Overview

If you’re asking “how much is Shopify a month,” the short answer is this: most new stores spend $39–$250 per month on subscription and essential apps, and $150–$1,500+ per month on payment processing depending on sales volume. A realistic all‑in monthly cost ranges from about $200 on the low end to $2,000+ for higher‑volume brands before inventory and shipping.

Your exact spend hinges on plan choice, order volume, average order value (AOV), in‑person vs online mix, and add‑ons like email/SMS and POS.

In this guide, you’ll get the headline plan prices, the fees that move with your revenue, and realistic total cost of ownership (TCO) scenarios. We combine subscription, processing, apps, themes, domains, email/SMS, hardware, and shipping.

We’ll also show simple break‑even math so you know when upgrading plans actually lowers your net fees. Finally, we’ll cover billing mechanics like trials, promotions, proration, and pause options with links to Shopify’s official pages for verification.

Shopify plans and what you’ll actually pay each month

Shopify’s core ecommerce plans are Starter, Basic, Shopify, and Advanced, with separate context for retail (POS). On monthly billing in USD, published prices commonly appear as Starter at roughly $5/month, Basic at $39/month, Shopify at $105/month, and Advanced at $399/month, with lower per‑month rates if you choose annual billing.

Always verify current figures on the official Shopify Pricing page, as prices and promos change.

Two mechanics drive what you actually pay each month: the subscription you pick and the variable payment processing fees on your orders. Starter is a social/link‑in‑bio checkout; Basic fits most early stores.

Shopify and Advanced trade higher subscription cost for lower payment rates and more features. If you sell in person, POS Lite is included for basic mobile checkout, while POS Pro is a paid add‑on per location. To decide quickly, start on the cheapest plan that meets your needs, then run the break‑even math below to see when lower processing rates justify upgrading.

Country-specific pricing, currency, and taxes/VAT on plan fees

Plan prices are localized by country and billed in your local currency. Shopify may add sales tax, VAT, or GST to your subscription depending on your business location.

For example, US merchants may see sales tax on the invoice where applicable. EU/UK merchants typically see VAT added to plan fees. See Shopify’s guidance on Taxes on your Shopify bill before budgeting.

Localization also applies to payment processing rates. The percentages and per‑transaction fixed fees vary by country and card network, and FX/cross‑border charges differ. If you sell internationally, factor these regional differences into your margin and the break‑even math later in this guide.

Trial, promotions, and first-year pricing dynamics

Shopify regularly offers a free trial and limited‑time promos (like “$1 for the first month”) that reduce early cash outlay. Annual billing often carries noticeable savings versus month‑to‑month, but it trades flexibility for commitment. That matters if you might upgrade or pause seasonally.

Trials convert into paid plans automatically when the trial ends; your first paid invoice may include prorated charges if you switch plans mid‑cycle. Promos can lower your first‑year subscription total by 10–30% depending on duration and offer. Processing fees still track your revenue from day one.

Check current promotions on the Shopify Pricing page and weigh annual savings against your need for flexibility.

Payment processing fees and how they change by plan and country

Payment processing is typically your largest ongoing expense after inventory. Using Shopify Payments, Shopify lists US‑based online rates around 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction on Basic, 2.7% + $0.30 on Shopify, and 2.4% + $0.30 on Advanced; in‑person rates are lower.

Rates vary by country, so confirm your local schedule on Shopify Payments pricing.

If you use an external payment gateway instead of Shopify Payments, Shopify charges an additional transaction fee (commonly 2.0% on Basic, 1.0% on Shopify, 0.5% on Advanced in the US). That surcharge can overwhelm any savings you hoped to gain from a third‑party processor unless you have unusual negotiating power.

Always compare your effective blended rate, not just headline percentages.

In-person vs online rates and third‑party gateway surcharges

In‑person card‑present transactions generally carry lower percentages than online because fraud risk and interchange are lower. As a rule of thumb, expect in‑person rates about 20–30 basis points below your online percentage on the same plan with Shopify Payments.

Verify your country’s posted rates on the Payments pricing page.

If you disable Shopify Payments and use a third‑party gateway, you’ll pay that provider’s rates plus Shopify’s additional fee on each order. Many merchants discover that the added 0.5–2.0% surcharge erases any negotiated savings, especially at low to mid volume.

Run your own math with your AOV and order mix, and revisit the break‑even section before deciding.

Cross‑border and currency conversion fees that affect margins

Cross‑border orders often incur two incremental costs: an international card fee and a currency conversion fee. For US merchants on Shopify Payments, Shopify commonly lists an additional ~1% for international cards and ~1% for currency conversion; both can apply on the same order.

These add 1–2% to your effective rate, which materially impacts margin on thin‑margin SKUs. Review your country’s details on the Payments pricing page and the cross‑border guidance under Shopify Markets before setting global prices.

