How Much Does It Cost to Run a Shopify Store in 2026?
Most people searching for Shopify costs find a pricing page that says plans start at $29/month. Then six months in, they are paying $150 or more and cannot work out where the rest went.
The plan price is just one line item. Apps, payment processing, domain, and marketing tools all bill separately. Some are one-time costs. Others grow as your store grows.
This guide covers every cost category so you can build a realistic budget before you launch, or understand what is driving your current bill.
Short Answer
Running a Shopify store costs anywhere from around $30/month to $400+/month, depending on your plan, apps, and payment setup.
| Cost category | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Shopify plan | $29-399/month (billed annually) |
| Domain | ~$14-20/year |
| Theme | $0 free, or $150-400 one-time for paid |
| Apps | $0-100+/month |
| Payment processing | 2.5-2.9% + 30 cents per transaction |
| Extra transaction fee (non-Shopify Payments) | 0.6-2% of each sale |
| Email marketing | $0 (Shopify Email free tier) to $50+/month |
| Design and development | $0 DIY to $3,000+ one-time |
Most small stores land somewhere between $60 and $150 per month for the platform, not counting payment processing fees that scale with sales volume.
The Shopify Plan
Shopify has four main plans for standard stores. All prices below are in USD.
| Plan | Monthly billing | Annual billing |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $39/month | $29/month |
| Grow | $105/month | $79/month |
| Advanced | $399/month | $299/month |
| Plus | From ~$2,300/month | Negotiated |
There is also a Starter plan at $5/month, but it does not include a full online storefront. It covers social media link-in-bio selling and embedding on an existing website only.
Annual billing saves roughly 25% compared to monthly. For most new stores, starting on the Basic plan billed annually ($29/month) is the lowest-cost starting point.
Which plan do you actually need?
Basic covers most solo stores and new businesses. You get unlimited products, basic reporting, and standard Shopify Payments rates.
Grow adds professional reporting and better payment processing rates. It starts making financial sense when your monthly sales volume is high enough that the lower card processing rate saves you more than the plan price difference.
Advanced is for stores that need detailed custom reports and the lowest available processing rates.
Plus is enterprise pricing, negotiated directly with Shopify, for high-volume businesses.
Domain
Your Shopify plan does not include a domain name. You buy it separately.
Shopify sells domains from your admin. A .com typically costs $14-20 per year through Shopify, depending on the extension you choose.
Buying through Shopify includes:
- 1-year registration
- Automatic SSL certificate
- Email forwarding (so you can use a branded address without a separate mail server)
- Subdomain management within the Shopify admin
- Automatic connection to your store (no DNS setup required)
You can also buy a domain from an external registrar (Namecheap, GoDaddy) and connect it to Shopify. Prices are similar either way. Buying through Shopify is slightly more convenient because it auto-connects.
Theme
Shopify includes free themes. Dawn is the most widely-used default and is a solid starting point for most product stores. Shopify maintains it and updates it regularly.
If you want something more polished or tailored to a specific industry, the Shopify Theme Store sells paid themes with a one-time price.
Paid theme price ranges (from the Shopify Theme Store):
- Budget: around $150
- Mid-range: $280-380
- Premium: $380-400
Paid themes are a one-time purchase, not a monthly subscription.
When a paid theme is worth it:
- Your free theme does not support the layout your products need.
- You want a more polished look without hiring a developer.
- The theme includes specific features (size charts, lookbooks, video backgrounds).
When to skip it:
- You are still validating whether your products will sell.
- A free theme covers your requirements well enough.
A paid theme plus minor self-customization often replaces the need for a developer at the early stages.
Apps: Where Budgets Tend to Grow
This is the category most beginners underestimate. Many stores start with the $39 Basic plan and find themselves paying $130+ per month within a few months, mostly due to apps.
Shopify's core plan covers products, checkout, payments, and basic reporting. Nearly everything beyond that, including product reviews, loyalty programs, email pop-ups, advanced shipping rules, upsells, and subscriptions, requires apps from the Shopify App Store.
There are over 13,000 apps. Many are free or have a usable free tier. The issue is that paid apps each add a monthly subscription, and it is easy to approve a few during free trials without noticing how quickly they stack.
