--- title: Choosing the Right Shopify Plan in 2026: Basic vs Grow vs Advanced vs Plus description: Shopify plan comparison 2026: Basic, Grow, Advanced, and Plus, what each includes, the transaction fee maths, and the specific triggers that tell you when to upgrade. canonical: https://tacey.app/blog/choosing-the-right-shopify-plan-in-2026-basic-vs-grow-vs-advanced-vs-plus published: 2026-04-20T00:04:00.000Z updated: 2026-09-20T08:25:45.308Z category: Shopify Operations --- # Choosing the Right Shopify Plan in 2026: Basic vs Grow vs Advanced vs Plus Shopify plan comparison 2026: Basic, Grow, Advanced, and Plus, what each includes, the transaction fee maths, and the specific triggers that tell you when to upgrade. Shopify has five plans in 2026: Starter, Basic, Grow, Advanced, and Plus. Most merchants choose the wrong one at some point. They either underinvest in features that would lower transaction fees or overpay for enterprise tools they do not need. The wrong plan costs money in both directions. This article is a practical guide for merchants choosing a plan or wondering if they have outgrown their current tier. It covers what each plan includes, its limits, and the math for when an upgrade pays for itself. We will also cover the specific triggers that should prompt a plan change. ## What are the Shopify plans and prices in 2026? Shopify offers five main plans: Starter, Basic, Grow, Advanced, and Plus. Prices start at $25 per month for Basic and go up to $2,300 per month or more for Plus. Each tier has different transaction fees, staff account limits, and features. Paying annually saves 25% on most plans. Shopify has renamed and restructured its plans several times. The current 2026 naming and pricing is based on the [Shopify Pricing page](https://www.shopify.com/pricing), read on September 20, 2026. | Plan | Monthly (USD) | Billed annually (USD) | Third-party gateway fee | Staff accounts | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Basic | $25 | $19 | 2% | None included | | Grow | $65 | $49 | 1% | Up to 5 | | Advanced | $399 | $299 | 0.6% | Up to 15 | | Plus | From $2,300 | Quoted | 0.2% | Unlimited | These are Shopify's USD prices, read from [shopify.com/pricing](https://www.shopify.com/pricing) on September 20, 2026. Shopify prices differ by country. The Canadian page on the same day showed Basic at $49 CAD and Grow at $132 CAD. Always check your own country's pricing page before making a budget. Paying annually saves 25% on Basic, Grow, and Advanced plans. For a merchant on the Advanced plan, that is a $1,200 per year saving just by committing to annual billing. Shopify Plus is available on one or three-year terms. The three-year term includes a monthly discount and lower variable platform fees ([Shopify, 2026](https://www.shopify.com/pricing)). Third-party transaction fees apply only if you use a payment gateway other than Shopify Payments. If you use Shopify Payments, you only pay the card processing rate. If Shopify Payments is available in your country, using it is almost always the correct economic decision at every plan level. ## What is the Shopify Starter plan for? The $5 per month Starter plan is not a full store but a simple checkout link. It gives you the [Spotlight theme](https://themes.shopify.com/themes/spotlight/styles/default), a product catalog, and buy links to share on social media or email. It is for creators who sell a few items and do not need a traditional ecommerce website. The Starter plan is ideal for influencers and service providers who sell a small number of products through existing channels. For example, a photographer selling prints via Instagram or a consultant selling one online course would find it useful. It is not for anyone who wants a real Shopify store with a homepage and branded checkout. ## When should I choose the Shopify Basic plan? The Basic plan is the best starting point for new stores, solo merchants, or businesses testing an idea. At $25 per month, it provides a full storefront with lower fixed costs. It becomes less economical as revenue grows due to higher transaction fees and limited reporting features. Basic is the correct starting point for: - New stores with limited revenue that need full ecommerce functionality. - Solo merchants or founder-operated stores that do not need multiple staff accounts. - Merchants testing product-market fit who want to minimize fixed costs. The main limits of the Basic plan appear as a store grows. The 2% third-party transaction fee is a significant cost at volume. Basic reports are