If you use Shopify Markets or Markets Pro to collect duties/taxes at checkout and localize catalogs, you’ll improve conversion and reduce delivery friction. You may also see added service fees and FX costs.

Model cross‑border profitability explicitly by country with and without duties paid at checkout (DDP) to avoid surprises.

Break‑even math: when upgrading plans actually lowers your net fees

Upgrading from Basic to Shopify or Advanced raises your subscription fee. It can lower your total cost if your processing savings exceed the upgrade delta.

The tipping point depends on your AOV, monthly orders, and the split between online and in‑person sales.

As a quick heuristic for US merchants using Shopify Payments online: if you process roughly $15,000–$25,000/month at a typical AOV ($50–$80), the 20–50 basis point reduction from Basic to Shopify often covers the $66/month plan difference. Advanced usually needs significantly higher volume to pay for itself unless you rely on advanced reporting, lower third‑party shipping rates, or B2B features.

Use the calculator steps below to plug in your numbers.

Break‑even calculator methodology (AOV, order volume, in‑person mix)

You only need four inputs to estimate your break‑even:

Then:

  1. Compute gross GMV per channel: GMV_online = AOV × online orders; GMV_inperson = AOV × in‑person orders.
  2. Compute processing cost per channel per plan: online_fees = GMV_online × rate% + (online orders × fixed fee); inperson_fees = GMV_inperson × rate%.
  3. Add subscription: total_cost = subscription + online_fees + inperson_fees.
  4. Compare plans: the break‑even is where total_cost(plan A) = total_cost(plan B). Solve by hand or iterate quickly in a spreadsheet.

Example (US, online only, AOV $65, 400 orders/month):

At this volume/AOV, Shopify doesn’t yet beat Basic. At ~600 orders ($39,000 GMV), Basic fees ≈ $1,311 vs Shopify ≈ $1,233; with subscriptions, Basic ≈ $1,350 vs Shopify ≈ $1,338—Shopify now wins by about $12/month.

Run your numbers with your local rates from the Payments pricing page.

Total cost of ownership scenarios

Your real monthly cost goes beyond the plan. You’ll also budget for processing, a domain, a theme (one‑time but amortized), a handful of apps, email/SMS, potential chargeback fees, and sometimes POS hardware and shipping labels.

Below are realistic monthly snapshots by store type. Adapt them to your country and stack.

Low‑volume starter store

A new DTC store doing ~$5,000/month in online sales at $50 AOV (100 orders) can expect an all‑in monthly budget around $200–$350.

With a free theme and a lean app stack, you’ll hover near $200/month. Adding a premium theme and a couple of paid apps pushes you into the $300s.

Use this baseline to set a first‑month cash plan alongside inventory and ad spend.

Mid‑volume DTC brand

A growing brand doing ~$50,000/month online at $70 AOV (≈714 orders) typically lands between $1,100–$2,000/month all‑in, excluding advertising and inventory.

This stack reflects typical growth‑stage tooling while keeping processing the dominant driver. If cross‑border is material, add 1–2% to the effective rate for international cards and conversions.

Omnichannel retailer (online + POS)

A retailer doing $80,000/month split 60/40 online vs in‑store, with two physical locations on POS Pro, often budgets $2,000–$4,000/month for platform + processing + retail tooling (hardware is additional and often front‑loaded).

For retail, remember Pro is priced per location and hardware is required for card‑present acceptance. Model each new location with its own POS Pro and hardware costs.

Apps and themes: typical costs and tradeoffs

Most stores run 5–15 apps. Keep the stack lean by starting with must‑haves, then add apps that clearly pay for themselves.

Free Shopify themes can carry you far; premium themes ($180–$380 one‑time) often reduce dev time and improve UX out of the box.

Common app categories and monthly ranges:

Themes are usually a one‑time license with ongoing updates. Budget a small dev/design retainer or internal time for periodic improvements.

Reassess the stack quarterly—apps creep is real, and overlapping features can hide in multiple subscriptions.

POS hardware: what you actually need and what it costs

For in‑person selling, you’ll need at least a card reader and a device to run the POS app. Budgets vary by checkout style and brand aesthetics; most merchants spend $150–$1,200 per checkout station upfront, then replace or add devices as they scale.

Browse current device options and pricing on the official Shopify POS hardware page before buying.

For a quick planning lens:

Start with the minimum viable setup at your first location. Measure throughput and customer experience, then standardize a kit that balances speed, durability, and total cost.

Email and SMS marketing costs to budget for

Shopify includes an email tool with generous free sends and simple automation. As of this writing, Shopify Email includes 10,000 free emails per month, with overages commonly $1 per additional 1,000 emails.

Many stores graduate to dedicated ESPs for segmentation and advanced automation, but the included tool can serve early stages cost‑effectively.

