Shopify is the world’s most successful e-commerce platform, with the biggest share – 27% of the entire global online retail market – using this platform for their stores. Such outstanding popularity is due to the platform’s ease of operation, a vast array of advanced functions, highly appealing aesthetic design options, and over 10,000 Shopify apps for simple customization.
Shopify pricing is competitive and can be tailored to various customers but it can take time to get the hang of. In this guide, we’ll explore Shopify fees and payments as well as standard and advanced Shopify plans, helping you choose what works best for you.
What Is Shopify?
Shopify is a globally famous e-commerce website development platform that provides all the tools needed to build and operate an online store. Your Shopify store can be as basic or elaborate as necessary to match your vision for it. The platform features over 50 premium themes, almost 7,400 plug-ins, and over 10,000 apps to help customize your site.
The service began as basic software for either integration with other business platforms or directing customers to a Shopify checkout page for secure completion of sales payment transactions. The company soon expanded its service model to feature website hosting, selling through Amazon, eBay, and other e-commerce platforms, social media integration, and multichannel selling.
Thanks to the heavy focus on seamless integrations in its past, the Shopify system now provides powerful abandoned cart recovery protocols and supports over 100 payment gateways to accommodate virtually any transaction.
Here's a glimpse at how popular Shopify is in 2024 compared to other e-commerce platforms:
Default Shopify Features and Capabilities
Before exploring the distinct offerings of each Shopify pricing plan, it's important to understand the core features available to all Shopify customers, providing a robust foundation for e-commerce businesses of all sizes:
- Multiple Sales Channels – Sell across various platforms: a Shopify store, social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok), online marketplaces, and websites.
- Unlimited Products – List an unlimited number of products in your store.
- Collaborator Accounts – Allow third-party partners, such as marketing agencies or developers, to access the store without affecting the staff account limit.
- Free SSL Certificate – Get a free SSL certificate for all stores.
- Flexible Shipping – Enjoy shipping discounts with DHL, UPS, and USPS.
- Sales Tax Automation – Automatically set up Shopify taxes based on location.
- Integrated Payment Processing – Rely on Shopify Payments for a seamless payment processing solution with competitive transaction fees.
- Mobile Optimization – Tailor your store to the customers on smartphones and tablets.
- 24/7 Customer Support – Turn to round-the-clock customer support through live chat, email, and phone.
- App Integrations – Customize and extend your store's functionality.
- Automatic Updates and Security – Reduce the burden on your tech teams and keep your store protected against potential vulnerabilities.
Shopify Pricing Plans and Costs
All Shopify plans include extensive tools for increasing your website’s functionality. Every store owner operating on the Shopify platform also receives 24/7/365 site support, routine automatic updates on orders and inventory, free fraud analysis, and many other operational advantages.
You can select from the 4 primary Shopify plans described below to access the wealth of options for making the most of your e-commerce business site.
Shopify Plans Price Comparison Table
Whether you have a small business or a large company, there is a Shopify plan to meet your specific needs and fit your budget. The platform is ideally scalable, so you can start with a more limited plan and easily move up to a more expansive range of features as you need them:
Of course, the more advanced plans offer additional features to increase a website’s capacity, features, and options. Those further offer major market advantages, like bigger discounts on shipping, package labeling, language translation, advanced analytics, in-depth reporting, and much more.
Feature | Basic | Shopify | Advanced | Plus | Starter | Retail | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Price Range | $29 per month billed yearly | $79 per month billed yearly | $299 per month billed yearly | $2,000+ per month for a 3-year plan | $1 for the first month, then $5 per month. | $1 for the first month and then $89 monthly | Custom Pricing |
Online Store | ✔️ Basic | ✔️ Enhanced | ✔️ Advanced | ✔️ Advanced | ✔️ Very basic | ✔️ With POS | ✔️ Custom |
Social Media Selling | ✔️ Limited | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ (Main Feature) | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
POS Integration | Limited | Limited | Limited | ✔️ Advanced POS | ❌ | ✔️ Advanced POS | ✔️ Advanced POS |
Online Transaction Fees | 2.9% + $0.30
| 2.7% + $0.30 | 2.5% + $0.30 | Lowest, Custom | Varies | Varies | Custom |
Gift Cards | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Reports | Basic | Professional | Advanced | Customizable | Basic | Advanced POS Reports | Custom |
Staff Accounts | 2 | 5 | 15 | Unlimited | 1 | Varies | Custom |
Third-Party Shipping Rates | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | Varies | ✔️ |
24/7 Support | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | Priority Support | ✔️ | ✔️ | Dedicated Support |
Multi-Currency & Multi-Language | Limited | Limited | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ | Custom |
API Access | Basic | Enhanced | Enhanced | Full | Basic | Enhanced | Full |
Custom Checkout | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ |
Automated Workflow Tools | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | Varies | Custom |
Now, let's take a closer look at each of the plans to provide additional clarity on Shopify website costs and feature inclusions for each platform service plan:
Basic Plan
Shopify Basic plan offers small businesses, including those that do some in-person selling, an opportunity to engage in e-commerce. This plan includes a Shopify app for off-platform point-of-sale transactions but lacks the advanced hardware integration options available in higher-tier plans.