Common app cost examples
| App type | Free option? | Typical paid range |
|---|---|---|
| Product reviews | Yes (Judge.me free plan) | $15/month (Judge.me paid) |
| Email marketing (Shopify Email) | Yes (10,000 emails/month) | $1 per 1,000 beyond the free tier |
| Dedicated email tool (e.g., Klaviyo) | Yes (up to 250 contacts) | $20+/month scaling with list size |
| Loyalty programs | Yes (basic options) | $20-49+/month for more features |
| Abandoned cart recovery | Yes (Shopify's built-in email) | $10-20+/month for advanced tools |
| Upsells and bundles | Yes (several free options) | $10-30+/month for paid tools |
Realistic app spend
- Zero-app or free-only store: $0/month in app costs
- Small store with 3-5 paid apps: $30-80/month
- Growth store with a full marketing stack: $80-150+/month in apps alone
Review your installed apps and their billing every month. It is easy for a $10 trial to roll into a recurring charge you are no longer using.
Payment Processing Fees
Payment fees apply to every order and scale with your sales. There are two separate fees to understand.
The Shopify transaction fee
When you use a third-party payment gateway (Stripe, PayPal, a local processor), Shopify charges an extra percentage on each sale on top of whatever the gateway charges.
Extra transaction fee by plan:
- Basic: 2% per sale
- Grow: 1% per sale
- Advanced: 0.6% per sale
Shopify Payments
Shopify has its own payment processor called Shopify Payments. If you use it, Shopify waives the extra transaction fee entirely. You pay only the card processing rate.
Card processing rates with Shopify Payments (USD, 2026):
- Basic: 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction
- Grow: 2.7% + 30 cents per transaction
- Advanced: 2.5% + 30 cents per transaction
The catch: Shopify Payments is only available in certain countries, including the US, Canada, UK, and Australia, plus roughly 15 others. It is not available everywhere.
Why this matters for your cost
Here is a concrete example. A store doing $5,000 per month in sales with an average order of $50 (100 transactions), on the Basic plan:
Using Shopify Payments:
- Processing cost at 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction: approximately $175/month
- Shopify transaction fee: $0
Using a third-party gateway (e.g., Stripe):
- Stripe processing at 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction: approximately $175/month
- Shopify's extra 2% transaction fee: $100/month
- Total payment cost: approximately $275/month
That is a $100/month difference on $5,000 in sales. At $10,000/month it becomes $200/month. This is one of the most significant hidden costs for stores in countries where Shopify Payments is not available.
Always check whether Shopify Payments is available in your country before committing to Shopify as your platform.
Email and Marketing Tools
Shopify Email is included with every plan at no extra charge. You get 10,000 emails per month for free, covering both manual campaigns and automated flows (like welcome sequences and abandoned cart reminders).
Beyond the free 10,000: $1 per 1,000 additional emails.
For a new store with a small list, Shopify Email is usually enough. A store sending two campaigns per month to 500 subscribers uses 1,000 emails and stays well inside the free tier.
When you outgrow Shopify Email:
- Klaviyo: Free up to 250 contacts. Paid plans scale with list size, starting around $20/month and increasing as you add subscribers. Most growing stores move to Klaviyo for behavioral segmentation and advanced automation.
- SMS marketing: Tools like Postscript or SMSBump charge a base fee ($10-30+/month) plus per-message costs.
- Pop-up and lead capture: Several free options. Paid tools start around $15-30/month for more targeting controls.
Social media advertising (Meta Ads, Google Ads) is paid directly to those platforms, not to Shopify.
Design and Development
Shopify is designed for non-technical users. You do not need a developer to launch.
DIY cost: $0 for setup, beyond the theme cost if you use a paid one.
If you hire help:
| Work type | Typical cost range |
|---|---|
| Freelancer: initial setup (theme config, products, payments) | $500-1,500 |
| Freelancer: custom theme changes or significant design work | $1,500-3,000+ |
| Agency: full brand and store build | $3,000-15,000+ |
| Freelancer: specific customization on an existing store | $200-800 |
These are one-time project costs. After initial setup, most small stores run without ongoing developer involvement.
You may need a developer again for custom functionality, a redesign, or complex app integrations. Budget these as occasional project costs rather than monthly fixed expenses.
Maintenance
Shopify handles most of what counts as maintenance on a self-hosted setup:
- Hosting uptime and server security
- SSL certificate renewal
- Core platform security patches
- PCI DSS compliance for payment data
Your responsibilities:
- Updating your theme when the theme developer pushes updates (available through the Shopify admin)
- Managing your app list (adding, removing, reviewing)
- Keeping product information, pricing, and descriptions current
For most Shopify stores, maintenance is low time cost and no extra money beyond the plan subscription. You do not manage a server or update a content management system core. Shopify handles all of that.
