Web Development
How Much Does a Shopify Store Cost? Plans, Fees, Apps and Build
The monthly plan is only part of the bill. Here is the full cost of a Shopify store, from card fees and apps to the build, with example first-year budgets.
Shopify advertises plans from a few dollars a month, yet many store owners end up spending far more than they expected. The subscription is only one part of the bill. This guide adds up the real cost of a Shopify store: the plan, payment fees, theme, apps and the build itself, so you can set a budget before you start.
Shopify plan prices
Shopify’s published prices in US dollars as of 2026 (they change from time to time, so confirm on Shopify’s pricing page before you sign up):
| Plan | Billed monthly | Billed yearly | Online card rate (Shopify Payments, US) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $5 / month | n/a | 5% + 30¢ |
| Basic | $39 / month | $29 / month | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Grow | $105 / month | $79 / month | 2.7% + 30¢ |
| Advanced | $399 / month | $299 / month | 2.5% + 30¢ |
| Plus | Custom pricing for high-volume brands | Negotiated | |
Starter only lets you sell through social media and links, not a full online store. For most new stores, Basic is the real starting point.
Payment and transaction fees
Card processing fees usually cost more than the subscription once you have steady sales. On Basic, a $50 order costs about $1.75 in card fees. At 300 orders a month that is over $500, more than ten times the plan price.
If you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments, Shopify adds its own transaction fee on top of that provider’s fees. The extra fee is lower on higher plans, which is one of the main reasons growing stores upgrade.
Theme cost
- Free themes: Shopify’s own themes are well built and fast. Many successful stores use them.
- Premium themes: a one-time payment, typically a few hundred dollars, for more layouts and built-in features.
- Custom theme: designed and coded for your brand. This is a build cost, covered below.
Apps: the hidden monthly cost
Apps add reviews, subscriptions, upsells, email marketing, wholesale pricing and more. Most charge monthly, and a typical store runs between three and ten of them. It is common to see app costs reach $50–$300 a month before anyone notices.
Before installing an app, check whether your theme already includes the feature. Remove apps you no longer use, because their leftover code can also slow the store down.
Build cost: DIY, freelancer or agency
Typical market ranges in US dollars for getting the store built and launched:
| Approach | Typical cost | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| DIY | $0–$500 | Your time, a free or premium theme, product upload and setup done yourself |
| Freelancer setup | $500–$3,000 | Theme customised to your brand, products, payments, shipping and key pages set up |
| Agency custom store | $5,000–$25,000+ | Custom design, conversion-focused product pages, speed and SEO work, integrations and launch support |
Example first-year budgets
Lean launch: Basic plan billed yearly ($348), free theme, two or three apps (about $40 a month), DIY setup. Roughly $800–$1,000 in the first year, plus card fees.
Professional launch: Basic or Grow plan, premium theme, freelancer or small agency setup, five apps. Roughly $3,000–$7,000 in the first year, plus card fees.
Brand-led store: Grow or Advanced plan, custom theme, integrations with inventory or email systems. Usually $10,000+ in the first year.
How to keep costs under control
- Pay yearly once you are sure about Shopify. It saves around 25% on the plan.
- Start with a free theme and spend the money on good product photos and descriptions instead.
- Add apps only when a real problem appears, and review your app bill every quarter.
- Use Shopify Payments where it is available, to avoid the extra transaction fee.
- Upgrade your plan when the lower card rate saves more than the higher subscription costs.
We built the Shopify store for NEXSE HOME, a client of ours, so these figures come from real store work, not guesswork. Read the NEXSE HOME case study to see how the store was built.
Thinking about launching or rebuilding a Shopify store? Our web development team can scope it and give you a clear estimate.
Frequently asked questions
Is Shopify cheaper than WooCommerce?
WooCommerce itself is free, but you pay for hosting, security, premium plugins and more maintenance. For most small stores the total cost is similar. Shopify is usually simpler to run.
Can I start on Shopify for free?
Shopify normally offers a free trial, often followed by a low-cost introductory period. You still need a paid plan to keep selling after that.
Which Shopify plan should I choose first?
Basic suits most new stores. Move to Grow when your monthly sales are high enough that the lower card rate and extra staff accounts pay for the difference.
How long does it take to build a Shopify store?
A simple store with a free theme can be ready in a few days. A customised store usually takes two to six weeks, depending on the number of products and how much design work is involved.
