Shopify Cost in 2026: Plans, Fees & Real Monthly Price

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Shopify costs $39 per month for Basic, $105 for Grow, and $399 for Advanced if you pay month to month in the US. If you pay for a year upfront, the effective monthly prices fall to $29, $79, and $299. Shopify Plus starts at $2,300 per month on a three-year term.

But the subscription is only one part of the real Shopify cost. If you are still deciding whether Shopify fits your business, read our Shopify review for small business. For plan tiers and budget layers without repeating every table here, see Shopify pricing. New merchants who already chose Shopify should follow how to start a Shopify store for setup steps after you understand fees.

If you accept online payments, you will usually also pay card processing fees. On Basic, the standard US online card rate starts at 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction. Grow starts at 2.7% + 30¢, while Advanced starts at 2.5% + 30¢.

So the useful question is not simply “How much does Shopify cost?”

It is:

How much will Shopify cost for a store at my sales volume?

This guide breaks down the subscription, payment fees, transaction fees, and the point at which moving to a more expensive Shopify plan can actually reduce your total monthly cost.

Pricing below uses US pricing unless otherwise stated and was verified against Shopify’s official pricing and Help Center pages on September 30, 2026. Shopify localizes prices and payment rates by country.

Shopify pricing at a glance

For most merchants building a conventional online store, these are the four Shopify plans that matter.

Shopify’s public US pricing page currently lists Basic at $29 per month, Grow at $79, and Advanced at $299 when paid yearly. Month-to-month prices are $39, $105, and $399 respectively. Annual billing is charged for the full year upfront rather than one month at a time.

Shopify Plus pricing works differently. Shopify currently lists US pricing at $2,500 per month for a one-year term and $2,300 per month for a three-year term for standard setups. More complex or higher-volume businesses can be moved to variable platform pricing.

Shopify also currently advertises a three-day free trial followed by $1 per month for the first three months for eligible new customers. Promotions can change, so treat that as an introductory offer rather than the long-term cost of running a store.

Check current Shopify plans and pricing

How much does Shopify really cost per month?

A more useful way to model Shopify is:

Real Shopify cost = subscription + payment processing + any third-party transaction fees + optional apps and services

For a small store using Shopify Payments, the first two components usually matter most.

Imagine a Basic store processing $10,000 in online sales per month, with an average order value of $50.

That means roughly 200 orders.

At the current standard US Basic rate:

$10,000 × 2.9% = $290

plus:

200 orders × $0.30 = $60

The estimated payment processing cost is therefore $350.

Add the effective $29 monthly subscription cost on annual billing, and the store is paying approximately:

$379 per month to Shopify

before optional apps, premium themes, domains, shipping, marketing, or other business expenses.

That is why comparing Shopify plans only by their advertised subscription prices can be misleading.

Shopify cost examples at different sales volumes

The table below estimates the combination of subscription and standard online card processing.

It assumes Shopify Payments, US standard online cards, a $50 average order value, no refunds, and annual billing. It excludes apps, international card surcharges, premium cards, POS, shipping, taxes, and other optional expenses.

This illustrates something that is easy to miss when looking at Shopify’s pricing page:

The cheapest subscription is not always the cheapest plan.

At higher sales volumes, the lower card rate on Grow or Advanced can compensate for the higher subscription fee.

When does Shopify Grow become cheaper than Basic?

Using current US standard online card rates, Basic charges 2.9% while Grow charges 2.7%.

That is a difference of 0.2 percentage points.

On annual billing, the effective subscription prices are $29 for Basic and $79 for Grow, a difference of $50 per month.

The break-even calculation is therefore:

$50 ÷ 0.002 = $25,000

At approximately $25,000 in monthly standard online card volume, Grow’s lower processing rate offsets its higher subscription price.

If you pay month to month instead, the subscription difference is $66:

$66 ÷ 0.002 = $33,000

So the approximate Basic-to-Grow break-even point becomes $33,000 per month.

This is a fee-only calculation. Grow also includes features that might justify upgrading before you reach that sales volume.

When does Advanced become cheaper than Grow?

The same calculation works for Grow versus Advanced.

Grow’s standard online card rate is 2.7%. Advanced is 2.5%, again a difference of 0.2 percentage points.

With annual billing, the effective monthly subscription difference is:

$299 − $79 = $220

So:

$220 ÷ 0.002 = $110,000

At roughly $110,000 in monthly standard online card volume, the payment-rate savings alone can offset the additional subscription cost of Advanced.

On monthly billing:

$399 − $105 = $294

and:

$294 ÷ 0.002 = $147,000

That puts the fee-only break-even point at approximately $147,000 per month.

These figures are not universal recommendations. They are useful reference points based on current US subscription prices and standard online Shopify Payments card rates.

A store with international payments, premium cards, different order economics, POS sales, or requirements for features available only on higher plans can reach a different conclusion.

