Your Shopify plan says $39/month. Your actual bill? Probably 3 to 5x that. Pick your plan, select your apps, and see the number you will actually pay.
Transaction fee: 2.9% + $0.30 per order · Extra 2.0% if not using Shopify Payments
Total Monthly Cost
$39
per month
Total Annual Cost
$468
per year
$39
/ month
Assumes average order value of $50. Shows how fixed costs (plan + apps) spread across more orders.
| Orders/Mo | Fixed Cost/Order | Txn Fee/Order | Total/Order | % of Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | $0.39 | $1.75 | $2.14 | 4.3% |
| 500 | $0.08 | $1.75 | $1.83 | 3.7% |
| 1,000 | $0.04 | $1.75 | $1.79 | 3.6% |
| 5,000 | $0.01 | $1.75 | $1.76 | 3.5% |
Custom Domain
~$14/year
Required for a professional storefront. Renews annually.
Premium Theme
$0 – $380 one-time
Free themes work fine, but premium themes offer better conversion optimization.
SSL Certificate
Free
Included with every Shopify plan. No extra cost.
Developer / Agency Time
$500 – $5,000+
Custom theme work, app integrations, and ongoing maintenance. Varies widely.
The pricing page says $39/month. Your credit card statement tells a different story. Most merchants are shocked when they add up what they actually pay to run a competitive Shopify store. Here is how the math works in the real world. A typical DTC brand on the Basic plan needs apps for:
That $39 plan quietly becomes $90 to $240 per month — before you have paid a single transaction fee. This is not a knock on Shopify. These apps are what make your store competitive. But you need to know your real number, not the sticker price. That is exactly what this calculator does: select your plan, pick the apps you actually need, and see the total before the first invoice surprises you.
Choosing the wrong Shopify plan costs you money every month. Here is what each tier actually gives you and who it is best for:
But here is the decision that matters: your break-even point. Higher-tier plans save money on every transaction. For brands processing over $10,000/month, the Shopify or Advanced plan often pays for itself through lower fees alone. Shopify merchants in Southeast Asia should also factor in currency conversion fees — those add up fast when you are selling across borders.
The costs that hurt most are the ones you did not see coming. Transaction fees are the biggest one: even on Shopify Payments, you pay credit card processing fees on every single order. Use a third-party payment gateway instead, and Shopify adds another 0.5% to 2% on top of your gateway's charges. That adds up to hundreds or thousands per month at scale.
Other costs to budget for:
But here is the cost that sneaks up on most store owners: app pricing tiers. That email marketing app that costs $20/month with 500 contacts? It becomes $150/month when you hit 10,000 contacts. Your app costs will grow alongside your revenue — plan for that from day one so your margins stay healthy as you scale. The total cost of Shopify grows with your business. The key is knowing exactly what those numbers are so growth never catches you off guard.
The plan itself ranges from $5/month (Starter) to $2,300/month (Plus). But your real monthly bill is higher. Most DTC brands on the Basic plan ($39/month) spend $90 to $250/month total once you add apps for reviews, email marketing, SEO, shipping, and upsells. The plan is just the base layer — apps are what make your store competitive. Use the calculator above to see your specific number based on the apps you actually plan to use.
Apps are the biggest one — most stores spend $50 to $300+/month on them, and that number grows as your store grows. Transaction fees are next: 2.5% to 5% per order depending on your plan and payment gateway, which adds up fast at volume. Then there is your custom domain (~$14/year), a premium theme ($0 to $380 one-time), and developer or agency time for customization ($500 to $5,000+). None of these are optional for a competitive store. The good news: once you know the numbers, you can plan for them instead of being surprised.
For most DTC brands, yes. Shopify handles hosting, security, and payment processing out of the box. You get access to thousands of apps and integrations that would cost 10x more to build custom. The total cost is predictable and scales with your business. Compare that to managing WooCommerce hosting, security patches, and plugin conflicts yourself — or paying a developer $100+/hour to build features that already exist as $20/month apps. The key is being strategic about which apps you actually need so you are not paying for tools that sit unused.
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