A deep dive in Shopify's pricing structure: Shopify plans
Shopify pricing can feel like a maze: Basic, Advanced, Plus — and then there are payment fees and other things to consider. What are all the elements you need to weigh, what’s the real difference, and which should you choose? In this blog post, we highlight the differences between the various Shopify plans, what they cost, and which features truly matter for your store’s growth.
PS: TL;DR? Download our easy Shopify Plans Comparison Sheet!
At its very core, Shopify offers a range of pricing plans to fit different business sizes and needs, which can be broken down into two main categories: the Non-Shopify Plus plans and the Shopify Plus plan.
1. Non-Shopify Plus plans
If you're not subscribed to Shopify Plus, the pricing can be broken down into two things:
A. Fixed fee
The first part is a fixed monthly fee that you pay for access to the Shopify platform, tools, and features. This fee varies depending on the plan you choose: Basic, Shopify, or Advanced. Each plan offers more features and flexibility as the price increases.
B. Variable fee
The second part is the variable transaction fee. This fee is a small percentage of each sale you make, and it decreases as you move up to a more expensive fixed-fee plan. This means that as your business grows and your sales volume increases, the percentage you pay per transaction goes down, which can save you money in the long run.
2. Shopify Plus
The Shopify Plus cost consists of two elements:
A. Core subscription fee
The pricing for Shopify Plus is designed to align with your success, starting with a base minimum and then transitioning to a percentage of your revenue as your business grows.
The monthly fee for Shopify Plus is 0.35% of your revenue on a 3-year contract or 0.40% on a 1-year contract. This is subject to a minimum monthly payment of €2300 (3-year contract) or €2500 (1-year contract).
The inflection point where your cost shifts from a fixed minimum to a variable percentage is around €657k (€2300/0.35% ≈ €657k) in monthly revenue.
If your company's turnover is below this amount, your monthly platform fee remains at the minimum. Once you exceed this threshold, the fee becomes a percentage of total sales — a flexible model that scales with your revenue and accommodates seasonal fluctuations.
B. Payment processing fees
In addition to monthly costs, consider credit card rates, which are the fees you pay for processing payments. When using a third-party provider, this is a fixed percentage of each transaction. If you choose Shopify Payments instead, fees are typically lower and vary by location and business type — making them highly cost-effective for stores with high transaction volumes.
What plan is most suited for me?
Choosing the right Shopify plan ultimately comes down to understanding your business goals, growth stage, and operational needs. Whether you’re just starting out or scaling internationally, knowing where the real value lies helps you invest wisely and plan for sustainable growth.
To make that decision easier, we’ve created a detailed comparison sheet that breaks down every cost, feature, and benefit side by side.
Download the sheet to see which Shopify plan fits your business best and make your next step with confidence.
