Which Shopify pricing plan is right for my business size?

Choosing the right Shopify plan is one of the most important decisions you'll make as an ecommerce founder. Pick too small, and you'll outgrow your store or hit feature limitations. Pick too big, and you're wasting $1,000+ per year on features you don't need.

This guide breaks down every Shopify plan with real-world recommendations for when to use each one.

What are the different Shopify pricing plans?

Shopify offers five distinct plans:

1. Starter ($5/month)
2. Basic ($29/month)
3. Shopify (Standard, $79/month)
4. Advanced ($299/month)
5. Plus ($2,300+/month)

Let's examine each in detail.

---

Who should use the $5/mo Starter plan?

Best for: Social selling, side hustles, testing product-market fit.

The Starter plan is not a traditional storefront. It's designed for selling through:

• Facebook Shop
• Instagram Shop
• TikTok Shop
• Messaging apps (WhatsApp, Messenger, WeChat)

You don't get a website. You get a simple product catalog that syncs to social platforms and DMs.

What's Included:

• Up to 500 products
• Basic reporting
• Shopify Payments integration
• 0% transaction fees (if using Shopify Payments)

What's Missing:

• No custom domain (yourstore.com)
• No full website/landing pages
• Limited customization
• No advanced shipping tools
• No staff accounts

Best Use Case:

You're a small creator with 1,000+ followers on TikTok or Instagram, and you want to test selling before investing in a full storefront. Or you're using Shopify purely as a backend to manage inventory across multiple platforms.

Limitations:

If your goal is serious ecommerce, Starter is a dead end. You'll outgrow it in 3 months and have to migrate to Basic anyway. Only use Starter if you're genuinely platform-first (social-only selling).

---

Why is the $29/mo Basic plan best for new stores?

Best for: Dropshippers, new ecommerce stores, side hustles, anyone validating a business model.

Basic is the entry point for 99% of new ecommerce entrepreneurs. It's the "Goldilocks" plan: enough features, low cost, room to grow.

What's Included:

• Unlimited products
• Full website builder
• Custom domain support
• 2 staff accounts (login)
• Abandoned cart emails
• Standard shipping label discounts
• 48-hour support
• Monthly reports

Transaction Fees:

• Shopify Payments (recommended): 0%
• Third-party payment gateway: 2.9% + 30¢

Staff Accounts & Permissions:

At Basic, you get 2 logins total. That means you + 1 employee (or contractor). If you hire a second person, you're forced to upgrade.

Monthly Reporting:

Basic includes monthly reports, but they're limited. You see revenue, orders, and top products — not attribution, customer lifetime value, or cohort analysis. That's on Advanced.

Best Use Case:

• Dropshipping stores (under $5,000/month revenue)
• New launches you're testing
• Solo founders with no employees
• Any store doing under $100k/year

Limitations:

• Only 2 staff logins (hire a 3rd person? Upgrade to Shopify)
• No advanced features like Shopify Markets (multi-currency/multi-region selling)
• No advanced workflows or approval systems
• Limited API rate limits

Bottom line: Start here. It costs $29/month. If you can't make $50/month profit from your store, the issue isn't your plan — it's your product or marketing.

---

When should I upgrade to the $79/mo Shopify Standard plan?

Best for: Growing stores ($5,000–$50,000/month), small teams, stores that need advanced features.

Shopify Standard (formerly called "Shopify") is where serious businesses live. You've validated product-market fit at Basic, and now you need tools to scale.

What's Included:

• Everything in Basic, plus:
• Up to 15 staff accounts
• Advanced reporting & analytics
• Shopify Flow (basic automation workflows)
• Shopify Markets (multi-currency/multi-region)
• Standard shipping discounts are better
• Priority email support

Staff Accounts:

15 logins means you can have a small team: customer service (2–3), operations (1–2), marketing (1–2), etc.

Reporting & Analytics:

This is where Shopify Standard pays for itself. You get:

• Cohort analysis (which customer groups are most valuable?)
• Attribution (which marketing channel drove the sale?)
• Customer lifetime value
• Repeat purchase rates
• Segment reports (by source, geography, product, etc.)

For a $20,000/month store, these insights are worth $79/month alone. You can see which $2,000 acquisition expense led to $30,000 in lifetime revenue.

Shopify Flow:

Shopify Standard unlocks "Flow," which lets you automate tasks:

• Auto-tag orders based on product type
• Send alerts for high-value customers
• Bulk update inventory when stock dips
• Auto-generate PDF invoices

Flow isn't as powerful as Zapier, but it's built-in and covers the most common use cases.

