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How much does a Shopify store cost in its first year, beyond the monthly plan?
Summary
A US Basic store pays $348 upfront for a year at the standard annual price, before tax. Add any paid theme, apps, domain and payment processing you choose. The $39 monthly price is billed on a 30-day cycle, so twelve payments are not a full 365-day budget. Introductory offers depend on the signup route and are excluded from the example below.
Separate the plan from launch spending
Hosting and SSL are included in the plan. You can use a free theme and the default store address, or buy a theme and a custom domain. Connecting your own domain does not mean a domain registration is included. Shopify’s trial page explains that you can buy one through Shopify or another provider.
| Cost | US example, before tax | How to budget it |
|---|---|---|
| Basic annual plan | $29 × 12 = $348 | Paid upfront for the year |
| Basic monthly plan | $39 per 30-day period | 13 periods start within 365 days if the first starts on day 0: $507 |
| Theme | Free, or a separate purchase | Use the chosen theme’s price, not a store-wide price range |
| Apps | Depends on the app | Check cycle, usage limits and trial terms |
| Domain and payment fees | Depends on address and sales | Keep outside the subscription subtotal |
The 13-period calculation counts starts at days 0, 30, 60 and so on through day 360. It is a cash-budget allowance at the unchanged standard rate, not a promise that all those charges appear on the same date or invoice. The billing help describes the 30-day cycle. Annual billing is a different commitment: $348 leaves your account at the start.
A small store with one paid app
Suppose you pay annually for Basic, buy Vantage at its listed $150 USD, and approve a hypothetical app charging $20 every 30 days on day 0, with no trial or price change. The software subtotal is $348 + $150 + ($20 × 13) = $758 over the first 365 days. The app figure counts billing periods that start in that window; invoice collection can follow later.
At launch, the plan and theme alone require $348 + $150 = $498. The app does not have to be paid immediately: Shopify-billed charges go to the next bill or a billing-threshold invoice. Add domain registration and the card fees on your actual sales. This is a software-cost example, not a complete business budget for stock, shipping, advertising or setup work.
Decide the plan before paying for the year
Basic has no additional ordinary admin users. Grow includes five; collaborator accounts and POS-only staff are exceptions to that limit. A second person who needs ordinary admin access changes the plan choice, while a qualifying external collaborator does not necessarily do so. These distinctions are in Shopify’s user requirements.
For an owner running the admin alone, test a free theme and add apps only for a specific task. If you need additional admin users, price Grow before making the annual commitment. If you are still testing the business, compare the smaller recurring payment with the upfront annual saving, and use the exact offer shown during signup.
Sources
Checked 10 October 2026. USD amounts exclude tax.
- https://www.shopify.com/pricing
- https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/your-account/manage-billing/billing-charges/types-of-charges/third-party-charges/app-charges
- https://www.shopify.com/free-trial-offer
- https://themes.shopify.com/themes/vantage/presets/vantage
- https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/your-account/users/users-plan-requirements
What changed on this page
- correction11 October 2026 SaaS COMPASS article 54 — First-year budget assumptions
A universal354USD monthly first-year total was compared with348USD annual billing. → Removed universal first-year promotion totals; separated annual upfront348USD from30-day billing; stated US scope and staff exceptions.
Editorial correction based on official evidence checked10October2026; not a claim of vendor price change.
Every recorded change to this site is in the change log.
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