Shopify has become one of the leading platforms for building and managing e-commerce stores worldwide. Known for its ease of use, scalability, and extensive feature set, Shopify powers over a million businesses, ranging from small startups to large enterprises. However, when it comes to building your own online store, one of the first questions you’ll face is: How much does Shopify cost?
Choosing the right Shopify pricing plan is crucial for your store’s success. With multiple plans available, each offering different features, pricing, and benefits, it can be difficult to determine which one suits your business needs and budget. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll break down Shopify’s pricing structure, compare its different plans, and help you understand the costs involved so that you can make an informed decision.
Why Shopify Pricing? A Brief Overview
Before diving into the details of Shopify’s pricing, let’s quickly go over why it’s become one of the top choices for e-commerce entrepreneurs. Shopify is a versatile platform that offers everything you need to launch, manage, and grow an online store. It provides:
- Ease of Use: Shopify’s user-friendly interface makes it easy for anyone to build and manage their store without any technical experience.
- Customizability: Shopify offers a wide variety of themes, apps, and tools that allow you to tailor your store to meet your business needs.
- Scalability: Whether you’re just starting out or running an enterprise-level business, Shopify’s flexible plans and robust features scale with your growth.
- Security: Shopify ensures that your store is secure with built-in SSL certificates, regular updates, and secure payment processing.
Now, let’s get into the details of Shopify pricing plans.
Shopify Pricing Plans: An Overview
Shopify offers several pricing plans, each catering to different business needs and stages of growth. The key plans are:
- Basic Shopify
- Shopify
- Advanced Shopify
- Shopify Plus (for large enterprises)
In addition to these core plans, Shopify also offers Shopify Lite and Shopify Starter, which are aimed at businesses with specific needs, such as selling through social media or in-person retail.
Let’s explore each plan in detail.
1. Shopify Lite: A Low-Cost Option for Selling
Price: $9/month
The Shopify Lite plan is designed for businesses that don’t need a full-fledged online store but want to sell products through social media platforms or on an existing website. It’s the most affordable option Shopify Pricing offers, making it a great choice for entrepreneurs just starting out.
Features of Shopify Lite:
- Sell on Social Media: You can add a “Buy Now” button to your Facebook and Instagram pages, making it easier for your customers to purchase products directly from your social profiles.
- Sell on Existing Website: If you already have a website, Shopify Lite allows you to add a Shopify-powered store to it, enabling you to sell products without redesigning your site.
- Mobile Point of Sale (POS): Shopify Lite includes access to the Shopify POS app, allowing you to sell products in-person via your phone or tablet.
Who Should Use Shopify Lite? Shopify Lite is perfect for small businesses, individuals, or creators who want to start selling online with minimal overhead. It’s a great way to begin selling without the need for a full e-commerce website.
2. Basic Shopify Pricing: The Best Option for New E-Commerce Stores
Price: $39/month
The Basic Shopify plan is the entry-level plan for businesses that want to build a fully functional online store with all the essential e-commerce features. This plan is ideal for small businesses just starting out or for entrepreneurs who are testing the waters of online selling.
Features of Basic Shopify:
- Online Store: Build a professional online store with Shopify’s customizable themes and drag-and-drop editor.
- Unlimited Products: List an unlimited number of products in your store.
- 2 Staff Accounts: Add two staff members to manage your store (perfect for small teams).
- Shopify Payments: Accept payments directly through Shopify Payments, which supports various payment methods like credit cards, debit cards, and digital wallets.
- 24/7 Support: Access Shopify’s round-the-clock customer support via phone, live chat, and email.
- Discount Codes: Create discount codes for your customers to drive sales and promotions.
- Free SSL Certificate: Ensure your store is secure and that customer data is encrypted.
- Abandoned Cart Recovery: Recover lost sales by sending automatic email reminders to customers who abandon their shopping carts.
Who Should Use Basic Shopify? This plan is ideal for individuals or small businesses that are looking to establish a professional online store and start selling their products on a full-fledged e-commerce platform. The Basic Shopify plan provides everything you need to run an online store without the complexity of higher-tier plans.
3. Shopify Pricing: The Most Popular Plan for Growing E-Commerce Stores
Price: $105/month
The Shopify plan is the most popular option for businesses that are growing and need more advanced features than what the Basic Shopify plan offers. It’s an excellent choice for entrepreneurs who want to take their store to the next level.
Features of Shopify:
- Everything in Basic Shopify: All the features from the Basic Shopify plan are included.
- 5 Staff Accounts: Add up to five staff members to manage your store.
- Professional Reports: Access detailed reports to track your sales, customers, and store performance.
- Gift Cards: Offer digital gift cards that customers can use as a form of payment.
