# How much does a Shopify store cost? A realistic budget

> What a Shopify store really costs: the monthly plan, payment fees, theme, apps, domain and setup, with current Shopify prices and three example budgets.

Published 2026-11-04, updated 2026-11-04. Source: https://forgefont.com/blog/how-much-does-a-shopify-store-cost

A Shopify store costs at least $29 to $39 a month for the plan, plus payment fees on each sale. On top of that come one-off costs (theme, setup, photos) and recurring ones (apps, domain). The number that matters is not the plan price but the total over your first year.

## The Shopify plan

These are the prices listed on [Shopify’s pricing page](https://www.shopify.com/pricing) in November 2026, in US dollars. They change, so check before you budget.

| Plan | Per month, billed yearly | Per month, billed monthly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Basic | $29 | $39 |
| Grow | $79 | $105 |
| Advanced | $299 | $399 |

Shopify also advertises a three-day trial followed by $1 a month for three months. To sell, you need a paid plan: until then, you cannot remove your store password.

## Fees on each sale

Online card rates start at 2.9% + 30¢ on Basic and fall on higher plans. If you use a third-party payment provider, Shopify adds a transaction fee of 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow and 0.6% on Advanced. On a $50 order on Basic with Shopify’s card rate, that is about $1.75.

## The costs people forget

- **Theme.** Free themes are enough to launch. A paid theme is a one-off purchase.
- **Apps.** Many are billed monthly. Ten small subscriptions can cost more than the plan itself, so add them one at a time.
- **Domain.** A yearly fee, usually small.
- **Photos.** Often the largest hidden cost, in money or in time.
- **Your time.** Writing product pages, setting up collections, menus and policies takes days, not hours.

## Three ways to get the store built

| Option | What you pay | What it costs you otherwise |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Do it yourself | Plan and apps only | Your time, and the learning curve |
| Forgefont | $69 to $149, paid once | A few hours to gather photos and product details |
| Freelancer or agency | A custom quote | Briefs, back-and-forth and revisions |

Forgefont builds the whole store from your products and photos, in a theme that stays unpublished until you approve it. [Compare the three plans](https://forgefont.com/#forfaits) or [configure your store](https://forgefont.com/configurer) to see the exact price with your options.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the cheapest way to run a Shopify store?

The Basic plan is Shopify’s entry plan for an online store: $39 a month, or $29 a month billed yearly, as listed on Shopify’s pricing page in November 2026. A free theme and a small number of apps keep the rest of the budget low.

### Does Shopify take a commission on sales?

You pay card processing rates on each sale. Shopify also charges a transaction fee if you use a third-party payment provider instead of Shopify Payments. The rate depends on your plan.

### Is Forgefont a monthly subscription?

No. Forgefont plans are paid once. You still pay Shopify directly for your own Shopify plan.