Shopify Fees Explained — Plans, Transaction Fees & True Cost (2026)
Updated October 2026 · 5 min read
Quick start: Open the free Shopify Fee Calculator — enter your monthly revenue and plan to see total fees and net profit.
Shopify is the world's leading ecommerce platform, but its fee structure has several layers that can catch new merchants off guard. The monthly plan fee is just the start — transaction fees, payment processing and app costs stack on top. Here is the full picture.
Shopify Plans at a Glance (2026)
| Plan | Monthly fee | Credit card rate (online) | 3rd-party transaction fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $39 | 2.9% + $0.30 | 2% |
| Shopify | $105 | 2.6% + $0.30 | 1% |
| Advanced | $399 | 2.4% + $0.30 | 0.5% |
| Starter | $5 | 5% | 5% |
The 3rd-party transaction fee only applies if you use a payment gateway other than Shopify Payments (e.g. PayPal, Stripe direct). Use Shopify Payments to avoid it entirely.
Which Plan Is Right for Your Revenue?
The higher plans save money on processing fees — but only once revenue is high enough to offset the larger monthly fee. Break-even between Basic and Shopify:
Extra monthly fee savings = (2.9% − 2.6%) × Revenue = 0.3% × Revenue
Break-even revenue = ($105 − $39) ÷ 0.003 = $22,000/month
Below $22,000/month → Basic is cheaper. Above $22,000/month → Shopify plan saves money on processing alone, ignoring the extra features. Similarly, Advanced beats Shopify above roughly $73,000/month.
Hidden Costs to Budget For
- Apps: Most Shopify stores spend $50–$300/month on apps (email marketing, reviews, upsells, SEO). These are not in Shopify's fees.
- Theme: Premium themes cost $150–$350 one-time. Free themes are solid for most stores.
- Domain: ~$14/year from Shopify, or buy from a registrar and connect for free.
- Chargeback fee: $15 per chargeback on Shopify Payments.
Shopify vs WooCommerce — Total Cost
WooCommerce (self-hosted WordPress) has no monthly platform fee and no transaction fee, but requires hosting ($10–$30/month), a theme, and developer time for setup and maintenance. For stores under $5K/month, WooCommerce can be significantly cheaper. Above that, Shopify's reliability and support often justify the fee.
Calculate Your True Shopify Cost
Enter your monthly revenue and plan — see processing fees, transaction fees and net profit in seconds.
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