Written by Sabrina Dougall Reviewed by Natasha Willett Updated on April 15, 2024 On this page Shopify Pricing Plans Comparison Shopify Starter Pricing Plan Shopify Basic Pricing Plan Shopify Plan Pricing Shopify Advanced Pricing Plan Shopify Plus Plan Pricing Does Shopify Have a Free Plan? Shopify Fees and Hidden Costs Is Shopify Worth the Money? Shopify Pricing Versus Competitors' Pricing Expert Verdict FAQs Expand Our site is reader-supported – by clicking our links, we can match you with a potential supplier, and we may earn a small commission for this referral. Shopify’s pricing starts at $5 per month, going up to $2,300 per month, with three other price points in between, and a custom plan for very large businesses. Overall, Shopify is one of the best ecommerce platforms on the market, but its outstanding ecommerce features come with a hefty price tag.In this price guide, we’ll break down the pricing plans Shopify currently offers to online merchants. We’ll look at what you get at each price plan, as well as explain billing cycles and additional fees. What's Your Monthly Budget For An Online Store? Choose an Answer to Start Your Free Trial with Shopify Under $40 Around $300 $2,000+ Shopify Pricing: How Much Does Shopify Cost?There are five Shopify plans available, four for selling via a website and one for selling on social media or via apps. They range in price and scale to match the particular needs of your business, and all four website builder plans cost just $1 for the first month.The table below shows how much each Shopify plan costs and what main features you get for it: Swipe right to see more 0 out of 0 backward forward Starter Basic Shopify Shopify Advanced Shopify Shopify Plus Price (billed monthly) $5/month Price (billed monthly) $39/month Price (billed monthly) $105/month Price (billed monthly) $399 Price (billed monthly) N/A Price (billed annually) $5/month Price (billed annually) $29/monthGet your first month for $1 Price (billed annually) $79/monthGet your first month for $1 Price (billed annually) $299/monthGet your first month for $1 Price (billed annually) $2,300+/month Best For Selling on social media Best For Starting a small online store Best For Small and medium sized businesses Best For International sellers Best For High volume retailers Key Features Get shoppable links (URLs)Product pagesBasic order managementCustomer support Key Features Sell an unlimited number of productsOne usersSell in 33 currencies (1.5% conversion fee)Standard reports and analytics Key Features 5 user accountsShopify API customization88% shipping discountsShipping insurance (with Shopify Payments) Key Features 15 staff accountsAdvanced reportingThird-party calculated shipping ratesCollect duties and import taxes at checkout Key Features Faster checkoutAutomate workflowsSecurity and compliancePriority support Transaction Fees 5% (with Shopify Payments) Transaction Fees 2% (if not using Shopify Payments) Transaction Fees 1% (if not using Shopify Payments) Transaction Fees 0.6% (if not using Shopify Payments) Transaction Fees 0.2% (if not using Shopify Payments) Payment processing fees Online: 5% + $0.25¢ Payment processing fees Online: 2.9% + 30¢Online Amex: 3.5% + 30¢In person: 2.6% + 10¢ Payment processing fees Online: 2.7% + 30¢Online Amex: 3.3% + 30¢In person: 2.5% + 10¢ Payment processing fees Online: 2.5% + 30¢Online Amex: 3.1% + 30¢In person: 2.4% + 10¢ Payment processing fees Variable Shopify offers a free trial of three days so you can test out a price plan to see whether it’s the right fit, although this is a much less generous amount of time than its competitor, Wix, which gives you 14 days.If you want a more in-depth breakdown of Shopify’s features (including its point of sale offering), check out our dedicated Shopify review. Not Looking For An Online Store? If you just want a website without an online store, go ahead and check out our recommendations for the best website builders. Shopify Starter Pricing Plan Shopify Starter Pricing $5/month – no discounts available for multi-year purchases Visit Shopify Quick overview What does it do?The Shopify starter plan allows you to sell products via links on social media channels, emails, and SMS. It lets you create a simple landing page, and allows you to take in-person payments via an app on your phone.Who’s it for?Mobile-first merchants of lower-priced goods, and those looking to test a product or business idea, or sell a one-off item. Read more + Read less - The Shopify Starter plan costs just $5 per month, which is very cheap as ecommerce platforms go. It’s a good value for the money option for online sellers who want to send “shoppable” product links in instant messages over WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, SMS and email. This means your customers click a URL link and buy your product directly or add to a cart and buy some more.You’ll get access to a basic online store with product pages, a contact page, and Shopify checkout, but customization is very limited. There isn’t a lot of space for product specs, product videos, lengthy descriptions or customer reviews, so it’s mainly aimed at mobile users coming to you from social media and looking for a quick checkout experience.You’ll also get a mobile point of sale, which allows you to take in-person payments with just a smartphone (no card machine needed), and access to Linkpop, Shopify’s free landing page app for creating shoppable links to put in social media bios.Here's an example of what a Shopify Stater store looks like. Source: ShopifyThe Shopify Starter plan is quite a unique offering in the ecommerce platform space, since it’s specifically geared towards social media, a growing market in the ecommerce space – 47% of US consumers made a purchase using social media last year, according to Mintel.If you’re a budding entrepreneur, the Shopify Starter plan is a good place to start your ecommerce journey. To optimize your sales, you can read about the best times to post on social media, so you can get the most eyes on your products.Shopify Starter isn’t the absolute cheapest way to sell online, that would be Square’s free plan. Square’s free plan isn’t geared towards social media, like Shopify Starter, but more for in-person vendors looking to capitalize on online sales. Square also doesn’t support multiple currencies, which Shopify does, and if you’re selling online, there’s always a chance you’ll attract international customers. New to selling online and need help? Do you want to sell online but don’t know where to start? Our guide to starting an ecommerce business can help you find your footing.Shopify Starter FeaturesOne userUnlimited product pagesCustomer support inboxShopping cartOrder managementAnalyticsShopify Starter Transaction FeesTransaction fees: 5.0% (if using Shopify Payments)Online credit card rates: 5% + 25¢ (if using Shopify Payments)Who do we recommend Shopify Starter for?We recommend Shopify Starter for those wanting to test a product or business idea or sell a one-off item without the commitment or investment of setting up a whole online storefront.It’s ideal for individual sellers who want to share a link to a product via social media or sell face-to-face. Because it’s largely based on social media, it’s best for selling informal, relatively cheap merchandise, such as t-shirts, handmade pieces, or accessories.We wouldn’t recommend Shopify Starter for selling high value or regulated products such as precious jewelry or medical supplies, as it’s unlikely that customers will trust your website with those purchases.Once you have established a customer base, you might want to explore growing your storefront with the next tier, Shopify Basic, although be warned, it’s a steep jump from the $5 per month Shopify Starter plan to the $29 per month Shopify Basic plan. Cash flow trouble? In its Summer 2023 update, Shopify announced its Shopify Credit Card. A business card intended for entrepreneurs with no credit checks, no transaction fees and no interest within the credit cycle. On top of that, you’ll have the same acceptance rate as Visa and be able to collect rewards on your most common expenses. Shopify Basic Pricing Plan Shopify Basic Pricing $29/month billed annually Visit Shopify Quick overview What does it do?The Shopify Basic plan allows you to build a professional and secure ecommerce website with all of Shopify’s standard features, including unlimited products, 77% shipping discounts, global selling, and Shopify POS Lite for in-person selling.Who’s it for?Small merchants, independent boutiques, and startups. Read more + Read less - The Shopify Basic plan costs $29 per month when billed annually, and $39 per month if you pay on a month-to-month basis. This is the lowest price you can pay to set up your own Shopify webstore, and it’s a good deal. Shopify has recently improved the Basic plan’s features, making it more on par with the Shopify plan (the next tier up).Shopify Basic FeaturesOne userOnline ecommerce website and blogUp to 10 inventory locationsUnlimited productsOrder managementLanguage translation and currency conversionUp to 77% shipping discountYou create your own online shop using the Shopify drag-and-drop website builder and set up payment options in the dashboard view. This means you can display your products, take payments and manage inventory all from one account.The Basic plan’s analytics