Shopify Pricing for Beginners (2026)
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 (2026)
| Plan | Monthly | Annual/mo | Card rate | Txn fee* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $5 | N/A | 5% + $0.30 | 5% |
| Basic | $39 | $29 | 2.9% + $0.30 | 2% |
| Grow | $105 | $79 | 2.7% + $0.30 | 1% |
| Advanced | $399 | $299 | 2.5% + $0.30 | 0.6% |
| Plus | $2,300+ | varies | 0.2% + $0.30 | 0.2% |
* Transaction fee only applies when NOT using Shopify Payments. Basic highlighted = recommended for most beginners.
US reference: shopify.com/pricing, checked September 2026. Local prices and billing terms vary.
Which plan should a beginner choose?
Start with Basic if its features fit your needs (US monthly reference: $39/month). It gives you a full online store and Shopify Payments. The only reason to go higher is not just payment savings; evaluate the features you need and your local price.
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 Grow (US monthly reference: $105) lowers the online card rate from 2.9% to 2.7%. The extra monthly cost is $66. The processing savings are your monthly online sales × 0.2%.
Processing-only break-even: $66 ÷ 0.2% = $33,000/month in sales
Use this as a reference, then account for local pricing and plan features.
Many beginners can start with Basic, but the right upgrade point depends on needed features as well as actual volume. Model the total cost before changing plans.
True monthly cost of Shopify (Basic plan)
The plan fee is just the beginning. Here's what a beginner actually pays per month:
Payment processing: 2.9% + $0.30 per order. On $2,000 revenue from ~40 orders at $50 avg: 2.9% × $2,000 = $58, plus 40 × $0.30 = $12. Total ~$70. 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 method | Processing rate | Shopify txn fee | Total on $50 order |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify Payments (Basic) | 2.9% + $0.30 | None | $1.75 |
| 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.
Annual billing: save 25%
Shopify offers significant discounts for annual billing:
- Basic: $39/month → $29/month (save $120/year)
- Grow: $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?
| Cost | Shopify Basic | Etsy (no subscription) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly subscription | $39/month (US reference) | $0 (Etsy Plus: $10 optional) |
| Listing fee | None | $0.20 per listing |
| Transaction fee | None (w/ Shopify Pay) | 6.5% of item + shipping |
| Payment processing | 2.9% + $0.30 | 3% + $0.25 (US) |
| Total on $30 sale | ~$1.17 + $39 | ~$3.96 |
| Break-even vs Etsy | Calculate with your actual order mix | — |
Shopify is cheaper per sale at volume (no 6.5% transaction fee), but requires covering the monthly plan cost. Etsy has no standard monthly subscription but takes more per sale. Use the calculator with your actual order value and payment rate to find the crossover.
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What's included in each Shopify plan
| Feature | Basic | Shopify | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online store (full) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Unlimited products | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Staff accounts | 2 | 5 | 15 |
| Inventory locations | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Shopify Payments | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 24/7 support | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Professional reports | Basic | Standard | Advanced |
| 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 revenue | Plan fee | Payment fees* | Total cost | Cost as % of revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $500 | $25 | ~$12 | ~$37 | 7.4% |
| $1,000 | $25 | ~$23 | ~$48 | 4.8% |
| $2,000 | $25 | ~$46 | ~$71 | 3.6% |
| $5,000 | $25 | ~$115 | ~$140 | 2.8% |
| $10,000 | $25 | ~$230 | ~$255 | 2.6% |
*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 →