Compare all Shopify plans side-by-side using your actual business metrics. Enter your monthly revenue, order volume, and staffing needs to see which plan gives you the lowest total cost and best return on investment.
Choosing the right Shopify plan is one of the most impactful financial decisions you make as a store owner. The difference between plans is not just the monthly fee but the transaction rates, staff account limits, reporting capabilities, and feature access. A store doing $100,000 per month in sales could save over $300 monthly just by being on the correct plan, yet many merchants stay on Basic because they only see the subscription price without calculating total cost of ownership.
This comparison tool takes your real numbers and calculates the total monthly cost for each Shopify plan, including both the subscription fee and processing fees based on your volume. It factors in your specific requirements for staff accounts and reporting to identify which plan offers the best value for your business at its current stage.
According to Shopify’s own data, over 4.6 million stores are active on the platform worldwide. Industry analysis estimates that roughly 70% of these stores are on the Basic plan, 20% on the Shopify plan, 8% on Advanced, and 2% on Plus. However, financial modeling suggests that a significant portion of Shopify plan merchants (those processing over $22,000/month) and many Advanced plan merchants (those processing under $98,000/month) are on the wrong plan, collectively overpaying by hundreds of millions of dollars annually. The misalignment typically happens because merchants evaluate plans based on subscription cost alone, ignoring the much larger impact of processing fee differences.
The total cost of a Shopify plan consists of three components: the fixed monthly subscription, the variable processing fees (which scale with revenue), and the flat per-transaction fees (which scale with order count). At low volumes, the subscription dominates, making Basic the obvious choice. As revenue grows, processing fees become the primary cost driver, and lower percentage rates on higher plans start saving more than the subscription increase. This calculator makes the crossover points transparent so you can upgrade (or avoid upgrading prematurely) at exactly the right time.
Shopify Plans at a Glance
| Feature | Basic ($39/mo) | Shopify ($105/mo) | Advanced ($399/mo) | Plus ($2,300/mo) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online CC rate | 2.9% + $0.30 | 2.6% + $0.30 | 2.4% + $0.30 | ~2.15% + $0.30 |
| Third-party surcharge | 2.0% | 1.0% | 0.5% | 0.15% |
| Staff accounts | 2 | 5 | 15 | Unlimited |
| Inventory locations | Up to 4 | Up to 5 | Up to 8 | Up to 200 |
| Reports | Basic | Professional | Custom report builder | Custom + Flow |
| Shipping discount | Up to 77% | Up to 88% | Up to 88% | Negotiated |
| Calculated shipping rates | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Annual billing price | $29/mo | $79/mo | $299/mo | Negotiated |
| Break-even vs previous tier | — | ~$22K/mo revenue | ~$98K/mo revenue | ~$500K/mo revenue |
How This Tool Works
The calculator evaluates all four Shopify plans against your specific business metrics. For each plan, it computes the monthly subscription cost, the total credit card processing fees based on your revenue (using each plan’s specific rate), and the per-transaction flat fees based on your order count. These are summed to produce a total monthly cost for each plan.
Beyond cost, the tool checks whether each plan meets your operational requirements. If you need more staff accounts than a plan provides, or if you require professional or custom reporting that is only available on higher tiers, the comparison flags plans that would not meet your needs. The final recommendation considers both total cost and feature fit to identify your optimal plan.
The comparison uses Shopify Payments rates (no third-party surcharge) as the baseline. If you use a third-party gateway, the cost differences between plans would be even larger due to the declining surcharge rates on higher tiers.
Step-by-Step Guide: Choosing the Right Shopify Plan
- Gather your actual business numbers. Log into your Shopify admin and check Analytics for your monthly revenue and order count. Use the average of the last 3 months for the most accurate comparison. Do not use your best month or worst month in isolation.
- Count your staff account needs. List everyone who needs access to your Shopify admin: yourself, co-founders, customer service reps, fulfillment staff, marketing team, and any freelancers. This determines the minimum plan tier for your operational needs.
- Identify your reporting requirements. Basic reports cover standard sales and traffic analytics. Professional reports add detailed breakdowns by product, variant, channel, and time period. Custom reports let you build queries for specific business questions. Be honest about what you actually use versus what sounds nice to have.
- Enter your numbers and compare. Input your revenue, orders, staff needs, and reporting level. The tool will calculate total costs and recommend the optimal plan. Pay attention to the total monthly cost column, not just the subscription price.
- Project forward 3-6 months. Re-run the comparison with your projected growth numbers. If you are growing 15% per month, calculate where you will be in 6 months. Upgrading slightly early avoids switching costs and gives you immediate access to better features.
