Shopify Basic costs $39/month. But the real cost of running a Shopify store is $240-$3,550/month depending on your revenue — once you add transaction fees, apps, themes, and the charges Shopify does not mention on its pricing page.
Most new store owners pick a plan based on the subscription price alone, then get surprised when payment processing eats 2.9% of every sale and their app stack costs more than the plan itself. Below is every Shopify fee broken down with real dollar amounts so you can budget accurately before you launch — or audit what you are already paying. True Margin built a free Shopify profit calculator to model these costs against your actual margins.
Shopify Plan Pricing (2026)
Shopify offers five plans. The right one depends on your monthly revenue and whether you need features like advanced reporting, custom duties, or dedicated support. Here is what each plan actually costs:
| Plan | Monthly Price | Annual Price (per month) | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $5/mo | $5/mo | Social selling, link-in-bio stores |
| Basic | $39/mo | ~$29/mo | New stores under $10K/mo revenue |
| Grow | $105/mo | ~$79/mo | Scaling stores $10K-$50K/mo |
| Advanced | $399/mo | ~$299/mo | High-volume stores $50K+/mo |
| Plus | $2,300+/mo | Custom | Enterprise, $500K+/mo revenue |
Annual billing saves roughly 25% on Basic, Grow, and Advanced. That is $120/year saved on Basic alone. If you are confident you will run your store for 12 months, there is no reason to pay monthly. The Starter plan has no annual discount because the price is already minimal.
Transaction and Payment Processing Fees
This is where Shopify makes most of its money — and where most sellers underestimate their costs. Every single order incurs a payment processing fee, and if you do not use Shopify Payments, you pay an additional surcharge on top.
| Fee Type | Rate |
|---|---|
| Shopify Payments (online) | 2.9% + $0.30/txn |
| Shopify Payments (in-person) | 2.6% + $0.10/txn |
| Third-party gateway surcharge (Basic) | +2.0% |
| Third-party gateway surcharge (Grow) | +1.0% |
| Third-party gateway surcharge (Advanced) | +0.6% |
| International cards | ~3.9% + $0.30/txn |
| Currency conversion (U.S.) | 1.5% |
| Currency conversion (international) | Up to 2.0% |
The third-party gateway surcharge is the fee most people miss. If you use PayPal, Stripe, or any processor other than Shopify Payments, Shopify charges an additional 2.0% on Basic — on top of whatever your gateway already charges. On a $50 order, that is an extra $1.00 going to Shopify before your payment processor takes their cut. Use Shopify Payments unless you have a compelling reason not to.
International fees stack quickly too. A customer in the UK buying from your U.S. store with a foreign credit card could trigger a 3.9% processing fee plus a 1.5% currency conversion fee — a combined 5.4% on that single transaction. If international sales represent a significant share of your revenue, factor this into your profit margin calculations.
App Costs: The Fee Nobody Budgets For
The average Shopify store spends $60-$120/month on paid apps — often more than the Shopify subscription itself. Shopify's free plan gives you the storefront, but critical functionality like email marketing, reviews, upsells, and advanced analytics all require third-party apps.
A typical app stack for a growing store looks like this:
| App Category | Monthly Cost | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Email marketing | $20-$50 | Klaviyo, Omnisend |
| Product reviews | $15-$30 | Judge.me, Loox |
| Upsells and cross-sells | $20-$40 | ReConvert, Bold Upsell |
| SEO tools | $10-$30 | Plug in SEO, SEO King |
| Analytics and reporting | $30-$50 | Lifetimely, Triple Whale |
| Subscriptions | $15-$50 | Recharge, Bold Subscriptions |
The trap is gradual. You install one app at $15/month, then another at $30, then another at $20 — and six months later you are paying $110/month in apps without realizing it. Audit your app stack quarterly. Every app should either increase revenue or reduce costs by more than it charges. If it does not, remove it.
Theme and Domain Costs
Shopify offers free themes, but most serious stores upgrade to a premium theme for better design flexibility and conversion optimization.
- Free themes: Shopify includes 12+ free themes. They work, but customization is limited.
- Premium themes: $180-$350 one-time purchase from the Shopify Theme Store. Third-party themes from Themeforest or Out of the Sandbox range similarly.
- Custom domain: ~$14/year through Shopify or any registrar. You need one — nobody trusts a .myshopify.com URL.
Theme cost is one-time so it barely dents your monthly budget. But if you switch themes every six months chasing conversions, that adds up. Pick a well-supported theme with active development and commit to it.
The Total Real Cost of Shopify (by Revenue Tier)
Here is what Shopify actually costs when you add everything together. These estimates assume Shopify Payments, a typical app stack, and Basic plan for small stores, Grow for growing stores, and Advanced for high-volume stores.
| Revenue Tier | Monthly Revenue | Estimated Total Cost | Cost as % of Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small store | $5,000/mo | ~$240/mo | 4.8% |
| Growing store | $25,000/mo | ~$940/mo | 3.8% |
| High-volume store | $100,000/mo | ~$3,550/mo | 3.5% |
The percentage drops as revenue scales, but the dollar amount climbs fast. A $100K/month store is paying $42,600/year just in Shopify-related costs. That is real money — and it comes straight out of your profit margin.
