Shopify Pricing Explained: A Comprehensive Guide Understanding Shopify's pricing is crucial for budgeting and choosing the right plan. The total cost is a combination of a fixed monthly subscription fee and variable transaction fees that depend on your sales volume and payment gateway. Core Subscription Plans Shopify offers several tiers, each designed for different business stages. The main trade-off is between the monthly cost and the transaction fee percentages—higher-tier plans cost more per month but offer lower rates, making them more economical for high-volume stores. Feature Basic Shopify Advanced Annual Price (USD/mo) $29 $79 $299 Online Credit Card Rate 2.9% + 30¢ 2.7% + 30¢ 2.5% + 30¢ Staff Accounts 2 5 15 Transaction Fees: The Variable Cost This is where the calculation gets important. Using Shopify Payments is the most cost-effective option, as Shopify waives its own transaction fee (ranging from 0.5% to 2.0%) that it otherwise charges for using third-party payment gateways. Our calculator focuses on Shopify Payments for this reason. The percentage-based fee is the primary driver of costs at scale. The fixed fee (e.g., +30¢) has a larger impact on businesses with a low average order value. When Should You Upgrade? The decision to upgrade should be based on a break-even analysis. You're ready to upgrade when the money you save from lower transaction fees on a higher plan is more than the increase in the monthly subscription cost. This calculator is designed to find that exact point for you based on your monthly revenue.