- Check annual billing savings. If the recommended plan is right for you, annual billing typically saves 25%. Factor this into your decision, especially if you are confident in your plan choice for the next 12 months.
Why This Matters for Your Shopify Store
The transaction rate difference between plans seems small in percentage terms (2.9% vs 2.6% vs 2.4%), but on significant revenue these fractions add up to real money. A store processing $50,000 per month saves $150 in processing fees by moving from Basic to Shopify plan rates. Since the Shopify plan only costs $66 more than Basic, the net savings would be $84 per month at this volume. At $100,000 per month, the savings increase to $234 net.
Staff accounts are another critical factor that many growing stores overlook. The Basic plan includes only 2 staff accounts, which quickly becomes a bottleneck when you hire customer service representatives, a marketing manager, or a fulfillment team member. Upgrading for staff access alone may be justified even before the transaction fee savings become meaningful.
The annual financial impact of being on the wrong plan is substantial. A store doing $75,000/month on Basic pays approximately $2,325 in monthly processing fees plus $39 in subscription, totaling $2,364. The same store on the Shopify plan pays $2,100 in processing fees plus $105, totaling $2,205. That is $159/month or $1,908/year in savings just from choosing the right plan. For stores near the Advanced plan break-even point, the annual savings can exceed $3,000.
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Solo Entrepreneur Starting Out ($5,000/month)
A solo founder running a print-on-demand store. No employees, basic reporting needs, low volume but growing steadily.
| Metric | Basic | Shopify | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subscription | $39 | $105 | $399 |
| Processing fees | $175 | $160 | $150 |
| Total monthly cost | $214 | $265 | $549 |
| Staff accounts needed? | 1 of 2 (sufficient) | 1 of 5 | 1 of 15 |
Recommendation: Basic. At $5,000/month, the processing fee savings from higher plans do not justify the subscription increase. Basic provides everything this store needs.
Example 2: Growing Brand with Team ($40,000/month)
A skincare brand with 3 staff members (founder, CS rep, marketing manager), needing professional reports for marketing analysis, processing 600 orders/month at ~$67 AOV.
| Metric | Basic | Shopify | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subscription | $39 | $105 | $399 |
| Processing fees | $1,340 | $1,220 | $1,140 |
| Total monthly cost | $1,379 | $1,325 | $1,539 |
| Meets staff needs? | No (needs 3, has 2) | Yes (3 of 5) | Yes (3 of 15) |
| Meets reporting needs? | No (needs professional) | Yes | Yes |
Recommendation: Shopify. Even if this store only had 1 staff member and basic reporting needs, the Shopify plan would still be cheaper in total monthly cost. With the staff and reporting requirements, it is the clear winner. The store would need to reach about $98,000/month before Advanced becomes cost-effective.
Example 3: Established Multi-Channel Store ($120,000/month)
An established home goods store with 8 staff members, custom reporting needs, calculated shipping requirements, and 1,500 orders/month at $80 AOV.
| Metric | Shopify | Advanced | Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subscription | $105 | $399 | $2,300 |
| Processing fees | $3,570 | $3,330 | $3,030 |
| Total monthly cost | $3,675 | $3,729 | $5,330 |
| Meets staff needs? | No (needs 8, has 5) | Yes (8 of 15) | Yes (unlimited) |
| Meets reporting needs? | No (needs custom) | Yes | Yes |
Recommendation: Advanced. Although the Shopify plan has a slightly lower total cost, it does not meet staff or reporting requirements. Advanced provides everything needed. Plus would only make sense at much higher volumes ($500K+/month) or if the store specifically needs checkout customization, Shopify Flow, or other Plus-exclusive features.
Plan Upgrade Break-Even Points
These are the monthly revenue thresholds where upgrading to the next plan starts saving money, based purely on the cost difference. Feature needs may justify an earlier upgrade.
| Upgrade Path | Processing Rate Savings | Subscription Increase | Break-Even Revenue | Annual Savings at 1.5x Break-Even |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic to Shopify | 0.3% per transaction | $66/month | ~$22,000/month | ~$396/year at $33K/mo |
| Shopify to Advanced | 0.2% per transaction | $294/month | ~$98,000/month (monthly billing) | ~$1,764/year at $147K/mo |
| Advanced to Plus | ~0.25% per transaction | $1,901/month | ~$500,000/month (estimated) | Varies (negotiated rates) |
With annual billing, the subscription costs decrease, which changes the break-even points. Basic to Shopify breaks even around $16,700/month with annual billing. Shopify to Advanced breaks even around $73,300/month.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Comparing only subscription prices. The most common mistake is choosing Basic because it is “$39/month” without calculating that processing fees on a $50K/month store add $1,450+ on Basic versus $1,300 on the Shopify plan. The total cost tells the real story, not the subscription alone.
