Shopify Pricing 2026: Which Plan Is Right for Your Business?

Choosing the right Shopify plan can feel overwhelming. With four main pricing tiers—Basic, Shopify, Advanced, and Plus—each offering different features, transaction fees, and capabilities, making the wrong choice means either overpaying for features you don't need or hitting walls that limit your growth.

This guide breaks down everything you need to know about Shopify pricing in 2026, including the real costs most merchants overlook, when to upgrade between plans, and which tier makes the most sense for your specific business situation.

Shopify Pricing Plans Overview

Before diving into the details, here's a quick comparison of all Shopify plans:

Let's explore what each plan offers and who it's best suited for.

Shopify Basic Plan ($39/month)

The Basic plan is Shopify's entry-level offering, but don't let the name fool you—it includes everything most new e-commerce businesses need to launch and grow.

What's Included in Basic

Core E-commerce Features:

• Unlimited products
• 24/7 chat and email support
• Sales channels (online store, social media, marketplaces)
• Manual order creation
• Discount codes and gift cards
• Free SSL certificate
• Abandoned cart recovery
• Shopify POS Lite for in-person sales

Marketing & SEO:

• Basic SEO features
• Customer segmentation
• Marketing automation
• Shopify Email (up to 10,000 emails/month free)

Shipping:

• Shipping discounts up to 77%
• Shipping labels
• Calculated shipping rates from carriers

Basic Plan Limitations

While comprehensive, Basic has constraints that growing businesses will eventually outgrow:

• Only 2 staff accounts
• Basic analytics and reports (no professional reports)
• Higher credit card processing rates (2.9% + 30¢)
• 2% transaction fee on third-party payment gateways
• No international domains or market-specific pricing
• No estimated duties and import taxes

Who Should Choose Basic?

Ideal for:

• New stores testing product-market fit
• Side hustles and hobby businesses
• Stores doing under $10,000/month in sales
• Solo entrepreneurs or small teams (2 or fewer people)
• Businesses primarily using Shopify Payments

Consider upgrading when:

• You need more than 2 staff accounts
• Monthly sales exceed $10,000 consistently
• You require professional reporting for decision-making
• Transaction fee savings would offset higher plan costs

Real Monthly Cost Estimate for Basic

Here's what a typical Basic store actually pays monthly:

Shopify Plan ($105/month)

The standard Shopify plan hits the sweet spot for growing businesses. It's the most popular choice for established stores that have proven their concept and need room to scale.

What's Included in Shopify Plan

Everything in Basic, plus:

Enhanced Features:

• 5 staff accounts
• Professional reports
• Lower credit card rates (2.7% + 30¢)
• Reduced third-party transaction fees (1%)
• Shopify POS Pro available ($89/month per location)
• USPS Priority Mail Cubic pricing

Improved Analytics:

• Sales reports by channel, time, and staff
• Customer reports (first-time vs returning)
• Behavior reports
• Finance reports
• Product analytics

Shopify Plan vs Basic: The Real Difference

The jump from $39 to $105 might seem steep, but the value compounds:

Staff Account Math: If you need 3+ people accessing your store, Basic forces awkward workarounds like sharing logins (against Shopify TOS) or limiting who can help with orders.

Reporting Value: Professional reports help you identify:

• Which products actually make money (after returns)
• Which marketing channels drive real revenue
• Customer lifetime value patterns
• Seasonal trends for inventory planning

Transaction Fee Savings: For stores using third-party payment processors:

• Basic: 2% transaction fee
• Shopify: 1% transaction fee

The breakeven point is approximately $6,600/month in sales. Above that, Shopify plan saves you money even before considering other benefits.

Who Should Choose Shopify Plan?

Ideal for:

• Stores doing $10,000-$50,000/month in sales
• Teams of 3-5 people needing store access
• Businesses requiring professional analytics
• Brands selling internationally (better reports help)
• Stores using non-Shopify payment gateways

Consider upgrading when:

• You need more than 5 staff accounts
• International sales require duties/taxes calculation
• You want the lowest possible transaction fees
• Monthly sales consistently exceed $50,000

Shopify Advanced Plan ($399/month)

Advanced is built for high-volume merchants and growing brands with complex needs. The higher price tag pays for itself through lower fees and enterprise-grade features.

