Shopify Pricing Comparison: Plans, Costs & Hidden Fees 2024

In this guide, we’ve broken down the five Shopify pricing plans to help you understand their features, costs, and who they’re best for. Whether you’re a startup or a growing business, this simplified guide will help you navigate toward a plan that suits your needs and budget effortlessly.

Key Takeaways

• Shopify’s diverse pricing plans range from $5 to $2000 monthly, catering to different business needs.
• Selling on Shopify involves additional fees, including transaction fees, payment gateway charges, app and shipping fees, and domain name costs.

Shopify pricing: Cost And Hidden Fee Comparison

Shopify costs vary depending on your chosen plan and any additional services you use. We’ve created a table that details the prices in USD for each plan and includes any extra charges you may incur when selling on Shopify.

Which Shopify Plan Is Best For You?

Determining the right Shopify plan for your business can seem like a daunting task, but the key lies in understanding the distinct features each plan offers. 

Shopify Starter: $5/month

👍 Best for: Those dipping their toes into the e-commerce waters for the first time. 

💲 Pricing:

• Subscription fee: $5/month
• Transaction fees: A competitive rate of only 5% when opting for Shopify Payments.

⭐ Features:

• Webstore Essentials: This feature facilitates a quick and user-friendly establishment of an online storefront. Sellers can curate detailed product showcases, peppered with descriptions, images, and pricing, equipping customers with a holistic understanding to guide their purchasing decisions. Furthermore, the presence of a specialized contact hub paves the way for open communication 
• Portable Sales Point (PSP): This is the mPOS redefined. It empowers businesses to venture beyond online confines, engaging customers directly at events, markets, or other venues. 
• BioLink Commerce: BioLink Commerce offers a specialized link tailor-made for bio sections on social platforms. This strategic link directs potential customers straight to highlighted products or promotional events.
• Shopify Toolset Access: The ever-evolving demands of e-commerce are met head-on with Shopify's extensive application ecosystem. From granular analytics instruments to promotional plugins, the app arsenal addresses a broad spectrum of e-commerce requirements.
• Sales Lifecycle Management: Shopify's robust sales lifecycle management tool ensures every order is tracked from initiation to shipment. Combined with the integrated distribution system, this feature promises expedited and economical shipping, sidestepping many logistical hurdles.
• Shopify now includes duties and taxes at checkout for transparent international costs and offers over 60 new reports for performance tracking, applicable to all Shopify plans.

See details: Shopify Starter Plan Review: Best $5 E-Commerce Option for New Entrepreneurs

Shopify Basic Plan: $39/month

👍 Best for: Both individual entrepreneurs and small businesses. 

💲 Pricing:

• Subscription fee: $39 per month.
• Credit card rates: For online sales, merchants are charged 2.9% + 30 cents for every transaction. Meanwhile, for in-person sales, a 2.7% fee per transaction is levied.

⭐ Features:

• One Staff Account Only: The Basic Plan offers access for 1 staff member only. This means that if you want more than one person to manage the online store, you need to consider the higher plans.
• Shipping Discounts: One of the main advantages of this plan is the ability to get up to a 77% discount on shipping. This can lead to notable cost savings for the business and can also benefit customers in terms of reduced shipping costs.
• Customer Grouping: The customer segmentation tool allows businesses to group customers based on different criteria. This makes it easier to run targeted marketing campaigns and cater to the specific needs of different customer groups.
• Cart Recovery: A unique feature of the Basic Plan is the abandoned cart recovery function. If a customer leaves the site without completing a purchase, an automated email is sent to remind them of their unfinished transaction, potentially bringing back lost sales.

Shopify Plan: $105/month

👍 Best for: Growing small businesses

💲 Pricing:

• Subscription fee: $105/month
• Credit card rates: For sales processed online, a rate of 2.6% + 30 cents is charged per transaction. Meanwhile, in-person sales see a 2.5% fee applied per transaction.

