Are you wondering exactly what you can get out of the Shopify free trial, how long it lasts, and how you can extend the benefits for as long as possible?
You’re in the right place. Shopify is one of the top ecommerce platforms we recommend to our clients, and it offers one of the best POS systems on the market, particularly for omnichannel sellers.
One of the reasons for this is that it makes it so easy (and affordable) to launch and grow your business, thanks to its wide variety of offers and deals.
Today, we’re going to share everything you need to know about Shopify’s free trial, the Shopify 90 day trial (for Shopify Basic), and show you how you can save the most money when investing in this ecommerce platform.
Read on for the complete guide, or get your hands on a 3-day free trial, and a full 3 months of Shopify Basic or Starter for only $1.
An Introduction to Shopify (and Shopify POS)
Shopify is a world leading ecommerce platform, and an all-in-one solution for business leaders.
It combines a comprehensive online store builder (with impressive themes, templates and editing tools), with marketing and business management features, a comprehensive POS system and more.
With Shopify, entrepreneurs don’t just get all the tools they need for managing online business operations, they get a comprehensive solution for omnichannel selling and brand growth.
Shopify allows you to sell all kinds of products, from digital and physical products to dropshipping items, on your own store, marketplace channels (Amazon, Etsy, and Ebay) and social media.
Plus, because the ecommerce software features built-in point of sale solutions, you get everything you need to take your Shopify store offline too.
You can accept credit card payments on-line and in-person, using Shopify’s built-in payment processing tools, or your own payment gateways.
Additionally, you can boost your chances of earning a significant profit with Shopify SEO tools, marketing campaigns, and upselling and cross-selling techniques.
However, all the functionality Shopify offers does have a price, with common packages ranging from $39 to $2300 per month depending on the features you need.
That’s why Shopify encourages customers to explore the benefits of its platform before they subscribe to a long-term plan, with free trials, and low-cost offers for beginners.
Right now, for instance, you can trial Shopify for three days for free, then pay only $1 for your first 3 months.
A Brief History of the Shopify Free Trial
| Free Trial | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify 3-day trial | Active | A brief trial period currently offered for users to quickly test the basic functionalities of Shopify. |
| Shopify 14-day trial | Discontinued | The standard free trial period offered by Shopify for many years, allowing users enough time to explore the platform and begin setting up their store. |
| Shopify 30-day trial | Discontinued | An extended trial period, was offered during certain promotions, providing users with additional time to experiment with Shopify's features. |
| Shopify 60-day trial | Discontinued | A special promotional trial that offered users two months to thoroughly test Shopify's capabilities, often aimed at attracting more serious business owners. |
| Shopify 90-day trial | Discontinued | Introduced during specific promotional campaigns in the past, this trial length aimed at providing extensive access to Shopify for new businesses adapting to online sales. |
| Shopify 4-month trial | Discontinued | A very rare and generous trial period offered during special events or to specific partners, allowing for an in-depth exploration of Shopify. |
| Unlimited trial | Limited to Shopify Partners | A unique trial format where developers and agencies can experiment with Shopify's features without a set end date, but with certain limitations such as not being able to make sales until choosing a paid plan. |
Since Shopify first launched in 2006, the company has experimented with a wide range of free trial and demo options, designed to convert would-be entrepreneurs into paying customers.
For instance, if you decided to build your Shopify store in 2019, you would have been able to access a full 30-day free trial, giving you plenty of opportunities to explore the functionality of your Shopify account.
This free trial period was even longer for some users, as Shopify allowed affiliate partners to advertise a 60-day free trial to a select number of customers. Notably however, this deal was only available for a short time, through specific vendors.
Perhaps one of the biggest free trial deals ever offered by Shopify was introduced in 2020, during the COVID pandemic.
As in-person retailers faced significant issues as a result of social distancing guidelines, Shopify wanted to encourage them to explore new sales channels and opportunities in the world of ecommerce.
As a result, they offered access to a 90-day free trial for a short period.
This offer disappeared as the pandemic began to subside, and the 30-day trial returned until 2022, when Shopify replaced their offer with a simple 14-day free trial.
The Shopify 14-day trial gave users access to all of the core features of the Commerce platform offered by the Shopify Basic plan.
In 2023, Shopify reduced its free trial duration even further to just three days (The same 3-day trial you can get today).
However, it also introduced its $1 deal, which allowed merchants to extend their trial to a full 90 days, for just $1 per month. You can access this deal now and unlock all the features of Shopify Basic by clicking on this link.
