Shopify pricing in 2024: Is it worth the cost?

Gina Ponce

BLUEPRINT

Updated 3:10 p.m. UTC April 2, 2024

Editorial Note: Blueprint may earn a commission from affiliate partner links featured here on our site. This commission does not influence our editors' opinions or evaluations. Please view our full advertiser disclosure policy.

Choosing the right provider to host your online store is vital to its overall growth and success. Shopify is a popular e-commerce platform and website builder that offers customers a multifunctional digital retail solution and also allows access to a user-friendly payment processing system. The company has several plans available to accommodate any size operation and budget.

We’ve put together a Shopify pricing guide that highlights the fees and key features of each option so you can determine if it’s worth the investment for your business.

Featured website builder offers

Wix

Learn More

Via Wix’s website

Monthly fee

$17

Free domain

For one year

Drag-and-drop builder

Yes

Web.com

Learn More

Via Web.com’s website

Monthly fee

$19.99

Free domain

Only when paying annually

Drag-and-drop builder

Yes

Squarespace

Learn More

Via Squarespace’s website

Monthly fee

$23

Free domain

For one year

Drag-and-drop builder

Yes

Who is Shopify best for?

Shopify was started with the primary intention of providing a simplified way for businesses to improve their Internet sales. However, it’s evolved over the years into a comprehensive tool for entrepreneurs looking to sell, market and manage their products both online and out of brick-and-mortar locations.

The platform is suitable for beginners without much technical knowledge and experienced e-commerce merchants alike. However, it’s generally recommended for start-ups and small businesses that don’t require complex programming. It also tends to be a better option for businesses that focus on selling products instead of services since appointment booking isn’t a standard feature.

Shopify pricing overview

	BASIC	SHOPIFY	ADVANCED	PLUS
Pricing	$39 per month	$105 per month	$399 per month	$2,300 per month (when paying every three years)
Credit card processing fees	2.9% plus $0.30 online 2.7% in person	2.6% plus $0.30 online 2.5% in person	2.4% plus $0.30 online 2.4% in person	Need to request a quote
Creating an online store	Included	Included	Included	Included
Reporting	Included	Included	Included	Included
Abandoned cart recovery	Included	Included	Included	Included
Free SSL certificate	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Staff accounts	2	5	15	Unlimited

Shopify has four main e-commerce plans businesses can choose from as well as a Starter plan for those mostly interested in selling on social media. The platform also supports business growth with its scalability, allowing customers to add various features and functionalities as their operations expand.

Each pricing plan offers a variety of features to meet different business needs. Some of those included in all plans are unlimited product listings, unlimited bandwidth, analytics and 24/7 customer support.

Basic

Shopify’s Basic plan is meant for individual entrepreneurs and small businesses. This tier is where merchants can begin developing a standalone online store, which is customizable with the built-in theme editor.

It also includes blogging functionality, basic reporting, international commerce support and a POS system for brick-and-mortar locations. In addition, businesses receive e-commerce automation, fraud analysis when using Shopify Payments, the ability to sell gift cards and a shipping discount of up to 77%.

Shopify

The Shopify plan is for businesses that need a bit more e-commerce functionality. Along with everything in the Basic plan, it includes more detailed data reports and increases the number of staff accounts provided. Credit card processing fees are also reduced, and shipping discounts go up to 88%. Merchants get shipping insurance coverage as well.

Advanced

Medium to large businesses with heavy online traffic and sales can benefit from the Shopify Advanced plan. Aside from all the features in the lower tier plans, users may take advantage of customized reporting, 15 staff accounts and third-party calculated shipping rates. This plan also has the lowest processing fees and allows merchants to collect duties and import taxes for international transactions.

Plus

Shopify Plus is mostly reserved for more complicated businesses. This plan’s goal is to offer competitive pricing for high-volume businesses, according to Shopify. It offers the same shipping discount as the Shopify and Advanced plans.

Some other features it offers include custom reports and analytics, 200 inventory locations, 24/7 phone support, unlimited staff accounts and 200 POS Pro locations with Shopify Payments. Merchants also get free web hosting and the lowest transaction fees available from any plan.

Additional costs

It’s important to note that merchants using a third-party payment provider instead of Shopify Payments will be charged an additional processing fee. This is 2% for the Basic plan, 1% for the Shopify plan and 0.5% for the Advanced plan.

Other costs to consider when working with the Shopify platform are domain names, themes and apps. Domains can be purchased through Shopify, and the price will depend on the keywords and extensions chosen. Though many Shopify themes are free, upgrading to a premium option will cost between $140 and $400. To enhance a store’s functionality, Shopify offers more than 8,000 free and paid apps at a wide range of prices.

