Shopify Plans 2026: Basic vs Grow vs Advanced (Which One?)
Side-by-side comparison of Shopify Basic, Grow, and Advanced plans for 2026. Real break-even math, verified card rates, and which plan wins at each GMV tier.
The short answer
Basic is $39/month with a 2.9% + $0.30 card rate, Grow is $105/month at 2.7%, and Advanced is $399/month at 2.5%. Upgrading only pays once the rate saving beats the extra subscription: from Basic to Grow that is roughly $33,000 in monthly card sales, since the 0.2-point difference has to cover $66 a month.
The Shopify Basic vs Grow vs Advanced decision comes down to one number: how much card volume do you process per month? Plug your monthly GMV into the formula at the bottom of this article and you’ll know exactly which plan minimizes total cost. But the official Shopify pricing page leaves the math implicit, so let’s make it explicit.
What you’re actually paying for
US prices below use monthly billing and standard online domestic cards. Annual billing is $29/$79/$299 per month for Basic/Grow/Advanced; use those subscription differences if you pay annually. Premium cards, international cards, local pricing and negotiated agreements can change the comparison.
| Plan | Monthly billing | Standard online cards | Third-party surcharge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $39 | 2.9% + $0.30 | 2% |
| Grow | $105 | 2.7% + $0.30 | 1% |
| Advanced | $399 | 2.5% + $0.30 | 0.6% |
Feature needs also matter: compare staff accounts, reporting, checkout and shipping features on the live pricing page. Subscription upgrades buy capabilities as well as potentially lower processing costs.
Shopify Basic vs Grow: when does upgrading pay?
If you use Shopify Payments for standard domestic online cards, the trade is simple:
Plan B saves you (B’s discount × monthly card volume); pays back if savings > extra subscription.
For Basic → Grow:
- Subscription delta: $105 − $39 = $66/month
- Rate delta: 2.9% − 2.7% = 0.2 points
- Break-even monthly card volume: $66 ÷ 0.002 = $33,000
For Grow → Advanced:
- Subscription delta: $399 − $105 = $294/month
- Rate delta: 2.7% − 2.5% = 0.2 points
- Break-even monthly card volume: $294 ÷ 0.002 = $147,000
So the answer in one line: stay on Basic under ~$33K/mo, switch to Grow between $33K and $147K/mo, switch to Advanced (or Plus) above $147K/mo.
Annual billing changes the upgrade threshold
The thresholds above use monthly subscriptions. With annual billing, the US prices are $29/month for Basic, $79 for Grow, and $299 for Advanced. On standard domestic online cards, the percentage-rate differences stay at 0.2 points. That makes the Basic-to-Grow crossover ($79 − $29) ÷ 0.002 = $25,000 in monthly card volume, and Grow-to-Advanced ($299 − $79) ÷ 0.002 = $110,000.
For example, at $30,000 in monthly standard card sales, Grow saves $60 in percentage processing fees compared with Basic. On monthly billing, its $66 subscription increase leaves you $6 worse off. On annual billing, its $50 increase leaves you $10 better off per month. The $0.30 charge cancels in this comparison when the order count stays the same. This example excludes promotions, other card types and optional services.
Compare the same billing term on both plans and use eligible card sales, rather than all store revenue. If some orders use another payment method, their savings need separate rates. Annual billing is also a commitment: a small theoretical saving may not justify it if your sales fluctuate.
Sources checked October 5, 2026: Shopify US pricing and Shopify’s plan selection guidance. The calculations here are our own worked comparisons of those prices and rates.
What about third-party gateways?
If your payment provider is subject to Shopify third-party transaction fees, the surcharge math shifts the break-even points lower because the surcharge delta between plans is bigger:
- Basic → Grow third-party surcharge: 2.0% → 1.0% (a 1.0 point delta)
- Break-even on third-party volume: $66 ÷ 0.01 = $6,600/month
That’s a much earlier upgrade — five times earlier than the Shopify Payments crossover. If you’re stuck on a third-party gateway (Shopify Payments isn’t available in your country, or you need a specific high-risk processor), Grow pays for itself at far lower revenue.
Budget the costs outside the plan
Apps, domains, paid themes and development are separate purchases. Obtain current quotes rather than treating a generic monthly app budget as a fee charged to every Shopify store. Free themes and optional apps can keep startup overhead lower; custom work can cost much more.
Write down each recurring bill and the renewal date. A discounted introductory subscription can make a test month look profitable while hiding the eventual operating cost. Compare the normal renewal bill with normal order volume, not a promotional month with your best sales forecast.
Gateway exceptions
PayPal and manual payments are exempt from Shopify third-party transaction fees when Shopify Payments is activated. A mixed Shopify Payments/PayPal store should not automatically apply a surcharge to PayPal volume. The payment provider can still charge its own processing fee. Shopify PayPal guidance
Our gateway toggle assumes all orders use a chargeable third-party provider and uses the selected plan card rate as an estimate of processing. For a mixed checkout or a different provider rate, compute each payment segment separately. Otherwise the calculated crossover can be materially wrong.
A worked example: a $50K/mo store
Assume $50,000 monthly GMV, with $47,500 processed as standard Shopify Payments card sales across 1,500 card orders and $2,500 through PayPal. Shopify Payments is active, so PayPal attracts no additional Shopify third-party transaction fee.
Basic: $39 + ($47,500 × 2.9%) + (1,500 × $0.30) = $1,866.50.
Grow: $105 + ($47,500 × 2.7%) + (1,500 × $0.30) = $1,837.50.
Grow saves $29 per month on these Shopify-side costs. PayPal processing, apps, tax and other costs are excluded from both totals. They still belong in the complete operating budget. The earlier version incorrectly added Shopify surcharges to PayPal in this example.
Run your own numbers through the Shopify Margin Calculator — it factors in subscription, transaction fees, and payment processing in one view.
When Shopify Plus enters the conversation
Shopify Plus starts at $2,300 per month on qualifying contract terms, but payment rates are negotiated. The calculator retains an explicitly illustrative 2.25% rate for scenario planning; it is not a verified Plus quote. There is no reliable universal Advanced-to-Plus crossover without your offer. Compare the contracted subscription, payment mix and operational features before deciding.
Test the decision against a slower month
A crossover is an equality under specified assumptions, not a sales guarantee. If your seasonal peak is $50,000 but ordinary months are $20,000, the annual savings can differ from what the peak month suggests. Calculate twelve monthly scenarios or use a realistic annual payment-volume forecast.
Refunds can also change the result because processing fees may remain payable while revenue is returned. Shopify Payments does not return the original card-processing fee on a refund. Shopify refund guidance
Use separate refund and lost-chargeback assumptions and avoid counting the same order twice. A US Shopify Payments chargeback carries a $15 fee, returned if you win; our model assumes a lost dispute. Shopify chargeback guidance
Finally, compare the value of staff access or other required features with the fee savings. A plan can be operationally necessary below its processing crossover. Conversely, paying for unused capabilities above a marketing milestone does not improve your unit economics.
Official source
- Shopify Pricing page — the published rates, subject to change
Related reading
- Etsy Fees Explained — 2026 Seller Guide
- Shopify Margin Calculator — model your actual numbers
- Glossary: take rate, transaction fee, payment processing fee
Sources
Plan prices, card rates, and third-party gateway fees on this page were verified against Shopify’s published pricing on 11 September 2026. Rates change — every fee our calculators apply is dated and sourced in the fee changelog.