Choosing the right e-commerce platform can be daunting, especially when faced with a variety of plans and pricing options. Shopify, a leading choice for online businesses, offers several plans that cater to different needs and budgets. However, understanding which plan is best for you can be a bit confusing.
If you have read our Shopify e-commerce review, then might be ready to pull out your credit card and get started selling online with Shopify. In this post, I’ll cut through the noise and clarify Shopify’s plans and pricing. Whether you’re launching your first store or expanding an existing business, we’ll help you find the perfect fit for your goals and budget.
Plans Summary
- Shopify Lite ⇣: $5/month.
- Basic Shopify ⇣: $29/month.
- Shopify ⇣: $79/month.
- Advanced Shopify ⇣: $299/month.
- Shopify Plus ⇣: From $2,300 per month.
If you pay upfront, you get a 25% discount on annual plans or take advantage of Shopify’s introductory deal and get your first month for just $1.
Shopify is the world’s most popular e-commerce platform, powering hundreds of thousands of stores and over $100 billion of sales every year.
I’ve used Shopify multiple times in the past, so I can understand its success – it’s easy-to-use, feature-rich, and offers a variety of pricing options for businesses large and small.
How Much Does Shopify Cost in 2024?
Shopify has an interesting pricing structure, with three plans aimed at the average business user and two specialist plans.
The three “main” plans cost from $29/month to $299/month, with discounts available for one and two-year subscriptions.
Meanwhile, the Shopify Starter plan costs $5/month and allows you to connect the Shopify payment gateway and add a buy button to an existing website. Finally, Shopify Plus is a high-end, enterprise-level platform with a focus on major global brands and rapid e-commerce expansion.
There is also a risk-free free trial available with all plans that enable you to test the platform without spending any cash.
Shopify Plan Comparison
Here is a full comparison of Shopify’s main plans
| Basic Shopify | Shopify | Advanced Shopify | Shopify Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $29/month | $79/month | $299/month | From $2,000 |
| Credit Card Fee | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.6% + 30¢ | 2.4% + 30¢ | 2.15% +30¢ |
| Third-Party Payment Gateway Transaction Fee | 2% | 1% | 0.5% | 0.25% |
| Shopify Payments Transaction Fee | No | No | No | No |
| Staff Accounts | 2 | 5 | 15 | Unlimited |
| Numbers of Products | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Storage | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Print Shipping Labels | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Discount Codes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fraud Analysis | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 24/7 Support | Email, Chat, Phone | Email, Chat, Phone | Email, Chat, Phone | Email, Chat, Phone |
| Free SSL Certificate | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free Domain & Email | Not Included | Not Included | Not Included | Not Included |
| Abandoned Cart Recovery | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Gift Cards | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Professional Reports | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced Report Builder | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| 3rd Party Real-Time Shipping Rates | No | No | Yes | Yes |
Shopify’s pricing might seem like a significant investment at first, but it’s worth it for several reasons, especially when you consider the value and features you receive:
- User-Friendly Interface: Shopify is designed to be intuitive, even for those with little technical expertise. This means you can set up and manage your store without needing to hire a developer, saving you time and money.
- Comprehensive Features: Each plan comes with a robust set of features, including secure payment processing, customizable templates, and SEO tools. These features help you create a professional-looking store and attract customers.
- Scalability: As your business grows, Shopify can grow with you. You can start with a basic plan and upgrade as your needs change, ensuring you always have the right tools at your disposal.
- 24/7 Support: Shopify offers round-the-clock customer support, which is invaluable when you encounter issues or have questions. This support can save you from potential downtime and lost sales.
- App Ecosystem: Shopify’s extensive app store allows you to add functionality to your store, from marketing tools to inventory management. This flexibility means you can tailor your store to meet your specific business needs.
- Security and Reliability: With Shopify, you get a secure and reliable platform that handles all the technical aspects of running an online store, including hosting and security updates. This peace of mind lets you focus on growing your business.
- Integrated Payment Processing: Shopify Payments simplifies the checkout process for your customers and offers competitive transaction fees, which can be lower than using third-party payment gateways.
What Does the Shopify Starter Plan Include?
Shopify’s cheapest Shopify Starter plan is aimed at those who would like to sell products on social media. $5/month and allows you to add a buy button to existing product pages, accept credit cards from anywhere through the point of sale app, and accept payments through the Shopify payment gateway.
Note that this plan doesn’t include any hosting, domain name, store builder, or anything of the other major tools you need to create a website.
What Does the Basic Shopify Plan Include?
The Shopify Basic plan costs $29/month, $26.10 per month with an annual plan, or $23.20 per month if you pay two years in advance. It includes everything you will need to start a new store, including full hosting and a beginner-friendly store builder.
What’s more, the Shopify Basic plan comes with the ability to list unlimited products, 24/7 online support, multiple sales channels, a free SSL certificate, abandoned cart recovery, and discount and gift card support.
Fees range from 1.75% + 30c to 2.9% + 30c per transaction. Any orders processed through a third-party gateway are subject to an additional 2% transaction fee.
You will also only be able to create two staff accounts.
What Does the Shopify Plan Include?
Upgrading to the Shopify plan will cost you $79/month ($71.10 with annual payments and $63.20 with a biannual subscription. It includes everything in the Basic Shopify plan, as well as a professional report builder and support for up to five staff accounts.
With the Shopify plan, transaction fees drop to 1.6% + 30c to 2.8% + 30c of each transaction, with an extra 1% on third-party transactions.
