📊 Compiled from public vendor pricing pages•🔄 Pricing check date not recorded•Report incorrect pricing →

Shopify advertises $39/month. Counting its 3 documented recurring fees, an illustrative monthly estimate is $269/month, plus $250 in one-time costs that are not part of the monthly figure. This data has not yet been compared with the vendor's pricing page, so confirm current prices before buying. Vendor pricing page (shopify.com).

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Shopify True Cost Calculator

E-commerce platform for online stores. $39/mo sounds simple but transaction fees, app costs, and theme purchases make the real cost 2-4x the subscription.

Advertised Price

$39

/month

Estimated Monthly Cost

$269

/month (illustrative scenario)

plus $250 one-time costs

Vs. Advertised

6.9×

of the advertised price

Pricing Data

Pricing check date not recorded

Prices change often — confirm on the vendor's site before buying.

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Hidden Fees & Gotchas

What the pricing page doesn't tell you

Transaction Fees (Non-Shopify Payments)

Using Stripe, PayPal, or other gateways instead of Shopify Payments adds 2% (Basic), 1% (Shopify), or 0.5% (Advanced) ON TOP of gateway fees. $10K/mo revenue = $200/mo extra on Basic.

Trigger: thirdPartyPayments > 0

+$100/mo

App Store Cost Accumulation

Most functional stores need 5-15 paid apps (reviews, SEO, email pop-ups, upsells, inventory). Average app cost: $10-50/mo each. Typical store app spend: $50-200/mo.

Trigger: apps > 3

+$100/mo

Premium Theme Purchase

Free themes are limited. Premium themes cost $180-$350 one-time. Many stores buy 2-3 themes before finding the right one, plus theme updates may require repurchase.

Trigger: premiumTheme > 0

+$250 one-time

Shipping Label Markup

Shopify Shipping offers discounted rates but marks up USPS/UPS/DHL prices by 5-15% compared to direct carrier rates. High-volume shippers save by negotiating direct carrier contracts.

Trigger: shippingLabels > 100

+$30/mo

Recurring hidden fees: +$230/mo on top of the $39 advertised price, plus $250 in one-time costs

Shopify Pricing Tiers

Plan	Monthly	Annual (per mo)	Key Limits	Overage Rules
Basic	$39	$29	Products: unlimited Online Store: true Staff Accounts: 2 Shipping Discount: up to 77%	No overages
ShopifyPOPULAR	$105	$79	Products: unlimited Online Store: true Staff Accounts: 5 Shipping Discount: up to 88%	No overages
Advanced	$399	$299	Products: unlimited Online Store: true Custom Reports: true Staff Accounts: 15	No overages
Plus	$2300	$2300	Products: unlimited Automations: shopify flow Staff Accounts: unlimited Expansion Stores: 9	No overages

About Shopify Pricing

Shopify Basic at $39/mo is the most popular plan, but the real bill includes: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (unless using Shopify Payments), paid apps averaging $50-200/mo, premium themes at $180-350 one-time, and shipping label markups. Most stores pay $150-500/mo total.