Shopify Markets (Multi-Currency/Multi-Region):

Sell in multiple currencies and countries with local checkout. This opens EU, Canada, Australia, and other markets without shipping complexity.

Best Use Case:

• Growing dropshipping stores ($5,000–20,000/month)
• Product-based stores scaling to $30,000/month
• Team shops (you've hired your first employees)
• Any store where decision-making data matters more than cost

Upgrade Cost:

$79 − $29 = $50/month more. If you're already at Basic and you have customers, this ROI is obvious.

---

Who actually needs the $299/mo Advanced plan?

Best for: Large stores ($50,000–$500,000+/month), complex operations, enterprise features.

Advanced is for stores that need serious infrastructure: complex shipping rules, international logistics, large support teams, or specialized integrations.

What's Included:

• Everything in Shopify, plus:
• Up to 200 staff accounts
• Advanced automation (Shopify Flow, including advanced actions)
• Cybersecurity & compliance tools
• CSV product imports (Advanced and up allow large bulk operations)
• Advanced transactional email templates
• Priority phone support + dedicated relationship manager
• API access with higher rate limits

When You Actually Need Advanced:

• You're doing $100k+/month in revenue
• You have a team of 10+ people
• You have complex shipping (multiple warehouses, international logistics)
• You're selling B2B and need advanced wholesale features
• You need custom integrations and higher API limits

Hidden Win: Dedicated Relationship Manager:

At $299/month, Shopify assigns you a dedicated person (not a support ticket queue). This relationship manager:

• Proactively suggests features you haven't used
• Handles complex setup (Shopify Flow workflows, integrations)
• Escalates issues directly

At Basic/Shopify, you email support and wait 48 hours. At Advanced, your manager replies the next business day.

Best Use Case:

You've built a real business (5+ figure monthly revenue), you have employees, and operational efficiency matters more than saving $270/month.

---

What is Shopify Plus and who is it for?

Best for: Enterprise-scale companies ($1M+/month), custom development, complex requirements.

Plus is custom-priced and custom-built. You're talking to Shopify's sales team, not self-serve plans.

What's Included:

• Everything in Advanced, plus:
• Custom development (Shopify engineers work on your store)
• Dedicated infrastructure
• Custom integrations
• Priority + dedicated engineering support
• Shopify Flow with unlimited use
• Custom reporting/data warehouse access

Reality Check:

If you're even considering Plus, you're already big enough that you should call Shopify's sales team directly. The $2,300/month minimum is the starting point; actual Plus plans are usually $10,000–50,000+/month.

Plus is for:

• D2C brands doing $1M+/month
• Enterprises with 100+ person operations
• Brands that need custom features (loyalty systems, subscription engines, etc.)
• Complex international logistics with multiple warehouses

---

How do the Shopify plans compare?

Here's a quick reference:

Feature	Starter	Basic	Shopify	Advanced	Plus
Monthly Cost	$5	$29	$79	$299	$2,300+
Products	500	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Website	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Staff Accounts	1	2	15	200	Unlimited
Advanced Reports	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Shopify Markets	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Shopify Flow	No	No	Basic	Advanced	Advanced+
Dedicated Support	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Custom Dev	No	No	No	No	Yes
Shipping Discounts	Standard	Standard	Enhanced	Enhanced+	Custom
API Rate Limit	Limited	Limited	Higher	Higher	Highest

---

Is the annual billing discount worth it?

Shopify offers roughly 25% discount for annual billing:

• Starter: $5/mo → $50/year
• Basic: $29/mo → $261/year (saves $7/month)
• Shopify: $79/mo → $711/year (saves $23/month)
• Advanced: $299/mo → $2,690/year (saves $880/year)

Should You Commit to Annual?

Yes, if:

• You're already profitable (at least $100/month profit)
• You've validated your niche for 2–3 months
• You're confident in your store

No, if:

• You're in your first month (too early to commit)
• You're testing a new market
• You might pivot to a different platform

Most founders should do 3–6 months on monthly before committing to annual. Then, once you've proven the model, lock in the 25% discount.

---

What are the hidden costs of running a Shopify store?

Your Shopify plan is just the base. Here are actual costs most stores don't budget for:

Interactive Tool: Add these up for your own store with the free Shopify Cost Estimator — it totals startup capital and monthly overhead, apps and payment fees included.

1. Payment Processing

Using Shopify Payments: 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction.

Using PayPal or Stripe: 2.9% + 30¢ + (0% on Basic, 0% on others with Shopify Payments).

Average store: 3–5% of revenue goes to payment fees.