features are also now just as in-depth as the Shopify plan’s ones. It’s also retained the standard ecommerce features present in all Shopify plans, including discounts code and gift cards, and abandoned cart recovery, as well as access to Shopify’s in-person POS solution, POS Lite.What you don’t get with Shopify Basic compared to more expensive plans:Additional staff accountsThird-party calculated shipping rates displayed at checkoutCertain shipping discountsShipping insuranceTransaction fees are also higher on the Basic plan than on the more expensive plans, for both Shopify Payments and third party payment providers. The more expensive your plan is, the lower these rates are.I was able to easily search for and add payment methods in the Shopify store backend. Source: Expert MarketShopify Basic Transaction FeesThird party transaction fees: 2.0% (on top of payment provider’s fees)Currency conversion fee: 1.5%Transaction fees with Shopify Payments:Online credit/debit card rates: 2.9% + 30¢In-person credit/debit card rates: 2.6% + 10¢Amex credit card rates (online): 3.5% + 30¢Online International credit card rates: 3.9% + 30¢ Raising Rates If these rates seem high to you, you should know that at the start of 2023, Shopify’s credit card fees were lower than they currently are. US online credit card rates have increased by 0.9% + 5¢ and international online credit card rates by 0.8% + 5¢.Who do we recommend Shopify Basic for?We recommend Shopify Basic for smaller businesses looking to set up their first storefront. The online ecommerce platform means you can successfully process payments and ship orders.Despite this plan being intended for smaller businesses, the unlimited product capacity means the sky’s the limit for your store. However, this plan has higher credit card rates, fewer shipping discounts, and more basic reporting features than the more expensive plans. Consider upgrading as your store grows to enjoy these benefits.The Shopify Basic plan is also more expensive than the low-tier ecommerce plans offered by many competitors, such as Squarespace. However, Squarepace’s ecommerce features aren’t quite as advanced as Shopify’s, so this is a case of “you get what you pay for.”Just don’t pay for what you don’t need. If you’re a small business that doesn’t plan on massively growing, or doesn’t require the most advanced ecommerce features, Squarespace is probably better value for money than Shopify. Read our Squarespace Pricing Review for more details. Switching to Shopify? If you already have an online store on a different platform, and want to switch to Shopify, you can use Shopify’s Store Importer app to carry over your products, customers, and order data. Just make sure not to cancel your subscription with your old platform before you’ve completed this step! Shopify Plan Pricing Shopify Plan Pricing $79/month billed annually Visit Shopify Quick overview What does it do?The Shopify plan allows you to build a professional and secure ecommerce website with five staff accounts, lower transaction fees than the Basic plan, bigger shipping discounts, and shipping insurance.Who’s it for?Established small businesses looking to scale up. Read more + Read less - The Shopify plan, which is basically Shopify’s standard plan, costs $79 per month when billed annually, and $105 per month when paying on a monthly basis.That’s quite a big price jump from the Basic plan, and you’re only getting a few extra perks, so we don’t think you’re quite getting value for your money with this one.This is mainly because in the past year, Shopify has added features to its Basic plan that were previously only available starting from the Shopify plan, making the two plans almost even in features. This includes the Basic plan now allowing you to have 10 inventory locations (up from five), and supporting international selling.Shopify Plan FeaturesSo what does the Shopify plan have that the Basic plan doesn’t? It’s got:5 staff accounts,Up to 88% shipping discountShipping insuranceIncreased customisation when using Shopify APILower transaction fees.Other than that, you’ll get access to the same quality analytics as you would on the Basic plan, the same international selling support and the same number of inventory locations.What you don’t get with the Shopify plan compared to more expensive plans:A even bigger number of staff accountsEnhanced live chat supportCustom analyticsIncreased checkout capacity (for busy sales times)The ability to add markets to localized sellingImport tax estimates at checkoutAnd of course, transaction fees are lower the more expensive your Shopify plan gets. This is designed to accommodate businesses with a high sales volume, and is