Shopify plan comparison: Compare plans to choose the best one for your store

If you’re deciding on a Shopify plan for your Australian store, you need a clear answer: which plan suits your order volume, profit margins, and operational needs without surprise costs? Picking the right tier can save you time and money while supporting your growth over the next year. This guide lays out the practical differences between the Basic, Grow, Advanced, and Plus plans, helping you match features, fees, and real-world suitability to your business’s plans for the next 3 to 12 months.

This guide includes a practical Shopify plan comparison for online store owners, directors, and ecommerce managers who want straightforward numbers and simple calculations. You’ll get a quick cost snapshot, the key feature trade-offs important in Australia, exact maths to see if upgrading will pay for itself, and the operational signs that should trigger a move to the next plan.

New to Shopify? Start strong with our Shopify site design service.

Shopify plan comparison: quick costs overview

Choosing the right Shopify plan starts with understanding the monthly and annual costs of each tier. Whether you’re launching a new Shopify store or planning a migration from another platform, knowing your upfront and ongoing costs helps you budget confidently and make informed decisions.

Shopify offers four main tiers: Basic (entry-level), Grow (growing business), Advanced (scaling), and Plus (enterprise). Prices rise from Basic through Advanced, while Plus is custom priced for high-volume or complex merchants. Australian merchants are billed in AUD, and note that the headline plan fee excludes paid apps, premium themes, domain registration (if you're a new brand), and third-party services, all of which add to the total cost.

To estimate your real annual spend, annualise the monthly fee and add a budget for apps and add-ons: Annual cost formula: (monthly fee × 12) + estimated app/add-on costs.

Sample planning bands (approximate, check Shopify’s pricing page for current AUD figures):

• Basic: around $500–$1,200/year (low app usage).
• Grow: roughly $1,500–$3,000/year (moderate apps and POS needs).
• Advanced: approximately $4,000–$10,000/year (higher-tier apps, shipping, analytics).
• Plus: custom pricing, often tens of thousands annually once you factor in professional services and integrations.

Always double-check current pricing on Shopify’s site before making decisions: source: Shopify Pricing.

What does this mean for your business? Choose a plan that aligns with your expected orders and operational demands for the next 12 months to avoid unnecessary migrations later. For more on planning and timing migrations, see our detailed Shopify migration service vs DIY: Which is right for your business?.

Shopify’s pricing plans: Basic, Grow, Advanced, Plus as of 26 July 2025, highlighting key features and monthly pricing for each tier. Source: Shopify

What each plan includes: core features compared

Knowing which features come with each level helps avoid paying for apps or workarounds you don’t need.

Key terms:

• Staff accounts: admin logins for your team.
• Reporting & analytics: built-in dashboards and custom sales/customer reports.
• Third-party calculated shipping: live courier rates shown at checkout.
• API rate limits: how many requests your store can make to Shopify’s APIs within a given timeframe.

Start by comparing staff accounts, reporting, gift cards, international selling tools (markets/pricing), third-party shipping, and API limits.

Basic (entry)

• Includes: online store, blog, basic reports, limited staff accounts, discount codes, and simple manual shipping options.
• Ideal for: single-person operations, product testing, or very low-volume direct-to-consumer (DTC) stores focused on keeping fixed costs minimal.
• Limitations: fewer staff seats, no advanced reporting, limited shipping discounts, and minimal international features.
• Note: If you need multiple back-office users or heavy reporting, you’ll probably require apps or an upgrade.

Grow (mid tier)

• Includes: everything in Basic plus more staff accounts, professional reports, improved shipping discounts, and multi-currency tools for overseas sales.
• Ideal for: stores with steady order volumes needing clearer analytics and more flexible shipping and checkout options.
• Strengths: balanced cost and key business features, reducing the need for many apps.
• Limitations: the most advanced reports and biggest shipping discounts remain exclusive to Advanced or Plus plans.

Advanced (scaling)

• Includes: advanced reports, third-party calculated shipping included, deeper shipping discounts, and higher API limits for integrations and automation.
• Ideal for: high-volume stores wanting deeper insights, lower per-order costs, and more automation.
• Strengths: lowers operational costs at scale and improves margin visibility.
• Limitations: higher monthly fee, so worthwhile only if volume or margin gains offset the cost.

Plus (enterprise)

• Includes: custom pricing, dedicated onboarding/support, Single Sign-On (SSO), advanced APIs, lowest transaction fees, expanded integrations, and account management.
• Ideal for: multichannel, global, or complex merchants with large revenue, custom checkout needs, or requiring service level agreements and dedicated support.
• Strengths: enterprise-grade features and tuning for complex workflows.
• Limitations: costs and negotiation complexity require advanced planning.

Feature trade-offs important in Australia

• Shopify Payments, Shopify’s own gateway, is available locally and removes external transaction fees; check industry eligibility.
• Gift cards and advanced reports are usually missing from Basic, affecting marketing and finance.
• Staff accounts: consider the actual number of users needing access; upgrading for just a few extra seats often isn’t the most efficient approach compared to role assignments or apps.

