The True Cost of Setting Up a Shopify Store
Understanding the full cost picture before starting your Shopify journey prevents budget surprises and helps you make informed decisions. This guide covers every expense category you will encounter.
Shopify Plan Costs (2026 Pricing)
Starter Plan ($5/month)
Ideal for social selling and link-in-bio commerce. No full online store — you get product links to share on social media, messaging apps, and email.
Basic Plan ($39/month)
Full online store with up to 2 staff accounts. Includes basic reports, manual order creation, and discount codes. Transaction fees of 2.9% + 30c for online credit cards.
Shopify Plan ($105/month)
Everything in Basic plus 5 staff accounts, professional reports, and lower transaction fees (2.6% + 30c). Best for growing businesses needing better analytics.
Advanced Plan ($399/month)
15 staff accounts, advanced analytics, third-party calculated shipping, and the lowest transaction fees (2.4% + 30c). Suited for businesses with high order volumes.
Shopify Plus (from $2,300/month)
Shopify Plus is the enterprise tier offering checkout customisation, B2B functionality, automation with Shopify Flow, and dedicated support. Our custom development team has extensive Plus experience.
Theme and Design Costs
Free Themes
Shopify offers several free themes including Dawn, Craft, and Taste. These are well-built and suitable for businesses just starting out. However, customisation options are limited.
Premium Themes ($180 – $400)
Third-party themes from the Shopify Theme Store offer more features and design options. Popular choices include Prestige, Impulse, and Warehouse.
Custom Theme Development
A custom Shopify theme typically ranges from $5,000 to $25,000+ depending on complexity. This includes unique design, custom sections, optimised code, and mobile-responsive layouts built specifically for your brand.
Essential App Costs
Most Shopify stores need 5-10 apps for reviews, email marketing, SEO tools, analytics, and upselling. Budget $50-$300/month for essential apps. Custom app development eliminates recurring SaaS fees for critical business logic.
Professional Services
- Store setup and configuration: $500 – $3,000
- SEO setup: $1,000 – $5,000 with our SEO services
- Product photography: $500 – $5,000 depending on catalogue size
- Content writing: $500 – $3,000 for product descriptions and pages
- Marketing strategy: $1,500 – $5,000 from our strategy consultants
Hidden Costs to Plan For
Domain registration ($10-15/year), email hosting, payment processing fees, shipping label costs, return handling, and inventory management software. Factor these into your total budget for realistic financial planning.
Want a tailored cost estimate? Get a free quote based on your specific requirements.
