Shopify Pricing Plans Explained: Basic, Shopify, Advanced & Plus (2026)
Choosing the right Shopify plan is one of the most important decisions you'll make when building your online store. The plan you select determines which features you have access to, how much you pay in transaction fees, and ultimately how much profit you keep from every sale. In this comprehensive guide, we break down every Shopify pricing plan available in 2026 — from the entry-level Basic plan all the way up to Shopify Plus for enterprise-level businesses — so you can make an informed choice.
Shopify Plans at a Glance
As of 2026, Shopify offers four main subscription tiers for online retailers. Here's a quick overview of each plan and its monthly cost when billed annually (month-to-month pricing is slightly higher):
- Basic Plan: $29/month (or $39/month month-to-month)
- Shopify Plan: $79/month (or $105/month month-to-month)
- Advanced Plan: $299/month (or $399/month month-to-month)
- Shopify Plus: Starting at $2,000/month (custom pricing for high-volume merchants)
Each plan builds upon the previous tier, adding more advanced features, lower transaction fees, and greater reporting capabilities. Additionally, Shopify offers a Starter plan at $5/month for selling on social media without a full online store, and a Retail plan at $89/month for brick-and-mortar operations. For this article, we'll focus on the core ecommerce plans.
Basic Plan ($29/month)
The Basic plan is Shopify's entry-level offering and is ideal for solo entrepreneurs and small businesses just starting out. At $29 per month (billed annually), it provides everything you need to launch and run a professional online store.
Key features of the Basic plan include:
- Full online store with customizable themes
- Unlimited product listings
- 2 staff accounts
- 24/7 customer support via chat and email
- Abandoned cart recovery
- Manual order creation
- Discount codes and gift cards
- Sales channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Google)
- SSL certificate and web hosting
- Basic analytics and performance reports
- Up to 1,000 inventory locations
Who should choose Basic? The Basic plan is best for new online stores generating less than $10,000 in monthly revenue. If you're testing a product idea, running a side hustle, or operating a small niche store, this plan gives you all the essential tools without overpaying for features you don't yet need. It's also ideal for creators and artists selling digital products or merchandise.
The main trade-off is the higher transaction fee rate and the absence of professional reporting tools. If your store grows beyond basic analytics needs, you may want to consider upgrading.
Shopify Plan ($79/month)
The Shopify plan is the middle-tier offering and the most popular choice among growing businesses. At $79/month (billed annually), it's a significant step up from Basic but still affordable for stores generating consistent revenue.
Everything in Basic, plus:
- 5 staff accounts
- Professional reports and analytics
- Better transaction fee rates
- International commerce tools (local domains, multi-currency)
- USPS Priority Mail Cubic pricing discounts (up to 88% off)
- Market-specific domain management
Who should choose Shopify? This plan is designed for stores generating between $10,000 and $50,000 in monthly revenue. The professional reports alone can justify the price increase, giving you detailed insights into sales trends, customer behavior, and marketing performance. If you're starting to expand internationally or need more granular data to make informed business decisions, this is your best bet.
The international selling features are particularly valuable for merchants targeting customers in multiple countries, as they allow you to set local pricing, manage multiple currencies, and create region-specific domains — a capability that can significantly boost conversion rates abroad.
Ready to start selling? Try Shopify free for 3 days and explore all features before committing to a plan. Start Free Trial
Advanced Plan ($299/month)
The Advanced plan is built for scaling businesses that need enterprise-grade reporting and the lowest possible transaction fees. At $299/month (billed annually), it represents a significant investment, but the savings on transaction fees alone can offset the cost for high-volume stores.
Everything in Shopify, plus:
- 15 staff accounts
- Custom report builder with advanced filtering
- Third-party calculated shipping rates at checkout
- Duties and import tax estimation at checkout
- 10x checkout capacity
- Enhanced carrier-calculated shipping options
Who should choose Advanced? If your store processes more than $50,000 in monthly sales, the Advanced plan typically pays for itself through reduced transaction fees. The custom report builder is an essential tool for data-driven merchants who need to track specific KPIs, segment customers for targeted marketing, and forecast inventory with precision.
The third-party calculated shipping rates feature is a game-changer for stores shipping oversized or heavy items. Instead of using flat rate or weight-based shipping, you can display real-time carrier rates from UPS, FedEx, DHL, and other providers directly at checkout, which improves accuracy and reduces cart abandonment caused by unexpected shipping costs.
Shopify Plus ($2,000+/month)
Shopify Plus is the enterprise-level solution for high-growth, high-volume merchants. Pricing starts at $2,000 per month on a standard term, and scales up based on your transaction volume — typically transitioning to a revenue-based model at around $800,000 in monthly GMV.
