Opening a first online store means learning the price before the first sale, and shopify pricing for new stores is the number every new owner asks about first. The headline figures are simple. Basic costs $39 a month paid monthly or $29 a month paid yearly, Grow costs $105 or $79, and Advanced costs $399 or $299, with card fees on top of every sale.
The real bill is more than the subscription, because card fees, transaction fees, themes and apps all add to the monthly total. A store that sells $1,000 a month on Basic pays $39 for the plan plus about $29 in card fees, so the true cost is closer to $68 before any apps are counted.
This guide walks through ten priced items, from the plans themselves to the fees, themes and apps that follow. Every figure comes from Shopify pricing pages and comparison pages checked in October and November 2026, and where a price varies by country or promotion the guide says so rather than printing a single number.
Quick jump
- Shopify Pricing for New Stores Compared at a Glance
- What a New Shopify Store Really Costs in Year One
- The 10 Shopify Pricing Items, One by One
- Best Pick by Job
- How to Choose the Right Shopify Plan for a New Store
- Shopify Pricing Mistakes That Cost New Stores Money
- Your First Week Pricing a New Shopify Store
- How to Keep Shopify Costs Down Without Losing Sales
- How We Verified Every Shopify Price in This Guide
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Habits That Keep Shopify Costs Under Control
- The Best-Value Shopify Pick for New Stores
Shopify Pricing for New Stores Compared at a Glance
The table below puts the ten priced items on one page, and shopify pricing for new stores becomes easier to judge once the plan price and the fee sit in the same row. A plan that looks cheap can cost more than a dearer plan once the card fees are added.
Two patterns stand out at once. The subscription rises with the plan while the card rate falls, so a growing store saves on every sale by moving up. The extras such as themes and apps are mostly one off or optional, which means the monthly bill can stay close to the plan price for a simple store.
| Tool | Free tier | Paid from | What the price buys |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | No full storefront | $5 a month | Selling through links and social posts |
| Basic | 3 day trial, then $1 a month for 3 months | $39 a month monthly, $29 yearly | Full store, unlimited products, 10 locations |
| Grow | 3 day trial, then $1 a month for 3 months | $105 a month monthly, $79 yearly | 5 staff accounts, lower card rates, reports |
| Advanced | 3 day trial, then $1 a month for 3 months | $399 a month monthly, $299 yearly | 15 staff accounts, lowest card rates, duties tools |
| Shopify Plus | No trial on standard terms | From $2,300 a month | High volume selling, automation, dedicated support |
| Shopify Payments card fees | No separate fee | 2.9% + 30 cents on Basic | Card processing built into the store |
| Third-party transaction fees | No fee with Shopify Payments | 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced | Cost of using another payment provider |
| Themes | Free themes included | Premium themes, check the price before you pay | A designed storefront, one off cost |
| Apps | Many free apps | Paid apps vary, check the price before you pay | Extra features such as reviews and email |
| POS and Retail | POS Lite included on plans | POS Pro, check the price before you pay | Selling in person with hardware and staff tools |
What a New Shopify Store Really Costs in Year One
The first year cost of shopify pricing for new stores depends on the plan and the sales volume, and the subscription is only the start. A store on Basic paid yearly spends $348 on the plan, plus card fees of 2.9 percent plus 30 cents on every online sale, so $12,000 of yearly sales adds about $348 in card fees before any apps.
The trial softens the first months, with three days free and then $1 a month for the first three months on the standard plans. That offer lets a new owner build the store, add products and take the first orders before the full monthly price begins, which is the cheapest way to test whether the store will sell.
The costs that surprise new owners are the extras. A premium theme is a one off purchase, paid apps add a monthly fee each, and a domain bought through Shopify renews yearly. Price the plan, the card fees and one or two paid apps together, because that total is the real monthly bill.
The 10 Shopify Pricing Items, One by One
The ten items below are reviewed in the same order as the table, with what each one costs, what the price buys, and where a new store usually overspends.
1. Starter. Best for sellers who only need links
Starter costs $5 a month and suits a seller who wants to take orders through links and social posts without building a full storefront. There is no online store with Starter, so the seller adds a buy link to a social profile or a message and takes payment through it.
The plan is closed to some new stores in recent months, so check current availability on the Shopify pricing page before you pay, because the offer changes from time to time. A seller who needs a real storefront should start on Basic instead of waiting for Starter to return.
Starter earns its place for creators and makers who sell a few items to an existing audience, because $5 a month is cheaper than any full plan. A seller who expects to grow into a real store should treat Starter as a stepping stone, not a home.
2. Basic. Best for new stores finding their feet
Basic costs $39 a month paid monthly or $29 a month paid yearly, and it is the plan most new stores should start on. It includes a full online store, unlimited products, 10 inventory locations and 24 hour chat support, which covers everything a first store needs.
