How much does Shopify really cost per month?

Beyond the headline plan fee, expect to pay a payment processing fee on every order. A Basic-plan store doing 200 orders/month at $75 average pays about $39 plan + $495 processing = $534/mo. Apps, themes and shipping labels can add another $50–200/mo.

Which Shopify plan is cheapest for me?

The break-even point is set by payment volume. Basic ($39) wins until ~$13K/mo in card processing. Shopify ($105) wins between roughly $13K and $90K. Advanced ($399) only pays off above ~$90K/mo, because its lower 2.5% rate finally outweighs the higher subscription.

Do I have to use Shopify Payments?

No, but Shopify charges a transaction fee of 0.5%–2% on top of your external gateway's fee when you don't. For most US stores, Shopify Payments is the cheapest option unless you have a specific reason (e.g. high-risk industry, existing Stripe contract) to use another provider.

Are there hidden fees on Shopify?

The most-missed costs are app subscriptions (avg $40–60/mo for serious stores), premium themes ($150–350 one-time), Shopify Shipping markups, and currency conversion fees (1.5%) for cross-border sales. Chargeback fees are $15 per dispute and are not refunded if you win.

Is Shopify cheaper than building a custom store?

For most sellers under $5M ARR, yes — once you factor in developer time, hosting, PCI compliance and security patching. Use our profit margin calculator to see how Shopify's blended fee compares to your gross margin target before committing.

Shopify Fees Calculator (2026) — Plans, Payments & Transaction Fees

Free Shopify fees calculator: estimate subscription, payment processing and transaction fees by plan. Compare Basic, Shopify and Advanced to find your cheapest tier.

Last Updated: March 25, 2026

Shopify Plan

Average Order Value ($)

Monthly Orders

Use Shopify Payments

Off = extra 2.0% transaction fee

Monthly Cost

$534

All Shopify fees (3.56% of revenue)

$15000

Monthly Revenue

$14466

After Shopify

Plan subscription$39

Payment processing$495

How to Use

Select your Shopify plan: Basic ($39), Shopify ($105) or Advanced ($399).
Enter your average order value and expected monthly orders.
Toggle 'Use Shopify Payments' off if you process with an external gateway (Stripe, PayPal) — Shopify charges an extra 0.5–2% transaction fee.
Comparing checkout providers? Run the same numbers through our Stripe fee calculator or PayPal fee calculator.

Formula Explained

Monthly Fees = Plan Subscription + (Order × Payment Rate + $0.30) × Orders + (Order × Transaction Fee Rate) × Orders

Plan Subscription: = Flat monthly fee: $39 (Basic), $105 (Shopify), $399 (Advanced)
Payment Rate: = Shopify Payments rate: 2.9% / 2.7% / 2.5% online + $0.30 per transaction
Transaction Fee: = Extra 2% / 1% / 0.5% only if you use a 3rd-party payment gateway instead of Shopify Payments

Worked example: Basic plan, 200 orders/mo at $75 AOV with Shopify Payments: $39 + (200 × ($75 × 2.9% + $0.30)) = $39 + $495 = $534/mo, or ~3.6% of revenue.

Shopify Fees Calculator (2026) — Plans, Payments & Transaction Fees

How to Use

Formula Explained

References

Frequently Asked Questions