How Much Does Shopify Cost?

Whether you have just decided to start your own eCommerce business, congratulations, or you are thinking about moving your existing store over to Shopify, it can be difficult to know which Shopify pricing plan to choose. This guide explains how much Shopify costs and what each plan is best suited for.

Basic

£24 or $29 a month

The Basic plan is best for start-ups and small businesses. If you are the only person running the business, or you only have one other employee who needs access to Shopify, this plan may be enough for you.

On this plan, Shopify allows up to 2 staff accounts and 4 inventory locations.

One of the main limitations of the Basic plan is the lack of advanced reporting. If you plan to use Shopify as your primary analytics resource, it may be worth looking at the next plan level.

Shopify

£69 or $79 a month

The Shopify plan allows up to 5 employee accounts and 5 inventory locations. If you have more than two employees, this plan may be the better option. It also includes other benefits that can make it more attractive than the Basic plan.

The first reason to upgrade is reporting. With the Shopify plan, businesses can run standard reports to better understand problem areas and improve their store performance.

Second, as you move from the Basic plan to higher-tier plans, Shopify lowers your credit card fees. For example, the Basic plan charges 2.2% + 20p for online credit card purchases, whereas the Shopify plan charges 1.9% + 20p for the same type of order.

If eCommerce automation, workflows, or more advanced business tools are important to you, you may want to look at the Advanced plan.

Advanced

£259 or $299 a month

The Advanced plan allows 15 staff accounts and 8 inventory locations. This plan is best for established businesses with multiple employees. It also provides advanced reporting options, giving you more detailed analytics about your business.

One of the strongest features of the Advanced plan is the ability to set custom pricing by market. This means that if you are selling in different locations, you can adjust your pricing based on the conditions of each market.

You can also collect duties and import taxes for international sales at checkout. This helps avoid unexpected extra costs or hidden fees for your customers.

The Advanced plan also offers eCommerce automation for your Shopify store. This can help you provide unique checkout experiences for different customers, automate tasks, manage product launches and sales, and reduce fraud or inventory issues.

If none of these plans fit your business, you may want to consider Shopify Plus or Shopify Lite.

Shopify Plus

£2,000+ or $2,000+ a month

Shopify Plus is designed for enterprise-grade businesses with a large volume of purchases. Pricing starts at around £2,000 per month and increases depending on your business needs. This can be affordable for companies with enough sales volume to justify the plan.

Shopify Plus is used by large brands and high-volume merchants that need more flexibility, stronger performance, and enterprise-level support.

If you are looking to migrate from your existing platform to Shopify, Shopify Plus can also help make the transfer process faster and more structured.

Shopify Lite

£7 or $9 a month

Shopify Lite is for smaller businesses that want to add products to an existing website or blog. It allows you to add a “Buy” button to another website, such as Squarespace, WordPress, or Wix, so customers can make purchases using Shopify’s checkout interface.

This plan also allows you to accept credit card payments through a simple point-of-sale system, create invoices for clients, and keep track of inventory. If you are just starting out or already have a strong existing website, this may be all you need to begin selling online.

Once you have set up your store, be sure to refer to our Shopify & Ecommerce Journal for more information and support in getting your business up and running.

Shopify’s Yearly Pricing Plans

Shopify is one of the largest eCommerce website builders, helping retailers and brands expand their online sales. Many new eCommerce retailers ask which pricing plan they should choose for their Shopify store. Shopify offers several pricing plans, including Basic, Shopify, Advanced, Shopify Plus, and Shopify Lite.

Although these plans are usually shown as monthly pricing plans, Shopify also allows merchants to pay yearly. Choosing a yearly subscription can help reduce the overall cost of your Shopify plan.

The discount you can get with Shopify yearly plans:

Shopify has offered discounts on pricing plans when merchants choose longer subscription periods. These discounts may include:

• 10% off when signing up for a 1-year subscription
• 20% off when choosing a 2-year subscription
• 25% off when signing up for a 3-year subscription

Shopify also gives new users the option to start with a free trial. This allows you to test the platform and determine which pricing plan best suits your needs before committing to a paid plan.

Additional Shopify Costs

Premium Shopify themes, apps, and add-ons can increase the total cost of ownership for your store. Shopify offers a variety of themes, including free and paid options. While free themes can work well, many stores choose premium themes because they provide more advanced features and a more polished design from the beginning.

Premium themes can cost anywhere from around $75 to more than $300, but they are often worth the investment because they can save time and effort during the site-building process.

The most common Shopify fees are as follows:

• Domain name: Usually requires a separate purchase from a domain registrar at an annual cost of roughly $15.
• Premium theme: A free Shopify theme can work, but many stores choose a paid premium theme to get the desired look and feel faster. Premium themes can range from about $75 to more than $300.
• Paid apps and add-ons: Businesses often use paid apps to extend the functionality of their Shopify stores. Prices vary widely, from a few dollars per month to several hundred dollars per month.
• Development: Some companies choose to hire web developers or designers for help with Shopify store creation, custom features, or technical problem-solving.

Exactly How Do Transaction Charges Operate?

When a customer purchases from your store, Shopify may deduct a transaction fee from the order total. Shopify’s transaction fees depend on your plan and whether you use Shopify Payments or a third-party payment provider.

For third-party payment providers, Shopify’s transaction fees have commonly ranged from 2% on the Basic plan to 1% on the Shopify plan and 0.5% on the Advanced plan.

Where Do Transaction Fees Go?

Customers may browse your online store many times before making a final purchase. Maintaining uptime, stability, checkout security, and overall eCommerce infrastructure requires significant resources. Shopify’s transaction fees help cover the cost of keeping your store online and running smoothly, no matter how many customers are browsing at any given time.

Still not sure whether Shopify is right for you? We have a more detailed guide to help you make a more informed decision: What is Shopify?