Current Shopify Free Trial Offers
At the time of writing, Shopify is offering the shortest “free trial” it has ever had, giving you just three days to use the platform for free, before you need to choose a paid plan.
The good thing about this trial is you can start using Shopify without entering any credit card details. So it’s a good way to initially experiment with the platform if you’ve never encountered it before.
The 3-day trial gives you full access to the features of Shopify Basic, allowing you to build a custom storefront, experiment with Shopify theme options, and upload products.
However, while Shopify is extremely easy to use, we do think it usually takes a little longer to fully experience the benefits.
Fortunately, Shopify does offer a way to “extend” your free trial experience, with it’s $1 deal. This deal allows new users to access the full features of the Shopify Starter plan, or the Shopify Basic plan for one months, for only $1.
We definitely recommend taking advantage of the “Basic” plan here, as the Starter plan only allows users to sell on social media channels or messenger apps, or add ecommerce functionality to an existing website.
Although the offer is primarily intended for new customers, it’s also accessible to entrepreneurs who are already using Shopify Starter, and want to upgrade to Basic.
You can choose the $1 deal when you “upgrade” your plan within your Shopify account, and save a serious amount of cash on your upgrade.
The Benefits of Using the Shopify Trial
Compared to other ecommerce platforms that offer trial periods of 14 to 30 days, Shopify’s free trial of only three days might seem a little restrictive.
However, it’s worth remembering you can extend that trial with the $1 deal, giving you more time to discover all the benefits of the platform. The three-month deal means you can save up to $117 on the cost of your first three months of Shopify.
The Shopify free trial, and the $1 deal gives you an excellent opportunity to explore all the benefits of the Shopify platform, and decide whether it’s the right solution for you. With it, companies can:
- Explore the platform: Although Shopify is extremely user-friendly, it does take some time to familiarize yourself with all the features. With the 90-day trial (following your three-day free trial), you can experiment with the Shopify theme editor, create product pages and collections, make custom changes to your store, build a landing page and so much more. You can even start using Shopify’s POS tools for in-person payment processing.
- Explore features and add-ons: During your trial, you’ll be able to check out all of Shopify’s great features, from Shopify marketing tools and SEO features to tools for managing your online business and even the extra free tools like the Shopify Logo Maker and Business Name Generator. You can also access and use thousands of apps on the Shopify app store, and explore how they can add new functionality to your website.
- Practice running your online business: Your trial period will also give you an opportunity to practice running and managing your online business. You’ll have full access to Shopify’s inventory and order management tools, fulfillment solutions, and even automation solutions offered by Shopify Flow. Plus, you can access a range of resources to help you with building your store, like articles, guides, and FAQs.
Setting Up Your Store During the Free Trial
The Shopify free trial and $1 90-day deal gives you full, unrestricted access to the Shopify Basic plan, so you’ll have everything you need to start building and running your online store.
Here’s a quick step-by-step guide to how you can start building your Shopify store during the trial.
Step 1: Add Products to Your Store
Even on the free trial, you can still add unlimited products to your Shopify store. You can start adding products to your store in a few different ways.
For instance, you can use a dropshipping integration to import product information to product pages, or use an inventory management app.
You can also add products by clicking on the “Add Product” option on Shopify’s “Get Started” section, or clicking “Add Product” on the products tab.
This will take you to the product page editor, where you can add photos, descriptions, variant information, pricing, and other information. You can also add discounts to products and create offers.
We recommend ensuring you use SEO-friendly product titles and descriptions when adding products to Shopify, to ensure it’s easy to find your store with search engines like Google.
Step 2: Create Product Collections
Unless you’re only selling a single product, you’ll need to organize the items you sell into “collections” on Shopify, so it’s easier for users to navigate your site and find the things they want.
To add a collection to Shopify, just visit the “Products” tab on the Shopify dashboard, and click on the “Collections” option. This will take you to a page where you can add a description and title.
You’ll be able to choose a “tag” for your collection such as “women’s shoes”, which you can apply to the products on your site.
This shows Shopify how to organize your products. Remember to click on “Search Engine Listing” so you can change how the collection appears on Google’s search result pages.
You can also consider adding a search function to your store for navigation.
Step 3: Choose and Edit your Shopify Theme
Once you have your products and collections set up, it’s time to choose a theme for your store. Shopify themes are bundles of files and templates that influence the appearance and functionality of your website.