Card fees on Basic run at 2.9 percent plus 30 cents per online sale with Shopify Payments, and a third party processor adds a 2 percent transaction fee on top. A store selling $1,000 a month pays about $29 in card fees, so the true monthly cost is closer to $68 on the monthly billing rate.
Basic is the best value pick in this guide, because it gives a complete store at the lowest full plan price. A new owner should start here, learn what sells, and move up only when the card fee saving on Grow outweighs the higher subscription.
3. Grow. Best for stores with steady sales
Grow costs $105 a month paid monthly or $79 a month paid yearly, and it suits a store whose sales have steadied and whose team has grown. It adds up to 5 staff accounts, more reports, lower card rates at 2.7 percent plus 30 cents, and a 1 percent third party transaction fee.
The yearly figure for Grow has varied in recent checks, so confirm the current yearly price on the Shopify pricing page before you pay, because the monthly figure of $105 is the stable number to budget against. The saving over Basic comes from the card rate, not from the features alone.
Grow pays for itself when the monthly sales pass roughly $33,000, because the card rate saving then covers the extra $66 a month over Basic. A store below that volume should stay on Basic and keep the difference, while a store above it should move up without delay.
4. Advanced. Best for high-volume stores
Advanced costs $399 a month paid monthly or $299 a month paid yearly, and it suits an established store with high sales and international customers. It adds up to 15 staff accounts, the lowest card rate at 2.5 percent plus 30 cents, a 0.6 percent third party fee, and tools for duties and import taxes.
The yearly figure for Advanced has varied in recent checks, so confirm the current yearly price on the Shopify pricing page before you pay, because the monthly figure of $399 is the stable number to budget against. The plan is built for volume, not for a store finding its feet.
Advanced pays for itself when the monthly sales pass roughly $147,000, because the card rate saving then covers the extra cost over Grow. A store below that volume gains little from the extra features, while a store above it saves real money on every sale.
5. Shopify Plus. Best for large brands and high volume
Shopify Plus starts from $2,300 a month on a three year term, or from $2,500 on a one year term, and it suits large brands with high sales volume and complex needs. It adds automation, a dedicated launch team, higher API limits and a negotiable card rate from around 2.25 percent plus 30 cents.
Plus is a term contract rather than a monthly subscription, so the commitment is measured in years and the price is negotiated for the business. A new store should not consider Plus until the sales volume justifies it, because the cheapest Plus term costs more than five Advanced plans.
The value of Plus is the support and the automation, not the storefront, because a large brand needs workflows that a small store never touches. When the store outgrows Advanced, Plus is the next step, and the sales team will quote the exact terms.
6. Shopify Payments card fees. Best for stores using built-in payments
Shopify Payments charges 2.9 percent plus 30 cents per online card sale on Basic, 2.7 percent plus 30 cents on Grow, and 2.5 percent plus 30 cents on Advanced, with no extra transaction fee on top. The built in processor is the simplest way to take card payments, because the store and the payments share one dashboard.
The card fee is the largest cost after the subscription for most new stores, because it applies to every sale. A store selling $1,000 a month on Basic pays about $29 in card fees, while the same sales on Grow cost about $27, so the saving grows with volume.
Use Shopify Payments when it is available in the store country, because the built in processor avoids the third party transaction fee entirely. A store that needs a different processor should price the extra fee before switching, since it can cost more than the card saving.
7. Third-party transaction fees. Best for stores using another processor
A store that uses a payment provider other than Shopify Payments pays an extra transaction fee of 2 percent on Basic, 1 percent on Grow, and 0.6 percent on Advanced, on top of whatever the provider itself charges. The fee applies to every order, so it adds up quickly on a busy store.
The fee is the reason most new stores should start with Shopify Payments, because avoiding it saves 2 percent of every sale on Basic. A store with a genuine reason to use another processor, such as a local payment method Shopify does not support, should price the fee into the product margins.
The fee falls as the plan rises, which is one more reason a growing store moves up the plans. A store that cannot use Shopify Payments should treat the transaction fee as part of the plan cost, not as a surprise on the invoice.
8. Themes. Best for stores wanting a custom look
Shopify includes a set of free themes that cover most new stores, with clean layouts, mobile friendly design and the essential sections for products and collections. A new store can launch on a free theme and look professional from day one, which keeps the first bill at the plan price alone.
Premium themes cost a one off fee, and the exact price should be checked in the theme store before you pay, because the price varies by theme and by the features included. A premium theme buys a more distinctive design and extra sections, but it does not add sales on its own.