What's Included in Advanced

Everything in Shopify plan, plus:

Premium Features:

• 15 staff accounts
• Custom report builder
• Lowest standard credit card rates (2.5% + 30¢)
• Minimal third-party fees (0.6%)
• Third-party calculated shipping rates
• Up to 10 inventory locations with enhanced management

International Commerce:

• International domains and subfolders
• Market-specific product pricing
• Estimated duties and import taxes at checkout
• Local currencies with auto-conversion

Advanced Analytics:

• Custom report creation
• Advanced filtering and segmentation
• Exportable data for BI tools
• Customer cohort analysis

Advanced Plan ROI Calculation

For stores using Shopify Payments, the credit card processing savings alone can justify Advanced:

Monthly Sales: $100,000

• Shopify plan rate: 2.7% = $2,700
• Advanced rate: 2.5% = $2,500
• Monthly savings: $200

At $100,000/month, you save $200 on processing but pay $294 more for the plan ($399 vs $105). Not quite worth it for processing alone.

Breakeven Point: Advanced becomes cost-effective at approximately $147,000/month in sales when considering only credit card processing differences. However, the value of custom reports, international features, and more staff accounts often justifies the upgrade earlier.

For third-party payment gateways, the math shifts dramatically:

Monthly Sales: $100,000 with third-party payments

• Shopify plan fee: 1% = $1,000
• Advanced fee: 0.6% = $600
• Monthly savings: $400

Now you're ahead by $106/month ($400 savings - $294 plan difference).

Who Should Choose Advanced?

Ideal for:

• Stores doing $50,000+/month in sales
• Businesses with significant international customers
• Teams requiring 6-15 people with store access
• Data-driven brands needing custom reports
• Companies using third-party payment processors at volume
• Merchants needing real-time carrier shipping rates

Consider upgrading to Plus when:

• You need more than 15 staff accounts
• Sales consistently exceed $500,000/month
• You require dedicated account management
• Advanced automation and customization is necessary
• You need multiple expansion stores

Shopify Plus (Starting at $2,300/month)

Shopify Plus is Shopify's enterprise solution, designed for high-growth brands and established companies with complex requirements.

What's Included in Plus

Everything in Advanced, plus:

Enterprise Features:

• Unlimited staff accounts
• Up to 200 inventory locations
• Dedicated account manager
• Priority 24/7 support
• Merchant Success Program
• Shopify Plus Academy

Advanced Customization:

• Shopify Scripts for checkout customization
• Shopify Flow for advanced automation
• Launchpad for scheduled sales and product launches
• Exclusive APIs and development tools
• Higher API rate limits

Multi-Store Capabilities:

• Up to 10 expansion stores included
• Centralized management dashboard
• Shared customer data across stores
• Global enterprise commerce architecture

Security & Compliance:

• Enhanced security features
• GDPR and CCPA compliance tools
• SOC 2 Type II compliance
• Bot protection
• Advanced fraud analysis

Plus Pricing Structure

Unlike standard plans, Plus pricing varies based on your business:

Standard Plus Pricing:

• Base: $2,300/month (or 0.25% of revenue, whichever is higher)
• Credit card rates: 2.15% + 30¢ (negotiable)
• Third-party transaction fee: 0.2%
• Expansion stores: Up to 10 included, additional stores negotiable

Variable Pricing Factors:

• Monthly GMV (Gross Merchandise Value)
• Number of stores needed
• Custom development requirements
• Support level required
• Contract length (typically 1-3 years)

Large enterprise deals can negotiate significantly, with some brands paying 0.15% of GMV or achieving sub-2% credit card rates.

Who Should Choose Plus?