- Better Shipping Rates: Access discounted shipping rates with carriers like UPS, USPS, and DHL.
- More Payment Options: Enable additional payment gateways for international customers or those who prefer different payment methods.
- Advanced Fraud Analysis: Shopify’s advanced fraud protection system helps detect fraudulent orders.
Who Should Use Shopify? The Shopify plan is perfect for growing businesses that need more than just the basics. If you’re seeing increased sales and need advanced features like professional reports, gift cards, and additional staff accounts, this plan offers the right balance of value and functionality.
4. Advanced Shopify Pricing: For Established Businesses with Complex Needs
Price: $399/month
The Advanced Shopify plan is designed for businesses that have grown to a larger scale and need more sophisticated features. This plan offers everything in the previous plans plus advanced tools to optimize store performance, marketing, and operations.
Features of Advanced Shopify:
- Everything in Shopify: Includes all the features from the Basic Shopify and Shopify plans.
- 15 Staff Accounts: Add up to 15 staff accounts to manage your store.
- Advanced Reporting: Get advanced reports and analytics to help you track key metrics such as customer behavior, sales, and product performance.
- Third-Party Calculated Shipping Rates: Integrate with third-party shipping providers for more accurate shipping rates.
- Lower Transaction Fees: Advanced Shopify offers lower transaction fees compared to other plans, making it ideal for businesses with higher sales volumes.
- Priority Support: Get prioritized access to Shopify’s customer support for faster resolution of issues.
Who Should Use Advanced Shopify? This plan is ideal for medium-to-large businesses that require advanced analytics, additional staff members, and more customization options. If you’re running a high-volume store and need advanced reporting tools, the Advanced Shopify plan offers everything you need to optimize and scale your business.
5. Shopify Plus: Enterprise-Level E-Commerce Solutions
Price: Starting at $2,000/month
Shopify Plus is a custom enterprise-level solution for large businesses that require a highly scalable platform with advanced features, custom integrations, and priority support. Shopify Plus is a tailored service that offers everything from multi-store management to enhanced security.
Features of Shopify Plus:
- Everything in Advanced Shopify: Includes all the features from the previous plans, plus additional enterprise-level tools.
- Dedicated Account Manager: Access to a dedicated account manager who can help you optimize your store, provide support, and ensure everything runs smoothly.
- Custom Checkout: Customize the checkout process to meet the specific needs of your business and customers.
- Unlimited Staff Accounts: Add unlimited staff accounts to manage your store.
- Access to Shopify’s APIs: Build custom apps, integrations, and workflows using Shopify’s powerful APIs.
- Wholesale Channel: Manage your wholesale business alongside your retail store in the same Shopify account.
- Advanced Reporting and Analytics: Get access to in-depth reports and insights to drive data-driven decision-making.
Who Should Use Shopify Plus? Shopify Plus is designed for large enterprises or businesses with high-volume sales that require advanced customizations, integrations, and dedicated support. If your business is growing rapidly or has complex needs, Shopify Plus can provide the scalability and flexibility to meet those demands.
Shopify Transaction Fees
In addition to the monthly subscription fees, Shopify charges transaction fees for sales made through external payment gateways. Shopify Payments, Shopify’s built-in payment processor, allows you to avoid these transaction fees. However, if you choose a third-party payment gateway (such as PayPal or Razorpay), Shopify charges a fee based on your plan:
- Basic Shopify: 2.9% + 30¢ for online credit card rates
- Shopify: 2.6% + 30¢ for online credit card rates
- Advanced Shopify: 2.4% + 30¢ for online credit card rates
- Shopify Plus: Negotiable rates based on your needs
You’ll also pay credit card fees depending on your payment gateway’s terms.
Which Shopify Plan Should You Choose?
Choosing the right Shopify plan depends on your business size, goals, and budget. Here’s a breakdown of which plan is suitable for different types of businesses:
- Shopify Lite: Ideal for individuals selling through social media or existing websites.
- Basic Shopify: Perfect for small businesses just starting their online store.
- Shopify: Great for growing businesses with increasing sales and the need for professional reports and additional staff.
- Advanced Shopify: Best for established businesses with complex needs, requiring advanced reporting, multiple staff members, and lower transaction fees.
- Shopify Plus: Best suited for large enterprises or high-volume businesses needing custom solutions, dedicated support, and advanced features.
Conclusion
Shopify is one of the most popular and flexible e-commerce platforms available today. Understanding the various pricing plans and what each one offers will help you choose the right plan based on your business size, needs, and budget. Whether you’re just starting out with a small store or managing a large enterprise, Shopify provides the tools and scalability to help you succeed.
By selecting the right Shopify plan, you can ensure that your online store is equipped to grow, scale, and thrive in the competitive e-commerce world.
