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How to Calculate Shopify Store Cost

What is Shopify Store Cost?

The Shopify Store Cost Calculator estimates your total monthly operating cost on Shopify across all five plans (Starter, Basic, Shopify, Advanced, Plus), factoring in plan fees, paid apps, payment processing, and transaction fees that apply when not using Shopify Payments. For new merchants, this calculation determines which plan is most cost-effective given current sales volume.

Formula

Monthly Total = Plan Fee + (App Count × Avg App Cost) + Sales × Payment % + Sales × Transaction % (if external processor)
PF
Plan Fee (currency/month) — Base subscription fee for selected Shopify plan
PP
Payment Processing % (%) — Card processing rate: 2.9% Basic → 2.25% Plus (US online rates)
TX
Transaction Fee % (%) — Additional fee when using non-Shopify payment processors (2% → 0.15%)

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. 1Select your Shopify plan: Starter ($5), Basic ($39), Shopify ($105), Advanced ($399), or Plus ($2,300)
  2. 2Choose payment provider — Shopify Payments avoids the 0.5–2% additional transaction fee
  3. 3Enter monthly sales revenue and average order value
  4. 4Specify number of paid apps and average monthly cost per app
  5. 5Optionally enable annual billing for ~17% savings
  6. 6The calculator sums plan fee + apps + payment processing + transaction fees
  7. 7Effective cost % shows total Shopify costs as a percentage of revenue — used to compare plan efficiency

Worked Examples

Input
Basic plan, $5,000 sales, $50 AOV, 3 apps at $15, Shopify Payments
Result
Plan $39 + Apps $45 + Payment $145 = $229/mo, effective 4.58%
Input
Shopify plan, $25,000 sales, $75 AOV, 6 apps at $20, Shopify Payments
Result
Plan $105 + Apps $120 + Payment $675 = $900/mo, effective 3.6%
Input
Basic plan, $5,000 sales, external processor
Result
Plan $39 + Apps + Payment + Transaction $100 = +$100/mo extra in transaction fees

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • ✕Forgetting that transaction fees only apply if you use an external payment processor (Stripe, PayPal) instead of Shopify Payments
  • ✕Underestimating app costs — most established stores use 5–10 paid apps averaging $15–$30 each
  • ✕Choosing Basic plan at high revenue when Shopify or Advanced plans offer lower payment processing that more than offsets the higher plan fee
  • ✕Not factoring in annual billing savings (~17% discount) which can be substantial for higher tiers

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I upgrade from Basic to Shopify plan?

When monthly sales exceed ~$15,000 — the lower payment processing rate (2.7% vs 2.9%) saves more than the $66/month plan upgrade cost.

Is Shopify Payments cheaper than Stripe?

For Shopify stores, yes — Shopify Payments has the same processing rates as Stripe but eliminates the 0.5–2% transaction fee Shopify charges for external processors.

How many apps does an average store use?

New stores typically use 1–3 free apps. Established stores average 5–10 paid apps for email, reviews, shipping, SEO, and inventory management.

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