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Five dollars a month sounds great until you find out what is not included
What Is the Shopify Starter Plan?
Five dollars a month. That's the pitch.
The Shopify Starter plan was Shopify's lowest-tier plan at $5/month, designed for selling through social media, messaging apps, and shareable product links. Shopify closed it to new merchants around August 2026; existing Starter merchants keep the plan, its checkout, and basic product management, but Linkpop is no longer part of it: Shopify retired Linkpop on July 7, 2025, and linkpop.com now redirects to Shopify's homepage.
The Starter plan sat below the Basic plan in Shopify's pricing hierarchy. It launched as Shopify's answer to a specific problem: creators, side-hustlers, and social sellers who want to sell a few products without building an entire ecommerce website.
If you run an Instagram page, a TikTok account, or a WhatsApp group where people ask "how do I buy this?", the Starter plan gives you a checkout link to send them.
That's the theory. The reality is more nuanced.
This page covers the $5 Starter tier only. If you want all five tiers priced against each other, read the Shopify pricing plans comparison.
Is the Shopify Starter Plan Still Available in 2026?
Here's the direct answer, since this is what most searches are really asking now.
No. Shopify closed the Starter plan to new signups around August 2026, per its own Help Center. Existing Starter merchants keep the plan, but can't switch back to it once they leave. Basic is now the entry point for a new store.
The rest of this guide still applies if you're on Starter and deciding whether to stay. Starting fresh? See the Shopify pricing plans comparison for what's available now.
What Do You Actually Get With the Shopify Starter Plan?
Here's the short version: a checkout, not a store.
For existing merchants, the $5/month Shopify Starter plan includes unlimited products, Shopify's secure checkout, shareable product links, basic order management, and Shopify Inbox for messaging. It no longer includes a Linkpop bio page: Linkpop retired in July 2025, and its old address redirects to Shopify's homepage. Transaction fees are 5% per sale when using third-party payment providers, or as low as 2.9% + 30 cents with Shopify Payments (Shopify Help Center).
Let me break down what "included" actually means in practice.
Product management
You can add unlimited products with images, variants, and descriptions. This part works the same as any other Shopify plan. You get the same product editor, inventory tracking, and variant management.
Checkout
Shopify's checkout is included. This matters because Shop Pay, Shopify's accelerated checkout, converts 1.72x better than regular checkouts, according to a 2023 Shopify-commissioned study by Forrester Consulting. Your customers get a professional, trusted checkout experience even on the cheapest plan.
Linkpop is no longer available
Shopify retired Linkpop on July 7, 2025. The old linkpop.com address no longer hosts a page; it redirects visitors to Shopify's homepage. Shopify Starter's current option is to share product links directly.
Shareable product links
Every product gets a direct link you can share on WhatsApp, Instagram DMs, email, or anywhere else. The link takes the buyer straight to a product page hosted on Shopify's domain (your-store.myshopify.com/products/...).
Shopify Inbox
The built-in messaging tool lets you chat with customers. You can share Shopify product links in a conversation when a buyer asks about an item.
Shopify POS Lite
You can sell in person using Shopify's Point of Sale app on your phone. Useful if you occasionally sell at markets or pop-ups.
What's Missing From the Shopify Starter Plan?
This is where most people get surprised.
The Shopify Starter plan does not include a customisable online store, custom domain storefront, discount codes, abandoned cart recovery, shipping rate calculation, staff accounts, or analytics reports, and Shopify closed it to new signups in 2026. These features require the Basic plan, Shopify's current entry-level tier at $19/month, based on Shopify's pricing page (fetched 2026-09-28).
Let me be direct about each missing feature and why it matters.
No online store
This is the big one. You do not get a Shopify storefront. No theme. No homepage. No collections page. No navigation menu. No blog. If someone types your domain into their browser, they won't see a store.
Your products exist on individual links; Starter no longer includes a Linkpop page.
No custom domain storefront
The old linkpop.com/yourname address no longer serves a bio page. Linkpop retired in July 2025, and linkpop.com now redirects to Shopify's homepage. Don't send Starter buyers there; share the Shopify product links instead.
No discount codes
You can't create promo codes. No "WELCOME10" for first-time buyers. No flash sale mechanics. For DTC brands in Malaysia and Singapore, discount codes drive 15-25% of revenue during promotional periods in our experience at WebMedic.