⭐ Features:

• Expanded Team Collaboration: The Shopify Plan offers provisions for five staff accounts. As your business operations diversify and grow, having multiple team members manage different aspects of your online store becomes pivotal.
• Enhanced Shipping Benefits: A remarkable shipping discount of up to 88% is provided, a boon for businesses that deal with regular shipping. It reduces operational costs and could potentially lead to improved customer satisfaction with competitive shipping prices.
• USPS Cubic Mail Pricing: This feature offers reduced rates for specific packages, namely those weighing less than 20 pounds and having a volume of less than 0.5 cubic feet. This specialized pricing can bring about substantial savings, especially for businesses that frequently ship such packages.
• Insurance on Shipments: The inclusion of shipping insurance, currently in beta, offers merchants coverage up to $200 on each eligible Shopify Shipping label. This added security can give peace of mind, especially when shipping valuable products.
• Automate Ecommerce Operations: Ecommerce automations emerge as a game-changer for businesses. This built-in automation platform allows businesses to set up workflows, automate repetitive tasks, and focus on growth strategies without getting bogged down by manual processes.
• Localized Pricing: The currency conversion feature automatically updates prices based on a customer’s local currency. This localized approach can significantly enhance user experience, promoting trust and potentially increasing sales conversions in various markets.

Shopify Advanced Plan: $399/month

👍 Best for: Medium to large businesses.

💲 Pricing:

• Subscription fee: $399/month
• Credit card rates: Whether your sales are made online or in person, a charge of 2.4% + 30 cents applies to each transaction.

⭐ Features:

• Larger Team Management: The Advanced Plan allows access for up to 15 staff members. This enables smooth collaboration and ensures various aspects of the business are managed efficiently.
• Optimized Shipping Costs: Similar to the Shopify Plan, an up to 88% shipping discount is available. However, the Advanced Plan goes a step further with the USPS Parcel Select Cubic pricing, offering discounted rates for packages that are under 20 pounds and measure less than 1 cubic foot.
• Flexible Shipping Options: The third-party calculated shipping rates feature offers versatility at checkout. Businesses can show calculated rates using either their account or through third-party apps, providing customers with a variety of shipping options.
• Round-the-clock Assistance: Recognizing that medium to large businesses may face challenges at any hour, the 24/7 support ensures that help is always a call or click away.

Shopify Plus: $2000/month

👍 Best for: Merchants operating at high volumes.

💲 Pricing:

• Subscription fee: Shopify Plus begins at a monthly rate of $2000, reflecting its high-end features tailored for substantial operations.
• Credit card rates: These rates are variable and depend on the country in which the business operates.
• Transaction fee for third-party processor: In addition to the processor fees, an additional 0.15 – 0.30% per transaction is applied to cover security and compliance costs.

⭐ Features:

• Limitless Team Expansion: A defining feature of Shopify Plus is its ability to support unlimited staff accounts. As businesses grow, so do their teams, and Shopify Plus ensures there's no added cost for expanding personnel.
• Premium Point of Sale: The Shopify POS Pro offers advanced in-person selling tools, with the first 20 POS Pro locations included in the Shopify Plus package. This facilitates smooth brick-and-mortar operations in sync with online ventures.
• Theme Flexibility: Merchants can diversify and refresh their online storefront's look with ease. Shopify Plus allows the addition of up to 100 themes, enabling businesses to test new designs, maintain seasonal variations, or refine existing themes without disrupting the live store.
• Centralized Management: With Organization Settings, businesses can streamline operations by managing multiple stores from a singular location. Exclusive to Shopify Plus merchants, this tool consolidates various management aspects, including Billing, Stores, Users, and Analytics.
• Exclusive Training Resources: Growth is continuous, and to support this trajectory, Shopify Plus offers access to its Academy. This resource center provides self-guided training on crucial topics, ensuring merchants are equipped with the knowledge to leverage the platform's features to the fullest.

Read more: Shopify Plus Calculator: Breaking Down Shopify Enterprises Plan

Which Is The Best Shopify Plan For Beginners?

For beginners, the ideal choice is the Shopify Basic plan. Here’s why:

• Comprehensive Feature Set: The Shopify Basic plan offers a rich suite of tools that allow you to set up, customize, and run an online store with ease. From product listings to inventory management, everything is at your fingertips.
• Affordable Yet Powerful: At $39/month, this plan provides a perfect balance between cost and capability. It's tailored to give new store owners the best value for their money.
• Optimal Transaction Rates: With the Shopify Basic plan, store owners benefit from competitive transaction rates. This ensures that as you start making sales, more of the profits stay in your pocket.
• Abandoned Cart Recovery: This tool is crucial for maximizing sales by reaching out to customers who might have changed their mind at the last minute.
• Shipping Benefits: The plan provides up to 77% in shipping discounts, which is a boon for businesses starting to ship their products. This can greatly reduce overhead costs and increase profit margins.
• Scalability: As your business expands, you have the flexibility to add more products, integrate with various apps, and even upgrade to a higher plan when the time is right.

