Shopify Pricing: A Complete Breakdown of the Real Costs in 2025
Thinking about launching an online store? You’ve almost certainly come across Shopify. It’s the powerhouse platform behind millions of businesses, from fledgling side hustles to global brands like Gymshark and SKIMS. But when you land on their pricing page, a critical question arises: is that monthly fee really all it costs?
The short answer is no. The true cost of running a Shopify store is more nuanced than just the sticker price. This guide is here to demystify Shopify's pricing structure completely. We'll break down every potential cost—from the core subscription plans to the easily overlooked "hidden" expenses—so you can calculate the true investment for your business and avoid any surprises down the road.
A Quick Overview of What We'll Cover
To give you a clear roadmap, here’s exactly what we’ll explore:
- The Core Shopify Plans: A side-by-side comparison of Basic, Shopify, and Advanced.
- Beyond the Subscription: Uncovering costs like transaction fees, apps, and themes.
- Shopify Plus: A look at the enterprise-level plan for major brands.
- Real-World Scenarios: Cost estimates for different types of businesses.
- How to Save Money: Actionable tips to lower your monthly bill.
- Shopify vs. Competitors: A brief look at how Shopify stacks up against platforms like WooCommerce and BigCommerce.
Let's dive in and find out what Shopify will really cost you in 2024.
The Core Shopify Plans: A Side-by-Side Breakdown
Shopify offers three main pricing tiers designed to match your business's stage of growth. Choosing the right one is your first major decision. Keep in mind that all prices are for monthly billing; you can save up to 25% by paying annually.
Shopify Basic: For New Businesses & Startups
- Price: $39/month
- Who It's For: This plan is perfect for solopreneurs, first-time sellers, and businesses with a low volume of monthly sales. If you're testing a product idea or running a small side business, this is your ideal starting point.
- Key Features:
- A full e-commerce website and blog
- 2 staff accounts
- Up to 1,000 inventory locations
- Basic sales reports
- 24/7 support
- Transaction Fees & Rates:
- Online Credit Card Rate (with Shopify Payments): 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction
- Fee for using Third-Party Gateways (e.g., PayPal): 2.0% on top of the gateway's own fees
Shopify: For Growing Businesses
- Price: $105/month
- Who It's For: This is the most popular plan, built for businesses that are scaling up. If you have consistent sales, a growing team, and need more insightful data, the "Shopify" plan is your sweet spot.
- Key Features:
- All features from Basic
- 5 staff accounts
- Professional reports (giving you much deeper customer and sales insights)
- Lower transaction fees
- Transaction Fees & Rates:
- Online Credit Card Rate (with Shopify Payments): 2.6% + 30¢ per transaction
- Fee for using Third-Party Gateways: 1.0% on top of the gateway's own fees
Shopify Advanced: For Scaling & Automation
- Price: $399/month
- Who It's For: This plan is for established, high-volume businesses that need advanced tools to manage their scale and automate processes. If you're processing a large number of orders, this plan can actually save you money through lower fees.
- Key Features:
- All features from Shopify
- 15 staff accounts
- Advanced report builder for custom reports
- Third-party calculated shipping rates at checkout
- The lowest transaction fees of the core plans
- Transaction Fees & Rates:
- Online Credit Card Rate (with Shopify Payments): 2.4% + 30¢ per transaction
- Fee for using Third-Party Gateways: 0.5% on top of the gateway's own fees
Beyond the Subscription: Understanding the Full Cost
This is where many new store owners get caught off guard. Your monthly subscription is just the foundation. Here are the other costs you need to budget for to get a complete picture.
Transaction Fees: The Most Important Cost to Understand
This is critical. Every time you make a sale, a small percentage is taken to cover payment processing. There are two parts to this:
- Credit Card Processing Fees: Charged by the payment processor (like Visa or Mastercard) to handle the transaction securely.
- Shopify's Transaction Fees: An additional fee Shopify charges only if you don't use their in-house payment solution.
