The Complete Guide To Shopify Plans And Pricing

When it comes to shopping cart platforms, Shopify (see our review) is the one to beat. Shopify’s easy-to-use design and affordable price make it a highly accessible choice for business owners who want to expand to selling online. With options ranging from a few dollars a month to a few thousand, this ecommerce platform offers pricing plans that meet the needs of small to enterprise level merchants.

We’re here to explain how much Shopify costs to use, as well as help you determine which Shopify plan is best for your business. You could go hunting around for all the pertinent comparison charts and support pages at the Shopify site, but we’ve saved you the trouble by gathering the most important information and visuals together in one place.

There are two broad categories to think about when choosing a Shopify plan: features and pricing. We’ll take a look at features first, since it doesn’t matter if you’ve found the cheapest plan available if it doesn’t meet all of your needs. Then, we’ll explore the interplay of features and cost to help you home in on the best Shopify plan for the current stage of your business.

Now, if you’ve already plowed through large swaths of Shopify’s website and feel pretty close to choosing a plan, but perhaps just need some outside confirmation, you can skip all the way down to Which Shopify Plan Is Right For You? at the end of this post. If a particular reason for choosing a certain plan doesn’t make sense to you, simply scroll back up for more information on that topic.

Ready? Let’s dive in!

Mobile	POS	Online	Social Media
Mobile App + Free Card Reader	Point of Sale	Online Store	Social Media Selling
Get Started	Get Started	Get Started	Get Started
Low-cost POS for iOS and Android with free hardware	All-purpose POS integrated with all sales channels	Build a store or integrate with your current website	Sell on Facebook and other platforms
Starts at $9/month	Starts at $29/month	Starts at $29/month	Starts at $9/month
Free Trial	Free Trial	Free Trial	Free Trial

Overview Of Shopify Plans

Shopify offers five subscription levels:

• Shopify Lite: $9/month
• Basic Shopify: $29/month
• Shopify: $79/month
• Advanced Shopify: $299/month
• Shopify Plus: Custom pricing

The main component Shopify Lite lacks in comparison to the other plans is the ability to build a standalone store website. That’s a pretty significant difference, so this plan is usually promoted separately from the other plans, making it harder to compare.

The next three levels — Basic, Shopify, and Advanced — are typically promoted as a group, since sellers who would like to build and host a full website with Shopify can move quite fluidly between these subscriptions based on their evolving budgets and feature requirements.

Finally, Shopify Plus represents a large jump, both in power and in price. This plan is specifically geared toward enterprise merchants, and is usually discussed separately from the middle three plans.

I like to think of the plans levels as layers in a Shopify sandwich. Lite and Plus are the bread, while Basic, Shopify, and Advanced are the filling of the sandwich. You likely already have a idea of which general section of the sandwich is the best fit for you — bread or filling!

Feature Comparison

You’ll be glad to know that all Shopify plans include unlimited product listings, bandwidth and storage — even the Lite Plan. As you read through the feature categories below, you should be able to narrow your ideal plan further to just one or two options. From there, we’ll take a closer look at cost (spoiler alert: it’s more than just a monthly subscription fee!).

Store Website

If you already know you need Shopify to host your store website, skip right over the $9/month Lite Plan and head straight for the $29/month Basic Plan or above. If you don’t need a website at all, or if you already have a website or blog and would just like to use Shopify as your shopping cart software for that site, check out the Lite Plan.

Starting with the Basic Plan, you have access to all of the following for your website:

• Admin dashboard
• A selection of free and premium site templates
• Web design editing tools
• Shared SSL certificate
• Abandoned cart recovery
• Manual order creation
• Discount engine
• SEO tools
• Blogging tool

Point Of Sale (POS)

Both the Lite Plan and Basic Plan will serve you well if your in-person selling needs are fairly simple and mostly mobile. In fact, if a bit of mobile in-person selling is your main goal, even the Lite Plan could suffice for the foreseeable future. You’ll have access to the Shopify POS app and can connect card readers to tablets and phones — just be aware that you’ll get the most out of Shopify POS if you use it on an iPad rather than an iPhone or an Android device. Do note that the “hardware support” available on the $29/month Basic Plan is limited to these simple mobile card readers as well. In other words, POS capability on the Basic Plan is somewhat restricted.

