Shopify Pricing Guide 2026: Plans Compared
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Shopify’s published pricing — $39, $105, $399, and “from $2,300” — only tells half the story. The real cost of running on Shopify in 2026 includes payment processing, third-party transaction fees, app subscriptions, and the difference between Shopify Payments and your favorite gateway. We have run this math for hundreds of merchants, and the “best” plan often surprises people.
This guide covers every Shopify plan available globally in 2026, the fee structure behind each one, and the GMV thresholds where it pays to upgrade. We finish with a five-minute calculation you can do on your own store to find your true cheapest plan.
How This Guide Works
We pull pricing directly from Shopify’s official plan pages and confirm fees against current Shopify Payments terms. All figures below are USD on the monthly billing cycle (Shopify offers ~25% off when you commit annually). For Shopify Plus, we use a representative $2,300/mo entry quote — actual Plus contracts are negotiated and may include 0.4% of GMV pricing past a volume threshold.
| Plan | Monthly | Online Card Fee | In-Person Fee | 3rd-Party TX Fee | Staff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $5/mo | 5% + $0.30 | n/a | n/a | 1 |
| Basic | $39 | 2.9% + $0.30 | 2.6% + $0.10 | 2.0% | 2 |
| Shopify | $105 | 2.7% + $0.30 | 2.5% + $0.10 | 1.0% | 5 |
| Advanced | $399 | 2.5% + $0.30 | 2.4% + $0.10 | 0.6% | 15 |
| Plus | from $2,300 | 2.4% + $0.30 (neg.) | 2.4% + $0.10 | 0.15% | Unlimited |
Plan-by-Plan Breakdown
Shopify Starter — $5/mo
For sellers who want a checkout link, simple buy buttons embedded on social or a blog, and basic order management. No full storefront. Use it for creators and Instagram sellers.
Shopify Basic — $39/mo
The right starting plan for almost every new store. Full storefront, unlimited products, abandoned cart recovery, manual order creation, gift cards, and discount codes. Two staff accounts. The 2.9% + $0.30 card fee is competitive with Stripe direct.
Shopify (the “Shopify” plan) — $105/mo
Adds professional reports, lower payment processing (2.7%), lower third-party transaction fee (1%), and five staff accounts. Worth it once monthly revenue clears about $20K.
Shopify Advanced — $399/mo
Custom report builder, third-party calculated shipping rates (so you can show real UPS/FedEx pricing), and lowest non-Plus card fees at 2.5%. Useful around $200K MRR.
Shopify Plus — from $2,300/mo
Plus unlocks 99.99% uptime SLA, dedicated support, multiple expansion stores (up to 9), Checkout Extensibility, B2B features, headless storefronts, and ShopifyQL Pro. Past about $800K/mo GMV, Plus typically converts to a 0.4% of GMV pricing model.
When Each Plan Makes Sense
| GMV / Month | Best Plan | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| < $10K | Basic | Card fee delta does not justify upgrade |
| $10K–$50K | Basic or Shopify | Marginal — calculate based on your AOV |
| $50K–$200K | Shopify | Card fee savings cover the $66 plan delta |
| $200K–$800K | Advanced | 2.5% card fee + reports pay for it |
| $800K+ | Plus | SLA, B2B, multi-store, lower fees |
Break-Even Math (Basic → Shopify)
Card fee savings: 0.2% (2.9% → 2.7%) on online orders. Plan cost delta: $66/mo. Break-even GMV: $33,000/mo of online orders.
If your online card volume clears $33K/mo, the Shopify plan pays for itself.
Break-Even Math (Shopify → Advanced)
Card fee savings: 0.2% (2.7% → 2.5%). Plan cost delta: $294/mo. Break-even: $147,000/mo.
Hidden Costs Most Merchants Forget
Shopify Payments is the cheapest gateway when available. If you must use PayPal Express or Stripe directly, expect:
| Gateway Used | TX Fee on Basic | TX Fee on Shopify | TX Fee on Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify Payments | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| PayPal Express | 2.0% | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Stripe direct | 2.0% | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Authorize.net | 2.0% | 1.0% | 0.6% |
Other recurring costs to budget:
- Apps: $50–$300/mo for a typical stack.
- Theme: $0–$400 one-time.
- Domain: $14–$20/yr.
- Email (Klaviyo/Omnisend): $45–$1,000+/mo as your list grows.
- Shipping insurance and labels: variable.
Annual vs Monthly Billing
Annual billing currently saves about 25%:
| Plan | Monthly | Annual (effective monthly) |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $39 | $29 |
| Shopify | $105 | $79 |
| Advanced | $399 | $299 |
Lock in annual after 90 days of stable revenue.
How to Choose
- Run two months on Basic before considering an upgrade — most stores never need more.
- Use the break-even formulas above with your real GMV; ignore Shopify’s “recommended” pop-ups.
- Always turn on Shopify Payments where supported. The TX fee waiver alone is often worth a tier.
- Lock annual billing when revenue is steady — 25% off is the easiest cost cut on the platform.
- Before considering Plus, model whether the 0.4% GMV path beats your current effective rate.
Recommended Offers
💡 Editor’s pick: Shopify currently runs a 3-day free trial plus first month for $1 — long enough to launch a real store before paying full price.
💡 Editor’s pick: Annual billing knocks roughly 25% off all plans. After 90 stable days, switch and free up cash.
💡 Editor’s pick: Shopify Plus quotes are negotiable. Push for percentage-of-GMV pricing once you forecast over $1M annual revenue.
FAQ — Shopify Pricing
Q: Does Shopify still offer a free trial? A: Yes — a 3-day free trial in 2026, often paired with a $1/month introductory rate for the first month.
Q: Can I downgrade plans? A: Yes, anytime in admin. You will lose plan-tier features (e.g., Advanced reports) immediately.
Q: Are there setup fees? A: No. The only one-time costs are optional themes ($0–$400) and apps with one-time fees.
Q: What about Shopify POS? A: Shopify POS Lite is included on every plan. Shopify POS Pro is $89/mo per location.
Q: Is Plus worth it under $1M/yr GMV? A: Almost never. Plus’s value comes from B2B features, Checkout Extensibility, multi-store, and SLA — none of which most sub-$1M stores need.
Q: Do I pay tax on the subscription? A: Sales tax is added based on your billing region; expect 6–10% on top of plan fees in many US states and EU countries.
Related Reading on Rightcosta
- How to Start a Shopify Store
- Shopify vs Shopify Plus
- Shopify vs WooCommerce
- Best Shopify Apps of 2026
- How to Migrate to Shopify in 2026
Final Verdict
The cheapest Shopify plan is rarely the most expensive in total cost of ownership. Start on Basic, switch to Shopify near $33K/mo of card volume, jump to Advanced near $150K/mo, and only consider Plus when GMV is solidly above $800K/mo or you genuinely need its features. Run the break-even math; do not let Shopify’s upgrade prompts decide for you.
This article is for informational purposes only. App pricing, fees, and Shopify plan terms are accurate as of publication and subject to change. Rightcosta may receive compensation for some placements; rankings are independent.
By Rightcosta Editorial · Updated May 9, 2026
- shopify
- shopify pricing
- 2026
- ecommerce