Global Breakdown: How Shopify’s Pricing Varies Across Countries

The prices mentioned above are in USD. If you are based outside the US, you will find that the plan names and features are the same, but Shopify costs may also varies depending on your location and the currency you use. In the next section, we’ve converted the Shopify prices into different currencies to help you understand how much you’ll spend based on your location.

Shopify UK Pricing Plans

Below are a few Shopify plans available in the United Kingdom.

• Starter Shopify: 5 GBP
• Basic Shopify: 25 GBP
• Shopify: 65 GBP
• Advanced Shopify: 344 GBP
• Shopify Plus: Contact the Shopify support team to get a quote

View Shopify UK Pricing Plans

Australia Shopify Pricing Plans

• Here are the Shopify pricing for Australia:
• Starter Shopify: 7 AUD
• Basic Shopify: 56 AUD
• Shopify: 149 AUD
• Advanced Shopify: 575 AUD
• Shopify Plus: Contact Shopify team support to get a quote

View Shopify AU Pricing Plans

Canada Shopify Pricing Plans

Here are the Shopify plans offered in this country:

• Starter Shopify Plan: $7 CAD
• Basic Shopify: $51 CAD
• Shopify: $132 CAD
• Advanced Shopify: $517 CAD
• Shopify Plus: Starting at $2,000 per month (about $2,576 CAD)

See Shopify Canada’s pricing article for details on all the hidden costs and how to calculate monthly costs.

View Shopify CA Pricing Plans

Germany/France Shopify Pricing Plans

As France and Germany both use the Euro as their official currency, we will present the Shopify plans for these two countries together.

• Starter Shopify: 5 EUR
• Basic Shopify: 36 EUR
• Shopify: 105 EUR
• Advanced Shopify: 384 EUR
• Shopify Plus: Please contact Shopify team support to receive a quote

View Shopify DE/FR Pricing Plans

Ireland Shopify Pricing Plans

The Irish Shopify pricing makes it easier for store owners to choose the best plan for their needs and requirements.

• Starter Shopify: €5 EUR/month
• Basic Shopify: €32 EUR/month
• Shopify: €92 EUR/month
• Advanced Shopify: €384 EUR/month
• Shopify Plus: Please contact Shopify team support to receive a quote

View Shopify IE Pricing Plans

New Zealand Shopify Pricing Plans

Let’s break down Shopify pricing in New Zealand to help Shopify store owners decide which will fit their businesses well.

• Shopify Starter Plan: $5 per month
• Shopify Basic Plan: $39 per month
• Shopify Plan: $105 per month
• Shopify Advanced Plan: $399 per month
• Shopify Plus: Starting at $2,000 per month

View Shopify NZ Pricing Plans

Spain Shopify Pricing Plans

Shopify offers a variety of pricing plans for merchants in Spain. The following are the basics of Shopify’s pricing plans in Spain:

• Shopify Starter Plan: €5 /month
• Shopify Basic Plan: €36 /month
• Shopify Plan: €105 /month
• Shopify Advanced Plan: €384 /month
• Shopify Plus: Starting at $2,000 per month

View Shopify ES Pricing Plans

See more: Shopify India Pricing Plans: Our Comprehensive Details

Additional Shopify costs

Shopify Themes

Shopify offers a dual-tier system when it comes to themes:

• Free Themes: Shopify offers over 10 free themes, suitable for those on a budget yet wanting a professional-looking store.
• Premium Themes: For a more customized experience, Shopify's premium themes range between $150 to $380. These come with added features and design choices.

With over 160 themes available, merchants can find the perfect fit for a variety of niches, from arts and crafts to electronics, clothing, baby and kids' items, food and drink, and more. 

Shopify Apps

Shopify's app ecosystem is diverse, allowing merchants to extend their store's capabilities significantly. While many apps are available for free, others might cost as little as $5 per month, with some premium ones ranging to hundreds or even thousands of dollars monthly.

For instance:

• Avada Upsell Cross Sell Bundle: This app offers its services for free. It helps merchants strategically showcase products, encouraging customers to add more items to their cart.
• Parcel Panel Order Tracking: Priced up to $399/month, this app offers a comprehensive solution for merchants to track shipments, ensuring transparency and improving customer experience.

With a library of over 8,000 apps, Shopify ensures every merchant's unique needs are met. Depending on your store's requirements, you might consider investing in apps that enhance:

• Item Lookup
• Regular Payment Scheduling
• Custom Item Offerings
• Reward Points 
• Product Recommendations & Related Sales
• Google Verified Outlets
• eBay Integration

Point of sale

For those looking to sell at physical locations, Shopify provides two main plans:

• Starter Plan: Priced at $5/month, this is ideal for merchants who are just beginning their in-person selling journey or operate at a smaller scale.
• Retail Plan: For a more comprehensive in-store experience, the Retail Plan is available at $89/month. It's tailored for businesses that have a larger retail presence and need advanced features.