If, on the other hand, in-person retail represents a significant part of you business, you should look to the $79/month Shopify Plan or higher. These plans allow you to set up a more fully-fledged POS system, with peripheral hardware such as barcode scanners, receipt and barcode printers, fully-integrated cash drawers, etc. The $79/month plan also gives access to register tracking (helpful for multiple employees on shifts) and unlimited staff PINs. See our full Shopify POS review for more information.

Staff Accounts

Staff accounts are not the same as staff PINs that employees use to ring up in-person sales. These are accounts for people who need access to the backend functions of your store. While every ecommerce business is structured differently, the number of staff accounts you require is often correlated with your overall company size. Each plan level offers a different number of staff accounts in addition to your own:

• Shopify Lite: 1
• Basic Shopify: 2
• Shopify: 5
• Advanced Shopify: 15
• Shopify Plus: Unlimited

Decide how many people you will need to access your admin panel (you can set permissions on these accounts) to see which plan will suit you best.

Analytics & Reports

There’s quite a big difference in reporting capability between Shopify plans. Merchants who are just getting started may not have the time or energy to dig very far into store stats. However, as your business grows and gains complexity, you’ll likely start wanting to make data-driven tweaks to your operation. This is where reports become essential.

Here’s an overview of the reporting functionality of each plan:

As you can see, the Lite Plan and Basic Plan offer very limited reporting. For example, even the Basic Plan offers no sales reports at all. Sales reports include the tracking of data such as:

• Sales over time
• Sales by product
• Sales by product variant SKU
• Sales by product vendor
• Sales by staff
• Sales by traffic referrer
• Sales by billing country
• Sales by channel
• Sales by customer name
• Average order value over time

If you’re a fairly small and simple operation, some of this data might not even apply to your store. However, knowing your sales over time and sales by product are pretty key! If you’re ready for data-driven actions, you should select the $79/month Shopify Plan at minimum. To create your own custom reports, choose the Advanced Plan or Shopify Plus.

Customer Support

If you can manage with 24/7 live chat and email support, the Lite Plan will suffice. The Basic Plan, Shopify Plan, and Advanced Plan provide access to 24/7 phone support as well, which comes in handy for nuanced questions requiring quick back-and-forth clarifications. We’ve also found that Shopify’s phone support often connects quicker than live chat. All things being equal, however, I’m guessing that most merchants on the Lite plan won’t opt to pay an extra $20/month just for phone support. Meanwhile, customer support isn’t a factor in deciding between the three middle plans, as you receive the same level of service with each. If you would like a dedicated account manager at your complete beck and call, though, you should look into Shopify Plus.

Shipping

All five Shopify Plans include built-in shipping software called Shopify Shipping. This provides many important shipping features, such as real-time carrier calculated rates displayed at checkout. Take a look at the chart below for a list by plan:

To be eligible for Shopify Shipping, you must be based in the US or Canada, and you also must be okay with just USPS, UPS, DHL Express, and/or Canada Post as your carriers. If you have more advanced needs than this software provides (such as alternative carriers or custom rates you’ve already negotiated with a particular carrier), you should look at the $299/month Advanced Shopify Plan. Of course, if all your products are digital, this whole topic is a moot point!

There’s one caveat to the shipping setup: you can actually add third-party calculated rates to a Basic Plan or Shopify Plan by paying an extra $20/month, or by signing up for an annual subscription to either of these plans.

Gift Cards

This may seem like a rather random feature to think about, but the ability to offer and accept gifts cards happens to only be available on the $79/month Shopify Plan level and above. Sometimes the need for this feature comes down to brand recognition: if you’re relatively unknown, gift cards for your store might not be much of a draw just yet.

This feature can be a deal-breaker for some stores, but it may not be for you. You might also be able to add a gift card feature the Basic Plan via a separate app, but you’ll likely need to pay monthly for that service.

Shopify Pricing Comparison

Based on features alone, there may still be more than one Shopify level that could work for you. Next, it’s time to decide what you want (or can afford) to pay for the software. There’s no point in paying for more than you need!

When evaluating the cost of using Shopify, it’s extremely important to look beyond just the monthly subscription fee. Depending on your type and size of business, you could end up saving money on a higher level plan due to other discounts and perks you receive as you climb the subscription ladder. Let’s take a closer look.

Payment Processing Fee

In order to collect payments from customers via your Shopify store, you’ll need to sign up for a payment processor and start paying a payment processing fee for every sale. A payment processor is the company that actually handles the payments customers make at your store, and is typically a third-party entity.  Examples include PayPal and Stripe, and a common rate to pay for ecommerce credit/debit card transactions is around 2.9% + 30¢.

