Shopify plans & billing
Understand Shopify's pricing plans, what each one includes, how billing works, and how to choose the right plan for your store.
Shopify charges a monthly (or annual) subscription fee for using its platform. Your plan determines what features you can access, what transaction fees you pay, and how many staff accounts you can have.
Quick summary
Shopify's main plans are Basic, Shopify, and Advanced. Higher plans cost more per month but charge lower transaction fees on sales. If you use Shopify Payments, you avoid the per-sale transaction fee entirely. Paying annually saves roughly 25% compared to monthly billing. Your bill also includes any app subscriptions you have active.
The main Shopify plans
Shopify's plan lineup and pricing change periodically, so always check the current rates at shopify.com/pricing. Here is a plain-English summary of what each tier typically includes:
| Feature | Basic | Shopify | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online store | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Staff accounts | 2 | 5 | 15 |
| Inventory locations | Up to 10 | Up to 10 | Up to 10 |
| Professional reports | Limited | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced report builder | No | No | Yes |
| Third-party transaction fee | 2% | 1% | 0.5% |
| Calculated shipping at checkout | Annual plan only | Yes | Yes |
| Duties and import tax | No | No | Yes |
Transaction fees: the honest truth
If you use a third-party payment provider (anything that is not Shopify Payments), Shopify charges you a per-transaction fee on every sale. This is 2% on Basic, 1% on Shopify, and 0.5% on Advanced. The only way to eliminate this fee is to use Shopify Payments. See Payment providers (Shopify Payments, PayPal, etc.) for more detail.
Shopify Plus
Shopify Plus is Shopify's enterprise tier. It is designed for high-volume merchants. It includes:
- Full checkout customization
- Unlimited staff accounts
- Multiple storefronts
- Dedicated support
- Lower transaction fees (0.15% if not using Shopify Payments)
Shopify Plus starts at a much higher monthly price and is only relevant once you are doing significant revenue. If you are considering it, talk to us first — we can help you evaluate whether the cost is justified.
Shopify Starter
Shopify also offers a Starter plan, which is much cheaper but does not include a full online store. It lets you add buy buttons to an existing website or social profile. It is useful if you already have a website and just want to add a simple purchase flow.
Annual vs monthly billing
Paying annually (one lump sum for 12 months) saves you approximately 25% compared to paying month by month. If you are confident in your store and plan to use Shopify for at least a year, the annual billing is a clear win.
To switch to annual billing:
Go to Settings → Plan. From your Shopify admin, click Settings then Plan.
Click Change plan or look for a billing cycle option on your current plan.
Select annual. Review the charge and confirm.
What appears on your Shopify bill
Your monthly Shopify bill has several components:
- Shopify plan subscription — your fixed monthly fee
- App charges — any paid apps you have installed (each billed by Shopify on your behalf)
- Shopify transaction fees — if you used a third-party payment provider
- Shopify Email credits — if you sent more than the free-tier emails via Shopify Email
- Domain registration — if you registered a domain through Shopify
You can view your detailed billing history in Settings → Billing → Billing history.
How to change your plan
Go to Settings → Plan. You will see your current plan.
Click Change plan.
Select a new plan. Review what changes with that plan (features gained or lost, new transaction fee rate).
Confirm. Upgrades take effect immediately. Downgrades take effect at the start of your next billing cycle.
Downgrading may remove features
If you downgrade and your store uses features not available on the lower plan — like extra staff accounts — those accounts may be deactivated. Review what will change before confirming a downgrade.
Shopify's free trial
Shopify offers a free trial period for new stores (typically 3 days, extendable). During the trial, you can set up your store fully but customers cannot check out unless you add a paid plan or use Shopify's special development mode.
Common questions
Related guides
- Payment providers (Shopify Payments, PayPal, etc.)
- Adding & managing staff accounts
- Shopify apps explained
- Understanding the Shopify cart & checkout
Need a hand?
Learn more
Using the Shopify theme editor
Learn how to use Shopify's theme editor to customize your store's appearance — what you can change yourself and when to call in a developer.
Adding & managing staff accounts
Learn how to add staff members to your Shopify store, understand the difference between staff and collaborator accounts, and control who can see and do what.