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- Launch a store in a day
- Fast, trusted checkout with Shop Pay
- Thousands of apps and themes
- 24/7 support
- Monthly fees grow with paid apps
- Extra fee if you skip Shopify Payments
- Fixed URL structure
- Your store lives on Shopify’s platform
Shopify is the best all-round ecommerce platform for most new and growing stores in 2026. It is easy to launch, reliable, secure and backed by the biggest app and theme ecosystem in ecommerce. Its downsides are costs that creep up with paid apps, an extra fee if you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments, and less control than a self-hosted platform.
What is Shopify?
Shopify is a hosted ecommerce platform. For a monthly fee you get everything needed to run an online store in one place: hosting, a secure checkout, an admin dashboard for products and orders, payments, themes, and an app store with thousands of add-ons. You never install software or manage a server.
It powers stores of every size, from one-person side hustles to global brands, and it works for physical products, digital products, print on demand, dropshipping and in-person sales.
Shopify plans and pricing
| Plan | Billed monthly | Billed yearly | Online card rate (US) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $5/mo | n/a | 5% + 30¢ | Selling via social media, links and messaging |
| Basic | $39/mo | $29/mo | 2.9% + 30¢ | New and small stores |
| Grow | $105/mo | $79/mo | 2.7% + 30¢ | Growing stores with a small team (5 staff accounts) |
| Advanced | $399/mo | $299/mo | 2.5% + 30¢ | High-volume stores (15 staff accounts) |
| Plus | Custom | Custom | Negotiated | Enterprise brands |
US prices as of 2026. Card rates shown are for Shopify Payments. New stores usually get a short free trial and a discounted first few months; check Shopify’s pricing page for the current offer.
Basic is the right starting plan for almost everyone. It includes everything you need to sell: unlimited products, discount codes, abandoned checkout recovery, gift cards, shipping labels and reports. Move to Grow when you need staff accounts and better reports, or when lower card rates start saving more than the price difference.
What else you will pay for
- Apps: most stores add a few, for reviews, email pop-ups, upsells or subscriptions. Many cost $5 to $50+ a month.
- A theme: free themes are excellent; paid themes are a one-time purchase.
- A domain: around $10 to $20 a year.
- Payment processing: charged on every sale, as shown above.
For a full cost breakdown with examples, see our comparison of Shopify and WooCommerce pricing.
Transaction fees explained
If you use Shopify Payments, you pay only the card rate for your plan, with no extra Shopify fee. If you use a third-party payment provider instead, Shopify adds a transaction fee on top of that provider’s charges: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow and 0.6% on Advanced.
For most stores in countries where Shopify Payments is available, using it is the cheapest option. Shopify Payments also powers Shop Pay, Shopify’s accelerated checkout, which many shoppers already have saved.
Setting up a Shopify store
Shopify is the easiest way to launch a serious online store. After signing up, a setup guide walks you through the essentials:
- Add products with photos, descriptions, variants and inventory
- Choose and customize a theme with the drag-and-drop editor
- Set up Shopify Payments and payouts
- Configure shipping rates and taxes
- Connect a domain
- Launch, and start taking orders
A simple store can be ready in a day. Shopify’s built-in AI assistant can also help write product descriptions and answer setup questions inside the dashboard.
Themes and design
Shopify’s Theme Store offers free and paid themes designed for selling, all mobile-friendly. The theme editor lets you add, remove and rearrange sections on any page without code. For deeper changes, developers can edit themes using Liquid, Shopify’s template language.
Free themes are a great starting point; paid themes add more specialized layouts and features for particular industries.
Selling features
| Feature | Included on Basic? |
|---|---|
| Unlimited products | Yes |
| Abandoned checkout recovery | Yes |
| Discount codes and gift cards | Yes |
| Shop Pay accelerated checkout | Yes (with Shopify Payments) |
| Shipping labels and rates | Yes |
| Sell on social media and marketplaces | Yes, via sales channels |
| Sell internationally (Shopify Markets) | Yes |
| In-person selling (Shopify POS) | Yes, POS Lite; POS Pro costs extra |
| Staff accounts | Grow and up |
| Advanced reports | Grow and up |
Shopify also connects to sales channels such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Google and marketplaces, so you can manage products and orders from one dashboard while selling in many places.
The Shopify App Store
Shopify’s biggest strength may be its App Store, with thousands of apps for reviews, email and SMS marketing, upsells, subscriptions, shipping, age verification, loyalty programs and more. Most install in one click.
The downside is cost creep: each paid app is a monthly subscription, and it is easy to end up paying more for apps than for Shopify itself. Install only what you need, and review your apps every few months.
SEO and marketing
Shopify covers SEO basics well: editable titles and meta descriptions, automatic sitemaps, clean mobile themes and fast hosting. Its URL structure is fixed (products live under /products/, collections under /collections/), which most stores never notice. The built-in blog is basic compared with WordPress.
For marketing, Shopify includes discount tools, abandoned checkout emails and its own email marketing app, and integrates with nearly every major marketing platform.
Support and security
Shopify offers 24/7 support, plus a large help center and community forums. Security is handled for you: SSL, PCI compliance, hosting and uptime are Shopify’s job, and the platform is built to handle traffic spikes such as Black Friday.
Shopify pros and cons
Pros
Pros- Fastest way to launch a professional store
- Excellent checkout and Shop Pay
- Huge app and theme ecosystem
- Hosting, security and updates handled
- Scales from first sale to large brand
- 24/7 support
Cons
Cons- Paid apps add up quickly
- Extra fee without Shopify Payments
- Basic blogging tools
- Fixed URL structure
- Less control than self-hosted platforms
Who Shopify is for
Shopify is ideal for: first-time store owners, product brands, dropshippers and print-on-demand sellers, stores that also sell in person, and businesses that want to grow without worrying about hosting.
Consider alternatives if: you already run WordPress and want full control (see Shopify vs WooCommerce), or you mainly need a content or portfolio site with a few products.
Shopify is our top pick for most online stores. Start on the Basic plan, use Shopify Payments to avoid extra fees, and add apps only as you need them.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Shopify cost per month?
Shopify Basic costs $39 a month, or $29 a month billed yearly. Grow is $105 ($79 yearly) and Advanced is $399 ($299 yearly). Payment processing and any paid apps are extra.
Does Shopify take a percentage of sales?
With Shopify Payments, you pay only card processing (2.9% + 30¢ online on Basic in the US). With a third-party provider, Shopify adds 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow or 0.6% on Advanced.
Is Shopify good for beginners?
Yes. Shopify is one of the easiest ways to start an online store, with a setup guide, drag-and-drop themes and 24/7 support.
Can I sell digital products on Shopify?
Yes, using Shopify’s free digital downloads app or third-party apps for courses, memberships and licenses.
Is Shopify good for dropshipping?
Yes. Shopify is the most popular platform for dropshipping and print on demand, with apps that connect to suppliers and print providers.
Do I need a website before using Shopify?
No. Shopify gives you a complete website and store, including hosting. You only need a domain, which you can buy through Shopify or connect from elsewhere.
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