Notice that even the small store at $5K/month is paying nearly 5% of gross revenue to Shopify. Combined with COGS, shipping, and ad spend, that 5% can be the difference between a profitable store and one that bleeds cash. Understanding where every dollar goes is not optional — it is how you stay alive. Compare this to self-hosted alternatives in our Shopify vs WooCommerce cost breakdown.
How to Reduce Your Shopify Costs
You cannot eliminate payment processing fees, but you can reduce total Shopify costs by 15-30% with these moves:
- Switch to annual billing. Saves 25% on Basic, Grow, and Advanced. This alone saves $120-$1,200/year depending on your plan.
- Use Shopify Payments. Avoid the 0.6-2.0% third-party gateway surcharge entirely. On $25K/month revenue, that saves $250-$500/month.
- Audit your app stack quarterly. Most stores have 2-3 apps they installed, forgot about, and are still paying for. Check your Shopify admin under Settings > Apps and sales channels.
- Consolidate apps. Some apps overlap in functionality. If your email platform already does pop-ups, you do not need a separate pop-up app at $20/month.
- Negotiate app pricing. Many app developers offer annual plans at a discount if you ask. Klaviyo and other major apps offer lower rates for annual commitments.
- Increase average order value. Higher AOV means fewer transactions for the same revenue — and fewer $0.30 per-transaction fees. Bundles and minimum-free-shipping thresholds help here.
Shopify Fees vs What You Keep
The real question is not what Shopify costs — it is what you keep after all fees. If you sell a $50 product with a $20 COGS and spend $10 on ads, here is what happens on the Basic plan:
- Revenue: $50.00
- COGS: -$20.00
- Ad spend: -$10.00
- Shopify Payments (2.9% + $0.30): -$1.75
- Shopify plan (prorated per order): -$0.40
- Apps (prorated per order): -$0.80
- Net profit: $17.05 (34.1% margin)
That 34.1% looks healthy — but swap in a $30 COGS or a $15 ad cost and you are suddenly at 20% or lower. Shopify fees are a fixed drag on every order, which means they hit hardest on low-margin products. If your store revenue is growing but profits are flat, Shopify fees are likely part of the reason.
See exactly what Shopify fees do to your margins
Plug in your product cost, selling price, and monthly volume to see your true profit after every Shopify fee.
Open Shopify Profit Calculator →When to Upgrade Your Shopify Plan
Upgrading makes financial sense when the lower transaction fees on a higher plan save you more than the price difference. Here is the math:
Basic to Grow: Grow costs $66/month more than Basic ($105 vs $39). But if you use a third-party gateway, the surcharge drops from 2.0% to 1.0%. On $10,000/month revenue through a third-party gateway, that 1.0% savings equals $100/month — more than the $66 upgrade cost. If you do over $6,600/month through a third-party gateway, Grow pays for itself.
Grow to Advanced: Advanced costs $294/month more ($399 vs $105). The third-party surcharge drops from 1.0% to 0.6%. You need $73,500+/month through a third-party gateway for the 0.4% savings to cover the upgrade. For most stores using Shopify Payments, the upgrade is really about features like custom reports, third-party calculated shipping rates, and lower currency conversion fees.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Shopify really cost per month?
Shopify's real monthly cost depends on your revenue. A store doing $5K/month pays roughly $240/month (4.8% of revenue) after subscription, transaction fees, and apps. A $25K/month store pays around $940/month (3.8%), and a $100K/month store pays approximately $3,550/month (3.5%). The subscription fee is just the starting point.
What are Shopify's transaction fees?
With Shopify Payments, online transaction fees are 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction on the Basic plan. In-person rates are lower at 2.6% + $0.10. If you use a third-party payment gateway, you pay an additional surcharge of 2.0% on Basic, 1.0% on Grow, or 0.6% on Advanced — on top of whatever your gateway charges.
Is Shopify's annual billing worth it?
Yes. Annual billing saves roughly 25% on Basic, Grow, and Advanced plans. Basic drops from $39/month to about $29/month, Grow from $105 to about $79, and Advanced from $399 to about $299. If you plan to run your store for at least a year, annual billing is a straightforward way to cut fixed costs.
How much do Shopify apps cost?
The average Shopify store spends $60-$120/month on paid apps. Common categories include email marketing ($20-$50/month), reviews ($15-$30/month), upsells ($20-$40/month), and analytics ($30-$50/month). App costs scale with order volume and feature needs. Audit your stack quarterly — most stores are paying for at least one app they no longer use.
Does Shopify charge currency conversion fees?
Yes. Shopify Payments charges a 1.5% currency conversion fee for U.S. stores and up to 2.0% for international stores. International credit card transactions also carry higher processing rates of approximately 3.9% + $0.30 per transaction. If you sell internationally, these fees need to be factored into your pricing strategy.