Everything in Advanced, plus:
- Unlimited staff accounts
- Fully customizable checkout (Shopify Scripts and Checkout Extensibility)
- Dedicated account manager and priority 24/7 support
- Unlimited development stores for testing
- Advanced API access (higher rate limits)
- Wholesale / B2B channel built-in
- Launchpad for scheduled sales and product drops
- Flow for visual workflow automation
- Org settings for managing multiple stores
- Tax automation with Avalara AvaTax
Who should choose Plus? Shopify Plus is designed for brands processing $1 million or more in annual revenue who need complete control over the checkout experience, advanced automation, and dedicated support. Enterprise brands like Gymshark, Allbirds, and Kylie Cosmetics all run on Shopify Plus. If you need to customize the entire buyer journey — from adding upsells and custom fields at checkout to running complex B2B operations alongside DTC — Plus is the only option that gives you that level of flexibility.
Transaction Fees & Payment Processing
Transaction fees are where Shopify's pricing structure can really impact your bottom line. Here's how they work across plans when using Shopify Payments (Shopify's built-in processor) versus a third-party payment gateway:
| Plan | Online (Shopify Payments) | In-Person (Shopify Payments) | Third-Party Gateway Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | 2.9% + $0.30 | 2.7% | 2.0% |
| Shopify | 2.6% + $0.30 | 2.5% | 1.0% |
| Advanced | 2.4% + $0.30 | 2.4% | 0.5% |
| Plus | Negotiable | Negotiable | 0.15% |
The difference between 2.9% and 2.4% might seem small, but on a store doing $500,000 in annual sales, that 0.5% difference represents $2,500 in savings — nearly covering the cost of the Advanced plan itself. This is why many growing stores upgrade as their revenue increases: the plan becomes self-funding through fee reductions.
It's also worth noting that using Shopify Payments eliminates the additional third-party gateway fee entirely, making it the most cost-effective option across all plans. For stores in countries where Shopify Payments is available, we strongly recommend using it.
Monthly vs. Annual Billing
Shopify offers a 25% discount when you commit to annual billing. Here's the math:
- Basic: $39/month month-to-month vs. $29/month annually (save $120/year)
- Shopify: $105/month month-to-month vs. $79/month annually (save $312/year)
- Advanced: $399/month month-to-month vs. $299/month annually (save $1,200/year)
We recommend starting with monthly billing during your initial setup phase so you can evaluate whether Shopify truly meets your needs. Once you're committed to the platform — typically after running your store for 2-3 months — switching to annual billing is a smart way to reduce costs. For the Basic plan, the $120 annual savings can cover the cost of a premium theme or a year of a third-party app subscription.
Hidden Costs You Should Know About
Beyond the subscription fee, several additional costs can add up quickly if you're not prepared:
- Premium Themes: While Shopify's free themes (like Dawn) are excellent, premium themes from the Shopify Theme Store cost $250-$380 as a one-time purchase.
- Apps and Plugins: Many essential features — advanced email marketing, reviews, loyalty programs, SEO tools — come through paid apps. A typical store spends $50-$300/month on app subscriptions.
- Domain Name: Shopify includes a free .myshopify.com subdomain, but a custom domain costs roughly $15/year. Shopify sells domains directly, or you can connect one purchased elsewhere.
- Payment Processing Fees: As discussed above, the 2.4%-2.9% processing fees on every transaction add up. On $100,000 in annual sales through the Basic plan, that's $2,900+ in processing costs.
- POS Hardware: If you sell in person, Shopify POS hardware (card readers, barcode scanners, receipt printers) can cost $200-$500+ upfront.
Which Plan Should You Choose?
Here's our straightforward recommendation based on your current stage:
- Just starting out or under $10K/month: Start with the Basic plan. It has everything you need to validate your product and build a customer base. You can always upgrade later.
- Growing consistently, $10K-$50K/month: Upgrade to the Shopify plan. The professional reports will help you scale smarter, and the reduced transaction fees will offset much of the cost.
- Scaling rapidly, $50K-$200K/month: Move to the Advanced plan. At this volume, the fee savings alone justify the upgrade, and the custom reporting and advanced shipping features become essential.
- Enterprise, $800K+/month: Shopify Plus is your destination. The customizable checkout, dedicated support, and automation tools are necessary for managing operations at this scale.
The beauty of Shopify's tiered pricing is that it grows with you. You're never locked into a plan that's too big or too small — upgrading takes minutes from your admin panel, and all your data, products, and settings carry over seamlessly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change my Shopify plan at any time?
Yes. You can upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time directly from your Shopify admin dashboard. When upgrading, you'll pay the prorated difference for the remainder of your billing cycle. When downgrading (on annual plans), the credit will be applied to your next billing cycle — not refunded.
Is there a free plan on Shopify?
Shopify does not offer a permanent free plan, but they do offer a 3-day free trial with full access to all features. After the trial, you'll need to select a paid plan to continue selling. There is also a Starter plan at $5/month for selling on social media without a full website.
Does Shopify charge additional fees for using PayPal?
If you use Shopify Payments as your primary processor, PayPal transactions are still subject to standard credit card processing rates. If you use a third-party gateway like PayPal exclusively, Shopify charges the additional third-party gateway fee on top of PayPal's own processing fees.
What payment methods does Shopify accept?
Shopify Payments supports all major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover), Apple Pay, Google Pay, Shop Pay, and local payment methods depending on your region. You can also integrate over 100 third-party payment gateways.