Shopify Plans
The $40/month difference between Shopify Basic and Shopify saves you $700+/month once you hit $25K in revenue. Here is the math.
Shopify Basic costs $39/month. Shopify Standard costs $105/month. At first glance, the $66 difference seems hard to justify when you are starting out. Why pay more when Basic has everything you need to sell?
But here is what most people miss: the payment processing rate difference. Basic charges 2.9% + $0.30. Standard charges 2.6% + $0.30. That 0.3% difference sounds tiny until you do the math. At $25,000/month in revenue, you save $75/month on processing fees alone. At $50,000/month, you save $150/month. At $100,000/month, $300/month.
Add better reporting, more staff accounts, and lower shipping rates — and the Standard plan pays for itself quickly once you pass $20-25K/month in revenue. Below that, Basic is perfectly fine.
0.3%
Processing Fee Difference
$25K
Revenue Breakeven Point
150+
Stores Managed
5
Staff Accounts (Standard)
We set up and manage 150+ Shopify stores. The plan choice is simple math: if your monthly revenue is below $25K, stay on Basic. Above $25K, the Standard plan saves you more in processing fees than the extra plan cost. Everything else (better reports, more staff accounts) is gravy.
Shopify (Standard) vs Shopify Basic — feature by feature
| Feature | Shopify (Standard) | Shopify Basic |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Cost | $105/month ($79/month annual billing). Higher base cost but lower payment processing fees. | $39/month ($29/month annual billing). Lowest starting cost to run a full Shopify store. |
| Payment Processing (Online) | 2.6% + $0.30 per transaction. Lower rate saves money at higher volumes. Breakeven vs. Basic at ~$25K/month revenue. | 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. Standard rate. Fine at lower volumes. Becomes expensive as revenue grows. |
| Staff Accounts | 5 staff accounts. Enough for a small team: you, VA, customer service, marketer, and developer. | 2 staff accounts. Fine for solo operators but limiting as soon as you have a team of 3+. |
| Reporting | Professional reports: sales by traffic source, customer cohort reports, profit margin reports. Much better for data-driven decisions. | Basic reports: overview and finance reports. Limited analytical depth. Hard to make data-driven decisions without exporting to spreadsheets. |
| Shipping Discounts | Up to 88% shipping discount with Shopify Shipping. Better rates from USPS, UPS, and DHL. | Up to 77% shipping discount. Still good but slightly higher shipping costs per package. |
| International Selling | International pricing (set different prices per market), duties and import tax estimation. Better for selling globally. | Basic international features. Limited pricing control per market. |
Our recommendation
Under $25K/month revenue: stay on Basic. The processing fee savings do not outweigh the higher plan cost yet. Put the $66/month difference into marketing.
Above $25K/month revenue: upgrade to Standard. The lower processing fees alone save more than the plan costs. Plus you get better reporting for smarter decisions and more staff accounts as your team grows.
Above $100K/month: consider Advanced ($399/month, 2.4% processing) or Shopify Plus for checkout customization and even lower fees.
Pick Shopify (Standard) if...
Upgrade to Shopify Standard when your store passes $25K/month in revenue. The math is clear — lower processing fees save more than the plan costs, and better reporting helps you grow faster.
Pick Shopify Basic if...
Stay on Basic if you are under $25K/month. It has everything you need to run a store. The extra features of Standard do not justify the cost until transaction volume makes the fee savings meaningful.
Questions our best clients asked first
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