $29 plan + $219 card fees = $248.
On Grow (2.7% + 30¢), card fees are 2.7% of $6,000 ($162) plus 30¢ × 150 ($45) = $207. Adding the $79 plan fee brings the monthly total to $286.
| Plan (card rate) | Plan + card fees | Month total |
|---|---|---|
| Basic (2.9% + 30¢) | $29 + $219 | $248 |
| Grow (2.7% + 30¢) | $79 + $207 | $286 |
| Advanced (2.5% + 30¢) | $299 + $195 | $494 |
For Advanced, 2.5% of $6,000 is $150 plus $45 = $195 in card fees; $299 + $195 = $494.
Even at $6,000 a month, Basic beats Grow by $38 monthly ($286 minus $248). Lower card rates save $12 ($219 minus $207), but the plan costs $50 more. Advanced costs $246 more per month ($494 minus $248) than Basic.
Break-even points for upgrading
Upgrading your plan to reduce card fees pays off only when your monthly card sales cover the higher subscription price:
| Upgrade path | Extra plan cost (saving) | Pays off from |
|---|---|---|
| Basic to Grow | $50/mo (saves 0.2%) | about $25,000/mo |
| Basic to Advanced | $270/mo (saves 0.4%) | about $67,500/mo |
Divide the plan price gap by the card rate reduction:
- Basic to Grow: $50 ÷ 0.002 (0.2%) = $25,000 a month in card sales ($300,000 a year).
- Basic to Advanced: $270 ÷ 0.004 (0.4%) = $67,500 a month in card sales ($810,000 a year).
Rule of thumb: under $25,000 a month in card sales, stay on Basic unless you need staff logins.
Run it with your own numbers: plan price + (sales × card %) + (orders × 30¢) + outside gateway fee (if not using Shopify Payments). The profit per order calculator calculates this per item sold. Additional operational overhead is detailed in the monthly cost guide.
Billing: yearly versus monthly savings
Paying annually gives a discount over monthly billing on every tier:
- Basic: $29 a month billed yearly ($348 a year) versus $39 billed monthly ($468 a year), saving $120 each year ($10 a month × 12).
- Grow: $79 a month billed yearly ($948 a year) versus $105 billed monthly ($1,260 a year), saving $312 each year ($26 a month × 12).
- Advanced: $299 a month billed yearly ($3,588 a year) versus $399 billed monthly ($4,788 a year), saving $1,200 each year ($100 a month × 12).
Paying yearly requires paying upfront ($348 on Basic). When testing an unvalidated idea, paying $39 monthly keeps your risk to one month at a time. Once you know your store will operate for a full year, yearly billing saves $120.
The trial offer and first-year cost
The pricing page advertises: “Try 3 days free, then $1/month for 3 months.” This promotion lowers risk while building your store.
Your first-year plan cost on Shopify Basic with this promotion:
- Months 1 to 3: $1 each month after 3 free days, totaling $3 for 90 days (3 × $1).
- Months 4 to 12 on monthly billing: 9 months at $39 = $351.
- First-year total on monthly billing: $3 + $351 = $354.
Without the promotion, 12 months at $39 costs $468 (12 × $39). The introductory rate saves $114 ($468 minus $354) in year one.
If you switch to annual billing after month 3, you pay $3 for the first 90 days followed by $348 for an annual plan, totaling $351 for your first 15 months.
Prepare product photos and descriptions before starting your trial so you can launch promptly. Setup steps are outlined in how to open an online store.
Card processing and third-party fees
Processing fees apply to every credit card sale. With Shopify Payments, rates drop as you move up tiers:
- Basic: 2.9% + 30¢
- Grow: 2.7% + 30¢
- Advanced: 2.5% + 30¢
- Plus: 2.25% + 30¢
The fixed 30¢ component hurts low-ticket sales most. On a $10 sale, 30¢ is 3% by itself, bringing the effective fee on Basic to 5.9% (29¢ + 30¢ = 59¢). On a $100 sale, 30¢ is only 0.3%. Our guide to online payments, fees and chargebacks breaks down payment fee structures.
Premium cards and international sales
- Premium cards: American Express and corporate cards are charged 3.5% + 30¢ on Basic (Grow: 3.3% + 30¢, Advanced: 3.1% + 30¢, Plus: 2.95% + 30¢). On a $40 order, a standard card costs $1.46 (2.9% of $40 is $1.16 + 30¢), while a premium card costs $1.70 (3.5% of $40 is $1.40 + 30¢), a 24¢ gap.
- International orders: foreign cards add 1% to standard processing rates.
- In-person sales: swiped or tapped cards cost 2.6% + 10¢ on Basic, 2.5% + 10¢ on Grow, 2.4% + 10¢ on Advanced, and 2.3% + 10¢ on Plus.
- PayPal wallet: listed on the pricing page starting at 3.49% + 49¢.