No abandoned cart recovery
When someone adds a product and doesn't complete checkout, you can't email them. On the Basic plan and above, Shopify sends automated recovery emails that recapture 5-15% of abandoned carts (Baymard Institute reports the average cart abandonment rate at 70.19%).
No shipping rate calculations
You set flat shipping rates. No carrier-calculated rates, no weight-based rates, no free-shipping thresholds. For physical product sellers, this creates friction or forces you to absorb shipping cost differences.
No analytics or reports
You get order data, but not the analytics dashboard. No traffic reports, no sales reports, no customer reports. You're flying blind on everything except "did someone buy something."
No staff accounts
It's a solo operation. You can't add team members with their own logins.
Shopify Starter at a glance
| Worth staying on if... | Move to Basic if... |
|---|---|
| You sell only through social media, DMs, and messaging apps | You want customers to find you through Google |
| Your monthly revenue is under $1,500 | Your revenue is over $1,500/month |
| You're testing a product before building a full store | You need a branded storefront |
| You're a creator selling to an existing audience | You plan to run discounts or promotional campaigns |
| You already have the plan and don't need more | You need staff accounts or analytics reports |
How Does the Shopify Starter Plan Compare to Other Plans?
Context matters. Here's how the Starter stacks up.
The Shopify Starter plan cost $5/month with checkout and product links only. Shopify's current lineup for new stores starts at Basic ($19/month), which adds a full online store, discount codes, abandoned cart recovery, and analytics. Figures below are from Shopify's pricing page, fetched 2026-09-28.
| Feature | Starter ($5/mo, existing users only) | Basic ($19/mo) | Grow ($49/mo) | Advanced ($299/mo) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online store | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Custom domain storefront | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Products | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Checkout | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Discount codes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Abandoned cart recovery | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Shipping rates | Flat only | Calculated | Calculated | Calculated |
| Staff accounts | 0 | Solo | Up to 5 | Up to 15 |
| Extra fee for 3rd-party payment providers | 5% | 2% | 1% | 0.6% |
| POS | Lite | Lite | Lite | Lite |
Source: Shopify pricing page, fetched 2026-09-28. Shopify Plus starts at $2,300/month and isn't shown here; see the Shopify pricing plans comparison for the full lineup.
This table is the Starter-versus-everything-else view. For the full break-even tables across Basic, Grow, Advanced, and Plus, see the Shopify pricing plans comparison.
The transaction fee difference deserves attention. At 5% per transaction on the Starter plan versus 2.9% on Basic, the breakeven math changes fast.
The breakeven calculation
If your monthly revenue reaches approximately $1,600, the extra transaction fees on the Starter plan exceed the $34/month price difference between Starter and Basic. Above that revenue level, Basic is actually cheaper.
Here's the math: $1,600 in sales at 5% costs you $80 in fees. At 2.9% + 30¢ (assuming 20 orders), it costs $46.40 + $6.00 = $52.40. The difference is $27.60, and you're paying $34 more for Basic, and you're getting an entire online store, discount codes, abandoned cart recovery, and analytics.
Use the Shopify total cost calculator to model your specific scenario.
Who Is the Shopify Starter Plan Actually Good For?
Not everyone needs a full store. Here's who benefits — this now applies to merchants already on Starter deciding whether to stay, not to someone picking a plan for the first time.
The Shopify Starter plan works best for social media sellers, content creators monetising an audience, and side-project sellers testing product-market fit with under $1,500/month in revenue. It does not suit anyone who needs SEO traffic, a branded storefront, or discount-driven marketing, based on WebMedic's experience with 80+ Shopify stores in Malaysia and Singapore.
Social sellers
If you sell exclusively through Instagram, TikTok, or WhatsApp, and your customers already know you, the Starter plan works. You share product links in DMs or stories. Buyers click and checkout. Done.
This is common in Malaysia's social commerce scene, where WhatsApp-based selling is a real business model. We see it with food brands, custom clothing, and handmade goods.
Creators monetising an audience
You have a following. You want to sell merch, a digital product, or a limited collection. Your audience already trusts you. They don't need to "discover" your store through Google. They follow you.
Shopify product links give followers a way to buy from social posts and messages. Your social media is your marketing channel. The Starter plan is the bridge between "I have an audience" and "I sell things."
