How Much Does Shopify Cost? Complete Fee Breakdown (2025)
Key Takeaways
- Shopify costs $39-399/month depending on plan, plus transaction and payment fees
- Using Shopify Payments eliminates the extra 0.5-2% transaction fee
- The cheapest option is not always the best — higher plans have lower transaction fees
- Use a fee calculator to find the break-even point between plans
Shopify Pricing Plans (2025)
Shopify offers five plans. Here's what each costs and includes:
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Transaction Fee | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $5/month | 5% | Social selling only |
| Basic | $39/month | 2% | New stores |
| Shopify | $105/month | 1% | Growing stores |
| Advanced | $399/month | 0.5% | High-volume stores |
| Plus | $2,300/month | 0.2% | Enterprise |
Important: Transaction fees only apply if you DON'T use Shopify Payments. If you use Shopify Payments, you only pay credit card processing fees.
Credit Card Processing Fees
Every sale incurs credit card fees, regardless of your plan:
- Basic: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (online)
- Shopify: 2.6% + $0.30 per transaction
- Advanced: 2.4% + $0.30 per transaction
These fees apply whether you use Shopify Payments or a third-party processor like Stripe or PayPal.
Hidden Costs Most Sellers Miss
1. Apps and Plugins
Most Shopify stores install 6-10 apps. Popular apps cost $5-50/month each. Budget $50-200/month for essential apps (email marketing, reviews, SEO, upsells).
2. Theme Costs
Free themes are available, but premium themes ($180-350 one-time) often convert better and offer more customization.
3. Domain Name
$14/year through Shopify, or $10-12/year through Namecheap or Cloudflare (recommended).
4. Shopify Email
Free for first 10,000 emails/month, then $1 per 1,000 emails. Most stores outgrow this quickly and switch to Klaviyo ($20+/month).
Which Plan Should You Choose?
The right plan depends on your monthly revenue. Use our Shopify Fee Calculator to see exact costs for your revenue level.
General guidelines:
- Under $5,000/month revenue: Basic ($39/month)
- $5,000-25,000/month: Shopify ($105/month) — lower transaction fees save more than the plan difference
- Over $25,000/month: Advanced ($399/month) — the 0.5% transaction rate pays for itself
How to Reduce Shopify Costs
- Use Shopify Payments — eliminates the extra transaction fee entirely
- Pay annually — save 25% on your monthly plan
- Audit your apps — remove apps you don't actively use
- Use free tools — our free Shopify tools replace several paid apps for calculations, CSV building, and SEO
Total Cost Examples
| Scenario | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|
| New store, Basic plan, 3 free apps | ~$55/month |
| Growing store, Shopify plan, 6 apps | ~$250/month |
| Established store, Advanced plan, 10 apps | ~$700/month |
Use our Profit Margin Calculator to ensure your margins cover these costs while remaining profitable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest way to start on Shopify?
Shopify Basic at $39/month is the cheapest full-featured plan. There is also Shopify Starter at $5/month but it only allows selling through social media and messaging — no standalone online store.
Does Shopify charge transaction fees?
Only if you use a third-party payment gateway instead of Shopify Payments. Fees are 2% (Basic), 1% (Shopify), or 0.5% (Advanced) on top of the payment processor fees.
Is Shopify worth the cost?
For most sellers, yes. Shopify includes hosting, security, SSL, and 24/7 support. The equivalent on WooCommerce (hosting + plugins + security) costs $15-80/month and requires technical management.