The cost of Shopify might be very different depending on what you need it for, like starting a new business or growing an old one. There are additional prices beyond just basic subscriptions, like design fees, app fees, payment processing fees, and more.
We’ll go over everything that affects the price of your Shopify store in this guide, so you’ll always know what to expect.
🔑 Important Points Before You Start:
- Shopify plans start at $39/month, but total costs may be higher.
- Premium themes and third-party apps increase website expenses.
- Payment and transaction fees reduce profit margins.
- Tax and marketplace integration tools add to the cost.
- PlugBooks with QuickBooks & Xero simplifies finance management.
1. What Are You Really Paying For with Shopify Pricing Plans?
Shopify has different price levels, but the monthly fee is just the start. What you may expect is:
- Basic: $39 a month
- Shopify: $105 a month
- Advanced: $399 a month
These plans cover the basic features of your Shopify store. But the cost of Shopify goes up every month as you add apps, custom designs, and integrations.To get a full breakdown of Shopify’s monthly cost—including hidden charges—check this detailed guide.
🎨 2. Theme and Design Expenses
You can use free themes on a Shopify site, however a lot of sellers use premium themes to stand out. Premium templates cost between $100 to $350 once, and sometimes developers need to make changes to them.
This is one of the first things that will make your Shopify website more expensive if you want a distinctive and sophisticated business.
3. How much do you pay for each transaction?
Shopify receives a tiny percentage of each sale, but only if you utilize Shopify Payments.
- Depending on your plan, transaction fees can be anywhere from 0.5% to 2%.
- These are in addition to the fees charged by payment processors.
To figure out how much Shopify will cost you in the long run, you need to know what transaction fees are — explore the full cost breakdown here.
4. Fees for the Shopify Payment Gateway
If you don’t use Shopify Payments, you should expect to pay extra costs to processors like PayPal or Stripe:
- The lowest charges for credit cards are 2.9% plus 30 cents for each transaction.
- Using third-party gateways costs more.
These things can have a big effect on how much Shopify costs each month for shops with a lot of sales.
5. Costs for a custom domain
A personalized domain makes your brand look more trustworthy. The average cost of a Shopify domain is about $14 per year, however premium domains might cost more.
6. Are you spending too much on Shopify apps?
Apps make your store work better in many ways, like with feedback, shipping, and SEO. But:
- A lot of apps cost $5 to $50 a month.
- Some are free, but they don’t have all the features.
Installing too many apps? That will increase the cost of your Shopify store without you realizing it.
7. Costs of Email Marketing and Notifications
You can send up to 10,000 emails a month for free using Shopify Email. After that, it costs $1 for every 1,000 emails. If you need more complex automation, you can also pay for programs like Klaviyo or Omnisend.
8. Costs of integrating with the marketplace
Third-party connections like Codisto or CedCommerce can help you link to Amazon, eBay, or Etsy. This can cost $10 to $40 a month.
Marketplace fees can add a lot to the cost of your Shopify website if you sell on more than one channel. If you’re planning to connect your store with Amazon, this step-by-step guide can help.
📦 9. Combined Shipping Costs
Most of the time, real-time carrier shipment and automation technologies cost more:
- Free with the Advanced plan
- Extra fee for cheaper plans (may be $20 or more a month)
10. Built-in tax automation: Is it worth the money?
If you use Avalara or TaxJar, integrated tax automation makes things easier, but it also costs more:
- Depending on the number of features and volume, expect to pay between $19 and $100 per month.
- If you need to collect sales tax in more than one state or country, this Shopify tax guide explains everything you need to know.
11. Shopify POS charges for stores that sell things in person
Shopify’s Point of Sale (POS) system helps you keep track of sales, inventory, and payments in your store.
- POS Lite: Free with every plan
- POS Pro costs $89 per location each month.
This will change the total monthly cost of Shopify if you have both an online and a physical store.
🔧 Why PlugBooks is a Game Changer: Combining Automation with Power
There are a lot of moving components to keep track of when you run a Shopify shop. That’s where PlugBooks comes in. It’s an automation platform made just for merchants on Shopify, Amazon, and eBay.
✅ PlugBooks’ Most Important Features:
- Sync with QuickBooks and Xero in real time
- Automatic categorization of expenses
- Keeping track of inventory, sales, and profits
- Dashboard for many channels
- Reporting that is ready for taxes
PlugBooks makes your accounting easier, which lowers the hidden costs that might make Shopify seem more expensive than it really is. You can view PlugBooks pricing plans or check out the FAQs to see how it fits your business needs.
Why QuickBooks and Xero Are Still Necessary
QuickBooks: Sending invoices and keeping track of expenses
- Reconciling bank accounts
- Integrating payroll
- Reports on finances and preparing taxes
see how to integrate QuickBooks with Shopify for seamless financial management.
Xero: Managing your inventory
- Simple to connect to third-party apps
- Support for several currencies
- Monitoring cash flow in real time
When used with PlugBooks, these tools can help you perform less manual bookkeeping and show you the true cost of running your Shopify store.
❓ FAQs: The Most Common Questions About Shopify Costs
1. Is there a cost of Shopify that no one talks about?
Yes, fees for apps, transactions, and integrations with other services may mount up quickly.
2. What’s the difference between the cost of Shopify store and the cost of Shopify website?
Your Shopify website has a domain, hosting, and design. Your store has everything: apps, shipping, taxes, and sales.
3. What is the monthly cost of running a Shopify store?
The monthly cost of Shopify ranges from $50 to $500+ depending on plan, sales volume, and app usage.
4. Is it possible to manage a Shopify store without paying for apps?
Yes, but you won’t be able to do as much. Most serious merchants use applications, which makes the cost of Shopify websites go up.
5. How can I lower the price of Shopify without losing any features?
Use tools like PlugBooks, pick programs that don’t cost too much, and think about if you really need premium designs or connectors.
6. Is PlugBooks superior when you use QuickBooks or Xero?
PlugBooks works perfectly with both. Use QuickBooks to keep track of payroll and taxes, and Xero to keep track of cash flow and several currencies.
Conclusion
The price of Shopify isn’t just the monthly fee; it’s the whole ecosystem of apps, tools, and add-ons. When done right and using solutions like PlugBooks, QuickBooks, and Xero, the investment can lead to substantial growth.
Knowing how much everything costs helps you plan better and make more money, whether you’re starting your first Shopify store or expanding to more than one channel.