standard practice across the payment processing industry.Read more about credit card processing fees in our in-depth guide.Shopify Plan Transaction FeesThird party transaction fees: 1.0% (on top of payment provider’s fees)Currency conversion fee: 1.5%Transaction fees with Shopify Payments:Online credit/debit card rates: 2.7% + 30¢In-person credit/debit card rates: 2.5% + 10¢Amex credit card rates (online): 3.3% + 30¢Online International credit card rates: 3.7% + 30¢Who do we recommend the Shopify plan for?We recommend the Shopify plan for small businesses whose sales are growing quickly.There’s no question that Shopify’s mid-tier plan has more advanced features than its competitor’s equivalents, but it’s also almost double the price of some. For example, Wix’s Business plan only costs $36, compared to the Shopify plan’s $79.But, if you plan on growing your business and expanding internationally, the extra cost of using Shopify is worth it, especially since it gives you unlimited products (something Wix doesn’t), and access to comprehensive translation and multicurrency tools.However, given that Shopify’s Basic Plan has a very similar offering, except with slightly higher transaction fees, you might be better off skipping the Shopify plan and waiting until you’re ready for the Shopify Advanced plan.If you’re a medium-sized business that isn’t planning on expanding internationally (or to only a few markets), you could give Wix a go. Its ecommerce features aren’t quite as advanced as Shopify’s, but they’re up there, and it costs less. Read our Wix Pricing Review for more details. Shopify Advanced Plan Pricing Shopify Advanced Pricing $299/month billed annually Visit Shopify Quick overview What does it do?The Shopify Advanced plan gives you an online store website with customized reporting and analytics, increased checkout capacity, and lower transaction fees than on the cheaper Shopify plans.Who’s it for?Growing medium-sized businesses selling internationally at large volumes. Read more + Read less - The Shopify Advanced plan costs $299 per month when paying on an annual basis, and $399 per month when payment month-to-month.This is a massive leap in price from the standard Shopify plan, but it’s one that I think could be worth it for some businesses, thanks to the extra features it gives you access to.For example, this is the cheapest Shopify price plan at which you can collect estimated duties and import taxes at the checkout, to avoid stinging your customers with unexpected charges on delivery. This type of cost transparency is likely to increase customer satisfaction.Shopify Advanced FeaturesUp to 15 staff accountsEnhanced live chat supportCustom analytics and reportingx10 checkout capacityThird-party calculated shipping ratesAdd over 3 markets to localized selling for + $59/moEstimate and collect duties and import tax at checkoutAt this tier, you’ll also benefit from 1.5% duties and import tax rates (0.85% if you use Shopify’s payment gateway), and you’ll get lower transaction fees than on cheaper plans. The currency conversion fee remains the same as the other price plans, at 1.5%.Using the Shopify dashboard, I could select regions I wanted to collect duties and taxes from. Source: Expert MarketShopify Advanced Payment Processing FeesThird party transaction fees: 0.6%Currency conversion fee: 1.5%Duties and import taxes: 1.5%Transaction fees with Shopify Payments:Online credit/debit card rates: 2.5% + 30¢In-person credit/debit card rates: 2.4% + 10¢Amex credit card rates (online): 3.1% + 30¢Online International credit card rates: 3.5% + 30¢Duties and import taxes: 0.85%Shopify Payments’s online card processing fees on the Advanced plan have increased by around 0.1%, and an extra 10¢ has been added to in-person rates since November.Who do we recommend Shopify Advanced for?We recommend Shopify Advanced for established small or medium-sized businesses that are expanding and looking to sell internationally. You’ll benefit from cheaper transaction fees on this plan, which can make a huge difference to your profit if sales are high.The increased checkout capacity of the Advanced plans also means it’s less likely your customers will end up in a queue, which can make or break a sale.The Advanced plan also comes with lower transaction fees, better shipping discounts, and more support with international selling than the Basic and Shopify plans, giving your customers complete transparency, and helping you save money on fees.The $299 per month price tag all this comes with might seem like a lot, but we think the Shopify Advanced plan is worth the money, and reasonably priced. BigCommerce, one of Shopify’s competitors, has a similar offering