Spend on a premium theme only when the free theme limits the store, such as a missing section or a layout that hides the products. A new store should put the money into product photos and descriptions first, because those sell more than a theme ever will.
9. Apps. Best for stores adding features as they grow
Shopify apps add features the core store does not include, such as reviews, email marketing, loyalty points and shipping rules, and many of the most useful apps are free. A new store can add a reviews app and an email app at no cost, which covers the two features most owners ask for first.
Paid apps vary widely in price, and the exact monthly cost should be checked on the app listing before you pay, because an app can charge per order, per month or by usage. Two or three paid apps can add $30 to $60 a month, which is more than the Basic plan itself for a small store.
Add apps one at a time and only when a real need appears, because a store with twenty apps is slower, dearer and harder to maintain than a store with five. Each app should earn its monthly fee in sales or in time saved, or it should be removed.
10. POS and Retail. Best for stores selling in person
POS Lite comes included on the Shopify plans and covers selling in person with a card reader and the Shopify app, which suits a market stall or a pop up shop. POS Pro adds staff roles, inventory management across locations and advanced reporting, and it is priced separately per location.
The POS Pro price should be checked on the Shopify pricing page before you pay, because it is charged per location and the figure changes from time to time. A store with one physical location pays for one Pro subscription, while a store with three locations pays three times.
A new store that sells only online does not need POS at all, and a store that sells at markets should start with POS Lite and move to Pro when staff roles and stock control become necessary. The retail tools are worth paying for only when the in person sales justify them.
Best Pick by Job
Each row below pairs a store situation with the priced item that fits it best, so a new owner can skip the full reviews and go straight to the match for their store. Each reason is brief, and the reviews above carry the fuller argument.
| Job / Need | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Selling through links only | Starter at $5 a month | No storefront needed when the audience already follows the seller |
| First real store, low sales | Basic at $39 a month | A complete store at the lowest full plan price |
| Steady sales, small team | Grow at $105 a month | Lower card rates and staff accounts repay the extra cost |
| High volume, international sales | Advanced at $399 a month | Lowest card rates and duties tools cover global selling |
| Taking card payments simply | Shopify Payments | Built in processing avoids the third party fee entirely |
| Selling at markets and pop ups | POS Lite included | In person selling costs nothing extra on the plan |
How to Choose the Right Shopify Plan for a New Store
Start with the sales you expect, not the features you want. The shopify pricing for new stores decision begins with a realistic monthly sales figure, because the card fees matter more than the feature list for a small store. Write down the expected sales, then price every plan against that number.
Test the store on the trial before paying. Three days free and then $1 a month for three months gives a new owner time to build the store and take the first orders before the full price begins. A trial that covers real orders teaches more in a month than a week of reading reviews can.
Check the card fees before the plan price. A plan that looks cheap can cost more than a dearer plan once the card fees are added, because the fee applies to every sale. Price the plan and the fees together, because that total is the real monthly bill.
Weigh the yearly saving against the commitment. Yearly billing cuts roughly a quarter off the monthly price, but it means paying twelve months up front. Pay monthly for the first term, then switch to yearly only when the store has proved it will keep selling.
Write down the store niche and the first ten products before choosing a plan, because a store with a clear product list needs less time on Basic than a store still deciding what to sell. A focused catalogue makes the trial period productive instead of exploratory.
Shopify Pricing Mistakes That Cost New Stores Money
The shopify pricing for new stores search fails most often when a new owner budgets only for the subscription and forgets the card fees, because the fees add about $29 to every $1,000 of sales on Basic. Add the plan and the card fees together before deciding whether the store can afford to open.
A second error is buying a premium theme and five paid apps before the first sale, because the extras can double the monthly bill while the store has no revenue. Launch on a free theme with free apps, and spend on extras only when the sales justify them.
A third error is choosing a third party payment provider without pricing the extra transaction fee, because the 2 percent fee on Basic applies to every order on top of the provider own charges. Use Shopify Payments when it is available, and price the extra fee carefully when it is not.
Your First Week Pricing a New Shopify Store
The shopify pricing for new stores choice proves itself in the first week on a real store, so build the products, set the prices and take a test order before the trial ends. A plan that covers a real order is worth keeping, and one that only works in a demo will show its limits quickly.
Keep the first week focused on the basics, because a small test reveals the card fees, the theme limits and the app costs in one pass. A new owner who tests small can switch plans without losing a month of work, while a big first build makes switching painful.
At the end of the week, add up the plan, the card fees and the apps, and check whether the total fits the sales the store expects. If it does, the plan has earned its place, and if it does not, that is the signal to drop the paid extras and stay on Basic.
Set up the tax settings during the trial, because a store that launches without them must fix every order by hand. Enter the regions where the store will sell, check the rates, and run a test order to confirm the tax line appears correctly on the receipt.