- Upgrading for features you do not use. Advanced plan’s custom report builder is powerful, but if you never build custom reports, you are paying $294/month extra for unused functionality. Only upgrade for features you will actively use within the next 3 months.
- Not recalculating as you grow. A store that correctly chose Basic at $10K/month should switch to Shopify when it hits $22K/month. Many stores grow through this threshold without revisiting their plan, losing $50-200/month in avoidable fees for months or years.
- Ignoring annual billing discounts. Annual billing saves roughly 25% on the subscription. For the Shopify plan, that is $312/year. This savings changes the break-even calculations and can make an upgrade worthwhile at lower volumes than the monthly billing break-even suggests.
- Upgrading to Plus prematurely. Shopify Plus at $2,300/month rarely makes financial sense below $500K/month in revenue purely from a fee perspective. Unless you specifically need checkout customization, Shopify Flow, or a dedicated account manager, Advanced with lower total costs is the better choice.
- Not considering staff account needs separately. If you need 4 staff accounts, you must be on the Shopify plan regardless of your revenue level. Sometimes the staff account limit is the deciding factor, not the fee savings.
- Forgetting about feature-based value. Calculated shipping rates (Advanced+) can save more than the plan difference by showing accurate carrier rates at checkout, reducing abandoned carts from unexpected shipping costs. Higher shipping discounts on upper tiers also provide direct savings on every shipment.
When to Use This Tool
| Scenario | What to Evaluate | Typical Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Starting a new Shopify store | All plans with projected 6-month revenue | Basic for most new stores; Shopify if team needs 3+ staff |
| Monthly revenue exceeds $20,000 | Basic vs Shopify total cost | Usually time to upgrade to Shopify plan |
| Monthly revenue exceeds $80,000 | Shopify vs Advanced total cost | Approaching break-even; evaluate feature needs too |
| Hiring new team members | Staff account limits across plans | Upgrade if current plan’s limit is exceeded |
| Quarterly business review | Current plan vs optimal plan | Verify you are still on the most cost-effective plan |
| Preparing annual budget | Projected annual cost at each plan tier | Lock in annual billing for 25% savings on the chosen plan |
| Considering Shopify Plus | Advanced vs Plus with your actual volume | Plus rarely wins on cost alone below $500K/mo |
| Peak season preparation | Fee impact at 2-3x normal volume | May justify temporary or permanent upgrade |
Tips and Best Practices
- Recalculate every quarter. As your revenue and order volume grow, the optimal plan may change. Set a quarterly reminder to run this comparison with your actual numbers.
- Consider annual billing. Shopify offers significant discounts for annual and biennial billing. The Basic plan drops from $39/month to $29/month with annual billing, and similar discounts apply to other tiers.
- Factor in growth projections. If you are close to the break-even point between two plans, consider your 3-6 month growth trajectory. Upgrading slightly early avoids the hassle of switching mid-growth.
- Do not upgrade just for features you might use. Advanced reporting and additional staff accounts are valuable, but only if you actually use them. Be honest about your current needs versus aspirational ones.
- Remember that Shopify Plus has negotiable rates. The $2,300 starting price and 2.15% rate for Plus are starting points. High-volume merchants can negotiate both the subscription and processing rates with Shopify’s sales team.
- Factor in shipping discounts. Higher-tier plans include larger shipping carrier discounts (up to 88% on Shopify and Advanced vs 77% on Basic). If you ship high volumes, calculate whether the shipping savings alone justify the upgrade.
- Use annual billing strategically. If you plan to upgrade mid-year, consider whether it makes sense to finish your current annual billing cycle first, or if the monthly savings from upgrading outweigh the lost annual discount.
Related Tools
- Shopify Fee Calculator – Calculate the exact fees on individual transactions to understand per-order costs in detail.
- Shopify Profit Margin Calculator – Determine your true profit margin after accounting for product cost, Shopify fees, and shipping.
- Store Valuation Calculator – Estimate the value of your Shopify store based on revenue, profit, and growth metrics.
Our Shopify Apps
Rubik Variant Images Rubik Combined ListingsSmart Bulk Image Upload Export Product Images Bulk Delete Products
What is included in each Shopify plan?
All plans include unlimited products, 24/7 support, discount codes, SSL certificates, and abandoned cart recovery. Basic adds 2 staff accounts and basic reports. Shopify adds 5 staff accounts, professional reports, and lower rates. Advanced adds 15 staff accounts, custom reports, calculated shipping rates, and the lowest standard rates. Plus adds unlimited staff, a dedicated account manager, and customizable checkout.
When should I upgrade from Basic to Shopify?