Third-party transaction fee
If you use an outside payment gateway instead of Shopify Payments, Shopify charges a separate fee:
- Basic: 2%
- Grow: 1%
- Advanced: 0.6%
- Plus: 0.2%
This fee sits on top of your gateway’s standard rates. If an external provider charges 2.9% + 30¢, your total cost on Basic is 4.9% + 30¢ (2.9% + 2% + 30¢). On a $40 order, the 2% fee adds 80¢. Shopify Payments eliminates this fee and enables built-in fraud analysis.
Add-ons that grow your monthly bill
Your subscription covers software and hosting, but three common add-ons expand your expenses:
In-person selling and POS Pro
Every plan lists in-person card rates (2.6% + 10¢ on Basic). For a physical storefront, Shopify lists POS Pro as an add-on at $89 a month per location.
App subscriptions
The Shopify App Store adds features the core plan lacks, and many apps carry their own monthly fee. Price each one before you install it: as a hypothetical, three apps at $15 a month each add $45, more than the $29 Basic plan itself. Review your tools regularly using our guide to cutting store app subscriptions.
Custom domains and shipping
Shopify assigns a free myshopify.com address, and connecting a custom domain is included on all plans. Buying a custom domain is a separate annual expense, either through Shopify or an outside registrar, as covered in domain and business email setup. Shipping labels bought through Shopify give carrier discounts, but postage is billed based on package weight and destination, as outlined in shipping basics for a new online store.
Which plan to choose: four situations
Shopify Basic: for solo founders and stores under $25,000 a month
Basic ($29/month yearly, $39 monthly) is the right tier for nearly every first store. It includes unlimited products, checkout recovery, discount codes and Shopify Payments at 2.9% + 30¢. As shown above, Basic stays cheaper than Grow on total costs for any merchant doing under $25,000 in monthly card sales.
Shopify Grow: for small teams needing staff logins
Grow ($79/month yearly, $105 monthly) cuts card processing to 2.7% + 30¢ and third-party fees to 1%. Pick Grow when you need up to 5 staff accounts with restricted permissions, or once monthly card volume exceeds $25,000.
Shopify Advanced: for high-volume stores needing 15 staff accounts
Advanced ($299/month yearly, $399 monthly) reduces card processing to 2.5% + 30¢ and third-party fees to 0.6%. It includes up to 15 staff accounts. The $270 monthly price difference over Basic pays off on processing savings only after $67,500 in monthly card sales ($810,000 a year).
Shopify Plus: for large enterprises with custom checkout needs
Plus starts at $2,300 a month and provides unlimited staff accounts, a custom checkout and dedicated support. It is designed for high-volume enterprise brands and is unnecessary for small stores.
Who should pick something else
- Fewer than 10 orders a month. A $29 monthly fee is a high fixed cost for low volume. Marketplaces charge per sale without subscriptions: see Etsy, Amazon or your own store.
- A content-first website. If you mainly need a portfolio or blog with a side shop, Squarespace Basic ($19/month yearly) or Core ($29/month yearly) integrates content more cleanly. See Shopify vs Squarespace vs Wix.
- An existing WordPress site. WooCommerce adds a store without platform fees, though you manage hosting yourself. See Shopify vs WooCommerce.
- Restricted products. If your goods cannot use Shopify Payments, the 2% fee applies on Basic on top of outside processor charges.
Common mistakes when budgeting for Shopify
- Upgrading to Grow for card rates alone. The 0.2% cut saves $2 per $1,000 in sales, so upgrading before $25,000 monthly sales raises your net bill.
- Paying monthly when committed for a year. Paying monthly on Basic costs $39 instead of $29 yearly, spending $120 extra across 12 months ($10 × 12).
- Using an external payment gateway without factoring in the fee. Outside gateways incur a 2% fee on Basic, adding 80¢ to every $40 sale.
- Adding paid apps before validating sales. Each paid app is another monthly bill; add them one at a time, once sales show you need them.
- Overlooking shipping and packaging costs. Boxes, labels and carrier postage reduce margins on every order alongside software fees.
How to decide what to pay this week
- Estimate monthly sales and average order value. If you expect under $25,000 in monthly sales and operate solo, pick Shopify Basic.
- Sign up for the trial promotion offering 3 days free and $1 a month for your first 3 months, keeping platform costs to $3 for 90 days.
- Enable Shopify Payments during setup to avoid the 2% third-party transaction fee.
- Keep the store on monthly billing during your trial while adding products, configuring your domain and testing customer checkout.
- Once your store is live and sales are consistent, switch to annual billing on Basic to lock in the $29 rate and save $120 over the year.
For step-by-step setup instructions, consult our how to open an online store guide. To compare platform features across builders, see how to choose an online store platform. You can also follow our free launch checklist before opening your store to the public.
This guide provides general pricing information, not legal, tax or financial advice.
Sources (checked 2026-10-03)
- Shopify: pricing, plan prices, card rates by plan, premium and in-person rates, third-party transaction fees, staff accounts, POS Pro, included features and trial offer
- Shopify: free trial, trial terms and sign-up wording
- Shopify Help Center: pricing overview, card rates vary by plan and no third-party fee with Shopify Payments
- Shopify Help Center: domains, default myshopify.com address and custom domain connection