Pricing: $29 per month billed yearly or $39 US paid monthly.
Online transaction fees: 2.9% + $0.30.
Benefits:
- 2 staff accounts
- Unlimited product listings
- Shipping discounts up to 77% with major carriers like DHL Express, UPS, and USPS
- Basic reporting and analytics
- Support for basic Shopify POS functionalities for physical store sales
Drawbacks: The Basic plan has higher transaction fees compared to other Shopify plans. Additionally, it offers fewer staff accounts and less advanced analytics and reporting tools.
Best for: Small businesses that will have just a few Shopify account users.
Shopify Plan
The Shopify plan is ideal for online store owners who generate a few thousand dollars in monthly sales and are looking to expand their operations, including in-person sales through Shopify's POS system. The plan offers more robust POS functionality, including the ability to integrate with various hardware options like label printers and barcode scanners.
Pricing: $79 US per month billed yearly, or $105 US paid monthly
Online transaction fees: 2.7% + $0.30
Benefits:
- 5 staff accounts
- Gift cards
- Professional reports
- Access to Shopify Magic and Sidekick
- Enhanced POS features, including support for hardware integration and unlimited staff PINs
- Increased shipping discounts up to 88% with major carriers
Drawbacks: While the Shopify plan offers more features than the Basic plan, it does not include the advanced reporting and third-party calculated shipping rates available in the Advanced plan.
Best for: Businesses looking to grow their online and offline presence.
Advanced Plan
The Advanced Shopify plan is tailored for businesses experiencing significant growth, offering advanced features and tools to optimize and scale operations. This plan includes detailed analytics and reporting, allowing for better data-driven decision-making. It also supports more complex shipping requirements with third-party calculated shipping rates.
Pricing: $299 per month billed yearly, or $399 paid monthly.
Online transaction fees: 2.5% + $0.30.
Benefits:
- 15 staff accounts
- Advanced reporting, including custom reports
- Third-party calculated shipping rates
- Lower credit card fees compared to the Shopify plan
- Support for up to 8 inventory locations
- Enhanced discounts on shipping rates
Drawbacks: The Advanced plan is more expensive than the Shopify plan and may not be cost-effective for smaller businesses. However, for businesses with higher sales volumes, the lower transaction fees and advanced tools can lead to significant savings and improved operational efficiency.
Best for: Enterprise-level businesses.
Shopify Plus Plan
If your online store is generating annual revenue of $750,000 or more, this all-inclusive Shopify package can yield cost savings for you. This plan includes everything in the lower-tier plans, along with exclusive features designed to meet the complex needs of large businesses. Shopify Plus provides priority support, advanced API capabilities, and tools for managing large-scale operations.
Pricing: Starts at $2,000 US per month for a 3-year plan (or higher based on account size).
Online transaction fees: Custom, often lower than other plans.
Benefits:
- Unlimited staff accounts
- B2B wholesale selling options
- Shopify Audiences for targeted marketing and ShopifyQL Notebooks for advanced data analysis
- Tools for complex Shopify integration with up to 5x higher API rate limits.
- Multiple stores, including international stores with different currencies and languages
- Advanced security features like Shopify bot protection
- Launchpad for automating sales events and product releases
- Access to Shopify Plus Certified App Partners
- Shopify Plus Academy for training and resources
Drawbacks: The high Shopify Plus pricing plan can be a barrier for smaller businesses, but it is ideal for companies with complex needs and significant sales volumes.
Best for: Corporate users with larger teams.
Alternative Shopify Subscription Plans
Besides the standard business needs, Shopify’s offering includes some alternatives. The key differences between the alternative plans (Starter, Retail, Enterprise) and the regular Shopify plans (Basic, Shopify, Advanced, and Plus) are:
- Target Audience. The alternative plans cater to specific needs. Starter for beginners, Retail for businesses with physical stores, and Enterprise for larger operations.
