Shopify Plans Compared (2026): Which Plan Is Cheapest for Your Store?
By Saurabh Pandey · Updated · 5 min read
On this page
- Shopify’s main plans at a glance
- What you actually pay on Shopify
- Shopify prices and card rates by country
- Try it with your own numbers
- When does upgrading to Grow pay off?
- Features can matter more than fees
- Worked example: a small clothing store
- Shopify vs selling on marketplaces
- Tips to keep Shopify costs down
- The bottom line
- Frequently asked questions
Shopify’s pricing page makes the higher plans look expensive – and for a new store, they are. But as your sales grow, the lower card processing rates on the bigger plans start to save real money. The question every store owner eventually asks is: at what point is upgrading worth it?
This guide compares Shopify’s main plans, explains every fee you pay on each one, and shows how to find your personal break-even point. I build and manage Shopify stores for clients, and this is the same calculation I run with them.
Shopify’s main plans at a glance
Prices below are for the US on monthly billing (checked in October 2026). Paying annually is about 25% cheaper, and prices differ in other countries; the live table further down covers the UK, Canada, Australia and India.
| Plan | Monthly price | Online card rate (Shopify Payments) | Fee if you use a third-party payment provider |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $39 ($29 yearly) | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2% |
| Grow (formerly “Shopify”) | $105 ($79 yearly) | 2.7% + 30¢ | 1% |
| Advanced | $399 ($299 yearly) | 2.5% + 30¢ | 0.6% |
| Plus | from ~$2,300 | Negotiated | Negotiated |
There is also a low-cost Starter plan for selling through social media and links, but it does not include a full online store, so we will focus on the plans above.
What you actually pay on Shopify
1. The monthly plan fee
This is fixed, no matter how much you sell. The key is to think of it per order: $39 a month spread across 20 orders is almost $2 per order, but across 500 orders it is under 8 cents.
2. Card processing (Shopify Payments)
Every card payment through Shopify Payments costs a percentage plus a fixed fee. Higher plans get a lower percentage. Rates for in-person sales, American Express and international cards can be different.
3. Third-party transaction fees
If you use a different payment provider instead of Shopify Payments, Shopify charges an extra transaction fee on each sale (2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced) – on top of what your payment provider charges. For most stores in countries where Shopify Payments is available, it is the cheaper option.
4. Apps and theme
This is the cost most people forget. Reviews, email marketing, subscriptions, upsells and page builders often cost $10–$50 a month each, and a premium theme is a one-off $150–$400. Many stores spend more on apps than on their plan. Divide your monthly app bill by your monthly orders and add it to your costs.
5. PayPal and other wallets
If you offer PayPal, those orders are charged at PayPal’s rates rather than Shopify Payments rates.
Shopify prices and card rates by country
Shopify charges different prices and card rates in each country. In India, Shopify Payments is not available, so every order pays a payment gateway's fee plus Shopify's third-party transaction fee.
| Country | Plan | Per month | Shopify Payments card rate | Third-party fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Basic | $39.00 ($29.00 yearly) | 2.9% + $0.30 | 2% |
| Grow | $105.00 ($79.00 yearly) | 2.7% + $0.30 | 1% | |
| Advanced | $399.00 ($299.00 yearly) | 2.5% + $0.30 | 0.6% | |
| United Kingdom | Basic | £25.00 (£19.00 yearly) | 2% + £0.25 (3.1% intl/Amex) | 2% |
| Grow | £65.00 (£49.00 yearly) | 1.7% + £0.25 (2.7% intl/Amex) | 1% | |
| Advanced | £344.00 (£259.00 yearly) | 1.5% + £0.25 (2.5% intl/Amex) | 0.6% | |
| Canada | Basic | C$49.00 (C$37.00 yearly) | 2.8% + C$0.30 (3.5% intl/Amex) | 2% |
| Grow | C$132.00 (C$99.00 yearly) | 2.6% + C$0.30 (3.4% intl/Amex) | 1% | |
| Advanced | C$517.00 (C$389.00 yearly) | 2.4% + C$0.30 (3.3% intl/Amex) | 0.6% | |
| Australia | Basic | A$56.00 (A$42.00 yearly) | 1.7% + A$0.30 (3.5% intl/Amex) | 2% |
| Grow | A$149.00 (A$114.00 yearly) | 1.55% + A$0.30 (3.4% intl/Amex) | 1% | |
| Advanced | A$575.00 (A$431.00 yearly) | 1.35% + A$0.30 (3.3% intl/Amex) | 0.6% | |
| India | Basic | ₹1,994.00 (₹1,499.00 yearly) | Not available | 2% |
| Grow | ₹7,447.00 (₹5,599.00 yearly) | Not available | 1% | |
| Advanced | ₹30,164.00 (₹22,680.00 yearly) | Not available | 0.6% |
Last verified: . Official sources: Shopify pricing (US) · Shopify blog: credit card processing fees · Shopify pricing (UK) · Shopify pricing (CA) · Shopify pricing (AU) · Shopify pricing (IN)
Try it with your own numbers
Pick your country and plan, then enter your average order value, product cost and monthly orders. The calculator spreads the plan fee across your orders and shows your real profit per sale.