Does Shopify take a percentage of every sale?

Usually, yes—but there are two different fees that are often confused.

1. Payment processing fees

When a customer pays by card through Shopify Payments, Shopify charges a card processing fee.

For standard US online cards, current rates begin at:

These are payment processing costs.

They are not the same thing as Shopify’s third-party transaction fee.

2. Third-party transaction fees

If you use an external payment provider instead of having Shopify Payments process the transaction, Shopify can charge an additional transaction fee.

Current US rates shown by Shopify are:

Your external payment provider can then charge its own processing fee separately.

That distinction matters.

A merchant sometimes reads that Shopify has a “2% transaction fee” and assumes Shopify Payments costs 2% on top of the normal card rate.

That is not how it works.

If Shopify Payments is your sole payment provider, Shopify says there are no additional third-party transaction fees on orders processed through Shopify Payments. You still pay the applicable credit card processing rate.

What does a third-party payment provider actually cost?

The extra fee becomes meaningful surprisingly quickly.

Suppose your store processes $50,000 in sales through a third-party provider.

Ignoring the external provider’s own processing charge for a moment, the additional Shopify transaction fee would be approximately:

And those Shopify fees are in addition to whatever your payment provider charges.

Shopify’s actual billing formula for third-party transaction fees includes the cost of products after discounts plus tax and shipping, multiplied by the applicable rate.

If you are choosing Shopify partly because you intend to keep an external payment processor, this deserves its own calculation before you pick a plan.

Shopify Payments vs Shopify transaction fees

The simplest way to remember the difference is:

Shopify Payments → card processing fee

Third-party processor → processor’s fee + potentially Shopify’s third-party transaction fee

Shopify Payments does not have a separate monthly fee or setup fee beyond the store subscription and applicable payment processing charges. Shopify also says that when Shopify Payments is used as the sole payment provider, third-party transaction fees do not apply to orders.

Shopify also excludes several payment methods from third-party transaction fees when Shopify Payments is active, including Shopify Payments itself, Shop Pay, Shop Pay Installments, PayPal Express Checkout, and manual methods such as cash, cash on delivery, and bank transfers.

There is an important newer exception for some stores.

For stores created on or after May 12, 2025, Shopify says the portion of an order paid using store credit or gift cards can be subject to third-party transaction fees. Stores created before that date are not subject to that specific store-credit and gift-card rule.

Are Shopify’s card fees always 2.9% + 30¢?

No.

The commonly quoted 2.9% + 30¢ rate is the current standard US online card rate for Basic.

Shopify’s current US pricing table shows different rates for standard, premium, international, and in-person transactions.

These are current US rates and can differ by country.

For stores with a significant share of international customers, the difference between the headline subscription price and actual payment costs can therefore become larger.

What other Shopify costs should you budget for?

The Shopify subscription and payment fees are the predictable baseline, but they are not necessarily your complete ecommerce budget.

Optional costs can include paid Shopify apps, a premium theme, a custom domain, POS hardware or POS Pro, shipping and fulfillment, marketing software, and custom development.

Shopify currently prices POS Pro at $89 per month per location for Basic, Grow, and Advanced. Shopify Plus includes POS Pro for up to 20 locations under the current US plan structure.

Apps deserve particular attention because each app can have its own billing cycle and subscription terms. Shopify notes that app billing cycles do not necessarily match your Shopify subscription billing date.

This means a store that technically pays $29 per month for Basic on annual billing can still have a materially higher software bill once several paid apps are installed.

Which Shopify plan is cheapest for you?

For a new, relatively simple online store, Basic is usually the logical baseline to model first. You get the full online storefront while keeping the fixed subscription cost low.

Grow becomes more interesting when you need its additional team features or when enough card volume makes the lower payment rate economically meaningful. Under current US rates, the fee-only break-even versus Basic is roughly $25,000 per month when comparing annual pricing.

Advanced becomes more compelling for larger operations that need its additional international and operational capabilities, or when payment volume is high enough that its lower rate matters. Under the same assumptions, the fee-only break-even against Grow is about $110,000 per month on annual pricing.

Plus is a different decision. It is designed for more complex and higher-volume businesses and includes enterprise-level capabilities that cannot be evaluated simply by comparing a few tenths of a percentage point in card fees. Shopify also notes that larger or more complex Plus businesses can be subject to variable platform pricing.

Is annual Shopify billing cheaper?

Yes.

For the current US plans:

The important detail is that Shopify’s lower annual rate requires you to pay the annual subscription upfront. It is not simply a discounted monthly payment.

If you are still testing a business idea, the flexibility of month-to-month billing can be worth more than the discount.

If you already expect to operate the store for a full year, annual pricing materially reduces the fixed portion of your Shopify cost.

Are Shopify fees refunded when you refund an order?

