Shopify does not offer a free plan. What it does offer is a 3-day free trial, followed by a heavily discounted introductory period — currently $1 per month for your first 3 months on a Basic plan. After that, you pay full price. Choosing the right paid plan from the start saves you money and avoids disruption later.
This guide breaks down every current Shopify plan, compares their features side by side, and tells you exactly which one to choose based on your situation.
The Shopify Free Trial: What You Actually Get
The trial gives you full access to Shopify for 3 days without entering a credit card. You can build your store, add products, configure settings, and explore apps.
After 3 days, Shopify activates the $1/month for 3 months promotional offer on the Basic plan. You need to pick a plan to keep your store live, but the cost is minimal during this window.
What the trial includes:
- Full Shopify admin access
- Up to 20 staff accounts (trial limit)
- All themes and basic customisation
- Access to the Shopify App Store
- Test orders (no live transactions until you activate a plan)
What the trial does not include:
- The ability to accept real payments
- Custom domain activation (you get a
.myshopify.comsubdomain) - Live storefront access without a password
Use the trial to build your store completely. By day 3, you should have your products loaded, your theme customised, and your settings configured. Then activate the $1/month offer.
All Current Shopify Plans: Full Breakdown
Shopify Starter — $5/month
The Starter plan is for sellers who do not need a full storefront. You get a buy button and product links to embed on other platforms — social media, email, or a third-party website.
You do not get a Shopify-hosted storefront. There is no navigation, collections page, or traditional online store. It is the cheapest option but severely limited.
Best for: Creators selling a small number of products via social media or newsletter. Not for anyone building a real e-commerce brand.
Basic Plan — $39/month (or ~$29/month billed annually)
The most popular entry plan. Gives you a fully functional online store with:
- 2 staff accounts
- Up to 1,000 inventory locations
- Basic reports
- Shipping discount: up to 77% off with USPS, UPS, DHL
- Transaction fee: 2.0% (waived if using Shopify Payments)
- 10 inventory locations
Best for: New stores with under $5,000/month in revenue.
Shopify Plan — $105/month (or ~$79/month billed annually)
Mid-tier plan. Adds:
- 5 staff accounts
- Standard reports (more detailed than Basic)
- Better shipping discounts: up to 88%
- Transaction fee: 1.0% (waived with Shopify Payments)
- Gift cards
Best for: Stores doing $5,000–$20,000/month, or any store using a third-party payment processor at volume.
Advanced Plan — $399/month (or ~$299/month billed annually)
The highest self-serve tier before Plus. Adds:
- 15 staff accounts
- Advanced reports and custom report builder
- Shipping discounts: up to 88% (same as Shopify plan)
- Transaction fee: 0.5% (waived with Shopify Payments)
- Third-party calculated shipping rates at checkout
- 10x checkout capacity
Best for: High-volume stores doing $50,000+/month, or businesses that need custom reports and third-party shipping rate accuracy.
Shopify Plus — from $2,300/month
Enterprise-level. Designed for brands doing $1M+ per year. Includes:
- Unlimited staff accounts
- Dedicated account support
- Advanced checkout customisation (Checkout Extensibility)
- 0.15% transaction fee (waived with Shopify Payments)
- Access to Shopify Flow, Launchpad, and other automation tools
Not relevant for beginners. Do not consider Plus until you are doing serious volume.
Feature Comparison Table
| Feature | Starter | Basic | Shopify | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $5 | $39 | $105 | $399 |
| Annual price/mo | N/A | ~$29 | ~$79 | ~$299 |
| Online storefront | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Staff accounts | 1 | 2 | 5 | 15 |
| Transaction fee | 5% | 2% | 1% | 0.5% |
| Transaction fee (Shopify Payments) | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Basic reports | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Standard reports | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Custom reports | No | No | No | Yes |
| Shipping discount | None | Up to 77% | Up to 88% | Up to 88% |
| Inventory locations | 1 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Third-party shipping rates | No | No | No | Yes |
The Transaction Fee Calculation: When a Higher Plan Saves You Money
If you use Shopify Payments, transaction fees are waived on all plans. The fee comparison only matters if you use a third-party payment processor (like PayPal, Stripe directly, or a local gateway).
Here is the break-even analysis:
Basic ($39/mo) vs Shopify ($105/mo):
- Extra cost: $66/month
- Fee difference: 2% vs 1% = 1% saving per transaction
- Break-even: $66 ÷ 0.01 = $6,600/month in sales
If you are using a third-party processor and doing over $6,600/month in revenue, the Shopify plan costs less overall than Basic.
Shopify ($105/mo) vs Advanced ($399/mo):
- Extra cost: $294/month
- Fee difference: 1% vs 0.5% = 0.5% saving
- Break-even: $294 ÷ 0.005 = $58,800/month in sales
At that revenue level, upgrading to Advanced pays for itself.
The simple rule: If you use Shopify Payments, start on Basic and upgrade only when you need the features. If you use a third-party processor at volume, do the maths above.