Ideal for:

• Brands doing $1M+ annually (often $500K+/month)
• Companies requiring multiple storefronts
• Businesses with complex automation needs
• Brands needing checkout customization
• Organizations requiring dedicated support
• Companies with strict compliance requirements

Indicators You're Ready for Plus:

• You're hitting API rate limits
• Checkout customization would significantly improve conversion
• You need automated workflows across systems
• Standard support response times aren't adequate
• You're launching in multiple countries with separate stores

Transaction Fees Deep Dive

Transaction fees are often the most misunderstood aspect of Shopify pricing. Let's clarify exactly what you pay.

Shopify Payments Credit Card Rates

If you use Shopify Payments (powered by Stripe), you pay only the credit card processing rate:

No additional transaction fees with Shopify Payments.

Third-Party Payment Gateway Fees

If you use PayPal, Stripe directly, or another gateway, Shopify charges an additional transaction fee on top of whatever your payment processor charges:

This means a $100 order on Basic with PayPal might cost you:

• PayPal rate: ~2.9% + 30¢ = $3.20
• Shopify fee: 2% = $2.00
• Total: $5.20 (5.2%)

Compared to Shopify Payments on Basic:

• Shopify Payments: 2.9% + 30¢ = $3.20
• Total: $3.20 (3.2%)

When Third-Party Gateways Make Sense

Despite the extra fees, some situations warrant alternative payment processors:

• PayPal checkout for buyer trust and higher conversion
• Specific regional payment methods (Klarna, Afterpay, local options)
• Existing merchant relationships with better rates
• Multi-currency requirements in unsupported Shopify Payments countries

For most merchants, using Shopify Payments as primary and offering PayPal as secondary is the optimal balance of cost and conversion.

Hidden Costs to Consider

Beyond the monthly subscription and transaction fees, budget for these commonly overlooked expenses:

1. Theme Costs

Free Themes: Shopify offers ~12 free themes that work well for most stores.

Premium Themes: More sophisticated designs cost $180-$400 one-time. Worth it if you need:

• Advanced customization options
• Specific features (mega menus, advanced filtering)
• Industry-specific designs
• Better performance optimization

2. App Costs

The Shopify App Store is where costs add up quickly. Typical monthly app spend:

Average app spend by store size:

• New stores: $50-100/month
• Growing stores: $100-300/month
• Established stores: $300-800/month

3. Domain Name

Shopify provides a free myshopify.com subdomain, but you'll want your own domain:

• Through Shopify: $14-40/year
• External registrar: $10-20/year (then connect to Shopify)

4. Email Hosting

Shopify Email includes 10,000 emails/month free. Beyond that:

• Additional Shopify Email: $1 per 1,000 emails
• Professional email (you@yourdomain.com): $5-12/month via Google Workspace or similar

5. Developer/Designer Costs

For custom work:

• Theme customization: $500-5,000
• Custom app development: $1,000-20,000+
• Ongoing development: $50-200/hour

6. Photography

Product photography significantly impacts conversion:

• DIY setup: $200-500 one-time
• Professional shoot: $25-100 per product
• Ongoing photography retainer: $500-2,000/month

When to Upgrade Between Plans

Knowing when to upgrade requires analyzing both hard numbers and soft factors.

Upgrade from Basic to Shopify When:

Hard Triggers:

• Monthly sales exceed $10,000 consistently
• Transaction fee savings exceed $66/month (at ~$6,600/month sales with third-party payments)
• You need more than 2 staff accounts

Soft Triggers:

• You're making decisions without proper data
• Basic reporting isn't showing what you need
• Team members are sharing login credentials
• You're ready to take e-commerce seriously as a business

Upgrade from Shopify to Advanced When:

Hard Triggers:

• Monthly sales exceed $50,000
• Transaction fee savings exceed $294/month (at ~$73,500/month with third-party payments)
• You need more than 5 staff accounts

Soft Triggers:

• International sales are growing and need duties/taxes
• You need real-time carrier shipping rates
• Custom reporting would meaningfully improve decisions
• You're managing multiple locations

Upgrade to Plus When:

Hard Triggers:

• Annual revenue exceeds $1M (often $2M+)
• You need more than 10 expansion stores
• API rate limits are constraining operations
• Transaction volume savings offset $2,300+/month

