Shopify Pricing Plans (2024 Guide)

Shopify is a leading e-commerce website builder that offers all the tools you need to launch and run an online store. It started as a stand-alone platform, allowing businesses to either integrate Shopify directly into their website or send buyers to a secure Shopify page to complete their transactions. But it didn’t stay one-dimensional for long and has now branched into website hosting, along with supporting selling through other online marketplaces, including Amazon and eBay.

Shopify’s homepage tagline says, “Millions of the world’s most successful brands trust Shopify to sell, ship and process payments anywhere,” and it shares that millions of businesses have made over $444 billion USD in sales with its Shopify websites. It boasts a user-friendly interface designed to help businesses connect with customers, drive sales and manage operations. This is done by offering four different plans, which range from basic to advanced. Here’s a breakdown of each offering, along with their pricing.

Whether your business is small and brand-new or large and established, there is likely a Shopify plan that will match your needs and budget. It’s a highly scalable platform as well, so if you start on the basic end, it’s easy to adjust upwards as your business grows.

Shopify platform features that are standard in all four plan options include 24/7 support and a variety of tools for entrepreneurs, plus automatic updates to orders, products and inventory. The higher tier plan you choose, the more additional features are offered, including everything from shipping discounts and labels to fraud analysis and language translation.

Shopify Tiered Pricing and Plans [Compared]

Shopify Starter Promotion – $1 CAD per month

You can start using Shopify for free for just three days. From there, you’ll pay $1 CAD per month for the first three months.

Shopify Basic – $51 CAD per month ($38 CAD per month, paid annually)

The Shopify Basic plan is a good choice for small businesses that are looking to build a comprehensive online store with omnichannel selling capabilities, including dropshipping. Basic includes an online store, with both a website and blog and two staff accounts. Users can list unlimited items, plus are able to sell in online marketplaces and on social media channels.

The Shopify Basic plan includes solutions for businesses interested in offering in-store transactions, such as card readers. With Basic, online purchases have a per-transaction fee of 2.9% plus 30 cents CAD while in-person purchases have a 2.7% fee with no additional surcharge.

Shopify – $132 CAD per month ($99 CAD per month, paid annually)

The Shopify plan includes everything you will get with Basic, plus performance reports, up to five staff accounts and gift card purchase support. You’ll also be able to take advantage of the abandoned cart recovery tool. This plan is the one you’ll need to begin any international selling, as it allows you to use country-specific domains and currency conversions.

Shopify fees are lower than the Basic plan, at 2.7% plus 30 cents CAD per transaction. The in-person card transaction fee is also 2.6%, with no additional surcharge.

Shopify Advanced – $517 CAD per month ($389 CAD per month, paid annually)

The Shopify Advanced plan is designed for businesses that are selling large volumes both online and in person and need more advanced features. With unlimited storage capacity, up to 15 staff accounts and third-party calculated shipping rates, this plan is built for extensive traffic. Users will also have access to customized reporting options and e-commerce automation.

Shopify Advanced fees are the lowest of all the plans, with online fees running 2.4% plus 30 cents CAD per transaction. The in-person transaction fee is also 2.4%, with the surcharge waived.

In addition to the cost of Shopify plans, users often pay for premium themes and add-ons. For example, while there are free Shopify themes, many businesses choose to purchase a premium theme that comes with the features, functionalities and design they want out of the gate. The cost for premium themes hovers around $150 USD ($203.94 CAD) to $380 USD ($516.65 CAD) but can be cost-effective as they can save you a good amount of time as they make building a site easier and faster.

Here are some of the most common costs associated with using Shopify:

• Domain Name: Must be purchased separately from a domain name registrar, such as Google Domains or DreamHost for around $16.95 USD ($22.74 CAD) per year.
• Premium Theme: While it’s entirely possible to use a free Shopify theme, businesses often opt for a premium theme to make their look exactly how they want out of the gate. Premium themes range greatly from around $150 USD ($203.94 CAD) to over $380 USD ($516.65 CAD).
• Premium Apps and Plugins: To expand the functionality of a Shopify store, businesses often pay to use premium plugins. Pricing ranges from plugin to plugin but varies from as little as $5 USD ($6.70 CAD) per month to hundreds of dollars.
• Time: Of course, building your own online store will cost you time.
• Development: In some instances, businesses may choose to hire a web developer or designer to assist with the creation of a Shopify site or to mitigate any issues that should arise.

Canadian specific editing and research (including pricing) conducted by Anna Rey.