for exactly the same price point.The main difference is that BigCommerce doesn’t charge transaction fees for third-party payment providers, whereas with Shopify, you’re getting a sore deal if you’re not using Shopify Payments. If you’re looking to switch ecommerce platforms and already have a payment provider that you want to keep, it might be cheaper to go for an option like BigCommerce. Struggling with abandoned carts? In May 2023, Shopify released a study with one of the Big Three management consultancy companies which indicated that Shopify’s checkout, Shop Pay secures on average 15% more conversions than competitors. Shopify Plus Plan PricingShopify’s Plus plan is its custom solution for large businesses (think Nike, or Walmart), and it starts at $2,300 per month for a three-year term. Since most businesses don’t qualify for this plan, we won’t go into too much detail here.The main difference between the Plus plan and all other Shopify plans is that it gives you access to competitive transaction fees, over 200 inventory locations, localized global selling in 50 markets (without the extra fee), and priority customer support.There are a host of other benefits to the Shopify Plus plan, so this isn’t an extensive list.If you think your business is large enough to benefit from a plan like this, we’d recommend you also shop around with other ecommerce platforms that also offer custom plans for enterprises, such as Wix or BigCommerce, to get the best deal. Does Shopify Have a Free Plan?Shopify doesn’t have a free plan but it does offer a three-day free trial so you can test its ecommerce services free of charge. You don’t have to give out any payment details to do this.This is down from 14 days, which Shopify offered two years ago, and is what most competitors still offer.We think a three-day trial period doesn’t truly give people enough time to test out Shopify’s features before making a commitment. You could start out paying monthly instead of yearly as a work around, and cancel if you’re not happy. Just bear in mind this costs 25% more than paying for the year, if you decide to continue with Shopify.If you’re looking for an ecommerce website builder that does have a free plan, your best bet is Square, which is aimed at businesses that sell in-store as well as online. You’ll have to pay a one-off fee to use Square’s POS, as well as transaction fees, but using the online store is completely free. Read our review of Square for the full verdict. Shopify Fees and Costs: Billing Cycles, Ongoing Costs and Hidden FeesHere’s a breakdown of all of Shopify’s costs and fees:Shopify Billing CyclesYou can pay for your Shopify subscription month to month, or in advance for one year, which is 25% cheaperYou can cancel your Shopify subscription at any time, but you won’t be refunded that month’s or year’s billYou can downgrade or upgrade your Shopify plan at any time (except Shopify Starter, as this is the cheapest plan)Additional Shopify Website CostsDomain names: $9-$20 a month to get a domain name that isn’t myshopify.com (if you already have a domain, you can connect it to your Shopify store)Template designs: one-off fee from $140 to $400 for a range of templates (or choose from 12 free ones)Apps: Variable prices ($9-$100 per month on average) to use apps, either made by Shopify or third-parties, for additional website featuresEmails: First 10,000 per month are free then $1 per 1,000 emails sent, $0.65 per 1,000 after 300,000 emails sent, $0.55 per 1,000 after 750,000 emails sentUsing Shopify's domain search tool, I could see how much available domains would cost me. Source: Expert MarketAdditional Shopify Sales CostsThird-party transaction fees: 0.2%-2% depending on your plan (on top of fees you pay to your payments provider)Shopify Payments credit and debit card fees: 2.5% + 30¢ to 3.5% + 10¢, depending your plan, the type card, and the type of transaction (fees are competitive on the Shopify Plus plan)Duties and import taxes: 0.85%-1.5% (only applicable to Advanced Shopify and Shopify Plus plans)Currency conversion fees: 1.5%Shopify also has a POS solution for selling in-person. The Basic, Shopify, and Advanced plans all include POS Lite, a software solution suitable for one location. You can POS software to handle multiple locations with Shopify POS Pro, which costs $89 per month, per location.To complement this, you can buy card readers and countertop systems from Shopify. Here’s what they cost:Tap to pay on smartphone: free, available an all plans as part of POS LiteCard tap and chip reader: $49POS Go (mobile card reader): $299Countertop Kit: $459Before setting up Shopify's free POS software, I was asked where I wanted to sell