How Much Does It Really Cost to Sell on Shopify? (2026)

Last Updated on January 22, 2026 by Himanshu Rawat

Starting an online business is exciting, but one of the first questions every entrepreneur asks is: How much will it really cost to sell on Shopify? Shopify is known for its simplicity and flexibility, and its popularity speaks for itself, with over 4.82 million active stores worldwide relying on the platform to run and grow their businesses.

This massive global adoption shows how trusted and powerful Shopify has become for e-commerce success. However, the total cost of running a Shopify store can vary depending on your store size, business goals, and the tools or apps you choose to use. 

In this guide, we’ll break down how much it really costs to sell on Shopify, so you can plan your budget clearly, make informed decisions, and avoid any unexpected surprises along the way.

How Much Does It Cost to Sell on Shopify? 

Shopify’s pricing plans largely determine how much it costs to sell, covering essentials like hosting and security, while total costs can also include your domain, apps, premium themes, marketing tools, and transaction fees. Let’s break down all the fees, so you can plan your budget and know exactly what it takes to run your online store.

1. Shopify Pricing Plans

Plan	Monthly Price (billed monthly)	Annual Price (billed monthly)	Best For
Basic	$39	$29	New stores & small businesses
Grow	$105	$79	Growing brands
Advanced	$399	$299	Scaling businesses with high volume
Plus	$2,300 / $2,500	$2,300 / $2,500	Enterprise businesses

Basic – $29/month (billed yearly)

The Basic plan is perfect for solo entrepreneurs or beginners just starting their e-commerce journey. It provides all the essentials you need to launch your store without overwhelming complexity:

• Simple store setup: Easily set up your online store with user-friendly tools.
• Basic selling features: Manage products, process orders, and start selling quickly.
• Inventory management: Track stock across up to 10 locations.
• Support: 24/7 chat support ensures help is available whenever you need it.
• Point of Sale (POS): Sell in-person with Shopify’s POS system for seamless integration.

Grow – $79/month (billed yearly)

Ideal for small teams and growing businesses, the Grow plan offers tools to scale your operations and increase sales:

• Lower transaction fees: Save money on each sale as your volume increases.
• Better shipping discounts: Reduce shipping costs with more favorable rates.
• Staff accounts: Add up to 5 team members to help manage your store.
• Sales growth tools: Features designed to support higher sales volumes and streamline operations.

Advanced – $299/month (billed yearly)

The Advanced plan is tailored for businesses that are ready to scale and expand into new markets:

• Advanced reporting and analytics: Gain deeper insights into your store’s performance.
• Best shipping rates: Access Shopify’s most competitive shipping discounts.
• Staff accounts: Support a team of up to 15 members.
• International selling tools: Easily sell to customers around the world with multi-currency and global shipping options.

Plus – From $2,300/month (billed yearly)

Shopify Plus is designed for large enterprises and high-volume businesses needing a fully customizable solution:

• Custom checkout experiences: Tailor the checkout process to your specific business needs.
• Priority support: Get dedicated assistance for fast resolution of any issues.
• Unlimited staff accounts: Manage a large team without limitations.
• B2B and wholesale selling: Sell to other businesses alongside retail customers.
• High-volume performance: Optimized to handle large traffic and order volumes seamlessly.

2. Domain Name Cost

Your domain name is your store’s digital identity. While Shopify provides a free subdomain, a custom domain gives your business a more professional and trustworthy image.

• Free: yourstore.myshopify.com
• Paid: yourstore.com → $10–$20 per year

A custom domain improves brand recognition, builds customer confidence, and makes your store look more established, which can positively impact conversions.

3. Shopify Themes (Design Cost)

Your Shopify theme plays a major role in how professional and trustworthy your store looks. It affects your store’s layout, user experience, and how easily customers can navigate and purchase your products.

Free Themes: $0

Shopify provides several high-quality free themes that are perfect for beginners and small businesses. They are easy to set up, mobile-friendly, and come with all the basic features needed to start selling. Free themes are a great choice if you want to keep your initial costs low while still maintaining a clean and professional design.

Premium Themes: $199–$400 (one-time payment)

Premium themes offer more advanced design options, better customization, and additional built-in features. They usually include enhanced product layouts, advanced filtering, faster performance, and more flexibility in branding. This makes them ideal for stores that want a unique look and a more polished shopping experience.

In short, free themes are perfect for getting started, while premium themes are an investment that can help improve your store’s appearance, user experience, and conversion rates as your business grows.

4. Apps & Plugins

Shopify apps and plugins extend your store’s functionality beyond the basics. They help you add features like email marketing, customer reviews, upsells, SEO, automation, live chat, and abandoned cart recovery without any custom development.

• Free Apps: $0
  Ideal for beginners. They offer basic features such as simple email campaigns, popups, and limited product reviews.
• Paid Apps: $5–$100/month (per app)
  Most stores use apps in this range. They provide better automation, higher limits, advanced tools, and premium support for marketing, reviews, SEO, and upselling.
• Advanced Tools: $199+/month
  Designed for scaling stores with needs like advanced analytics, AI personalization, and enterprise-level automation.
• Typical Spending:
  Most Shopify stores spend $20–$100 per month on apps, starting small and adding more as their business grows.

5. Payment Processing Fees 

Shopify’s payment processing fees depend on your plan and whether the payment is made online or in person.

