TL;DR
- Plans: Basic $39, Grow $105 and Advanced $399 a month on monthly billing, or $29, $79 and $299 a month billed yearly. Shopify Plus starts at $2,300 a month.
- Card fees with Shopify Payments: 2.9% + 30¢ online on Basic, falling to 2.7%, 2.5% and 2.25% + 30¢ on the higher plans.
- Third-party payment penalty: use another payment provider and Shopify adds 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced or 0.2% on Plus, on top of that provider's fees.
- When to upgrade: on yearly billing, Grow pays for itself above about $25,000 a month in online card sales, and Advanced beats Grow above about $110,000.
- What stores really pay: about 3.5% to 5% of sales in our worked examples once card fees and apps are included, not the plan price alone.
How much does Shopify cost per month in 2026?
Shopify costs $39 a month on Basic, $105 on Grow and $399 on Advanced when billed monthly, or $29, $79 and $299 a month on yearly billing, a 25% saving. Shopify Plus starts at $2,300 a month on a longer contract. A $5-a-month Starter plan covers selling through social media and links rather than a full online store.
| Plan | Billed monthly | Billed yearly (per month) | Online card rate (Shopify Payments) | Third-party transaction fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $5 | n/a | Varies | Varies |
| Basic | $39 | $29 | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2% |
| Grow | $105 | $79 | 2.7% + 30¢ | 1% |
| Advanced | $399 | $299 | 2.5% + 30¢ | 0.6% |
| Plus | From $2,300 | Contract | 2.25% + 30¢ | 0.2% |
US prices. Check Shopify's pricing page for your country, since plans and rates differ by region.
The Grow plan was previously called "Shopify," so older guides may use that name.
What fees does Shopify charge on each sale?
There are two possible fees per order. Card processing applies to every card payment: 2.9% + 30¢ online on Basic, down to 2.25% + 30¢ on Plus with Shopify Payments. A third-party transaction fee applies only if you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments, from 2% on Basic down to 0.2% on Plus.
- In-person card rates are lower: 2.6% + 10¢ on Basic, 2.5% + 10¢ on Grow and 2.4% + 10¢ on Advanced, for sales through Shopify POS.
- International and some premium cards usually cost more than the standard rate.
- The third-party fee is avoidable. It disappears on orders processed through Shopify Payments. Card processing fees aren't avoidable on any platform.
What the third-party fee costs in practice: a store selling $50,000 a month online on Basic pays roughly $1,700 in card fees through Shopify Payments. Run the same sales through another provider at similar card rates and Shopify's 2% adds about $1,000 more, every month.
When does upgrading your Shopify plan pay for itself?
On yearly billing, Grow costs $50 a month more than Basic but cuts the online card rate by 0.2 percentage points, so it pays for itself above about $25,000 a month in online card sales. Advanced costs $220 a month more than Grow for another 0.2 points, so it only wins above about $110,000 a month.
| Upgrade | Extra cost per month | Rate saving | Pays for itself above |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic → Grow, yearly billing | $50 | 0.2% | $25,000 a month in online card sales |
| Basic → Grow, monthly billing | $66 | 0.2% | $33,000 a month |
| Grow → Advanced, yearly billing | $220 | 0.2% | $110,000 a month |
| Grow → Advanced, monthly billing | $294 | 0.2% | $147,000 a month |
| Basic → Grow with a third-party gateway | $50 | 1% transaction fee | $5,000 a month |
| Grow → Advanced with a third-party gateway | $220 | 0.4% transaction fee | $55,000 a month |
Our calculation: the extra monthly plan cost divided by the rate saving. It covers online card sales only and ignores the fixed 30¢, which doesn't change between plans.
Fees aren't the only reason to upgrade. Grow adds more staff accounts and better reports; Advanced adds custom reports and third-party calculated shipping rates. If you need those features, the break-even point matters less.
What do Shopify stores really pay each month?
In our worked examples, stores pay 3.5% to 5% of their sales to run on Shopify once the plan, card processing and apps are added together. The plan price is usually the smallest part. Card fees scale with every sale, and apps add a fixed monthly cost that matters most to smaller stores.
| Store | Monthly online sales | Plan (yearly billing) | Card fees | Apps (typical) | Total | Share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New store | $10,000 | Basic, $29 | $340 | $100 | $469 | 4.7% |
| Growing store | $50,000 | Grow, $79 | $1,600 | $300 | $1,979 | 4.0% |
| Established store | $200,000 | Advanced, $299 | $6,000 | $800 | $7,099 | 3.5% |
Assumes a $60 average order, all orders paid online by card through Shopify Payments at standard rates. App costs are illustrative.
What other Shopify costs should you budget for?
- Theme: free themes cost nothing; premium themes are typically a one-off $180 to $500.
- Apps: reviews, subscriptions, email, upsells and returns often add $100 to $800 a month as a store grows.
- Subscriptions: Shopify's own Subscriptions app is free; paid subscription apps add a monthly fee and sometimes a per-order charge.
- Domain: a custom domain is a small yearly cost.
- Design and development: a professional custom build typically starts around $20,000. Migrations cost more; see our Shopify migration cost guide.
How much is Shopify Plus?
Shopify Plus starts at $2,300 a month on a multi-year contract, with lower card rates of 2.25% + 30¢ online through Shopify Payments and a 0.2% fee on third-party payment providers. Larger brands may negotiate terms. Plus is usually justified by features, such as checkout customization, B2B and multiple stores, rather than by fees alone.
For a detailed breakdown, see Shopify Plus cost, and for the feature decision, Shopify Plus vs Shopify.
Which Shopify plan should you choose?
- Basic if you're starting out or selling under about $25,000 a month online.
- Grow once you pass about $25,000 a month, or sooner if you need more staff accounts and better reports.
- Advanced above about $110,000 a month, or when you need custom reports or calculated shipping rates.
- Plus when a feature you need, not a fee, makes the case.
And whichever plan you pick, use Shopify Payments if it's available to you. Avoiding the third-party fee saves more than any plan upgrade.
Where a Shopify agency fits
Solo Media Group is a Shopify Platinum Partner, and we help brands choose the plan that fits rather than the one that sounds biggest. Often the right move is staying on Grow and fixing app spend, not upgrading. When a build or migration is needed, projects start from $20,000.
Shopify pricing FAQs
How much is Shopify a month?
$39 on Basic, $105 on Grow and $399 on Advanced when billed monthly, or $29, $79 and $299 a month on yearly billing. Shopify Plus starts at $2,300 a month.
How much does Shopify take per sale?
With Shopify Payments, the online card rate: 2.9% + 30¢ on Basic, 2.7% + 30¢ on Grow, 2.5% + 30¢ on Advanced and 2.25% + 30¢ on Plus. With another payment provider, Shopify adds a 2%, 1%, 0.6% or 0.2% transaction fee.
Does Shopify charge transaction fees?
Only when you use a third-party payment provider instead of Shopify Payments. Card processing fees apply either way.
Is the Shopify Grow plan worth it?
On yearly billing, Grow pays for itself through lower card rates once you sell more than about $25,000 a month online, or $33,000 on monthly billing. Below that, Basic is cheaper unless you need Grow's features.
Is yearly billing worth it?
Yes, if you're confident you'll stay. It cuts Basic, Grow and Advanced by 25%, saving $120, $312 and $1,200 a year respectively.
What is the Shopify Starter plan?
A $5-a-month plan for selling through social media and links, without a full online store. Most brands building a website start on Basic.