often not enough for a growing business. It also lacks staff accounts and third-party calculated shipping rates, which can become problems as you scale. You should upgrade from Basic when your monthly Shopify Payments revenue exceeds $5,000 to $8,000. At that point, the lower card processing rate on the Grow plan starts to offset the higher plan cost. For a store doing $10,000 a month, the savings can be around $200, more than covering the upgrade. ## Is the Shopify Grow plan worth the upgrade? Yes, for most stores with growing revenue between $5,000 and $50,000 per month. The Grow plan offers the best value by lowering transaction fees, adding five staff accounts, and providing better reporting. The fee savings alone often cover the cost of upgrading from the Basic plan. Experts often describe the Grow plan as the best value for stores past the initial stage. [Eastside Co's 2026 Shopify pricing guide](https://eastsideco.com/blog/shopify-pricing) calls it "the best balance of features, cost, and scalability." The Grow plan adds several key features over Basic: - Up to 5 staff accounts. - Standard analytics and more detailed reports. - 10 inventory locations with better reporting. - Lower transaction fees (1% for third-party gateways). - USPS Priority Mail Cubic pricing for US merchants. - More configurable abandoned cart recovery automations. The trigger to upgrade from Grow to Advanced is usually not about transaction fees. It is more often about needing the advanced report builder for custom analytics or features for international selling. The fee savings alone typically do not cover the significant price jump to the Advanced plan. ## Who needs the Shopify Advanced plan? The Advanced plan is for high-volume stores that need custom analytics, international selling tools, and more staff accounts. Its key features are the advanced report builder and automatic calculation of duties and import taxes. The plan justifies its cost for merchants who rely on data to make decisions. At $399 per month, Advanced is a significant jump from Grow. A [Fyresite's 2026 plan comparison](https://www.fyresite.com/shopify-advanced-vs-shopify-plus/) notes it is for mid-market stores that have outgrown Grow but do not need enterprise features. Advanced adds these key capabilities: - An advanced report builder for creating custom reports. - Up to 15 staff accounts. - Third-party calculated shipping rates at checkout. - Automatic calculation of duties and import taxes for international orders. - Local storefronts for international markets. - Access to Shopify Flow for workflow automation. - The lowest transaction fees on standard plans. The math for Advanced makes sense at higher volumes. At $100,000 per month in third-party gateway revenue, the fee savings are $400 per month. This partially offsets the plan cost increase. The report builder and shipping features provide the rest of the justification. ## What does Shopify Plus offer that Advanced does not? Shopify Plus is for enterprise-level brands. It offers full checkout customization, which is its defining feature. It also includes automation tools like Launchpad, up to nine expansion stores, unlimited staff accounts, native B2B features, and the lowest transaction fees. It is a different category of platform. Plus starts at $2,300 per month and is not an incremental upgrade. Its most important feature is full access to checkout customization. This allows for completely custom flows, fields, and rules. [Fyresite's Plus vs Advanced analysis](https://www.fyresite.com/shopify-advanced-vs-shopify-plus/) notes this can lead to significant conversion rate improvements. Other exclusive Plus features include: - **Launchpad:** An automation tool for scheduling product launches and flash sales. - **Expansion Stores:** Up to nine additional stores for international markets. - **Unlimited Staff Accounts:** No limit on team member access. - **Native B2B Wholesale:** Built-in tools for wholesale pricing and purchase orders. - **Enhanced API Access:** Higher API rate limits for complex integrations. - **Dedicated Support:** A Merchant Success Manager for strategy and optimization. The transaction fee savings are also a major factor. As noted in [Fyresite's ROI guide](https://www.fyresite.com/shopify-vs-shopify-plus-pricing-2026-which-plan-gives-you-the-best-roi-for-your-business/), at $500,000 per month in revenue, the fee savings alone nearly cover the subscription cost. The trigger for considering Plus is typically around $80,000 to $100,000 in monthly revenue. ## How