Shopify also has three additional plans that aren’t considered one of its four main plans mentioned above. Those include:

Starter: For $5 per month, this plan is designed for merchants who are just getting started. It allows businesses to see how well they can sell products or services online without much investment. Merchants will have access to order management tools and fully branded pages through the Spotlight theme. Linkpop, which is included, will allow businesses to sell directly from their link-in-bio page.
Retail: For $89 a month, retail businesses will receive a basic online store, two staff accounts, unlimited POS logins and POS Pro software for one location, which allows fully integrated payments.
Enterprise commerce: This plan has custom pricing and is only available upon request. It is mostly for enterprise businesses that need a more customized plan.

Bottom line: Is Shopify worth it?

Shopify is highly regarded as a reliable and powerful e-commerce platform. It offers a variety of plans at different price points and an assortment of features suitable for all merchant levels.

These aspects make it worth the price for any entrepreneur who’s serious about achieving success as an online retailer. This is especially true for those willing to use Shopify Payments, as doing so will eliminate the extra transaction fees.

Featured website builder offers

Wix

Learn More

Via Wix’s website

Monthly fee

$17

Free domain

For one year

Drag-and-drop builder

Yes

Web.com

Learn More

Via Web.com’s website

Monthly fee

$19.99

Free domain

Only when paying annually

Drag-and-drop builder

Yes

Squarespace

Learn More

Via Squarespace’s website

Monthly fee

$23

Free domain

For one year

Drag-and-drop builder

Yes

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Shopify costs are dependent on the plan and customization options selected. Businesses can begin selling online for as little as $5 per month with the Starter plan or pay over $2,000 per month for the Shopify Plus plan. From there, prices will increase when purchasing domains, premium themes and premium apps.

Businesses that have a higher volume of sales may find it costs less to host their online store with Shopify than through Etsy. Although Etsy users are able to build a customized website for just $15 per month, the platform’s listing and payment processing fees can add up quickly.

Whereas Shopify allows unlimited product listings with each of its plans, Etsy charges $0.20 per listing and $0.20 to renew every four months. Additionally, third-party transaction fees are 6.5% of the sale price, which is quite a bit more than Shopify’s 0.5% to 2%.

Whether or not merchants are obligated to obtain a business license for selling on Shopify will depend on their location and industry. State and local requirements vary, but it’s common to need a license or permit when selling tangible products. Even if it’s not required, being licensed helps to give a business credibility and provides protection against potential legal problems.

Shopify takes a percentage of each sale made through its payment processing fees. This amount is based on the specific plan a merchant chooses. For the Starter plan, it’s 5% plus $0.30 per online transaction and 5% per in-person transaction. The Basic plan charges 2.9% plus $0.30 for online transactions and 2.6% plus $0.10 for in-person transactions.

The Shopify plan’s fees for online payments are 2.7% plus $0.30 and 2.5% plus $0.10 in person. Fees for the Advanced plan are 2.5% plus $0.30 online and 2.4% plus $0.10 in person. With the Plus plan, you will need to reach out for a quote to determine what your transaction fees would be.

Additionally, third-party transaction fees apply if Shopify Payments isn’t being used, which can range from 0.5% to 2%.

Merchants who are required to charge sales tax can set up their Shopify account to automatically calculate and collect these fees. This is done following a few simple steps in the admin settings.

However, U.S. businesses can also integrate the Shopify Tax tool for extra help. It’s designed to simplify sales tax collection by tracking sales, filing reports and calculating the correct tax rates according to location and product.

How a merchant gets paid is based on which provider the customer uses to make a purchase. For example, when transactions are processed through Shopify Payments, Apple Pay, Meta Pay, Google Pay or Shop Pay, the funds get transferred from Shopify Payments to the business’s bank account on file.

Transactions made through Amazon or PayPal will be transferred from those providers directly. For Shopify Payments, payouts are received as specified by each merchant’s pay period.

Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.

Gina Ponce

BLUEPRINT

Gina Ponce has more than a decade of experience in journalism and copywriting. She is committed to providing readers with useful and engaging content on a wide range of topics. Her work has been featured on several online blogs and in various print publications.

Sierra Campbell

BLUEPRINT

Sierra Campbell is a small business editor for USA Today Blueprint. She specializes in writing, editing and fact-checking content centered around helping businesses. She has worked as a digital content and show producer for several local TV stations, an editor for U.S. News & World Report and a freelance writer and editor for many companies. Sierra prides herself in delivering accurate and up-to-date information to readers. Her expertise includes credit card processing companies, e-commerce platforms, payroll software, accounting software and virtual private networks (VPNs). She also owns Editing by Sierra, where she offers editing services to writers of all backgrounds, including self-published and traditionally published authors.