For budgeting or migration, list your current and planned features, then match them to the plans to avoid paying for duplicate apps.

Side-by-side Shopify plan comparison: fees, transaction rates, and payment gateway options:

Feature	Shopify (Basic / Grow / Advanced)	Shopify Plus
Theme customisation	Theme editor + access to Liquid programming tools	Full control from core Shopify to headless commerce
Online store with the world’s most converting checkout experience	Standard checkout	Fully customisable checkout
Unlimited Products	Yes	Yes
Staff accounts	Basic plan: 2 Shopify plan: 5 Advanced plan: 15	Unlimited
Locations	Up to 5	Up to 20
Multiple currencies	Yes	Yes
Sales channels (social channels & marketplaces such as eBay and Amazon)	Yes	Yes
POS	POS Lite POS Pro for additional cost	POS Pro included
Apps	Shopify app marketplace	Shopify app marketplace Additional Shopify Plus certified app partners
Analytics	Standard analytics	Advanced plan with custom reports & analytics Custom reports & analytics
Help & Support	24/7 live chat	24/7 live chat Dedicated account manager & priority support by phone or email, plus merchant success program
Shipping Calculation	Only available for Advanced plan	Yes
Advanced customisation to Shopify Checkout	No	Yes
B2B / Wholesale Channel	No	Yes
Launchpad	No	Yes
Custom app built with Shopify Functions	No	Yes
Free expansion stores	No	9 free expansion stores
Exclusive API access & endpoints	No	Yes
Bot Protection	No	Yes
Shopify Plus Academy	No	Yes
Pricing (as of 26/07/2025)	Basic plan: AUD $42/mo Shopify plan: AUD $114/mo Advanced plan: AUD 430/mo	Custom pricing: USD $2,300/mo (3 year term)
Transaction fees	Highest on Basic, lower on Shopify, lowest on Advanced (when using Shopify Payments)	Lowest with Shopify Payments

Fees and payment processing

Understanding payment processing and transaction fees is critical as they directly reduce your margins.

Key terms:

• Shopify Payments card rates: fees charged on card payments by Shopify Payments (percentage plus fixed cents per transaction).
• Shopify transaction fees: extra charges if you use a payment gateway other than Shopify Payments.
• Third-party gateway fees: fees from alternative payment processors, which may include monthly or per-transaction charges.

How fees vary across plans:

• Using Shopify Payments eliminates Shopify’s additional transaction fee; you pay only card processing fees, which usually decrease at higher tiers or with negotiated Plus rates.
• If using a third-party payment gateway (required for some industries), Shopify adds a transaction fee on top of the gateway’s fees, increasing your costs as volume grows.
• Buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) options in Australia like Afterpay/Clearpay and Zip charge separate merchant fees, varying by provider and fee structure.

Tips:

• Where Shopify Payments suits and is allowed for your products, enable it to avoid extra transaction fees and simplify your accounting.
• For industries needing local or high-risk gateways, factor in both gateway and Shopify transaction fees when modelling margins.
• Model different payment scenarios like domestic card, international card, and BNPL to understand fees for each.

For detailed merchant fee breakdowns, see: source: Omnisend, Shopify Fees Explained.

Is upgrading worth it, calculating fee offsets for your store

Formula:

Break-even orders = (Monthly cost difference) ÷ (Per-order fee saving)

Example:

• Current plan (Grow): $114/month. Upgrade plan (Advanced): $431/month → Monthly cost difference = $317.
• Grow plan card rate: 1.6% + 30¢. Advanced plan card rate: 1.4% + 30¢ → Per-order saving = $0.20 (based on $100 AOV).
• Break-even = 317 ÷ 0.20 = 1,585 orders/month.

If your store consistently processes more than 1,585 orders per month, the lower transaction fees on the Advanced plan can offset the higher subscription cost.

Additional checks:

• Adjust the per-order saving based on your actual average order value (e.g., a higher AOV increases your savings percentage).
• Test different order volume scenarios (low, expected, peak) for a realistic break-even model.
• Consider non-transaction benefits like built-in 3rd-party shipping rates, lower third-party processor fees, or reduced app dependency when calculating total value.

PRO TIP: run this with your real data, then plan your budget and migration 2–3 months before anticipated growth. For a full Shopify migration checklist and planning advice, see our The only Shopify migration checklist you’ll need in 2025

Shipping, fulfilment and operational costs

Shipping and fulfilment significantly impact your true order cost. Higher-tier plans often reduce per-order fulfilment expenses and add valuable features.

Why your shipping plan matters:

• Higher tiers get deeper carrier discounts and access to real-time carrier rates at checkout, which help reduce manual pricing errors and margin loss.
• Real-time rates show customers accurate shipping costs by weight and destination, reducing surprises and abandoned carts.