The pure cost break-even point is around $22,000 in monthly revenue. Above this, the 0.3% savings in processing fees more than covers the $66 higher subscription. However, you may also want to upgrade earlier if you need more than 2 staff accounts or require professional-level reporting for business decisions.
When does Advanced plan make sense over Shopify?
The break-even between Shopify and Advanced is approximately $98,000-$100,000 in monthly revenue. The 0.2% rate difference needs to save you more than the $294 monthly price increase. Additionally, Advanced is worth considering if you need calculated shipping rates from carriers at checkout, more than 5 staff accounts, or custom report building capabilities.
Is Shopify Plus worth the cost?
Shopify Plus starts at $2,300/month and is designed for high-volume merchants. It typically makes financial sense when you exceed $500,000 in monthly revenue due to the negotiable processing rates. Beyond cost, Plus offers customizable checkout (checkout.liquid), exclusive APIs, automation tools (Shopify Flow), wholesale channels, and a dedicated account manager that growing enterprise businesses need.
Do Shopify plan prices include payment processing fees?
No. The plan price (Basic $39, Shopify $105, Advanced $399, Plus $2,300) is only the subscription cost. Credit card processing fees are charged separately on each transaction. The total cost of your Shopify plan is the subscription plus all processing fees for the month. This calculator shows you that combined total.
Can I downgrade my Shopify plan?
Yes, you can downgrade at any time through your Shopify admin. The downgrade takes effect at the start of your next billing cycle. Note that downgrading may cause you to lose access to features like additional staff accounts, advanced reports, or calculated shipping. Make sure to review what you will lose before downgrading.
How do annual billing discounts affect the comparison?
Annual billing typically saves 25% on subscription costs. Basic drops from $39 to $29/month, Shopify from $105 to $79/month, and Advanced from $399 to $299/month. This changes the break-even calculations between plans. With annual billing, the gap between plan tiers is smaller, so the transaction rate savings become the dominant factor sooner.
What happens to my data if I upgrade or downgrade?
All your products, orders, customers, and content remain intact when changing plans. Upgrading gives you immediate access to new features. Downgrading may disable features above your new plan level (extra staff accounts are deactivated, advanced reports become unavailable), but your data is never deleted. You can always upgrade again to regain access.
Does Shopify offer discounts for nonprofits or educational institutions?
Shopify does not have a standard nonprofit discount on its regular plans. However, Shopify Plus sometimes offers special pricing for qualifying nonprofits and educational organizations. Additionally, some Shopify Partners and agencies may offer discounted setup or management for nonprofit clients. Contact Shopify’s sales team directly to inquire about special pricing.
How do Shopify POS fees factor into plan selection?
If you sell in person, Shopify POS Lite is included free with all plans. Shopify POS Pro costs $89/month per location. In-person credit card rates are lower than online rates: 2.7% for Basic, 2.5% for Shopify, and 2.4% for Advanced. If you have significant in-person sales volume, include those transactions in your comparison to get an accurate picture of total processing costs.
How does Shopify Starter plan compare to Basic?
Shopify Starter ($5/month) is not included in this comparison because it is not a full e-commerce plan. Starter provides only a simple storefront with link-based selling, no full online store, and charges 5% transaction fees. It is designed for social media sellers who do not need a standalone website. For any serious e-commerce operation, Basic is the minimum recommended plan.
Should I consider Shopify’s development store option before committing?
Yes. Shopify offers free development stores through the Shopify Partners program. You can build and test your entire store on a development store without paying subscription fees, then convert to a paid plan when you are ready to launch. This lets you fully evaluate Shopify’s features and determine which plan tier you need before committing. Development stores have no time limit.
How do app costs factor into the total cost of ownership?
App costs are a significant hidden expense that this comparison does not include (as they vary widely). The average Shopify store uses 6-8 apps, with monthly costs ranging from $10 to $100+ each. When evaluating your total Shopify costs, add your app subscriptions to the plan costs shown here. Some features available through paid apps on lower plans are included natively on higher plans, which can offset part of the upgrade cost.
What is the best plan for a new store with no sales yet?
Basic is almost always the right starting point for new stores. The subscription cost is lowest, and at zero or low revenue, the higher processing rates have minimal dollar impact. As you grow past $22,000/month in revenue, revisit the comparison. The exception is if you are launching with a team of 3+ people who all need admin access, which requires the Shopify plan for its 5 staff accounts.
Can I switch plans mid-billing cycle?
Yes. Upgrading takes effect immediately, and you are charged a prorated amount for the remainder of your current billing cycle. Downgrading also takes effect at the end of your current billing cycle. For annual plans, upgrading mid-cycle prorates the remaining months at the new rate. You cannot get a refund for unused months on an annual plan if you downgrade, so consider the timing carefully.