Shopify review (2026): features, pros and cons, pricing
Hosted ecommerce platform sold in Basic, Grow, Advanced and Plus tiers, with payment fees that drop as the plan price rises.
Verdict at a glance
A hosted platform sold in Basic, Grow, Advanced and Plus tiers. It stands out for payment fees that fall as the plan rises and for staff seats that grow from none on Basic to unlimited on Plus.
What is Shopify?
Hosted ecommerce platform sold in Basic, Grow, Advanced and Plus tiers, with payment fees that drop as the plan price rises. It is built for small and mid-size brands that want a hosted store without managing servers and merchants that will use Shopify Payments to avoid the third-party gateway fee. Shopify was founded in 2006 and is based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Category: Ecommerce Platforms, Website Builders
Shopify key features
| Feature | What we found |
|---|---|
| Hosted versus self-hosted | Hosted SaaS. |
| Payment processing and transaction fees | Shopify Payments online card 2.1% + EUR 0.30 on Basic down to 1.3% + EUR 0.30 on Plus; third-party gateways add 2% / 1% / 0.6% / 0.2% by plan. |
| Scalability and checkout limits | Staff seats rise from none (Basic) to 5, 15 and unlimited (Plus) |
| Ecommerce capability | Native checkout, POS Pro add-on at EUR 79/mo per location. |
| Hosting, uptime and speed | Vendor-hosted. |
Shopify pricing
Shopify charges a flat monthly fee per store plus payment fees. Basic is $39 monthly or $29 yearly, Grow is $105 or $79, Advanced is $399 or $299. Plus starts at EUR 2,100 per month with 1 or 3 year terms and no USD figure on the vendor page. Card rates on the EUR page go from 2.1% to 1.3% plus EUR 0.30, and card rates may differ in USD. Staff accounts are none on Basic, 5 on Grow, 15 on Advanced and unlimited on Plus. POS Pro is EUR 79 per month per location. The trial is 3 days free, then EUR 1 per month for 3 months.
| Plan | Price | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $39/mo monthly, $29/mo yearly | per store | Online card 2.1% + EUR 0.30; third-party gateway fee 2%; additional staff not included |
| Grow | $105/mo monthly, $79/mo yearly | per store | Card 1.8% + EUR 0.30; third-party fee 1%; 5 additional staff |
| Advanced | $399/mo monthly, $299/mo yearly | per store | Card 1.6% + EUR 0.30; third-party fee 0.6%; 15 additional staff |
| Plus | From EUR 2,100/mo (no USD figure on vendor page) | per store | Card 1.3% + EUR 0.30; third-party fee 0.2%; unlimited staff; 1 or 3 year term options |
USD yearly prices ($29/$79/$299) and monthly prices ($39/$105/$399) are from Shopify's own pricing and B2B/POS pages; the main pricing page shows EUR. Card rates in the plan notes are the EUR-page values and may differ in USD. Plus: the vendor page shows EUR 2,100 only; no USD price published. Trial shown as 3 days free then EUR 1/month for 3 months. POS Pro add-on EUR 79/mo per location.
Who Shopify is best for
Best for
- Small and mid-size brands that want a hosted store without managing servers.
- Merchants that will use Shopify Payments to avoid the third-party gateway fee.
- Brands that need a path from a cheap plan to Plus without replatforming.
Not ideal for
- Merchants that must use an outside payment gateway at low volume (2% extra fee on Basic)
- Teams needing full server-level control of code and data.
- Anyone expecting SSO details on the public pricing page (not stated there)
Shopify alternatives
BigCommerceGrowing stores wanting B2B tools and open APIs on a hosted platform.
WooCommerceMerchants already on WordPress who want full code control.
Wix eCommerceSmall shops and service businesses that want site and store in one editor.
Squarespace CommerceBrands and creators that prioritize templates and design.
Adobe Commerce (Magento)Large merchants with in-house or agency developers.
Big CartelArtists and small makers who want a cheap flat-fee store.
What Shopify really costs
- Billing
- Monthly and annual.
- Annual discount
- 25% vs monthly on Basic, Grow, Advanced (Shopify states 25% for yearly)
Add-ons and extras to budget for
- POS Pro EUR 79/month per location.
Questions to ask about price
- Is there a minimum number of seats or a minimum annual spend?
- How much can the price rise at renewal, and is the increase capped in the contract?
- Are there one-time costs for implementation, onboarding or data migration?
Is Shopify worth the price?
Shopify is good value for small and mid-size brands that will use Shopify Payments and want a path from a cheap plan to Plus without replatforming. It gets expensive for merchants who must use an outside gateway at low volume, since Basic adds 2% on top of the gateway's own fees. Anyone needing staff accounts on Basic also hits a wall, since none are included.
Worth it if
- Small and mid-size brands that want a hosted store without managing servers.
- Merchants that will use Shopify Payments to avoid the third-party gateway fee.
- Brands that need a path from a cheap plan to Plus without replatforming.
Look elsewhere if
- Merchants that must use an outside payment gateway at low volume (2% extra fee on Basic)
- Teams needing full server-level control of code and data.
- Anyone expecting SSO details on the public pricing page (not stated there)
Pricing details most reviews leave out
- Third-party payment gateway fee is 2% on Basic and 0.2% on Plus, on top of the gateway's own fees, so gateway choice changes plan economics.
- Basic includes no additional staff accounts; Grow adds 5, Advanced 15, Plus unlimited.
- Plus starts at EUR 2,100/month and the FAQ offers 1 or 3 year terms.
- Yearly billing cuts the headline price by roughly 25%.
- SSO and SCIM are not stated on the public pricing page.
Shopify compared
Our verdict on Shopify
Shopify sells a hosted store in four tiers: Basic at $29 per month billed yearly ($39 monthly), Grow at $79 ($105), Advanced at $299 ($399), and Plus from EUR 2,100 per month. Yearly billing cuts the headline price by about 25%. The monthly fee is only half the bill, because card fees fall as you move up. G2 shows 4.4 from 4,964 reviews.
Payment fees change the math. Online card rates run from 2.1% plus EUR 0.30 on Basic to 1.3% plus EUR 0.30 on Plus. If you use an outside gateway, Shopify adds 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced and 0.2% on Plus. Staff seats are also gated by plan.
Shopify FAQ
What is Shopify used for?
A hosted platform sold in Basic, Grow, Advanced and Plus tiers. It stands out for payment fees that fall as the plan rises and for staff seats that grow from none on Basic to unlimited on Plus. It suits small and mid-size brands that want a hosted store without managing servers.
How much does Shopify cost per month?
Basic is $39 monthly or $29 billed yearly, Grow is $105 or $79, and Advanced is $399 or $299. Plus starts at EUR 2,100 per month, and no USD figure is on the vendor page.
Does Shopify charge extra if I use another payment gateway?
Yes. Third-party gateways add 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced and 0.2% on Plus, on top of the gateway's own fees.
Does Shopify have a free trial?
Yes. The trial is shown as 3 days free, then EUR 1 per month for 3 months. There is no permanent free plan.
About Shopify
- Founded
- 2006.
- Headquarters
- Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
- Employees
- 7,600 (2025)
Listed in: Ecommerce Platforms, Website Builders
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from Shopify's own pricing, product or documentation pages, G2 and company records, checked on October 24, 2026. Unknown values are left out instead of estimated.