The value of ecommerce platform: Shopify pricing and plans

What is Shopify

As of May 2023, Shopify is still one of the best picks on the market when it comes to ecommerce platforms. A fair winner of an honorary title Customers’ Choice 2023 - just check out Gartner if you're skeptical - Shopify is the whole nine yards, saying figuratively, all the necessary internet infrastructure for digital commerce in your pocket. 

The franchise’s main trademark is the ease-of-use: basically, your grandma can make her entrepreneurial dreams (dumplings delivery?) come to reality. Well, so it's at least advertised. 

At your disposal, half a dozen pricing plans to fit your budget and, most importantly, your needs: the more expansive the plan, the brighter and broader the feature-set. 

With its CEO Tobi Lütke being media-baptized as anti-Bezos, Shopify - collectively the 2nd largest ecommerce stance in the US after Amazon - always keeps its nose to the grindstone and brings new tricks up its sleeve to enhance the overall experience for both sellers and buyers.

Brief fable behind Shopify

Tobias Lütke, a developer, and Scott Lake, a designer, launched their first ecommerce business in 2004. Buddies wanted to sell custom snowboards. But, as the meme goes, something went wrong… In a good sense. They simply couldn’t find an ecommerce software they were eager to utilize. And, you guessed it right; they created their own. Wondering, what was so special about those snowboards? 

And it set the wheels in motion. In 2006, launching its first platform, Shopify provided users with a collection of efficient tools that could be used in the process of establishing an online shop. After its IPO in 2015, Shopify has been used by more than a million different companies, making it one of the ecommerce systems that is most frequently used. 

Who Shopify is best for

Historically, Shopify is popular among SMEs looking to join the online market or strengthen their current online presence. Reasons include, but are not limited to: cheap cost, simple layout, and great usability.

Recently, however, Shopify has moved its attention to the B2B market and the Shopify Plus initiative, which focuses on large-scale online businesses. And this shift is vital. The noble pursuit of expanding the repertoire was meant to prevent the exodus of bigwigs to greener pastures that supposedly suit their elevated status better than Shopify. 

Today, the Shopify premise is that customers should have all possible options to grow alongside and within the Shopify ecosystem, subscribing little by little for higher, leading-edge features and services.

Shopify pricing and plans for ecommerce

The concept underlying Shopify's subscription programs is as easy as puff pastry pie, as we've alluded to briefly. When you pay for a more expensive plan, you have access to more powerful tools that can help your Shopify online store grow. 

How much does Shopify cost? What do these price plans consist of? Which Shopify plan is best for me? If you have these question in your head, you’ll find the answers below. So, let's start from the bottom tier.

Shopify Starter: for newcomers and experimenters

The primary goal of Shopify's basic plan is to make it simple for you to begin selling products online right away.

The package may be used immediately without any prior knowledge of programming. Add a buy now button to your existing ecommerce website, sell on social media, or conduct business via chat apps with no effort.

There is a $5 monthly cost for the subscription in addition to a 5% transaction fee and a 30 cent processing fee. 

Being the cheapest Shopify price plan, the Starter plan is rather different from other Shopify SaaS packages, since it doesn’t provide an online store builder itself. You won't get an actual online storefront with this subscription; instead you'll get access to Shopify's sales features. Possible integration with Shopify's Linkpop service, which helps users make money via social media.

Those who are interested in selling online but are not yet prepared to create an online shop may take advantage of the Starter price plan. It's meant for newcomers and experimenters, but it may be more than enough for your grandma’s dumplings project.

Basic Shopify: for small businesses who don't need fancy-pants features 

Though it is also mainly for those who are just dipping their toes into the treacherous waters of digital commerce, the Basic’s target audience is primarily those who are running a small business and need a simple yet efficient tech leverage. 

The Basic Shopify subscription will set you back $32 p/mo (paid monthly), $24 p/mo (paid yearly) plus a 2.7% transaction fee and a 30 cent processing fee per transaction. 