- Feature Set. The feature set in these alternative plans is tailored to meet specific needs that aren't covered in the regular plans, such as POS capabilities in the Retail plan or advanced reporting in the Enterprise plan.
- Cost Structure. The pricing for these plans varies, often reflecting the specialized features and support they offer.
Each of these alternative plans offers unique features and benefits, allowing businesses to choose the best option based on their specific operational needs and budget constraints.
Starter Plan
This lowest-cost Shopify plan does not include access to the platform for online store development. Instead, it lets you use the platform checkout functions to sell products on your third-party website, social media sites, and elsewhere online. The features offered with the Starter plan allow you to begin selling with minimal upfront cost, other than your time to set up your site.
Pricing: Pay only $1 for the first month, then $5 per month.
Benefits: This plan typically includes basic features such as a simple online store or a Shopify landing page, the ability to sell on social media, and basic customer support.
Drawbacks: It lacks advanced features like detailed reporting or customization options.
Best for: Designed for businesses just starting out or those who want to sell products through social media channels, rather than having a full-fledged online store.
Retail Plan
This option provides tools for in-person selling complete with advanced support, inventory routing, and features of the Shopify loyalty system. This program enables entrepreneurs to use Shopify for expansive design and launch of a more complex e-commerce store site.
Pricing: Pay only $1 for the first month and then $89 monthly. The Retail plan typically involves additional costs for POS hardware and may have different transaction fees compared to the standard online-only plans.
Benefits: Includes specialized point-of-sale (POS) features, such as in-store pickup, hardware integration, and advanced inventory management across both online and offline channels. This plan also offers more robust staff management tools.
Best for: Tailored specifically for businesses that operate physical retail locations alongside their online store.
Enterprise Commerce
For companies positioned to undertake full-scale development of advanced Shopify platform operations, working with Shopify’s advanced facilitation services optimizes the process. This plan is best for larger companies prioritizing maximized features, deployment speed, agile operations, and high performance at custom pricing,
Pricing: Custom. As the name suggests, this plan is more expensive than the standard Advanced Shopify plan, reflecting its additional features and capabilities.
Benefits: Includes everything in the standard Advanced plan but may offer additional benefits like higher limits on API calls, enhanced support, more advanced reporting and analytics, and deeper customization options.
Best for: Users looking for an upgrade from the regular Advanced Shopify plan, providing more in-depth features for large-scale or complex businesses.
[Flowchart] How to Choose the Right Shopify Pricing Plan
Simply reading the pros and cons of each Shopify pricing plan may still not give you a quick answer. That's why, we've created an easy flowchart to help you get your bearings and find the most fitting Shopify plan by simply answering these 8 questions:
1. Are you just starting out and primarily looking to sell through social media or existing websites?
2. Do you primarily operate a physical retail store and need robust POS features?
3. Is your business generating less than $50,000 annually?
4. Do you need basic e-commerce features with a few staff accounts?
5. Do you need more advanced reporting, professional reports, and lower transaction fees?
6. Are you looking for custom reporting, advanced analytics, and third-party calculated shipping rates?
7. Is your business generating over $750,000 annually, and do you need additional enterprise-level features and support?
8. Does your business require extensive customization, advanced support, and potentially operating in multiple countries?
Follow the flowchart image below to find the Shopify fee strategy for your business:
Additional Shopify Cost Considerations
Apart from the Shopify monthly cost for each of the standard plans above, you should expect additional expenses that come with a Shopify-based business. Some – but not all – of them include:
- Premium Themes – These costs typically run from around $75 to $300, but they can save costs by making site design much faster.
- Domain Name – Your domain name is a separate purchase from the domain name registration.
- Web Development – You may prefer to hire an independent web developer or request the services of a skilled Shopify agency to create or maintain your store website.
- Apps and Plugins – To increase the functionality and overall quality of your Shopify store, you may opt for premium plugins and apps, which range widely in price.
- Shopify SEO – You may hire an SEO expert or rely on Shopify SEO extensions to boost the visibility of your store.