Online transaction fees:

• Basic: 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction
• Advanced: 2.5% + 30¢ per transaction (Higher plans offer lower rates, which is beneficial as your sales grow.)

In-person (POS) transaction fees:

• Basic: 2.6% + 10¢
• Grow: 2.5% + 10¢
• Advanced: 2.4% + 10¢

These rates apply only when you use Shopify Payments, Shopify’s built-in payment gateway. One major advantage is that it helps you avoid extra fees charged by third-party payment providers, which usually range from 0.6% to 2% per transaction.

Using Shopify Payments can significantly reduce your overall transaction costs and simplify your payment process, especially as your store scales.

6. Product Cost on Shopify

Shopify does not charge any per-product listing fees. No matter which plan you choose, you can list unlimited products in your store without paying extra for each item. Your costs are mainly connected to subscriptions, transaction fees, and optional apps, not the number of products you sell.

Here’s what usually affects your product cost:

• Shopify subscription: Ranges from $5 to $399+ per month, depending on your plan.
• Transaction fees: Typically around 2.4% to 5% + 30¢ per transaction, based on your plan and payment method.
• Apps for product management: Tools for bulk imports, product variants, inventory syncing, or dropshipping usually cost around $10–$50 per month.

If you are sourcing products, that cost must also be included in your pricing. For example:

• Dropshipping or wholesale sourcing: Often ranges between $5–$20 per unit, depending on the product and supplier.

Notes: To stay profitable, most sellers aim for a 30–50% profit margin, ensuring platform expenses and operational costs are fully covered while still keeping prices competitive.

7. Shipping Costs on Shopify

Shopify does not charge any direct shipping fees. Your shipping cost depends on the carrier, package weight, destination, and delivery speed. Shopify Shipping helps reduce these costs by offering discounted rates with carriers like USPS, UPS, DHL, and in India with Shiprocket, Delhivery, and Blue Dart.

You can choose how to charge customers by setting:

• Flat rates
• Custom rates
• Real-time carrier rates
• Free shipping (by absorbing the cost)

Shipping expenses may include labels, packaging, fulfillment, and returns.

Higher Shopify plans unlock better shipping discounts, ranging from 77% to 88% off retail rates, which is very helpful for scaling stores, especially through Instagram and TikTok sales.

Using Shopify’s discounted shipping can save around 40–60%, helping you keep delivery affordable while protecting your profit margins.

8. Marketing & Advertising Costs

Marketing and advertising are crucial for driving traffic and sales to your Shopify store. Running ads helps people discover your products, build brand awareness, and grow your business faster.

Extra costs come from:

• Marketing apps: $20–$100/month (email, SEO, automation, popups)
• Paid ads: Facebook, Instagram, Google, etc. (Facebook CPM: $5–$50)

Most stores spend 10–15% of their revenue on ads, targeting a 3x–9x ROAS.

Free channels like SEO and content marketing are powerful too, driving about 26% of total traffic.

This makes Shopify cost-effective: start with free tools and scale using paid apps and ads when needed.

Is Shopify Worth the Cost?

Based on the costs and features outlined above, Shopify is definitely worth the investment for anyone looking to run an online store efficiently and professionally. 

While there are monthly subscription fees, payment processing costs, optional app expenses, and marketing budgets to consider, the platform provides everything you need to start, grow, and scale your business.

• Reliable hosting: Your store stays online and loads quickly, even during traffic spikes.
• Secure payments: Built-in payment processing keeps transactions safe for you and your customers.
• Fast checkout: Smooth checkout experiences help reduce cart abandonment and increase sales.
• Scalable infrastructure: Shopify grows with your business, whether you have a few sales or thousands per day.
• 24/7 support: Expert assistance is available anytime, so technical issues don’t slow you down.

Compared to building and maintaining a custom website, Shopify is often more cost-effective and much easier to manage. Plus, with marketing and advertising tools integrated, you can promote your store and reach customers quickly without needing multiple separate platforms.

Final Thought

Selling on Shopify can be as simple or as advanced as your business requires. While the costs vary based on your plan, apps, marketing efforts, and shipping needs, the platform provides a reliable, scalable, and secure foundation for your e-commerce journey. From beginners launching their first store to enterprise businesses handling thousands of orders, Shopify offers the tools and flexibility to grow without worrying about technical headaches. By planning your budget carefully and choosing the right features for your business, Shopify can deliver excellent value, streamline your operations, and help you focus on what really matters: selling and growing your brand.

Frequently asked questions

1. Does Shopify charge a fee for each product I add?

No. Shopify does not charge per-product fees. You can list unlimited products on any plan without additional costs.

2. Can I start with a free theme to save money?

Yes. Shopify provides high-quality free themes that are mobile-friendly and easy to customize. Premium themes are optional and cost $199–$400 for additional features and design flexibility.

3. Are there any hidden transaction fees?

If you use Shopify Payments, transaction fees are included in your plan. Using third-party payment gateways may incur extra fees ranging from 0.5% to 2% per transaction.

4. Do I need paid apps to run my store?

Not necessarily. Many stores start with free apps to handle basic tasks. Paid apps ($5–$100/month) are recommended as your business grows to automate marketing, improve customer experience, and enhance functionality.

5. How much should I budget for marketing?

Marketing costs vary, but most stores spend 10–15% of revenue on paid ads, while free channels like SEO, social media, and content marketing can drive significant traffic without extra cost.