Shopify Fee Calculator
Open full calculatorFee breakdown
Enter your average order value to see Shopify's fees.
When does upgrading to Grow pay off?
Upgrading from Basic to Grow costs about $66 more per month and saves about 0.2% on every card sale (2.9% vs 2.7%). The fixed 30¢ is the same on both, so the break-even point is:
$66 ÷ 0.002 = $33,000 in monthly card sales
In plain English: if your store processes less than roughly $33,000 a month through Shopify Payments, Basic is cheaper on fees alone. Above that, Grow starts to pay for itself.
The same maths from Grow to Advanced: about $294 more per month for another 0.2% saving gives a break-even of roughly $147,000 a month.
These break-even points move if you pay annually (the plans are cheaper, so the gap shrinks) or if your local rates are different, so plug your real numbers into the calculator.
Features can matter more than fees
Fees are not the only reason to upgrade. Grow and Advanced include things that can make you money:
- More staff accounts for a growing team.
- Better reports that show which products, channels and customers are profitable.
- Lower shipping label rates in some countries.
- Advanced features on higher plans, such as custom reporting and more flexible international pricing.
If one of these features clearly saves you time or increases sales, it can justify an upgrade well before the fee break-even point.
Worked example: a small clothing store
A store sells t-shirts at an average order of $45, with a product and packaging cost of $16 and 200 orders a month ($9,000 in sales).
On Basic ($39/month):
- Card processing: 2.9% × $45 + $0.30 = $1.61 per order
- Plan fee per order: $39 ÷ 200 = $0.20
- Total Shopify cost per order: $1.80 (4.0%)
- Profit per order before shipping, apps and ads: $45 − $16 − $1.80 = $27.20
On Grow ($105/month):
- Card processing: 2.7% × $45 + $0.30 = $1.52 per order
- Plan fee per order: $105 ÷ 200 = $0.53
- Total Shopify cost per order: $2.04
At $9,000 a month, Basic saves about $0.24 per order, or roughly $48 a month. This store should stay on Basic until sales grow – unless it needs Grow’s features.
Shopify vs selling on marketplaces
At around 4% of each order, Shopify is much cheaper per sale than Etsy (~10–11%) or eBay (~14%). The catch: marketplaces bring buyers to you, while on Shopify you must bring your own traffic through SEO, social media, email and ads. Advertising costs can easily exceed the fees you save. We compare the platforms side by side in Etsy vs Shopify vs eBay.
Tips to keep Shopify costs down
- Start on Basic and upgrade only when the numbers or features justify it.
- Pay annually once you are sure the store is working – it is noticeably cheaper.
- Use Shopify Payments where available to avoid third-party transaction fees.
- Audit your apps every quarter. Remove anything you no longer use, and replace several small apps with one that does more.
- Raise your average order value with bundles and free-shipping thresholds – the fixed 30¢ fee becomes a smaller share of each order.
The bottom line
For most new and small stores, Basic is the cheapest Shopify plan. Upgrading to Grow pays off on fees alone only around $33,000 a month in card sales, although its features can justify it sooner. Run your own numbers in the Shopify fee calculator before you decide.
Plan prices and card rates were checked against Shopify’s pricing pages in October 2026 and differ by country and billing period. Check Shopify’s pricing page for current rates.
Frequently asked questions
Does Shopify take a percentage of sales?
Not if you use Shopify Payments – you pay the monthly plan and card processing. Shopify’s own transaction fee only applies when you use a third-party payment provider.
Can I switch Shopify plans later?
Yes. You can upgrade or downgrade at any time from your admin, and billing is adjusted.
Is Shopify worth it for a small store?
If you are willing to build your own traffic, yes – the per-order cost is low and you own your customer relationships. If you need ready-made buyers from day one, starting on a marketplace and adding Shopify later is a common path.