Product-market fit testing
Before investing $39/month and spending time on a full store, the Starter plan lets you test whether people will actually pay for your product. List it, share the link, see if anyone buys.
This is a $5/month experiment. If it works, upgrade to Basic. If it doesn't, you've spent less than a coffee per week finding out.
Does this sound like your store? Find out where you're leaking revenue. Take the free Revenue Score. 3 minutes. Free. No pitch.
Who Should Skip the Shopify Starter Plan?
Equally important: who should move to Basic instead, whether you're already on Starter or just starting out.
The Shopify Starter plan is wrong for any business that needs organic search traffic, a branded website experience, promotional campaigns with discount codes, or automated cart recovery. These businesses should start on Shopify Basic ($39/month) or higher, as the missing features directly reduce revenue potential (Shopify).
Any brand that needs SEO
No online store means no pages for Google to index. No blog. No collection pages. No product pages with your own domain in the URL. If organic traffic is part of your plan, the Starter plan is a non-starter.
We work with Shopify stores across Malaysia and SEO drives 30-60% of revenue for mature stores. You can't build that on the Starter plan.
Brands running promotions
No discount codes means no flash sales, no influencer codes, no "WELCOME10" for email subscribers. Promotional mechanics are fundamental to DTC ecommerce. Without them, you're leaving standard revenue tactics on the table.
Any store above $1,500/month revenue
The transaction fee math doesn't work. At 5% versus 2.9%, you're paying a premium that exceeds the cost of upgrading. Run the numbers through the Shopify total cost calculator. At $2,000/month, you're overpaying by approximately $8/month after accounting for the plan price difference, and you have no store to show for it.
Teams
Zero staff accounts. If you have a partner, a VA, or anyone else who needs access to your store, you need Basic.
Can You Still Set Up the Shopify Starter Plan?
Not if you're a new merchant. Here's what applies to you instead.
New merchants can no longer select the Shopify Starter plan when creating a store; Shopify starts new signups on Basic ($19/month) or higher. Merchants already on Starter keep full access to their account and can still add products, connect a payment provider, and share product links as before.
If you're already on the Shopify Starter plan
Nothing changes in how you operate day to day:
- Add your products. Upload photos, write descriptions, set prices and variants, the same as always.
- Connect a payment provider. Shopify Payments is the default. In Malaysia, you'll want a local gateway for FPX and e-wallet support. See our Shopify payment gateways Malaysia guide.
- Share your product links. Linkpop retired in 2025, so share the direct Shopify product links instead, on social media, WhatsApp, or email.
You can stay on Starter as long as you want. The only restriction runs one way: leave the plan and you can't come back to it.
If you're a new merchant
Starter isn't available to you. Basic is Shopify's cheapest plan for a new store at $19/month, and it includes the full online store, discount codes, and cart recovery that Starter never had. See the Shopify pricing plans comparison to pick the right tier for your revenue stage.
Payment considerations in Malaysia
If you're selling in Malaysia, Shopify Payments works but doesn't support FPX (online banking) or local e-wallets natively. You'll need a third-party gateway like iPay88 or Razer Merchant Services, which adds the 5% third-party transaction fee on top of the gateway's own fees.
This is another reason the Starter plan gets expensive fast for Malaysian sellers.
Can You Upgrade From the Shopify Starter Plan Later?
Yes, and it's seamless.
Upgrading from the Shopify Starter plan to Basic, Shopify, or Advanced preserves all your products, orders, and customer data. The upgrade takes effect immediately, and you can start building your online store with themes right away. You only pay the prorated difference for the current billing cycle (Shopify Help Center).
This is one of the genuine advantages of starting with Starter. Your product catalogue, order history, and customer records carry over. Nothing is lost.
When to upgrade
The decision triggers are clear:
- Revenue exceeds $1,500/month. The fee math tips in Basic's favour
- You need Google traffic. No store means no SEO
- You want discount codes. Promotional campaigns need Basic
- You need abandoned cart emails. This feature alone recovers revenue
- You're ready for more than product links. Your brand needs a branded storefront
Most stores we work with in Malaysia and Singapore outgrow the Starter plan within 2-4 months if the product has traction. The plan is a launchpad, not a destination.