Total Cost Scenarios
Here are three realistic examples showing what a Shopify store actually costs per month.
Scenario 1: New Store, Just Launched
Setup:
- Basic plan (annual billing): $29/month
- Domain (.com through Shopify): ~$1.25/month ($15/year)
- Theme: Dawn (free): $0
- Apps: Free-only or none: $0
- Email: Shopify Email (within 10,000/month free tier): $0
- Payment processing: Shopify Payments
Monthly platform cost: ~$30/month
This is the realistic floor for a live Shopify store. Processing fees come on top and scale with sales. Most stores add at least a few paid apps within the first 3-6 months.
Scenario 2: Small Store, 6-12 Months In
Setup:
- Basic plan (annual): $29/month
- Domain: ~$1.25/month
- Paid theme ($300 one-time, amortized over 24 months): ~$12.50/month
- Apps: Reviews ($15/month), email pop-up ($15/month), loyalty ($20/month): $50/month
- Email: Shopify Email, or Klaviyo starter for a growing list: $0-20/month
- Payment processing: Shopify Payments
Monthly platform cost: ~$93-113/month
Scenario 3: Growing Store with Marketing Stack
Setup:
- Grow plan (annual): $79/month
- Domain: ~$1.25/month
- Paid theme (already amortized): $0
- Apps: Reviews, loyalty, upsells, subscriptions, SMS: $80-120/month
- Email: Klaviyo at 3,000+ subscribers: $45-60/month
- Payment processing: Shopify Payments
Monthly platform cost: ~$205-260/month
Payment processing fees are on top of all three scenarios and scale with your monthly revenue.
Common Mistakes About Shopify Costs
1. Assuming the plan price is the total monthly cost.
The plan covers the storefront, checkout, and hosting. Apps, domain, and processing fees are all separate.
2. Not checking whether Shopify Payments is available in your country.
If it is not, you pay an extra 2% transaction fee on every sale (on Basic). At any meaningful sales volume, this adds up fast. Check this before committing to the platform.
3. Approving too many app trials without tracking what they cost.
Trial periods auto-convert to paid plans. Set a recurring reminder to review your installed apps every month and remove anything you are not actively using.
4. Choosing the Grow or Advanced plan before you need it.
Start on Basic. Only upgrade when your monthly sales volume is high enough that the lower card processing rate saves more than the plan cost difference.
5. Underestimating email marketing costs as your list grows.
Shopify Email is free up to 10,000 emails/month, which is enough for most new stores. But if you move to Klaviyo and your list grows to several thousand contacts, email marketing costs climb steadily. Build this into your projections from the start.
6. Buying a premium paid theme when a free one would work.
Shopify's free themes (including Dawn) are professionally designed and regularly maintained. A free theme is not a compromise; it is a legitimate starting point for most stores.
7. Forgetting that your time is also a cost.
Maintenance is low, but you still need to manage apps, respond to update prompts, keep product data accurate, and handle operational tasks. Budget time, not just money.
When Your Shopify Costs Are Likely to Grow
Shopify's plan pricing is predictable. What drives cost growth over time is mainly the app layer and email marketing:
- Growing email list: You will move from the Shopify Email free tier to paid Klaviyo (or similar) as your list grows past a few hundred contacts.
- Higher sales volume: Processing fees scale with revenue. This is a cost you want to grow because it means more sales.
- More complex features: Subscriptions, loyalty programs, and advanced reporting each require paid apps.
- Plan upgrades: You may move from Basic to Grow when the lower processing rate becomes worth the plan price difference.
- Occasional dev work: Any redesign, new feature, or integration adds a project cost.
None of these are surprises if you plan for them. The stores that feel blindsided by Shopify costs typically approved several app trials in month two and did not review them again.
Related Next Steps
If you are comparing Shopify against WooCommerce on a self-hosted WordPress setup, the full side-by-side covers setup complexity, data ownership, SEO, maintenance, and support: Shopify vs WooCommerce: Practical Differences for Small Businesses.
If you want to understand what a WordPress-based store costs, the full breakdown is here: How Much Does a WordPress Website Cost in 2026?.
For an overview of alternative ecommerce platforms beyond Shopify, the WordPress eCommerce plugin comparison covers the full 2026 landscape.