What to watch for:

• Some plans include third-party calculated shipping; others require apps or integrations for live rates.
• If your products vary widely in weight or shipping destinations, live rates help avoid undercharging for shipping.
• Australian merchants should test integrations with main couriers (Australia Post, CouriersPlease, StarTrack) and clarify whether you qualify for negotiated courier discounts via Shopify Shipping or must contract separately.

Testing tips:

• Run test checkouts from your main postcode zones using actual product weights on the plan you’re considering.
• Compare shipping costs at checkout versus your negotiated courier rates; small differences add up at scale.

Include fulfilment costs like label printing, 3PL fees, packing materials, and labour in your per-order cost calculations. Automation that cuts labour (e.g., automated labels, shipping rules) should be factored in as savings when considering upgrades.

For more on why live rate testing and shipping insights matter, see: source: ShipStation, Shipping insights for ecommerce.

Hidden and additional costs to budget for

Common extras include:

• Paid themes and premium design services.
• Shopify and third-party apps (marketing automation, subscriptions, B2B tools), often charging per store or order.
• Developer customisations, bespoke integrations, or middleware to handle API limits.
• POS hardware and associated monthly fees for in-person sales.
• Payment gateway monthly fees, chargebacks, fraud protection, and merchant accounts.
• Returns handling, insurance, and duties or taxes on international orders.

Scaling traps to avoid:

• API rate limits may require middleware or higher-tier apps as order volumes increase.
• App fees often rise with volume; a modest monthly fee can swell with higher traffic.
• One-off migration or integration costs when switching themes, payment gateways, or fulfilment providers.

Budget tip: add a 10–20% contingency to your first-year spend to cover unexpected add-ons during launch or migration. For app pricing examples, see providers like Klaviyo: source: Klaviyo Pricing.

When to upgrade: practical triggers for growth

Upgrade your Shopify plan based on clear operational needs or financial benefits, not just aspirations.

Operational triggers:

• You consistently exceed your break-even order count from fee-offset calculations.
• You require features only on higher plans, like third-party calculated shipping, advanced reports, or more staff accounts.
• Merchant reconciliation becomes complex with multiple gateways and fees.

Capability triggers:

• Increasing international sales require market/pricing and multi-currency support found on higher plans or Plus.
• You need B2B/wholesale features or checkout customisations unavailable on lower tiers.
• API rate limits hinder order syncing, inventory updates, or automations.

Performance and support triggers for enterprise:

• Frequent performance issues or outages at scale.
• Need for guaranteed SLAs, dedicated account managers, or custom API access.
• Internal teams demand SSO, enhanced security, and high-volume performance tuning.

Recommended upgrade approach:

• Be deliberate; upgrade when benefits clearly outweigh costs.
• Plan budgets 2–3 months before peak sales or traffic periods to avoid rushed moves.
• If unsure, model conservative scenarios using your break-even maths.

For background on growth signals that justify enterprise upgrades and scaling your ecommerce business, see this overview: source: Forbes, AI/Scaling and ecommerce context.

Shopify’s official site highlighting its infrastructure benefits, including 99.99% uptime, unlimited bandwidth, global CDN, and automatic platform updates. Source: Shopify (26/07/2025)

How to choose the right Shopify plan (6 key questions to ask)

• How many products will you be selling?
• How many team members will need access to your store?
• What’s your budget for monthly platform costs?
• Do you need advanced features like custom reporting, or fully custom checkout experiece?
• Do you sell B2B or plan to offer wholesale pricing?
• Do you need to operate multiple storefronts (e.g., for different regions or brands)?
• Will your business need advanced automation or custom integrations?

Taking time to evaluate these factors will ensure you choose a plan that meets your current needs and supports future growth.

When should you upgrade to Shopify Plus?

• You're hitting revenue milestones of $1M+ annually
• You manage multiple online stores or international sites
• You need custom pricing, automation, or B2B functionality
• You need advanced checkout, API access, or enterprise-level support

Use these criteria to align your upgrade timing with real business needs not just plan features.

Conclusion

Choosing the right Shopify plan means focusing on the real operational and financial needs of your business. Use the fee-offset formula, test live shipping rates from your main regions, and compare your current app costs against what’s included in each plan. Treat this as a holistic decision that factors in apps, fulfilment, payments, and your growth plans.

If you’re unsure, work through conservative scenarios and schedule any upgrades a few months before expected sales increases. When the numbers or migration feel complex, seek advice from a Shopify migration or optimisation expert: they can map the figures to your business setup and save you time and headaches. For trusted migration advice, see our Top 8 common Shopify migration mistakes (and how to avoid them).

Already using another platform that no longer meets your needs? Migrating to a new system like Shopify can help you regain control, simplify operations, and set your business up for growth.

Work with Shopify migration experts to make your move smooth and stress-free.

Prefer a DIY approach? Read our Shopify migration checklist