If you’re thinking about starting an online store, one of the first questions you might have is: does Shopify cost money? The quick answer is yes, but how much depends on your plan, your sales, and the tools you pick. We’ll break it down in this tutorial so you can see exactly what you’re paying for and how it affects your bottom line.
Shopify is one of the most popular eCommerce systems in the world. It has everything you need to set up, run, and grow your business. But just like renting a store in real life, there are monthly expenditures and, in certain circumstances, transaction fees to think about, so it’s natural to ask does shopify cost money. Let’s go over the details.
Keynotes
- Monthly subscription required – Shopify plans start at $39/month for Basic.
- Transaction fees may apply – Avoid extra charges by using Shopify Payments.
- Processing fees per sale – Around 2.9% + 30¢ for online transactions.
- Extra costs possible – Domains, apps, and themes can increase expenses.
- Worth the investment – Powerful tools and scalability make Shopify a strong choice for sellers.
Monthly Shopify Plans
Shopify is based on a subscription business at its foundation. Here are the main plans for 2025:
- Basic Shopify costs $39 a month and is great for new businesses.
- Shopify: $105 a month; best for businesses that want to grow.
- Advanced Shopify: $399 per month; best for sellers with a lot of sales.
These costs include hosting, security, and access to Shopify’s store builder. You can also get Shopify Starter for $5 a month to sell on social media, but it doesn’t come with a full internet store.
Does Shopify Take a Percentage of Sales?
Yes, in most circumstances. In addition to your monthly price, you need to think about transaction fees. Does Shopify get a cut of sales? It depends on how you take payments. You won’t have to pay any extra costs if you utilize Shopify Payments, but you will still have to pay credit card processing fees (typically 2.9% + 30¢ per online transaction for the Basic plan).
Shopify imposes an additional cost, usually between 0.5% and 2%, on top of processing fees if you use a third-party payment processor. That’s why a lot of vendors use Shopify Payments.
How Much Does Shopify Take from Each Sale?
When figuring out how much Shopify takes from each sale, don’t forget to include the payment processing cost and any other fees that may apply. For more details about top shopify sales tracker tools for growth read details.
For instance, with the Basic plan and Shopify Payments:
- A $100 buy online would cost $2.90 plus 30 cents in processing fees, for a total of $3.20.
- Using a third-party processor would also cost you an extra 2% ($2) to Shopify, bringing your total cost for that sale to $5.20.
Other Costs to Consider
Your plan and transaction fees are your biggest costs, however you can also have to pay for:
- Domain name: $10 to $15 a year.
- Apps and integrations cost between $0 and $100 per month, depending on what they do.
- Themes cost $150 to $350 once, or they are free.
These extras can cost a lot, but they also make your store work better and make customers happier.
Is Shopify Worth the Cost?
Yes, for most business owners. The platform is a good investment because it is easy to use, has safe hosting, built-in marketing capabilities, and can handle payments. You need to plan for monthly fees and think about does Shopify costs money and how much Shopify takes from each transaction, but the chance to reach clients all over the world is frequently worth the money.
How PlugBooks Can Help Shopify Sellers
It doesn’t have to be hard to keep track of your Shopify store’s money. PlugBooks integrates your Shopify store to QuickBooks and Xero without any problems. It instantly syncs your sales, fees, and costs in real time.
This automation cuts down on mistakes, saves you hours of tedious bookkeeping, and makes sure you know exactly how much money you’re making. PlugBooks makes it easy to keep track of every dollar and be ready for taxes all year long, whether you’re a new seller or growing your business.
FAQs: Does Shopify Cost Money?
1. Is there a free plan for Shopify?
No, there isn’t a free plan on Shopify. They provide you a free trial, which is usually three days long. After that, you have to pick a paid plan that starts at $5 a month.
2. Does Shopify get a cut of sales?
Yes, if you utilize a payment gateway that isn’t your own. With Shopify Payments, you simply pay the normal processing fees; there are no extra percentage charges.
3. What percentage of each sale does Shopify keep?
It depends on how you pay and what plan you have. The Basic package with Shopify Payments costs 2.9% plus 30 cents for each online transaction.
4. Are there any extra charges that aren’t obvious with Shopify?
Not much, but you should set aside money for things like domains, apps, and themes that you don’t have to buy but that can add to your monthly costs.
5. Can I avoid Shopify transaction fees?
Yes, if you use Shopify Payments as your payment processor, you won’t have to pay any extra transaction costs that Shopify charges.
6. Is it worth it to pay for Shopify in 2025?
Yes, because it has built-in capabilities that make running an internet business a lot easier and is secure and scalable.