How to Keep Shopify Costs Down Without Losing Sales
The shopify pricing for new stores bill stays small when a new owner treats each cost as something to earn its keep, not a subscription to collect. Most new stores can run on Basic with free apps for months, and the tips below keep the paid bill low when the time to pay finally comes.
Stay on Basic until the card fees say move. Grow pays for itself only when monthly sales pass roughly $33,000, so a store below that volume should stay on Basic and keep the difference. Let the sales figures, not the feature list, decide when to move up.
Launch on a free theme. A free theme looks professional from day one, and a premium theme adds little to sales for a new store. Spend the theme money on product photos and descriptions instead, because those sell more than a design ever will.
Add apps one at a time. Each paid app adds a monthly fee, and two or three apps can cost more than the Basic plan itself. Add an app only when a real need appears, and remove it when the need passes.
Use the trial and the $1 months. Three days free and then $1 a month for three months covers the build and the first orders before the full price begins. Use that period to learn what sells, and only then commit to the full monthly rate.
Pay yearly only when the store proves itself. Yearly billing cuts roughly a quarter off the monthly price, but it means paying twelve months up front. Pay monthly for the first term, then switch to yearly once the store has steady sales.
Check the card fees every quarter. A store that grows into a higher plan saves on every sale, so review the monthly sales against the Grow break even point each quarter. Moving up a month early can save more than the extra subscription costs.
Keep a list of the apps the store actually uses, with the monthly cost beside each one, because an app forgotten on the bill is an app that charges for nothing. Review the list each month and remove any app the store has not opened in thirty days.
How We Verified Every Shopify Price in This Guide
The Shopify prices here were read from Shopify pricing pages and from comparison pages that cite those pages, with the check done in October and November 2026. Basic at $39 a month paid monthly or $29 paid yearly, Grow at $105 monthly, Advanced at $399 monthly, Plus from $2,300 a month, and card rates of 2.9, 2.7 and 2.5 percent plus 30 cents are the figures those pages published.
Where a figure varied between sources, such as the yearly price of Grow and Advanced, the guide gives the monthly figure and tells the reader to confirm the yearly price on the Shopify page before paying. The plans were judged on the work a new store actually does, not on a list of features it will never open.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Shopify cost per month for a new store?
Basic costs $39 a month paid monthly or $29 a month paid yearly, and card fees add 2.9 percent plus 30 cents per online sale. A store selling $1,000 a month pays about $68 in total on the monthly rate, before any apps. The trial gives three days free and then $1 a month for three months.
Is the Shopify trial really free?
The trial gives three days free, followed by $1 a month for the first three months on the standard plans. That period covers building the store and taking the first orders before the full monthly price begins. A card is needed to start the trial, and the full price starts automatically when the offer ends.
Do I need to pay for a theme to start a Shopify store?
No, because Shopify includes a set of free themes that look professional and work on mobile. A premium theme costs a one off fee and buys a more distinctive design, but it does not add sales on its own. Launch on a free theme and spend the money on product photos first.
What are Shopify transaction fees?
Shopify Payments charges 2.9 percent plus 30 cents per online sale on Basic, with lower rates on Grow and Advanced. A store using another payment provider pays an extra transaction fee of 2 percent on Basic, 1 percent on Grow and 0.6 percent on Advanced, on top of the provider own charges.
When should a new store move from Basic to Grow?
Move when the monthly sales pass roughly $33,000, because the card rate saving on Grow then covers the extra $66 a month over Basic. Below that volume the store should stay on Basic and keep the difference. Check the sales figures each quarter against that break even point.
Habits That Keep Shopify Costs Under Control
Keep a short note after each month of sales, because the record of what the store spent and what it earned is what makes the next plan decision faster. Owners who write down the card fees and the app costs will not waste an hour rediscovering them next quarter.
Review the app list once a quarter and remove the apps that are no longer used. Owners who let clutter build up pay for subscriptions that nobody needs, while a clean store keeps the work fast and the bill low.
Teach one other person how the store billing works, because a shared skill outlasts a single user and the teaching itself reveals the gaps in the setup. An owner who can explain the plan and the fees in five minutes understands them well enough to trust them.
The Best-Value Shopify Pick for New Stores
The shopify pricing for new stores answer for most readers is Basic at $39 a month paid monthly or $29 paid yearly, because it gives a complete store, unlimited products and 24 hour support at the lowest full plan price. The trial and the $1 months cover the build and the first orders before the full price begins.
Start this week, on a real store, and judge the plan by whether the sales cover the plan plus the card fees. The store should serve the owner, not the other way round, and the pick in this guide is the one that does that most reliably.