Soft Triggers:

• Checkout customization would significantly lift conversion
• You need advanced automation (Shopify Flow)
• Dedicated support is necessary for operations
• Compliance requirements exceed standard plans

Comparing Shopify to Alternatives

While Shopify dominates e-commerce, understanding alternatives helps ensure it's right for you:

Shopify vs WooCommerce

Shopify vs BigCommerce

Shopify vs Wix eCommerce

Money-Saving Tips

1. Pay Annually

Save 25% by paying yearly:

• Basic: $29/mo (vs $39 monthly)
• Shopify: $79/mo (vs $105 monthly)
• Advanced: $299/mo (vs $399 monthly)

Annual savings: $120-$1,200 depending on plan.

2. Use Shopify Payments

Avoid the 0.6-2% third-party transaction fees entirely. For a store doing $50,000/month on Basic with third-party payments, switching to Shopify Payments saves $1,000/month.

3. Audit App Usage

Monthly app audit questions:

• Is this app providing ROI?
• Am I using all features, or could I downgrade?
• Does Shopify now offer this natively?
• Can one app replace two others?

Many stores waste $100+/month on unused or redundant apps.

4. Start with Free Themes

Premium themes are nice, but free themes like Dawn work excellently. Master free before paying for premium.

5. Negotiate Plus Pricing

Plus pricing is negotiable. Leverage:

• Multi-year commitments
• High volume projections
• Competitive offers from BigCommerce or others
• Clean migration from competitor platforms

Real-World Pricing Examples

Example 1: New Side Hustle Store

Situation: Selling handmade jewelry, expecting $2,000/month in sales

Plus ~$87 in payment processing on $2,000 sales (2.9% + 30¢ per transaction).

Example 2: Growing DTC Brand

Situation: Established brand doing $40,000/month, team of 4

Plus ~$1,200 in payment processing on $40,000 sales.

Example 3: High-Volume Enterprise

Situation: Multi-brand company doing $500,000/month

Plus ~$11,000 in payment processing on $500,000 sales (2.15% + 30¢).

Making Your Decision

Choose Basic If:

• You're just starting out
• Monthly revenue is under $10,000
• You only need 1-2 people accessing the store
• Basic reporting meets your needs
• You're validating your product/market

Choose Shopify If:

• Monthly revenue is $10,000-$50,000
• You have a team of 3-5 people
• You need professional reports for decision-making
• The transaction fee savings offset the cost increase
• You're committed to growing the business

Choose Advanced If:

• Monthly revenue exceeds $50,000
• You sell internationally and need duties/taxes
• You require real-time shipping rates
• Custom reports are necessary
• You have a team of 6-15 people

Choose Plus If:

• Annual revenue exceeds $1-2 million
• You need multiple storefronts
• Checkout customization would significantly impact revenue
• You require enterprise-level support and compliance
• Advanced automation is critical to operations

Frequently Asked Questions

The most common questions about Shopify pricing, answered in detail:

Can I start with Basic and upgrade later?

Absolutely. Shopify makes upgrading seamless—all your data, products, customers, and settings transfer automatically. Most successful stores start on Basic and upgrade as they grow. The only consideration is that some apps may have different pricing tiers based on your Shopify plan.

Does Shopify charge for sales taxes?

No. Shopify doesn't take a cut of sales tax you collect. However, calculating and remitting sales tax is your responsibility. Shopify's built-in tax settings handle basic calculations, but complex situations may require apps like TaxJar or Avalara ($20-500/month).

Is Shopify Payments available in my country?

Shopify Payments is available in: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Netherlands, and several others. Check Shopify's current list, as they regularly add countries.

What happens if I exceed my plan's limits?

Shopify doesn't charge overages for most limits—you simply won't be able to add more (like staff accounts). For API calls on Plus, exceeding limits may temporarily throttle your integrations. There's no automatic upgrade or surprise charges.

Can I downgrade my plan?

Yes. You can downgrade at any time, effective at your next billing cycle. Be aware that you'll lose access to higher-tier features immediately, and some apps tied to those features may stop working.

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