Marginory

Shopify Pricing for Beginners (2025)

Which Shopify plan should a beginner choose? Honest breakdown of every plan cost, what you get, payment fees, and the true monthly cost of running a Shopify store.

By Marginory team · Online sellers with hands-on experience across Etsy, Shopify & PODUpdated Fee data verified against official platform documentation

Shopify plans at a glance (2025)

PlanMonthlyAnnual/moCard rateTxn fee*
Starter$5N/A5% + $0.305%
Basic$39$292% + $0.302%
Shopify$105$791.5% + $0.301%
Advanced$399$2990.85% + $0.300.5%
Plus$2,300+varies0.2% + $0.300.2%

* Transaction fee only applies when NOT using Shopify Payments. Basic highlighted = recommended for most beginners.

Source: shopify.com/pricing · June 2025

Which plan should a beginner choose?

Start with Basic ($39/month). It gives you a full online store, unlimited products, 2 staff accounts, and Shopify Payments. The only reason to go higher is to save on payment processing fees — and that math only works at higher volumes.

The Starter plan ($5/month) is not a real store — it only gives you a "Buy Button" or product link to paste on social media. If you need a proper storefront with product pages, cart, and checkout, you need Basic or higher.

When to upgrade from Basic

Upgrading to Shopify plan ($105/month) cuts your Shopify Payments rate from 2% to 1.5%. The extra cost is $66/month. The savings from the lower rate: (your monthly revenue) × 0.5%.

Break-even: $66 ÷ 0.5% = $13,200/month in Shopify revenue

Only upgrade when your revenue exceeds ~$13,200/month

Most beginners are better off staying on Basic until they hit $10,000+/month in consistent revenue. Don't upgrade "just in case" — the math won't support it.

True monthly cost of Shopify (Basic plan)

The plan fee is just the beginning. Here's what a beginner actually pays per month:

Basic plan fee$39/month
Shopify Payments (on $2,000 revenue)~$46/month
Domain name~$1.50/month ($18/year)
Apps (email, review, upsell)$0–$50/month
Typical total (no apps, $2k revenue)~$86.50/month

Payment processing: 2% + $0.30 per order. On $2,000 revenue from ~40 orders at $50 avg: 40 × ($1.00 + $0.30) = $52, plus 2% × $2,000 = $40. Total ~$52. Estimate varies by order count vs order value mix.

Shopify Payments vs third-party processors

If you use Shopify Payments (powered by Stripe), Shopify does not charge a transaction fee. You only pay the card processing rate. If you use PayPal, Square, or another external payment method, Shopify adds an extra 2% (Basic) transaction fee.

Payment methodProcessing rateShopify txn feeTotal on $50 order
Shopify Payments (Basic)2% + $0.30None$1.30
PayPal Checkout (Basic)3.49% + $0.49+2%$3.23
Stripe (external)2.9% + $0.30+2%$2.75

Conclusion: Use Shopify Payments whenever available. The $1.93 difference per $50 order adds up fast at volume.

Calculate your true Shopify fee by payment method →

Annual billing: save 25%

Shopify offers significant discounts for annual billing:

  • Basic: $39/month → $29/month (save $120/year)
  • Shopify: $105/month → $79/month (save $312/year)
  • Advanced: $399/month → $299/month (save $1,200/year)

If you're committed to running your store for at least 6–8 months, annual billing almost always pays off. But if you're still testing, start monthly — Shopify doesn't refund unused months if you cancel early.

Shopify vs Etsy: which is cheaper to start?

CostShopify BasicEtsy (no subscription)
Monthly subscription$39/month$0 (Etsy Plus: $10 optional)
Listing feeNone$0.20 per listing
Transaction feeNone (w/ Shopify Pay)6.5% of item + shipping
Payment processing2% + $0.303% + $0.25 (US)
Total on $30 sale~$0.90 + $39~$3.96
Break-even vs Etsy~10–12 sales/month at $30—

Shopify is cheaper per sale at volume (no 6.5% transaction fee), but requires covering the $39/month fixed cost. Etsy has no fixed cost but takes more per sale. Break-even is roughly 10–15 sales/month depending on average order value.

Full Etsy vs Shopify comparison for beginners →

ShopifyAffiliate partner

Build your own store — own your audience

14-day free trial. All-in-one ecommerce platform. Sell online, in person, and everywhere in between.

Try Shopify free for 14 days →

What's included in each Shopify plan

FeatureBasicShopifyAdvanced
Online store (full)✓✓✓
Unlimited products✓✓✓
Staff accounts2515
Inventory locations101010
Shopify Payments✓✓✓
24/7 support✓✓✓
Professional reportsBasicStandardAdvanced
Third-party calculated shipping✗✗✓
Custom pricing by market✗✓✓

For most beginners, the Basic plan has everything needed to run a full store. The features that justify upgrading — third-party calculated shipping and advanced reports — are rarely needed until you're scaling.

Total cost calculator: what will Shopify actually cost you?

Here's a realistic monthly cost breakdown at different revenue levels (Basic plan, Shopify Payments, US):

Monthly revenuePlan feePayment fees*Total costCost as % of revenue
$500$39~$12~$5110.2%
$1,000$39~$23~$626.2%
$2,000$39~$46~$854.3%
$5,000$39~$115~$1543.1%
$10,000$39~$230~$2692.7%

*Payment fees = 2% of revenue + $0.30 per order (assuming avg $50 order value). Add domain (~$1.50/month) and optional apps separately.

Calculate your exact Shopify fees → · Calculate Shopify profit after all costs →

Related Tools

Shopify Fee CalculatorShopify Profit CalculatorShopify Break-Even CalculatorShopify Transaction Fee CalculatorEtsy vs Shopify for Beginners

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Shopify cost per month for a beginner?
The Basic Shopify plan costs $39/month (or $29/month billed annually). That's the entry point most beginners start with. You'll also pay 2% + $0.30 per transaction with Shopify Payments. The Starter plan ($5/month) exists but only lets you sell via social links — no full storefront. Most beginners should start with Basic at $39/month.
Is there a free trial for Shopify?
Yes. Shopify offers a 3-day free trial, then $1/month for the first 3 months on the Basic plan (promotion may vary by region and time). After that, it's $39/month. There is no permanently free plan for a full Shopify store.
When should I upgrade from Basic to Shopify plan ($105/month)?
Upgrade when your monthly revenue exceeds roughly $3,500–4,000/month. At that volume, the lower payment processing rate (1.5% vs 2%) saves more than the $66 plan difference. Formula: upgrade when (revenue × 0.5%) > $66 → revenue > $13,200/month. But many sellers stay on Basic well past $10k/month — calculate your actual savings first.
Do I need to pay Shopify transaction fees?
Only if you use a third-party payment processor instead of Shopify Payments. With Shopify Payments: no transaction fee. With PayPal, Stripe (external), or others: 2% (Basic), 1% (Shopify), or 0.5% (Advanced) transaction fee on top of your payment processor's own fee.
What is Shopify Payments and should I use it?
Shopify Payments is Shopify's built-in payment processor. Using it eliminates the transaction fee (2%/1%/0.5%) and simplifies your setup. It's available in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and most EU countries. For most beginners, using Shopify Payments is the right choice — it's the simplest and cheapest option for most sellers.
What is the cheapest way to sell on Shopify?
The cheapest way is the Starter plan at $5/month — but it only provides a buy button/link for social media, no full store. For a real online store, Basic at $39/month ($29/month annually) is the minimum. The first 3 months at $1/month (promotional) is the best entry offer for new merchants.