The upgrade path
| Growth stage | Recommended plan | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Testing an idea ($0-500/mo) | Starter ($5/mo) | Minimum viable selling setup |
| Early traction ($500-5K/mo) | Basic ($19/mo) | Full store, SEO, cart recovery |
| Growing brand ($5K-50K/mo) | Shopify ($105/mo) | Better reporting, lower fees |
| Scaling operation ($50K+/mo) | Advanced ($399/mo) | Advanced reports, lowest fees |
Based on WebMedic's recommendations for Malaysian and Singaporean DTC brands
How Does the Shopify Starter Plan Compare to Alternatives?
Shopify isn't the only option at this price point.
The Shopify Starter plan competes with free tools like Gumroad, Linktree Commerce, and Stan Store ($29/month). Shopify's advantage is its upgrade path to a full ecommerce platform, checkout conversion rate (Shop Pay converts 1.72x higher per Forrester/Shopify, 2023), and ecosystem of apps and integrations.
| Platform | Monthly cost | Online store | Checkout | Transaction fee | Upgrade path |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify Starter | $5 | No | Shopify Checkout | 5% (or 2.9% + 30¢ with Shopify Payments) | Full Shopify ecosystem |
| Gumroad | Free (10% fee) | No | Gumroad | 10% | None |
| Stan Store | $29 | Landing page | Stripe | 5% | Limited |
| Linktree Commerce | $24/year | No | Shopify or Stripe | Varies | None |
| Square Online | Free | Yes (basic) | Square | 2.9% + 30¢ | Square ecosystem |
Sources: Platform pricing pages as of June 2026
The key differentiator for Shopify is the ecosystem. If your product takes off, you can scale from a $5/month link-sharing setup to a full enterprise-grade ecommerce operation without migrating platforms, losing data, or re-learning a new system.
For context on how Shopify compares to other full platforms, see our detailed Shopify vs WooCommerce comparison.
Is the Shopify Starter Plan Worth It in 2026?
For existing Starter merchants, it depends on exactly one thing: whether you need a store.
The Shopify Starter plan is worth staying on for social sellers and creators who don't need an online storefront and have under $1,500/month in revenue. For anyone planning to build a brand, drive search traffic, or run promotional campaigns, the Basic plan at $19/month is the better starting point, based on WebMedic's work with 80+ Shopify stores in Malaysia and Singapore.
Here's the honest assessment. See the at-a-glance table above for the quick version.
The most common mistake we see: store owners staying on Starter because it's cheap, long after they've outgrown it, then realising they need a real store and having to rebuild their entire customer acquisition strategy.
If you know you want an online store, even eventually, move to Basic. The $14/month difference buys you an enormous amount of functionality and saves you from a strategy pivot later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Shopify Starter plan still available in 2026?
No, not for new merchants. Shopify closed the Starter plan to new signups around August 2026, per its own Help Center. Merchants already on the plan keep it and its features, but can't switch back to it once they leave. New stores start on Basic ($19/month) or higher.
Does the Shopify Starter plan include an online store?
No. The Shopify Starter plan at $5/month does not include a customisable online store, theme editor, or branded storefront. It provides product links, not a Linkpop bio page. Linkpop retired in July 2025, and linkpop.com now redirects to Shopify's homepage. A full online store requires the Basic plan ($19/month) or higher.
How much does the Shopify Starter plan cost per transaction?
The Shopify Starter plan charges 5% per transaction when using third-party payment providers. With Shopify Payments enabled, the rate drops to 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction. In Malaysia, most sellers need a third-party gateway like iPay88 for FPX support, which triggers the 5% fee on top of the gateway's own processing charges.
When should I upgrade from Shopify Starter to Basic?
Upgrade when your monthly revenue exceeds $1,500, when you need organic search traffic, or when you want discount codes and abandoned cart recovery. At $1,500/month revenue, the 5% transaction fee on Starter ($75) approaches the total cost of Basic ($39 plan + approximately $43.50 in lower transaction fees at 2.9%), making Basic the better value with significantly more features.
Is the Shopify Starter plan available in Malaysia?
Yes, for existing merchants. The Shopify Starter plan is closed to new signups, but merchants already on it can keep using it in Malaysia at $5/month (billed in USD), accepting payments through Shopify Payments for card transactions. For FPX online banking and local e-wallets like GrabPay and Touch 'n Go, you'll need to integrate a local payment gateway such as iPay88 or Razer Merchant Services through Shopify's third-party payment provider system.
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