How Much Does a Shopify Store Cost? The Real Total Cost in 2026

The Shopify plan is only part of what a store costs. As of October 2026, US plans cost $39 (Basic), $105 (Grow) or $399 (Advanced) a month on monthly billing, but every sale also carries a payment fee, and most stores add a theme, apps, a domain and marketing on top. For a small store, payment fees often cost more than the plan itself.

The fixed Shopify costs are easy to pin down because Shopify publishes them. The variable costs, such as apps, design and advertising, depend on choices you make, so no honest guide can give you a single number for those. What we can do is show you every cost line, the official prices where they exist, and worked budgets you can adapt with your own sales figures.

All Shopify prices below come from Shopify's pricing page and Help Center as of October 2026. The budget tables are illustrative examples built on stated assumptions, not averages. For the rest of our Shopify series, see the Shopify hub.

Every cost of running a Shopify store

There are no setup fees on any Shopify plan, and hosting, bandwidth and an SSL certificate are included.

1. Your Shopify plan

Most new stores choose between Basic, Grow and Advanced. The main differences are card rates, staff accounts and shipping and international features, not reports or locations, which are now the same on all three. Paying yearly saves $120 on Basic, $312 on Grow and $1,200 on Advanced over 12 months, but you pay the year up front.

New stores currently get 3 days free, then $1 a month for 3 months on most plans, which keeps platform costs close to zero while you build. See our Shopify free trial guide and plans and pricing guide for details.

2. Payment fees

Every online order through Shopify Payments costs a percentage plus 30¢. On Basic, a $50 order costs 2.9% × $50 + $0.30 = $1.75. Premium cards such as American Express cost more (3.5% + 30¢ on Basic), international cards add 1%, and charging customers in their own currency adds a 1.5% conversion fee for US stores.

Card fees aren't returned when you refund an order, so a high return rate raises your real cost per sale. Our Shopify transaction fees guide lists every per-sale fee with examples.

3. Theme

You can launch on a free theme. Shopify's Horizon collection includes 10 free themes, and Dawn is still maintained. Paid themes on the Shopify Theme Store ranged from $100 to $500 as a one-time purchase when we checked the listing in October 2026.

A custom theme is a different budget line, because it's a design and development project. Whether it's worth it depends on your brand and conversion goals; our breakdown of custom vs premium Shopify themes walks through the trade-off.

4. Apps

Apps are where budgets drift. Each app sets its own price on its App Store listing, and models include free apps, free plans with paid upgrades, flat monthly subscriptions and usage-based fees. Several Shopify-built tools cost nothing to start: Shopify Flow (automation) is free on Basic and above, Shopify Inbox (customer chat) is free, and the Google & YouTube and TikTok sales channel apps are free to install.

To keep app costs under control:

• Check whether Shopify already does the job natively before installing anything.
• Write down each app's price model and what triggers a higher tier, such as order volume or contacts.
• Remember that app charges added during your trial appear on your first invoice.
• Cancel app subscriptions separately if you pause or close your store; they bill on their own cycle.

5. Domain, email and other running costs

A custom domain is an annual cost that depends on the extension; Shopify shows the price when you buy one, or you can connect a domain you already own. Every store also gets a free myshopify.com address.

For email marketing, Shopify Messaging (formerly Shopify Email) includes 10,000 free emails a month, then charges $1 per 1,000 emails up to 300,000, with lower rates above that. SMS campaigns are pay-per-send. If you use a dedicated email platform instead, budget for its subscription.

Shipping labels bought through Shopify are discounted (Shopify advertises "up to 87% off"), and with Shopify Payments on Grow or higher, up to $200 of shipping insurance is included on eligible labels.

6. Design, development and marketing

These are the costs with the widest range, and Shopify doesn't set them. A founder building on a free theme may spend nothing but time. A brand commissioning a custom theme, integrations and a data migration is running a project, and the price depends on scope. For a breakdown of what affects custom build pricing, see our article on custom Shopify website costs.

Marketing is the same: it's whatever you decide to spend on ads, content, SEO and email. One Shopify option worth knowing is Shop Campaigns, which Shopify describes as charging "only when a customer converts, with no upfront budget or subscription fee."

Example budgets for three store sizes

The tables below are illustrative estimates, not averages. Each uses the stated assumptions and official US Shopify prices. Apps, design and marketing are left as your own figures because they vary too much to estimate honestly.

Example A: a new solo store

Assumptions: Basic on monthly billing, a free theme, $5,000 a month in online sales from 100 orders, all standard US cards through Shopify Payments.

Example B: a growing store with a small team

Assumptions: Grow on monthly billing, $30,000 a month from 400 orders, 80% standard cards and 20% premium cards, 30,000 marketing emails a month through Shopify Messaging, and a $400 paid theme spread over 12 months.

Example C: a larger omnichannel store

Assumptions: Advanced on yearly billing, $150,000 a month online from 1,500 orders, 80% standard and 20% premium cards, plus one retail location on POS Pro.

Two patterns stand out. Payment fees dwarf the plan price at every size, and the effective Shopify cost as a share of sales falls as you grow, partly because higher plans have lower rates. Shopify Tax isn't included above; once a store passes the $100,000 threshold, budget for it too.

Costs people forget

• Refunds: the original card fee is kept by Shopify.
• Chargebacks: you lose the order amount and a $15 fee unless you win.
• Currency conversion: 1.5% of the gross order for US stores selling in local currencies.
• Gift cards and store credit: stores created on or after 12 May 2025 pay third-party transaction fees on the amount paid with them, unless they're on Plus using only Shopify Payments.
• Running two card processors: Shopify Payments transactions pick up a 1.25% premium when you also use a direct third-party provider.
• Maintenance: app updates, theme updates and platform changes take time or budget. Our guide to ecommerce website maintenance covers what to plan for.

How to keep total cost down

1. Start on the lowest plan that covers your staff and shipping needs, and upgrade when the fee math says so.
2. Use Shopify Payments as your only card processor if you can.
3. Switch to yearly billing once you're confident in your plan.
4. Audit apps every quarter and remove anything you don't use.
5. Reduce returns and disputes with accurate product pages and clear policies, since fees on refunded orders aren't returned.

Conclusion

The real cost of a Shopify store is the plan plus payment fees, plus whatever you add in themes, apps, design and marketing. The Shopify parts are predictable once you know your sales volume and card mix, and the worked examples above show how to calculate them. The rest depends on your choices, so price each item before you commit. If you'd like a quote for a build or a migration, eSEOspace's Shopify website design team can scope it with you.

Frequently asked questions