SMS is typically delivered via third‑party apps and is billed per message/country—expect roughly $0.015–$0.05 per SMS in the US, more internationally, plus possible carrier fees for high‑volume or short codes. Forecast monthly sends from your list size and cadence: for example, a 20,000‑subscriber list at two campaigns per month with a 50% SMS opt‑in can easily run a few hundred dollars.

Cross‑border selling with Shopify Markets and Markets Pro

Selling internationally increases conversion when you localize currency, pricing, and duties/taxes collection. Shopify Markets centralizes these settings so shoppers see local currency and can prepay duties/taxes at checkout (DDP) where configured.

This improves delivery predictability but adds complexity to landed cost and margins.

On fees, account for:

Run margin worksheets per top destination country (price, FX spread, processing, duties/taxes, shipping) and consider list pricing by market to preserve your target contribution margin.

Multi‑store and multi‑location cost considerations

Each additional Shopify store requires its own subscription unless you’re on Shopify Plus with expansion stores as part of your contract. If you operate multiple brands or regional storefronts, budget separate plans or consider a Plus consolidation strategy once volume justifies it.

For retail, POS Pro is priced per location—if you add three new stores, your Pro line item scales linearly by location. Staff seats also vary by plan (for example, Basic supports fewer staff than Advanced), and Shopify supports a high number of inventory locations, which is helpful for warehouses, retail stores, and 3PLs.

Map out location growth and staff needs alongside your plan and POS Pro assumptions so costs scale predictably.

Shopify Plus pricing and typical enterprise extras

Shopify Plus is designed for high‑volume and complex merchants. Pricing is contract‑based; public guidance commonly cites a starting point around $2,000 per month with a variable component tied to revenue.

Exact terms vary, so treat this as directional and confirm with Shopify. Start on the Shopify Pricing page, then speak with sales for a quote.

Beyond the subscription, most Plus implementations include:

Plus can be economical once lower transaction fees, B2B features, automation, and multi‑store governance offset subscription and implementation costs. Run a detailed TCO model before committing to a multi‑year contract.

Billing rules: upgrades, downgrades, proration, refunds, and pause options

Shopify’s billing is transparent once you know the rules. When you change plans mid‑cycle on monthly billing, Shopify generally prorates charges and credits on your next invoice.

Annual plans are billed upfront and carry more restrictions if you downgrade mid‑term. Review how charges and credits appear on your invoice in Shopify’s help for billing and proration.

If you need to step back temporarily, Shopify offers a reduced‑fee “Pause and Build” option in many regions that keeps your admin accessible but disables checkout. Historically this has been listed around $9/month; specifics vary over time and by country, so confirm current details in your admin or the help center.

When you resume, your subscription resumes at your chosen plan and charges reflect proration from the resume date.

Two additional notes: taxes/VAT may apply to your subscription (see Taxes on your Shopify bill), and promo periods or trial conversions can create partial‑period charges on your first paid invoice. Always scan the invoice line items monthly to catch unused apps or unexpected add‑ons.

First‑year budgets: new store vs migrating brand

Year one includes some one‑time costs you won’t see later. A new store on Basic with a premium theme, minimal apps, and modest email needs might spend $3,000–$8,000 in year one excluding inventory and ads.

That figure covers 12 months of platform/processing, a $180–$380 theme, $500–$2,000 in apps, and perhaps $0–$2,000 in expert help.

A migrating brand often budgets more: $10,000–$50,000+ depending on data migration, design refresh, custom apps/integrations, and staff training. If you add retail, allocate POS hardware per station and the POS Pro per‑location fee.

Promotions like a free trial plus “$1 for the first month” can shave a few hundred dollars off year one, but processing will still scale with revenue.

Plan the first year by separating one‑time vs recurring lines: subscription, processing, apps, email/SMS, domain, theme (amortized), chargebacks, hardware (amortized), and shipping/fulfillment. Revisit quarterly as your volume and stack evolve.

How to choose the cheapest plan for your situation

Start with your current reality, not aspirations. If you’re new, Basic is usually fine; if you’re growing, run the break‑even math using your AOV, orders, and online vs in‑person mix with local rates from the Payments pricing page.

If your processing savings exceed the subscription delta, upgrade. If not, stay put and reassess monthly.

Next, layer in your operating model. If you run physical stores, add POS Pro per location and budget realistic hardware.

If you sell cross‑border, account for international card and currency conversion add‑ons plus any duties/taxes workflow through Shopify Markets. Finally, sanity‑check billing mechanics: if flexibility matters, avoid locking into annual too early, and know that taxes/VAT may be added to your invoice as outlined in Taxes on your Shopify bill.

With a simple spreadsheet and the rates on the official Shopify Pricing page, you’ll land on the lowest‑cost plan that still meets your needs.