There are over 100 gateway options to choose from with Shopify, but Shopify also has its own in-house payments provider, Shopify Payments (which is essentially a Shopify-branded version of Stripe’s payment gateway).

If you use Shopify Payments, you qualify for discounted processing rates at the $79 per month and $299 per month Shopify subscription levels. By “discounted,” we mean less than that 2.9% + $0.30 you’d normally pay Stripe if you signed up for it separately. You also receive a discount over normal in-person/POS rates beginning at the $79/month Shopify Plan.

Another nice perk of using Shopify Payments, regardless of which Shopify plan you’re on, is that ecommerce and manual keyed-in rates are both charged at the same rate. With many other providers, manually keyed rates are higher.

Here’s how the discounts break down by plan:

How does this impact your decision of which Shopify plan to use? Well, depending on your sales volume, there should be a breaking point at which it makes sense to jump from the Basic Plan up to the $79/month or even $299/month plan in order to reap the benefits of discounted processing rates — even if you don’t happen to need all the available features on that plan.

Of course, if you use an external processor option instead, your rates will depend entirely upon your agreement with that processor. Typically, the larger and more stable your business, the better your rates will be.

Shopify Transaction Fee

Shopify also charges its own commission per sale as part of the cost of platform — on top of the fees already charged by your payment processor. These fees start at 2%, but begin to decrease at the $79/month Shopify Plan level. However, you can actually avoid these extra fees altogether if you sign up for Shopify Payments as your processor. Essentially, Shopify stops taking its own commission per sale if you agree to sign up for the in-house payment system.

Here’s a summary of how Shopify’s transaction fees are implemented:

If for some reason you can’t use Shopify Payments (e.g., you’re not in an eligible country) and need to connect an external processor, you should weigh in those extra Shopify transaction fees that decrease as you move up the subscription ladder. This could be another cost-based driver to bump up a level.

For more information on using Shopify’s in-house processor and the pros and cons of this system, check out our full review of Shopify Payments.

Shipping Discounts

We’ve already discussed the shipping features available with Shopify plans, but we haven’t looked at actual shipping costs. On the backend of Shopify Shipping, you have access to discounted shipping rates with the included carriers, with the deal sweetening as you climb the subscription ladder:

USPS Priority Mail Cubic pricing at the bottom of the table refers to a lower rate for smaller, heavier packages (think shipping coffee beans, hand weights, etc.). That specific discount kicks in on the $79/month Shopify Plan.

Frankly, nailing down exactly how shipping costs will affect individual merchants on the different plans is beyond the scope of this article. We’re just putting it on your radar for now! If you have a hunch that nuanced shipping differences will make a significant difference in your costs, consult Shopify’s support documentation or a live rep for additional help.

Additional Cost Considerations

Although SaaS solutions pride themselves on being all-inclusive, you’ll likely run into new expenses as your store grows. These are not specific to any particular Shopify subscription, but are important to consider as you calculate your overall cost.

• Add-Ons: Shopify is excellent store-building software when it comes to basic features, but still has plenty of room for expansion via more advanced features and apps. Even sellers who are just starting out may find they need one or more extensions from the Shopify App Store in order to tailor the platform to their exact needs. You may also consider integrating with third-party solutions for shipping software, CRM software, marketplace connections, and accounting software. The majority of these add-ons will cost an additional monthly fee.
• Web Design: Although Shopify offers a number of free themes with excellent web design tools, you may not be pleased with Shopify’s free options. In this case, you’ll have to do one or more of the following: purchase a premium theme, design your own theme, or pay for someone to design a website for you. These options can quickly become expensive.
• Development: It can be very difficult to get multiple software systems to work well together. Sometimes, you need an expert to step in. Shopify experts are available for hire. The cost of their assistance ranges from a few hundred dollars into the thousands.

Finally, you may have noticed that Shopify gives annual discounts on subscription fees. If you purchase a yearlong membership with Shopify, they’ll discount your monthly subscription cost by 10%. If you buy two years out, the discount is 20%.

I can already hear you bargain-hunting readers celebrating, but before you go purchase this app for a year or more, I strongly recommend you take a step back. Don’t commit to an entire year of Shopify unless you’re absolutely certain the software will fit the needs of your online store.