in-person. Source: Expert MarketShopify Payments FeesYou can avoid additional fees for using third-party payment providers by using Shopify Payments, the company’s proprietary payment gateway (powered by Stripe).You’ll pay the following payment processing fees per transaction:US card (online): 2.5% + 30¢ to 2.9% + 30¢ depending on your planUS card (in-person): 2.4% + 10¢ to 2.6% + 10¢ depending on your planAmex (online): 3.1% + 30¢ to 3.5% + 30¢ depending on your planInternational card (online): + 1% (so 3.5% + 30¢ to 3.9% + 30¢ for an online purchase with a US card)Chargeback: around $15 per incident (may be refunded if appealed)With Shopify Payments the duties and import taxes rates on Advanced Shopify decreases from 1.5% to 0.85%.There are no charges for refunds, declined payments or rewards transactions. It’s worth noting that the international card fee with Shopify Payments is better than the standard Stripe fee of 4.4%+ 30¢.However, Shopify charges an extra 1.5% for foreign currency transactions, whereas Stripe charges 1% as standard.Shopify Tax PricingIt’s ultimately your responsibility as a seller to pay the correct taxes on your revenue, but Shopify makes it a lot easier with its automated tax calculation.Shopify Tax is available at no extra cost for the first $100,000 in sales per calendar year. This includes all sales connected to Shopify, including social media channels you’ve chosen to connect.After the $100,000 a year in sales threshold, you’ll be charged the following:0.35% per order (all Shopify plans excluding Plus)0.25% per order (Shopify plus)There are also two maximum fee caps per year, so you don’t have to stress about spiraling tax calculation costs:$0.99 per order cap$5,000 yearly cap Keeping Track of Your Accounts We can’t offer you financial advice, so make sure to check with a qualified tax professional about the exact business taxes you’ll need to pay, just in case Shopify’s automated tax calculation doesn’t get it exactly right for you.Free Services Included in All Shopify PlansDespite these extra fees, a lot of services are still included for free in all Shopify pricing plans, such as the following:Website builder (excluding Shopify Starter)Web hosting (excluding Shopify Starter)SSL certificateUnlimited productsUnlimited bandwidthWeb shop analytics Is Shopify Worth the Money?Shopify is good value for money if you’re an ambitious small business that plans on growing and expanding internationally, or an established online business looking to switch to a platform with more advanced sales features than your current one.It’s especially good for businesses that want to simplify their sales processes, since Shopify can act as a website builder and payment gateway, as well as provide POS solutions and shipping discounts. All this comes at a high price, however, since Shopify is one of the most expensive ecommerce platforms.You can have almost just as good ecommerce functionality for less money by using Wix. However, since Wix is a website builder that doesn’t specifically focus on ecommerce, it’s not quite the powerhouse that Shopify is in that department.If you’re just looking for a simple ecommerce solution without all the bells and whistles, you’ll get better value for your money with alternatives such as Squarespace, Hostinger, or Square. Shopify Pricing Versus Competitors’ PricingHere’s an overview of how Shopify’s pricing compares to its competitors: Swipe right to see more 0 out of 0 backward forward Shopify Squarespace Wix GoDaddy Hostinger Square Online BigCommerce Score 4.7 Score 4.8 Score 4.9 Score 4.1 Score 4.0 Score 4.4 Score 4.4 Price Range $5-$2,300/month$1 for first month on select plans Price Range $23-$52/month$20.70-$46.80/month with code “EM10” Price Range $29-$159/month$28.10-$143.10/month with code: “TAKE10” Price Range $20.99/month (first year)$26.99/month (afterwards) Price Range $13.99/month(First term is $3.99/month on 4 year contract) Price Range $0-$79/month Price Range $29–$299 Transaction fees 0.2%-2% (none if using Shopify Payments) Transaction fees 0-3% Transaction fees None Transaction fees 0% Transaction fees None Transaction fees Up to 2.9% + 30¢ Transaction fees None Credit card rates Up to 2.9% + 30¢ Credit card rates Squarespace Payments: 2.5% + 30¢ to 2.9% + 30¢ for domestic cards Credit card rates Wix Payments: 2.9% + 30¢ Credit card rates 2.5% + 30¢ Credit card rates Not stated Credit card rates Included in above fees Credit card rates None for many gatewaysPayPal powered by Braintree: from 2.59% + 49¢ Unlimited storage space? Unlimited storage space? Unlimited storage space? Unlimited storage space? Unlimited storage space? Unlimited storage space? Unlimited storage space? Hosting