2. Apps

Popular ecommerce apps cost $10–100/month each. A typical stack:

• Email marketing (Klaviyo, Omnisend): $20–50/month
• SEO (Plug in SEO, PageFly): $15–30/month
• Reviews (Loox, Judge.me): $15–50/month
• Upsell (Rebuy, Bold): $30–100/month
• Shipping automation (Shipstation, Ordoro): $20–50/month

A fully-loaded store might spend $150–300/month on apps.

3. Shipping

If you use Shopify's negotiated rates (via USPS, UPS, FedEx integrations), shipping is competitive. But:

• Cold shipments from AliExpress: you eat the cost until you find the right markup
• Printed marketing materials: $50–200/month
• Returns & reverse shipping: 2–5% of profit

4. Domain & SSL

• Domain: $12/year
• SSL: Free (Shopify includes this)

5. Theme Customization

• Free themes: $0
• Premium themes: $160–300 (one-time)
• Custom developer: $2,000–10,000

6. Advertising

• Minimum to test: $5–10/day ($150–300/month)
• Serious scaling: $1,000–5,000/month

Real Store Budget Example (Basic Plan):

Shopify plan:           $29/month
Payment processing:     ~$150 (3% of $5k revenue)
Apps:                   $100/month
Advertising:            $500/month
Domain & misc:          $20/month
─────────────────────────────────
TOTAL:                  $799/month

Revenue:                $5,000/month
COGS (dropshipping):    $2,000/month
Costs:                  $799/month
─────────────────────────────────
PROFIT:                 $2,201/month (44%)

Notice: Shopify plan is only 3.6% of costs. Payment processing and ads are the real expenses.

---

So, which Shopify plan should I choose?

If You're Starting Out:

Start with Basic ($29/month). Full website, unlimited products, try it free for 14 days. Most new stores don't need Shopify Standard features until they're doing $5,000/month in revenue.

If You're Doing $2,000–5,000/Month:

Stay at Basic unless you're hiring a second staff member. The $50 jump to Shopify is worth it once you have revenue to analyze and a team to manage.

If You're Doing $10,000–20,000/Month:

Upgrade to Shopify Standard ($79/month). Advanced reporting and Flow automation start paying for themselves. You probably have staff using the store too (2+ logins).

If You're Doing $50,000+/Month:

Upgrade to Advanced ($299/month). At this revenue, operational efficiency is worth $270/month. A dedicated support manager saves 5+ hours of Slack/email time per month.

If You're $1,000,000+/Month:

Talk to Shopify sales. You need custom everything.

---

How easy is it to upgrade or downgrade my plan?

In your Shopify admin:

1. Go to Settings → Plan & Permissions
2. Click Change Plan
3. Select your new plan
4. Confirm

Changes take effect immediately. If you downgrade mid-month, you get a prorated credit. If you upgrade, you pay the difference prorated.

---

What are the most common questions about Shopify pricing?

Q: Is the Basic plan enough for a serious store? A: Yes, for stores under $5,000/month revenue and solo operators. Once you have employees or need advanced reporting, upgrade.

Q: Can I use Shopify Payments on all plans? A: Yes, Shopify Payments is available on every plan.

Q: What happens if I hit plan limits? A: You don't "hit limits." Plans give you staff accounts, features, and support tiers — not hard caps on revenue or products. You upgrade when you want the features, not when forced.

Q: How often does Shopify raise prices? A: Shopify increases plan prices every 2–3 years. If you lock in annual billing at today's price, you're protected for one year.

Q: Which plan for dropshipping? A: Start with Basic. If you hire a second team member or want advanced reports, go Shopify. Most dropshippers stay at Basic or Shopify.

---

Final Recommendation

Try Shopify free for 14 days to pick your plan, or read our full Shopify review for the complete pros and cons. Here's the framework:

1. Start at Basic ($29/month). No commitment needed.
2. Run it for 3 months. Validate your niche, get your first 10 sales.
3. Track your metrics. Revenue, costs, profit.
4. When revenue hits $5,000/month, evaluate upgrading to Shopify for advanced reports and automation.
5. When revenue hits $50,000/month, evaluate Advanced for dedicated support and complex operations.

Most founders overthink this. Pick Basic, start selling, and upgrade when you have the revenue to justify it.

The goal isn't to have the "right" plan — it's to build a business. Pick the plan that gets you to that goal with minimal friction.

Good luck — your plan choice matters far less than your product selection and marketing execution.

---

Next Step

New to Shopify? See the full beginner guide for step-by-step instructions on launching your first store, from name selection to first sale.

Pro Tip: Secure your brand handles early. Even if you aren't ready to build your website or post content yet, registering your brand name across key platforms prevents squatters from hijacking your identity later.