Annual vs Monthly Billing: The Cost Difference
Shopify rewards annual commitment with roughly 25% savings across all main plans.
| Plan | Monthly billing | Annual billing (per month) | Annual saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $39 | ~$29 | ~$120/year |
| Shopify | $105 | ~$79 | ~$312/year |
| Advanced | $399 | ~$299 | ~$1,200/year |
Should beginners pay annually? Only if you are confident the store will run for 12 months. Shopify does refund unused months if you cancel an annual plan, but the refund process takes time. For your first 3 months (the $1/month offer), you will be on monthly billing by default.
After your promotional period, if the store is running and generating revenue, switch to annual billing. The saving is significant.
Can You Downgrade Your Shopify Plan?
Yes. You can upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time from Settings > Plan in your Shopify admin.
Downgrades take effect immediately. If you downgrade mid-billing cycle, Shopify credits the unused days toward your next bill.
Caveats:
- If you downgrade from Shopify to Basic, you lose access to standard reports. Existing report data is preserved if you upgrade again.
- If you have more staff accounts than the lower plan allows, those extra accounts are deactivated on downgrade. They can be reactivated when you upgrade.
- App subscriptions are not affected by plan changes — those are billed separately.
There is no penalty for downgrading. Many merchants start on Shopify plan during setup for access to features, then downgrade to Basic once they confirm what they actually need.
Shopify Starter Plan: When It Makes Sense
The Starter plan ($5/month) makes sense in a narrow set of situations:
- You already have an audience — a newsletter, Instagram following, or TikTok — and you want to sell a small number of products without building a full site.
- You are testing demand before committing to a full store build.
- You sell on social only and have no plans to run an independent storefront.
The Starter plan includes:
- Shoppable links and buy buttons
- Shopify Inbox (customer messaging)
- Basic order management
- 5% transaction fee (or 0% with Shopify Payments)
It does not include a storefront, collections page, search, or blog. If you want a real store, start on Basic.
Which Plan Should You Choose? Scenario Recommendations
Side hustle / testing an idea
Plan: Basic ($39/month)
Use Shopify Payments to avoid transaction fees. Start monthly, switch to annual after 3 months if the store is working. The $1/month trial period gives you time to validate.
Full-time store launch
Plan: Basic ($39/month) to start
Most features you need for launch are on Basic. Upgrade to Shopify plan if you hit $6,600+/month revenue with a third-party processor, or if you need standard reports for decision-making.
High-volume dropshipping or POD
Plan: Shopify ($105/month)
If you are running a serious dropshipping or print-on-demand operation, the 1% transaction fee cap and better reporting are worth it. Review the full Shopify store setup guide before launch.
Selling via social only
Plan: Starter ($5/month)
Only if you genuinely do not need a storefront. If you are unsure, start Basic — you can always cancel and downgrade.
Scaling business with complex needs
Plan: Advanced ($399/month)
Only when you need custom reports, third-party calculated shipping, or you are doing $50,000+/month. Do not over-invest in plan features you do not yet use.
Building Your Store After Choosing a Plan
Once you have activated a plan, your immediate next steps are to finish building the store. The full beginner roadmap in from zero to first sale walks through each phase in order, from setting up your account through to making your first sale.
One area many beginners overlook is apps. There are thousands of Shopify apps, many with free tiers that genuinely work. Before paying for premium tools, check free vs paid AI apps for Shopify beginners to understand where free tools are sufficient and where they fall short.
FAQ
Does Shopify have a free plan?
No. Shopify does not offer a permanent free plan. The trial is 3 days. After that, the current promotional offer is $1/month for 3 months on the Basic plan, then full price.
Can I use Shopify without paying transaction fees?
Yes — if you use Shopify Payments as your payment processor, Shopify waives the transaction fee on all plans. Transaction fees only apply when using a third-party processor (PayPal, Stripe via direct API, etc.).
What is the cheapest way to start a Shopify store?
Use the 3-day free trial, then activate the $1/month offer. Build on Basic. Use Shopify Payments to avoid transaction fees. Switch to annual billing after 3 months if the store is active.
What happens if I cancel during the $1/month period?
You can cancel at any time with no penalty. Shopify does not charge a cancellation fee. Your store data is retained for 2 years after cancellation in case you reactivate.
Is the Basic plan enough for a beginner store?
For most new stores, yes. Basic includes everything you need to launch: a full storefront, unlimited products, 2 staff accounts, basic reports, and shipping discounts. Upgrade when revenue or team size justifies the extra cost.
Does upgrading your plan increase sales?
No, upgrading a plan does not directly increase sales. A higher plan gives you better reporting tools, lower transaction fees at volume, and more staff accounts. Sales depend on your products, marketing, and store quality — not your plan tier.
Can I switch from monthly to annual billing mid-subscription?
Yes. You can switch to annual billing at any time from Settings > Plan. Shopify will apply a credit for remaining days on your monthly subscription.