Generally, no—and that surprises merchants who assume payment costs disappear when a customer returns an order.

Shopify states that credit card transaction fees are not returned when you issue a refund. If you paid a third-party transaction fee because an external gateway processed the order, that fee is also not returned when the order is refunded.

For businesses with high return rates—apparel, trial-heavy categories, or generous return policies—that makes payment fees worth modeling separately from net revenue. A refund-heavy month can still show processing drag even when gross merchandise value looks flat. Pair this section with the worked examples earlier in this guide and the plan breakeven notes in our Shopify pricing guide when you forecast cash flow.

Shopify cost: the practical bottom line

For most new US merchants, the useful starting number is not simply “Shopify costs $29 per month.”

A better summary is:

Basic costs $39 month to month or the equivalent of $29 per month when billed annually, plus payment processing.

At $10,000 in monthly sales with a $50 average order and standard US online cards, our example Basic store pays roughly $379 per month in subscription and Shopify Payments processing.

At around $25,000 in monthly standard-card volume, Grow can become approximately equal in cost to Basic under annual pricing because of its lower processing rate.

At around $110,000 per month, Advanced can similarly reach a fee-only break-even point with Grow.

The right Shopify plan therefore depends on both your required features and your sales volume.

Do not ask only:

“Which Shopify plan has the lowest monthly price?”

Ask:

“Which Shopify plan gives my store the lowest total cost at the volume I expect to process?”

See current Shopify pricing and start the free trial

Shopify cost FAQ

Q

How much does Shopify cost per month?

A

In the US, Shopify currently costs $39 per month for Basic, $105 for Grow, and $399 for Advanced on month-to-month billing. With annual billing, the effective monthly rates are $29, $79, and $299 respectively. Shopify Plus currently costs $2,500 per month on a one-year US term or $2,300 per month on a three-year term.

Q

What is the cheapest Shopify plan for a new online store?

A

For a conventional full Shopify online store, Basic is the entry-level core plan shown on Shopify’s current pricing page. Older articles may refer to the Shopify Starter plan, but Shopify’s current Help Center says Starter is no longer available to new stores.

Q

Does Shopify take a percentage of sales?

A

If Shopify Payments processes the transaction, Shopify charges the applicable payment processing rate for your plan and card type. The current US Basic standard online card rate starts at 2.9% + 30¢ per successful charge; Grow and Advanced publish lower standard rates. This is not the same as optional third-party transaction fees when an external gateway processes the order—see the next FAQ.

Q

Does Shopify charge a transaction fee?

A

Shopify can charge an additional third-party transaction fee when an external payment provider processes an order. Current US rates are 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced, and 0.2% on Plus. If Shopify Payments is used as your sole payment provider, Shopify says additional third-party transaction fees do not apply to orders processed through Shopify Payments.

Q

Is Shopify Payments free?

A

Shopify Payments does not charge a separate setup fee or monthly subscription fee to enable processing, but payment processing fees still apply on every order. There is no standard “free processing” tier for card sales—you model percent-plus-fixed fees in margin. Rates depend on your Shopify plan, payment method, and market; confirm live numbers on Shopify’s official pricing page before forecasting profit.

Q

How much does Shopify cost for a $10,000-per-month store?

A

Using our example of $10,000 in monthly sales, a $50 average order value, standard US online cards, Shopify Payments, and annual Basic pricing, subscription plus payment processing is approximately $379 per month. Actual costs vary with card mix, refunds, apps, international transactions, and other services.

Q

Is Shopify cheaper when paid annually?

A

Yes for the subscription line item. Shopify currently lists Basic at an effective $29 per month annually versus $39 month to month, Grow at $79 versus $105, and Advanced at $299 versus $399. Annual subscriptions are paid upfront, so you trade flexibility for a lower fixed platform fee. Payment processing still applies on every order either way—annual billing does not change card rates.

Q

When should I upgrade from Basic to Grow?

A

If you looked only at subscription and current standard US online card rates, Grow reaches a fee-only break-even with Basic at approximately $25,000 in monthly card volume on annual pricing, or about $33,000 on monthly billing. You may choose Grow earlier if its additional features are valuable to your business.

Q

When should I upgrade from Grow to Advanced?

A

Using the same fee-only calculation, Advanced reaches approximate parity with Grow at around $110,000 per month on annual pricing, or $147,000 per month on month-to-month pricing. Feature requirements and your actual payment mix can change the decision.

Q

Are Shopify transaction fees refunded?

A

Shopify states that credit card transaction fees are not returned when an order is refunded. Third-party transaction fees are also not returned.

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Pricing verification: September 30, 2026. Prices and payment rates can vary by country and can change over time. This article uses Shopify’s official US pricing and Help Center documentation as its primary source. Check Shopify’s current pricing for your market before making a purchase decision.