do I choose the right Shopify plan? Choose your plan based on revenue, team size, and feature needs. Basic is for new stores under $5,000 per month. Grow is for small teams doing $5,000 to $50,000 per month. Advanced is for data-driven stores over $50,000 per month. Plus is for enterprise brands doing over $100,000 per month needing full customization. - **Choose Basic if:** You are launching your first store, you are a solo operator, your revenue is under $5,000 per month, and you use Shopify Payments. - **Choose Grow if:** You have a small team, you are doing $5,000 to $50,000 per month, and you need better reporting or lower third-party gateway fees. - **Choose Advanced if:** You need the custom report builder, you sell internationally, your team is larger than five people, or your revenue exceeds $50,000 per month. - **Choose Plus if:** You are doing over $80,000 per month, need full checkout customization, run complex campaigns, or require native B2B features. ## What other costs are there besides the Shopify plan? Beyond the monthly plan fee, you should budget for apps ($150-$400 per month), a premium theme (a one-time cost of $180-$380), and Shopify Tax for US sales over $100,000. POS Pro is an extra $89 per month per location for retail stores. Remember that annual billing can save you 25% on your plan cost. Other costs to factor in include: - **Apps:** The average store runs six to eight paid apps. Compare the cost of an app against upgrading to a plan where the feature is native. - **Themes:** Premium themes are a one-time purchase but should be included in your first-year cost calculation. - **Shopify Tax:** For US merchants, this costs 0.35% per transaction after the first $100,000 in US sales per year, as detailed by [Site Builder Report, 2026](https://www.sitebuilderreport.com/shopify-pricing). - **POS Pro:** This add-on for physical retail costs $89 per month for each location on standard plans. It is included with Shopify Plus. - **Annual Billing:** Choosing to pay annually for Basic, Grow, or Advanced saves 25%. On the Advanced plan, this is a $1,200 per year saving. ## Frequently asked questions ### Which Shopify plan should a new store start on? A new store should start on the Basic plan. At $25 per month, it includes all essential features to launch and sell. The upgrade to the Grow plan only becomes cost-effective once your sales volume is high enough for the lower transaction fees to make a difference. ### When is it worth upgrading from Basic to Grow? Upgrading from Basic to Grow is worth it when your monthly card revenue is between $5,000 and $8,000. At this level, the savings from Grow's lower card processing rate and reduced third-party gateway fee will typically exceed the increase in the monthly plan cost. ### Is annual billing worth it on Shopify? Yes, annual billing saves you 25% on the Basic, Grow, and Advanced plans. For a merchant on the Advanced plan, this amounts to a $1,200 saving per year. If you are confident you will stay on your plan for at least a year, it is a simple way to reduce costs. ### What does Shopify Plus actually give you that Advanced doesn't? The main advantage of Shopify Plus is full checkout customization, allowing for a completely branded and optimized experience. It also provides the lowest transaction fees, automation tools like Launchpad, up to nine expansion stores for international sales, and unlimited staff accounts. It is designed for high-volume, enterprise-level businesses. ### Why does Shopify's price look different in my country? Shopify bills merchants in their local currency, so prices vary by country due to exchange rates. For example, on September 20, 2026, the Basic plan was $25 USD on the US site but $49 CAD on the Canadian site. Always check the pricing page for your specific region. ### What is the main reason to upgrade to the Advanced plan? The primary reasons to upgrade to Advanced are its powerful reporting and international selling features. The advanced report builder allows for deep, custom analysis of your business data. The plan also automatically calculates duties and import taxes at checkout, which is essential for scaling internationally. ### Do all Shopify plans let you install the same apps? Yes, all Shopify plans have access to the same Shopify App Store and can install the same apps. Higher-tier plans may include features natively, like B2B functionality on Plus, which reduces the need for certain third-party apps. However, the ability to install apps is consistent across all plans.