According to Shopify’s website, Basic is the most popular plan. If you're just starting out, you have all the needed arsenal to build an ecommerce website, an online shop, accept several payment types, and promote your business online. The interface's aesthetic and usability won't be your main concerns. 

In addition, you have complete control over the presentation of your products. You may list your products and manage your orders, as well as use advanced features like coupon codes and the ability to reclaim items that customers have abandoned in their carts.

The key difference of the plan is that it offers only basic reports and 2 staff accounts. 

The Basic Shopify plan is a fine choice for those small businesses who don't need fancy-pants features like real-time shipping rates and advanced reporting. 

Shopify (regular): for ecommerce automation lovers

Before we get into the advantages of the Shopify (regular) plan, let's have a glance over the bread and butter of Shopify's SaaS. Given the title of the package, Shopify may have thought about a regular Shopify plan as a somewhat frontman, so it’s a proper occasion to recap the core feature-set. 

Shopify has three primary pricing tiers, each with a somewhat different take on the ecommerce platform's key features: Basic, Shopify (regular), and Advanced. However, the core feature-set is available with all three packages:

• Online store | SaaS ecommerce platform as such
• Unlimited products | Add as many products as you need
• Sales channels
• Hydrogen storefronts | This React-based framework to design unique storefronts
• (up to 1,000) Inventory locations 
• Discount codes | Manage fixed price, percentages, and shipping discounts.
• Free SSL certificate
• Abandoned cart recovery 
• Gift cards 

Besides, all Shopify subscriptions include leading-edge tools like Customer segmentation, Marketing and Sales toolset, and Shopify Fulfillment Network (Order fulfillment).

All three packages also support International Commerce: domains and subfolders, market management, language translation (you can sell in multiple languages: up to 2 on Regular, up to 5 on Advanced, up to 20 on Shopify Plus), currency conversion, and local payment methods.

The regular Shopify plan will cost you $92 p/mo (monthly), $69 p/mo (yearly), plus 2.6% and 30¢ per transaction.

The Shopify package stands out by including professional reports and 5 employee accounts. 

Leveling up to the regular Shopify plan will also bring you a number of benefits on top of the above listed feature-set.

One of them is Ecommerce automations. Good news for those in ecommerce who can’t stand doing most of the routine manually. Keep cool and save the day. Shopify's regular plan will help you to build workflows and watch your sales boost. 

Advanced Shopify: for brands who need specific niche services 

On the fourth tier of Shopify pricing and plans hierarchy is the Advanced package. 

The cost is $399 p/mo (monthly), $299 p/mo (yearly), with 2.4% transaction fees and 30 cents processing fees per sale. Up to 15 staff accounts are available.

A keyword is advanced here. Among many beautiful and certainly advanced features, advanced report builder, detailed analytics, real-time shipping prices, and next-gen Shopify apps to polish your working routine.

Furthermore, some cutting-edge features Advanced plan subscribers have access to:

• Third-party calculated shipping rates | At checkout, you may display estimated rates using your own account or a third-party application.

• Shopify Flow | To enhance customer loyalty and rewards, segmentation, merchandising, and fraud prevention with automated workflows.

• Duties and import taxes | Providing total cost clarity at checkout and minimizing return risks for customers.

The plan is valuable for those ecommerce professionals who need some specific niche services like more precise work with shipping rates, or their working routine automation. 

Shopify Plans Comparison

Wrap-up: the ecommerce platform for hipsters and enterprises

It's clear that even with its initial four pricing plans, Shopify is aiming to appeal to the widest variety of ecommerce enthusiasts possible, from hipsters who can use a Starter plan to sell vintage clothing on social networks to enterprises that will be happy enough with the Advanced plan.

In the following piece, we’ll go into further depth about the horizons that Shopify Plus provides for online shoppers. While waiting, check how we can help you build a perfect ecommerce website with Shopify.