Shopify Costs in 2026: A Complete Pricing Guide for Store Owners

If you’re planning to launch a Shopify store, asking “Can this make money?” is the easy part.

The question that actually matters is this:

How much will Shopify cost me every month once the store is live?

Most sellers underestimate this. They look at the plan price and move on.
What they don’t see are the costs that show up later, transaction fees, payment processing, apps, tools, and operational overhead.

By the time orders start coming in, the cost structure is already locked.

This guide explains the real cost of running a Shopify store in 2026, based on how merchants actually operate, not how pricing pages look.

You’ll learn:

• Which Shopify plan makes sense at each stage
• Where Shopify takes money on every order
• The costs that surprise new sellers
• How to control expenses as your business grows

Shopify Pricing: The Three Cost Layers You’re Paying For

Shopify costs generally fall into three categories:

1. A monthly subscription
2. Fees are charged on every transaction
3. Additional tools are required to run the store properly

Most cost problems don’t come from the plan itself.
They come from layers two and three.

Which Shopify Plan Should You Actually Use?

Shopify offers several plans, but for most cross-border and DTC sellers, only three matter:

• Basic
• Grow
• Advanced

Starter is built for social selling without a website.
Shopify Plus is for large brands with dedicated teams.

Everyone else operates in the middle.

Official pricing reference:
https://www.shopify.com/pricing

1. Shopify Starter: For Selling Without a Full Website

• Around USD 5 per month
• No standalone website
• Checkout links only

This plan works if you sell one or two products directly through social platforms.
Skip it if you want a real e‑commerce site.

2. Shopify Basic: Where Most Stores Start

• Around USD 27 per month
• Full storefront
• Unlimited products
• Free themes

Basic is enough for early-stage stores.
Most sellers don’t outgrow it because of features. They outgrow it because of fees.

3. Shopify Grow: The Cost-Effective Upgrade

• Around USD 65 per month
• Lower transaction fees
• More detailed reports
• Up to five staff accounts

Once order volume becomes consistent, Grow often costs less overall than Basic.
The reduced transaction fees usually offset the higher monthly price.

This is the plan most serious Shopify sellers settle on.

Advanced + Plus: Only When Scale Demands It

• Advanced: Around USD 399 per month
• Shopify Plus: Starts at USD 2,300 per month

These plans are designed for high-volume teams with complex operations.
Most sellers, they increase fixed costs without improving outcomes.

The Real Cost Driver: Transaction Fees

This is the part most sellers miss.

Shopify charges fees on every single order, not just monthly.

1. If You Use Shopify Payments

On the Basic plan, typical fees look like this:

• Around 2.9 percent + USD 0.30 per transaction
• On a USD 100 order, you receive about USD 96.80

At low volume, this feels manageable.
As sales scale, the difference becomes meaningful.

2. If You Use PayPal or Other Third-Party Payments

If Shopify Payments isn’t available in your region, third-party processors are required.

Example on the Basic plan using PayPal:

• PayPal fee: Around 4.4% + USD 0.30
• Shopify additional transaction fee: 2%

On a USD 100 order, you receive about USD 93.30.

This happens because Shopify charges an extra fee on top of the payment processor.

When Third-Party Payments Are Necessary

• Your region does not support Shopify Payments
• PayPal is expected by customers and improves trust
• You want to offer more payment options

When possible, Shopify Payments + PayPal is the most balanced setup.

The Costs That Quietly Add Up

1. App Subscriptions

• Common apps: USD 10–29 per month
• Advanced tools: USD 200–500 per month

Apps are easy to install and hard to remove.
Many stores pay for features Shopify already provides.

If an app doesn’t clearly increase revenue or efficiency, it’s usually not worth it.

2. Themes

• Free themes like Dawn work well for most stores
• Paid themes typically cost USD 200–400 one-time

A paid theme does not guarantee higher conversion.
Structure and content matter more than design.

3. Domain Fees

• Usually USD 10–20 per year
• Common providers include Namecheap and Cloudflare

Managing your domain separately gives you more flexibility and control.

4. Operational Tools

These often include:

• Email marketing platforms
• Customer support systems
• Social CRM and automation tools

When these tools aren’t integrated, they create more work instead of less.

The real cost is not just money.
It’s time, missed messages, and lost conversions.

Which Shopify Plan Makes Sense at Each Stage?

• Early testing: Basic
• Stable sales with a small team: Grow
• High volume and complex workflows: Advanced
• Enterprise brands: Shopify Plus

The goal is not to pick the most expensive plan.
The goal is to control transaction fees and tool sprawl at your current stage.

After You Get Traffic: How to Maximize Its Value

Traffic usually comes from external platforms.

TikTok, Instagram, Facebook.

But once visitors arrive, how you engage, support, and follow up determines real ROI.

1. Centralize Conversations From Every Channel

Most sellers receive messages from:

• TikTok DMs
• Instagram DMs
• Facebook messages
• Website chat

Without a unified inbox, teams switch tools and miss messages.

SaleSmartly brings conversations from major social platforms into a single workspace.
Every inquiry is visible, tracked, and followed up.

2. Always Give Customers a Clear Way to Contact You

Many stores lose sales because customers don’t know where to ask questions.

SaleSmartly’s website chat widget lets you:

• Add live chat directly to your store
• Display WhatsApp, Telegram, and other channels

Customers choose how they want to talk.
The path from the product page to the conversation stays smooth.

3. Turn Conversations Into Long-Term Customers

Replying once is not the goal.
Building customer relationships is.

SaleSmartly includes SCRM functionality that helps you:

• Segment and tag customers
• Automate follow-ups and broadcasts
• Track source, history, and status

Duplicate contacts from different platforms are merged automatically.
This prevents fragmented data and repeated acquisition costs.

The result is a growing customer asset, not just one-time sales.

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Final Takeaway

Shopify can be expensive.
But it doesn’t have to be.

Sellers who choose the right plan, limit unnecessary apps, use payment methods strategically, and invest in tools that improve efficiency usually operate at a lower cost than expected.

The biggest difference isn’t the platform.
It’s how well you understand the cost structure behind it.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the minimum monthly cost to run a Shopify store?

After the free trial, the first paid month often costs USD 1.

For a basic setup:

• Shopify Basic plan: Around USD 27 per month
• Transaction fees: Based on payment method
• Domain: Around USD 1–2 per month when averaged

Minimum cost is roughly USD 30–40 per month, excluding ads and paid apps.

2. How do Shopify transaction fees work?

Transaction costs include:

• Payment processor fees
• Shopify’s additional transaction fee when using third-party payments

On the Basic plan with PayPal, Shopify charges an extra 2 percent on top of PayPal fees.

When available, Shopify Payments is usually the most cost-efficient option.

3. Do I need third-party payment providers?

It depends on your region and customer expectations:

• Shopify Payments is recommended where supported
• Sellers in Mainland China typically need PayPal or Stripe
• Many stores use Shopify Payments plus PayPal for wider coverage

This balances cost and conversion.

Further Reading

How Shopify Merchants Can Optimize Customer Service: Comprehensive Strategies to Increase Customer Satisfaction

6 Best Ecommerce Website Builders for Cross-Border Sellers in 2026

Turning Instagram Traffic Into Store Conversions: A Complete Guide for DTC and Cross-Border Brands

DTC Customer Loyalty Loop: Turn Service Fixes into Repeat Sales