My advice is to subscribe to Shopify’s monthly plan for at least one year before you go all in. That will give you a good chance to deal with customer support, experiment with add-ons, and make sure the platform really works for your company. That annual discount only saves you $34/year on the Basic Plan, anyway.

Which Shopify Plan Is Right For You?

Let’s summarize all the points we’ve covered so far to ensure you’ve locked in on the best plan for you. Some factors may not be total deal breakers or makers for you, but will be for the next merchant, so feel free to ignore any bullet points that don’t apply. The great news is that no matter which plan you choose, you can always shift plans later!

Shopify Lite Plan

• You don’t need a website or blog but you want to sell in-person and on social media, and you want to take advantage of quality ecommerce software and a POS app to manage your inventory and sales.
• You already have a website or blog you like and just want to add ecommerce functionality with buy buttons, etc.
• You sell on-the-go at markets, fairs, trade shows, pop-ups, events — but not full retail locations.
• You have a very small operation (solo businesses, or a very small handful of employees)
• Your fulfillment locations are in the US or Canada, and Shopify Shipping will suffice for your shipping needs. (Or, you don’t have shipping needs at this time.)
• You need one or fewer staff accounts (besides yourself).
• You’re okay using only live chat and email support (no phone).
• See our full review of Shopify Lite for more information.

Basic Shopify Plan

• You’d like to build and host a full store website with Shopify.
• You don’t have a retail location with fully-fledged POS needs, but may still want to do some mobile in-person selling (or, you’re not interested in-person selling at all).
• You are just getting off the ground or your store is quite small and/or simple, so you don’t need many reporting tools (yet) to understand your business.
• Your fulfillment locations are in the US or Canada, and Shopify Shipping will suffice for your shipping needs. (Or, you don’t have shipping needs at this time.)
• You need two or fewer staff accounts.
• You require phone support in addition to live chat and email.

Shopify Plan

• You have most of the above requirements, PLUS:
• You have one or more retail locations and need a full-featured POS system, including hardware like scanners, printers, and cash drawers.
• Your store is complex enough that you already need reports on several aspects of your business (marketing efforts, sales channels, product performance, traffic sources, etc).
• You need five or fewer staff accounts.
• You want to offer gift cards.
• Accessing discounted processing fees, lower Shopify transaction fees (if you plan to use an external gateway), and/or more deeply discounted shipping rates will meaningfully offset the cost of a higher monthly subscription fee.

Advanced Shopify Plan

• You have most of the above requirements, PLUS:
• You need to create custom reports, perhaps for integrations into other software for detailed analysis.
• Shopify Shipping will not suffice — your fulfillment locations are not all based in the US or Canada, you want to work with additional carriers, and/or you have your own custom, discounted accounts with certain shipping carriers.
• You need 15 or fewer staff accounts.

Shopify Plus Plan

• You’re a high volume business, enterprise-level operation, large wholesaler, etc.
• You require extensive scalability and customization across multiple dimensions (staff, sales volume, sales channels, site speed, etc.)
• You need a dedicated account manager, and access to the guidance and hands-on support of experts in multiple fields.
• You need more than 15 staff accounts.
• Check out our full Shopify Plus review for more information.

Final Thoughts

Did you figure out your layer of the Shopify subscription sandwich? I hope so!

While we’re glad you’ve come to us for advice and assistance in your decision, we also recommend that you sign up for a free trial of Shopify to ensure the software works seamlessly with your business. Upload your products, test out the design tools, and contact customer service. And remember, if you decide to sign up, always go with the monthly plan first.

Overall, Shopify provides very good value for the money as far as ecommerce software goes. Choosing the correct plan for your business is key, along with factoring in additional costs like add-on features, third-party software integrations, shipping, and payment processing.

For more information on Shopify’s app store, features, design tools, and customer support, head on over to our full review. Or, to see how it stacks up against the competition, try our comparison page.

Mobile	POS	Online	Social Media
Mobile App + Free Card Reader	Point of Sale	Online Store	Social Media Selling
Get Started	Get Started	Get Started	Get Started
Low-cost POS for iOS and Android with free hardware	All-purpose POS integrated with all sales channels	Build a store or integrate with your current website	Sell on Facebook and other platforms
Starts at $9/month	Starts at $29/month	Starts at $29/month	Starts at $9/month
Free Trial	Free Trial	Free Trial	Free Trial