Here’s how to navigate it:
- Shopify Payments: This is Shopify's built-in payment gateway, powered by Stripe. If you use it, Shopify waives its own transaction fee. You only pay the credit card processing rate for your plan (e.g., 2.9% + 30¢ on Basic). For most merchants, this is the smartest and most cost-effective choice.
- Third-Party Gateways (PayPal, Amazon Pay, etc.): If you choose to use an external payment gateway, you will pay that gateway's processing fee PLUS an additional transaction fee to Shopify (2.0% on Basic, 1.0% on Shopify, 0.5% on Advanced). This can add up quickly.
Key Takeaway: Unless you have a compelling reason to use an external gateway, stick with Shopify Payments to save money.
The Shopify App Store: Power-Up or Price-Up?
Your basic Shopify store is powerful, but apps are what make it truly custom and functional. Think of them like apps for your smartphone. While many are free, the most powerful ones often come with a monthly subscription.
- Free vs. Paid Apps: Free apps are great for basic tasks, but they often have limitations. Paid apps provide advanced functionality, better support, and more robust features.
- Common Paid App Categories & Estimated Costs:
- Email Marketing: (e.g., Klaviyo, Omnisend) - $20 - $150+/month depending on list size.
- Subscription Management: (e.g., ReCharge, Appstle) - $30 - $100+/month.
- Customer Reviews: (e.g., Loox, Judge.me) - $10 - $100/month.
- Loyalty & Rewards: (e.g., Smile.io, Rivo) - $20 - $200+/month.
Realistically, most growing stores spend between $50 and $200 per month on essential apps from the Shopify App Store.
Theme Costs: Your Store's First Impression
Your theme is your store's digital storefront. It controls the look, feel, and user experience.
- Free Themes: Shopify offers a handful of excellent, mobile-responsive free themes (like Dawn and Sense). They are perfect for getting started but offer limited customization.
- Paid Themes: The Shopify Theme Store offers premium themes for a one-time fee, typically ranging from $200 to $380. Paid themes provide more advanced features, unique designs, and dedicated customer support from the theme developer.
Domain Name & Professional Email
- Domain Name: Your plan doesn't include a custom domain (e.g.,
www.yourbrand.com). You can buy one through Shopify or a third-party registrar like GoDaddy. Expect to pay around $15 - $20 per year. - Professional Email: Shopify doesn't host email. To get a professional email address like
[email protected], you'll need a service like Google Workspace (approx. $6/user/month) or Zoho Mail (has a free plan).
Shopify POS: Pricing for In-Person Sales
If you sell in person at markets, pop-ups, or a physical store, you'll use Shopify Point of Sale (POS).
- POS Lite: This is included for free in all Shopify plans. It's perfect for occasional in-person sales, allowing you to accept payments and sync inventory with your online store.
- POS Pro: For serious brick-and-mortar retailers, POS Pro is an add-on that costs an additional $89/month per location. It unlocks advanced features like smart inventory management, unlimited staff accounts with specific permissions, and in-store analytics.
For the Enterprise: Understanding Shopify Plus
What is Shopify Plus and Who is it For?
Shopify Plus is the enterprise-level solution for high-volume merchants and large, complex brands. It's built for businesses that have outgrown the Advanced plan and need maximum power, customization, and support.
Shopify Plus Pricing: A Different Ballgame
The pricing for Shopify Plus is not a simple flat fee.
- Pricing Model: It starts at $2,500 per month for a three-year term. The final cost is variable and based on your monthly sales volume.
- Key Benefits: The high price tag is justified by features like unlimited staff accounts, a dedicated Launch Engineer, advanced customization of the checkout, access to exclusive APIs, and significantly lower transaction fees.
Putting It All Together: Real-World Cost Scenarios
Let's make this tangible. Here are three common scenarios to estimate your total monthly cost.