- Shopify POS – Use a payment solution for selling at off-site promotional events, by flash retailing, or at pop-up shops. Choose POS Lite or POS Pro:
Basic | Shopify | Advanced | Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
POS Lite included | POS Lite included | POS Lite included |
|
POS Pro – $89 per month | POS Pro – $89 per month | POS Pro – $89 per month | POS Pro Included |
How to Save Money with Shopify
To save money on building and running your store on the Shopify platform, you should include upfront costs and operating costs in your considerations. Here are the key considerations and best practices to follow:
1. Leverage Shopify’s Built-In Features
Take full advantage of Shopify’s default features, which are included in all plans. These features can help you manage your store effectively without incurring extra costs. By maximizing the use of these built-in tools, you can reduce the need for third-party apps and services that may add to your expenses.
2. Evaluate Shopify Website Cost
Investing in a high-quality Shopify theme can significantly impact your store's success. Premium themes often require less custom development work but creating a custom Shopify theme from scratch may be easier than searching for a fit among existing ones.
If the theme you choose contributes to better sales performance, it can justify the higher initial cost. Consider your theme’s potential ROI and balance it against cheaper alternatives that may not offer the same value.
3. Choose the Right Pricing Plan
Selecting the appropriate Shopify plan means understanding your store’s needs and anticipated growth. Each plan offers different features, such as lower transaction fees, more advanced reporting, and additional staff accounts. Evaluate what functionalities are essential for providing an excellent customer experience and achieving your business goals.
Opting for a plan that aligns with your current requirements and future growth can prevent costly upgrades and ensure that you’re not paying for unnecessary features.
4. Align Plan Choice with Business Goals
Your choice of Shopify plan should reflect your business’s growth trajectory and operational needs. If you expect rapid growth or have specific needs for advanced features (like custom reporting or higher shipping discounts), investing in a plan that supports these needs can be more cost-effective in the long run.
Avoid choosing the lowest-priced plan if it doesn’t meet your essential requirements, as this can lead to additional expenses for upgrades and add-ons. Aim for a plan that balances your current budget with your long-term business objectives.
5. Optimize Operating Costs
Look for ways to streamline your store’s operations to minimize ongoing expenses. Utilize Shopify’s built-in tools and integrations to automate repetitive tasks, manage inventory efficiently, and enhance customer service. Explore the Shopify App Store for the best Shopify apps that can improve your store’s functionality without breaking the bank.
Don’t forget to monitor your transaction fees and shipping costs to identify opportunities for savings, such as negotiating better rates with carriers or optimizing your checkout process.
Start Your Business with the Right Shopify Pricing Plan
We’ve provided a comprehensive guide to help you understand the costs and features of each Shopify plan, ensuring you make an informed decision that aligns with your business goals. And to make your start even easier, Shopify offers a free trial for all its subscription packages, allowing you to explore the platform before committing.
But while choosing the right Shopify pricing plan is important for setting up your online store, you don’t have to get everything perfect from the start. Begin with a plan that fits your current needs and budget, and as your business grows, you can easily scale up and adjust your plan to accommodate new features and expanded functionality.
If you need assistance with Shopify store setup or want to make the most of your Shopify investment, our expert Shopify developers at Amasty are here to help. Contact us through our website anytime for personalized support and to get your store up and running smoothly. Start small, think big, and let us help you scale your e-commerce success!
Frequently asked questions
The right Shopify plan for you depends on your goals, technology needs, optional features you want, and the budget you’ve set for your online operations. Of course, you can always upgrade your plan as your needs change.
If you want to run all or part of your business online, Shopify is likely to be your best resource overall. It offers the easiest and most efficient means of managing orders and inventory, and the smoothest and most cost-effective way to receive and process payments for products.
Plan prices to build and run your online store start very low. However, there are some Shopify costs in addition to the basic subscription fees. You’ll need a domain name, which will cost about $15 per year. You also may decide to apply a premium theme to your site, use premium plugins, purchase apps, or elect to add other options.
Along with advanced tools for online store design and operation, Shopify provides the powerful website hosting needed to support the collective volume of shopping traffic sent to the platform.
POS Lite is a Shopify point of sale (POS) system that enables store operators on the online platform to perform both online and in-person transactions. This is included free of charge as part of all Shopify plans. It’s an important capability for businesses that sometimes sell in person at offsite venues.
Shopify Payments is a payment execution gateway that enables Shopify stores to process online payments without a merchant account or third-party payment service provider. This feature is automatically established when a new Shopify store is created on the platform, so the new seller can accept virtually all types of payment methods. The Shopify Payments gateway makes it possible for sellers to accept everything from credit cards to gift cards, to Amazon Pay, to cryptocurrency, etc.