included? Hosting included? Hosting included? Hosting included? Hosting included? Hosting included? Hosting included? Free Plan Free Plan Free Plan Free Plan Free Plan Free Plan Free Plan Free trial Free trial Free trial Free trial Free trial Free trial Free trial Try Shopify Try Squarespace Try Wix Try GoDaddy Try Hostinger Try Square Try BigCommerce Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy, Hostinger, and Square are all cheaper on average than Shopify, when it comes to their subscriptions.BigCommerce is more or less in the same range as Shopify, but your first year with Shopify would be cheaper, thanks to the current deal of your first month priced at $1.BigCommerce, Square, and Wix, don’t charge additional transaction fees – unlike Shopify – for using a third party payment provider. That could mean you end up paying less with one of these over Shopify, depending on your payment provider’s fees and your business’ sales revenue. Expert Verdict Shopify is an expensive option for creating an online store, but it’s got the best ecommerce features on the market, and its Starter plan for selling via social media is very good value for small startups.If you pay for a one-year price plan, the monthly cost comes to:Shopify Starter: $5 per monthBasic Shopify: $29 per monthAdvanced Shopify: $299 per monthShopify Plus: From $2,300+ per monthThis is the best way to save money with Shopify, since you’ll benefit from a 25% discount compared to paying month-to-month.However, you’ll need to be a self-starter with Shopify because its business support is a lot more hands-off than a provider like Americommerce, which offers ecommerce consulting and custom product development. Why You Can Trust Our ResearchWe have been testing website builders with online payments features for over ten years. We know the priorities of small business leaders like you.That’s why we rate and evaluate providers based on objective criteria including:How easy the platform is to useWhether it’s good value for moneyDesign capabilitiesCustomer support optionsOnly after putting each platform through over 50 tests do we decide on the best ecommerce platforms for small businesses. More than 30 hours of research goes into deciding the winners, with input from out expert in house research team and focus group users, too. FAQs Is Shopify worth it for a small business? Shopify has raised its credit card processing rates this year (2.9% + 30¢ for online domestic cards with Shopify Payments), so they’re much closer to major competitors like BigCommerce (from 2.59% + 49¢).Whether or not Shopify is worth it for your small business specifically depends on the rate at which you sell products, the average order size, and the amount of revenue you take per month. Can I move my existing website to Shopify? Yes, it’s possible to move your existing website to Shopify, although there are some key points to consider when migrating:Remove specific protocols from your store’s assets to ensure that all elements are accessible.Create re-directs from pages that previous customers may have bookmarked to ensure you don’t lose out on returning business.Shopify has a detailed guide on migrating your store if you’d like a step-by-step explanation of the process. Are Shopify fees high? Compared to other major ecommerce platforms such as BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and Squarespace, Shopify’s monthly subscription model and transaction fee structure are reasonably priced and competitive. Even though Shopify offers a robust platform with excellent value for money, be cautious about paid add-ons that could increase overall costs. However, Shopify’s core pricing model by itself is fair and not excessive when compared to competitors. The prices reflect the strong set of features on offer. Written by: Sabrina Dougall Web Marketing Expert Sabrina is a business journalist whose career began in news reporting. She has a master's in Investigative Journalism from City University London, and her work has appeared in The Times, The Daily Express, Money Saving Expert, Camden New Journal, Global Trade Review, and Computer Business Review. She specializes in writing about SEO (search engine optimization). Having run her own small business, Sabrina knows first-hand how critical digital marketing is to building a client base and local reputation. Reviewed by: Natasha Willett Head of Research For over 9 years Natasha has worked as a mixed method researcher, across a range of sectors from insurance and policy development to business services and software. As a member of the Market Research Society, Natasha is an advocate for high ethical, commercial and methodological best practices.