If you aim to sell both in-person and online, you'd be looking at the regular subscription plan fee. Additionally, there are transaction fees and costs associated with POS Pro locations, which are priced at $89/month. 

To start with Shopify POS, you'll need a smartphone or tablet and a Shopify card reader. For an improved checkout, Shopify provides compatible hardware, including an adaptable iPad stand and tools like barcode scanners, cash drawers, and receipt printers, enhancing the in-store experience.

Transaction fees

One of the critical cost factors to consider when using Shopify is transaction fees. These fees can vary based on the payment method you choose:

• Shopify Payments: Merchants who opt for Shopify Payments benefit significantly, as there are no transaction fees. This is a considerable advantage, especially for stores with high transaction volumes.
• Third-party Payment Providers: If you decide to go with a payment provider other than Shopify Payments, you'll incur additional transaction fees. The fees differ depending on the plan you're subscribed to:
  • Shopify Starter: 5% per transaction
  • Basic Shopify: 2% per transaction
  • Shopify Plan: 1% per transaction
  • Advanced Shopify: 0.5% per transaction

Domain 

Here's what Shopify offers regarding domains:

• Default Domain: Shopify provides its merchants with a free domain that ends in ‘myshopify.com’. While this is a cost-effective solution for startups, it's essential to understand that a customized domain can help in creating a distinct identity for your brand.
• Custom Domains: If you want a more personalized web address, you can purchase a domain from popular registrars such as GoDaddy, Porkbun, Namecheap, Name.com, Google Domains, and others. Prices can vary depending on the domain extension and the registrar. For instance:
  • The ".blog" extension is priced at $4.99 at GoDaddy.
  • The ".store" extension is available for $50.00 at Google Domains.

Email hosting

Shopify does not provide native email hosting, so you'll need to look into third-party email hosting services. 

Here are some recommended third-party email hosting providers:

• Zoho Mail: Zoho Mail offers email accounts for your custom domain. Their pricing is competitive, starting at just $1/user/month. 
• Google Workspace: Google Workspace allows businesses to send emails from their custom domain. Their Business Starter package is priced at $7.8/user/month. 

Shopify pricing: 5 tips to save your Shopify costs

Here are some simple and easy-to-understand suggestions for Shopify store owners looking to cut down the costs of running their store:

1. Go For Shopify Payments

So, with Shopify Payments, you just pay for processing the card payments, nothing more. It’s a hassle-free and straightforward approach to managing your payments, keeping things uncomplicated and cost-effective.

2. Select Longer billing cycles

Opting to pay your Shopify fees upfront for one year (annually) can lead to savings of 25%, respectively, compared to monthly payments.

Starting with a monthly plan is wise if you’re new to Shopify. This lets you understand the platform and determine which plan suits your business best. Based on your experiences and needs, you can upgrade, keep the same plan or downgrade. This gives you flexibility and time to make the best decision for your business.

3. Buy Your Domain Elsewhere

Buying your domain name from a provider other than Shopify might save you money. The savings may be small, but it’s an option worth exploring.

However, it’s essential to remember the yearly cost associated with renewing your domain. Over an extended period, these annual charges can become significant. Therefore, adopting a long-term financial perspective when choosing the domain purchase is crucial, considering the immediate savings and cumulative costs over time.

4. Third-party gateway and processor

Utilizing third-party payment solutions can significantly benefit your Shopify store, making it even more customer-friendly.

Consider providers like Stripe and Paypal, which have straightforward, flat-rate pricing. Alternatively, there might be options with tiered or interchange-plus structures that allow you flexible control over the fees incurred.

Additionally, these third-party payment services often have added features that can enhance your Shopify store’s security and efficiency. These include superior fraud protection, detailed fraud analysis, measures to prevent chargebacks, and faster payout times for completed sales.

5. Upgrade or Downgrade Your Shopify Plan

Knowing when to upgrade or downgrade your Shopify plan is important for efficient budget management. By understanding your business needs and monitoring your sales voume, you can choose a Shopify plan that meets your business needs without overpaying.

Shopify plans: FAQs

Final Words

This review helps Shopify store owners grasp the specific monthly Shopify costs. It’s essential to understand that while basic plans can be cost-effective, upgrading to higher tiers can offer more features and potentially lower processing costs in the long run.