Basic Shopify vs Shopify Plan
The Basic Shopify plan is Shopify’s cheapest option, and it comes with the tools required to start a small to a medium-sized online store. The main advantage of the Shopify plan is its lower transaction fees, but it won’t be worth upgrading unless you have a decent transaction volume.
| Basic Shopify Plan | Shopify Plan |
|---|---|
| Online store with hosting and security | Everything in the Basic Shopify plan |
| Unlimited product listings | Professional analytics and reports |
| 24/7 customer support | Five staff accounts |
| Free SSL certificate | 1.6% + 30c to 2.8% + 30c fees with Shopify Payments |
| Gift card support | 1.0% additional fee with other payment gateways |
| Multi-channel sales support | |
| Two staff accounts | |
| 1.75% + 30c to 2.9% + 30c fees with Shopify Payments | |
| 2.0% additional fee with other payment gateways |
What Does the Advanced Shopify Plan Include?
The Advanced Shopify plan is Shopify’s third “main” plan. It costs $299/month ($269.10 with an annual subscription or $239.2 with a biannual plan) and includes everything in the Shopify and Basic Shopify plans.
Additionally, you will be able to create up to 15 staff accounts and will have access to an advanced report builder and third-party calculated shipping rates.
Shopify vs Advanced Shopify Plan
Shopify’s most expensive Advanced Shopify plan costs over four times more than the Shopify plan, which means that it’s hardly worth purchasing unless you have a significant amount of sales. In this case, you will benefit from the much lower transaction fees on offer.
| Shopify Plan | Advanced Shopify Plan |
|---|---|
| Everything in the Basic Shopify plan | Everything in the Shopify plan |
| Professional analytics and reports | 15 staff accounts |
| Five staff accounts | Advanced report building features |
| 1.6% + 30c to 2.8% + 30c fees with Shopify Payments | Third-party shipping calculator |
| 1.0% additional fee with other payment gateways | 1.4% + 30c to 2.7% + 30c fees with Shopify Payments |
| 0.5% additional fee with other payment gateways |
What Does the Shopify Plus Plan Include?
The Shopify Plus plan is aimed at high-end, enterprise-level clients with large transaction volumes. It includes a wide range of tools and features designed to streamline the e-commerce experience and is backed by infrastructure that’s able to handle a huge number of orders per day.
Prices for Shopify Plus start from $2,000 per month. Higher-volume businesses are subject to higher fees that are calculated on a case-by-case basis.
How Can I Save Money With Shopify?
If you’re signing up for a Shopify account with a tight budget, you might be looking for ways to save a few dollars.
The easiest way to do this in the long term is to pay for an annual or biannual subscription upfront, which could save you up to $717.60 per year.
Another great way to save money is to purchase your domain from a third-party provider like Namecheap.
You should also try and use free Shopify apps wherever possible, as the cost of paid apps can quickly add up.
How Do Shopify’s Prices Compare With its Competitors?
Shopify’s prices are very similar to those of e-commerce-centric competitors such as BigCommerce and Volusion. However, there are cheaper options available for those with a tight budget.
Website builders like Squarespace and Wix include numerous e-commerce features, although they can’t compare to Shopify’s.
here’s a comparison table of Shopify’s pricing with BigCommerce, Volusion, Wix, and Squarespace:
| Platform | Basic Plan Price (Monthly) | Standard Plan Price (Monthly) | Advanced Plan Price (Monthly) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify | $29 | $79 | $299 |
| BigCommerce | $39.95 | $105.95 | $399.95 |
| Volusion | $35 | $79 | $299 |
| Wix | $17 | $27 | $49 |
| Squarespace | $23 | $33 | $65 |
- Shopify and BigCommerce offer similar pricing structures and overall features, but Shopify’s plans are cheaper.
- Wix and Squarespace are generally more affordable but may offer fewer e-commerce-specific features compared to Shopify and BigCommerce.
- Volusion’s pricing is competitive, but it doesn’t have as many features as Shopify or BigCommerce.
Verdict ⭐
A few years back, I decided to give online selling a go. Like many new business owners, I was confused by all the e-commerce platforms out there. I chose Shopify because it seemed easy to use and could grow with my business. At first, I picked the Basic plan, thinking it would be enough. But as my sales increased, I needed more features, like detailed sales reports and lower transaction fees. Switching to a higher plan made a big difference and let me focus more on creating my crafts.
This taught me how important it is to choose the right plan from the start. Now, I help others make these decisions, using what I learned from my own experience to guide them.
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Despite its apparently high prices, Shopify actually offers very good value for money. Even the Basic Shopify plan includes everything you need to create a solid online store, and it costs just $29/month.
- How much does Shopify cost?
There are five Shopify plans on offer, costing from $5/month to $2,000+ per month with monthly payments. - Which Shopify plan is the cheapest?
The Shopify Starter plan is the cheapest. It costs just $5/month and allows you to sell through an existing website. The cheapest “main” plan is the Shopify Basic plan, which costs $29/month. Annual and biannual discounts are available. - What are the best ways to save money when you use Shopify?
There are a few ways to save money with Shopify, including purchasing your domain through a third-party registrar. Using free plugins rather than premium versions is also a good idea for those on a tight budget.
I’d highly recommend signing up for Shopify’s free trial, creating a small store, and playing around to see if you like the platform. Like any platform, Shopify won’t be the right choice for everyone, but it’s an option that every aspiring e-commerce store owner should at least consider.