Scenario 1: The Brand-New Dropshipper
- Plan: Shopify Basic
- Estimated Sales: $2,000/month
- Cost Breakdown:
- Plan Fee: $39
- Transaction Fees (2.9% + 30¢): Approx. $70 (assuming ~40 orders)
- Essential Apps: $20 (e.g., a dropshipping importer like DSers)
- Estimated Total Monthly Cost: ~$129
Scenario 2: The Growing Fashion Brand
- Plan: Shopify
- Estimated Sales: $15,000/month
- Cost Breakdown:
- Plan Fee: $105
- Transaction Fees (2.6% + 30¢): Approx. $450 (assuming ~200 orders)
- Paid Theme (One-time): $280 (amortized over a year is ~$23/month)
- Apps: $100 (Email marketing, reviews, loyalty program)
- Estimated Total Monthly Cost: ~$678
Scenario 3: The Established High-Volume Retailer
- Plan: Shopify Advanced
- Estimated Sales: $80,000/month
- Cost Breakdown:
- Plan Fee: $399
- Transaction Fees (2.4% + 30¢): Approx. $2,160 (assuming ~800 orders)
- Premium Apps: $250 (Advanced subscriptions, marketing automation, etc.)
- POS Pro (1 location): $89
- Estimated Total Monthly Cost: ~$2,898
How to Save Money on Your Shopify Bill
Want to keep your costs down? Here are four simple, actionable tips.
1. Pay Annually for an Instant Discount
If you're committed to your business for the long haul, pay for your Shopify plan annually. This gives you an immediate discount of up to 25%, saving you hundreds of dollars per year.
2. Use Shopify Payments to Avoid Extra Fees
As covered, this is the single biggest way to save on transaction fees. By using Shopify's native payment gateway, you completely avoid the extra 0.5% to 2.0% fee Shopify charges for using third-party gateways.
3. Choose the Right Plan for Your Sales Volume
Don't stay on the Basic plan for too long if your sales are growing. There's a break-even point where the money you save from the lower transaction fees on a higher-tier plan outweighs the increase in the monthly subscription cost. Do the math each quarter to see if it's time to upgrade.
4. Regularly Audit Your App Subscriptions
It's easy to sign up for apps and forget about them. Once a quarter, go through your app list. Are you still using all of them? Are any providing a low return on investment? Don't be afraid to uninstall unused apps and look for free alternatives where it makes sense.
Shopify Pricing vs. Competitors
Shopify vs. WooCommerce: The True Cost Comparison
WooCommerce is often touted as "free" because the software itself is an open-source WordPress plugin. However, this is misleading. With WooCommerce, you have to pay separately for:
- Web Hosting: $15 - $100+/month
- Paid Plugins: Many essential features (like subscriptions) require premium plugins.
- Security (SSL Certificate): Sometimes included with hosting, sometimes extra.
- Developer Costs: You are responsible for all maintenance, updates, and security. If something breaks, you have to fix it or hire someone.
Shopify's all-in-one monthly fee includes hosting, security, and support, making it simpler and often more predictable for non-technical users.
Shopify vs. BigCommerce: A Head-to-Head on Fees
BigCommerce is Shopify's closest competitor. Their pricing plans are similar, but with one key difference: BigCommerce does not charge its own transaction fees, regardless of the payment gateway you use. However, their plans have annual sales volume caps. If you exceed the cap for your plan, you are automatically upgraded to the next, more expensive tier, which can be an unexpected cost.
Final Verdict: Is Shopify Worth the Price in 2024?
So, after breaking it all down, is Shopify worth the cost? For the vast majority of e-commerce entrepreneurs, the answer is a resounding yes.
The Value Proposition: Simplicity, Scalability, and Support
With Shopify, you aren't just paying for software. You are investing in a world-class, fully managed e-commerce ecosystem. You're paying for:
- Simplicity: An incredibly user-friendly platform that lets you focus on selling, not on server maintenance.
- Scalability: A platform that can handle a handful of orders a day or thousands per minute without breaking a sweat.
- Security & Reliability: Rock-solid security and a 99.99% uptime guarantee are included.
- Support: 24/7 access to a support team that can help you when you get stuck.
Your Next Steps: How to Get Started
The "real" cost of Shopify depends entirely on your business's size, sales volume, and specific needs. Use the scenarios and cost breakdowns in this guide to estimate your own budget. The best way to know for sure is to experience it yourself.
Ready to see if it's the right fit for you? Start your free Shopify trial today and test the platform risk-free.