There are both free and premium themes to choose from, but we recommend starting with a free theme during your trial.
Click on the “Customize Theme” button in the “Getting Started” section of the Shopify dashboard to visit the theme store and make your choice. Click the theme you want and select “Add Theme to Library” to import it to your Shopify Themes tab.
Next click on the “Themes” tab, and click the “Actions” button next to the Theme you’ve chosen to edit the theme.
Clicking “Edit” will take you to Shopify’s theme editor, where you can make changes to the theme’s layout, colors, photos, and more.
Once you’re happy click “Publish” in the Actions menu on your Theme page.
Shopify POS Pricing
One great thing about the Shopify free trial and 30-day $1 deal, is that it also allows you to access Shopify POS Lite, the simpler version of Shopify’s POS software, included on most Shopify plans.
Notably, you won’t get all of the features you get from an upgraded plan like Shopify Advanced, but you will get basic checkout tools, solutions for processing various payment methods, and basic customer, employee, order, and inventory management.
If you chose to continue using Shopify after your trial ends, you can continue to access POS Lite for free on any of the three core Shopify plans.
However, it’s worth noting that the credit card and transaction fees you pay with Shopify POS Lite will vary depending on the plan you choose.
Additionally, you won’t be able to use the POS system with Shopify Starter, but you can access the Shopify Lite plan, for access to the Starter features, and POS Lite.
If you want to access the full Shopify POS experience, you’ll need Shopify POS Pro. This is included for free with Shopify Plus accounts, or it’s available for $89 per month ($79 per month paid annually) as an add-on to any other Shopify plan.
On top of the software costs, it’s also worth remembering you’ll need to pay for hardware. You can integrate your POS system into any hardware using iOS or Android operating systems, or you can purchase products directly from Shopify.
Card readers start at $49, while a retail kit will cost $219. The Shopify mobile POS system, Shopify POS Go is $399.
You can also purchase additional accessories, like barcode scanners ($229-$329), label printers ($299 to $499), receipt printers ($299 to $369) or cash drawers ($139 to $159).
Understanding Shopify Pricing and Plans
The Shopify free plan and 30-day trial will give you an excellent way to experiment with Shopify without spending a fortune, but eventually your trial will run out.
At this point, you’ll either need to deactivate your account, or choose from one of Shopify’s pricing plans.
Options include:
- Shopify Starter: $5 per month (5% transaction fees): Intended for selling products through messenger apps or social media, or adding ecommerce functionality to an existing website. This plan doesn’t include any website building features.
- Basic Shopify: $39 per month (or $29 per month paid annually): This plan includes all the features you got in your 90-day trial, including 1,000 inventory locations, basic reporting, 1 admin account, ecommerce automation, marketing tools, and abandoned cart recovery.
- Shopify: $105 per month (or $79 per month paid annually): All the features of Basic Shopify, plus additional shipping discounts, smaller transaction fees, 5 staff accounts, and standard analytics. This plan is ideal for small teams.
- Advanced Shopify: $399 per month (or $299 per month paid annually): All the features of Shopify, plus advanced Shopify support, custom and advanced reports, 15 admin accounts, and more options for localized global selling.
- Shopify Plus: Starting at $2000 per month: This is Shopify’s enterprise-level plan, with access to more advanced integrations and customization options, a dedicated support team, and greater scalability for your online store.
All plans include transaction fees, and there are extra payment processing fees to pay if you’re not using Shopify Payments. You can get a 25% discount on most plans if you choose an annual plan instead of paying monthly, and there are discounts available for non-profit organizations too.
Shopify Free Trial Limitations and Support
We advise all of our clients considering using Shopify for their ecommerce business to take advantage of the free trial, and the 90-day $1 per month deal. However, there are some limitations to the “trial” experience.
For instance, it’s worth noting your free trial begins as soon as you click the “Start Free Trial” button and create your account – not when you start building your website. This means you’ll need to dive in straight away to avoid missing out.
Additionally, the trial and 90-day offer will only give you access to Shopify Starter, or the Basic Shopify plan. If you need additional accounts for other employees, or advanced reporting features, you’ll have to upgrade to another paid plan.
What’s more, because you’re accessing Shopify as a “Basic” plan user, you’ll also have limited customer support options.
Although 24/7 chat support is included on all plans, you won’t get a response as quickly as you would if you had an Advanced or Shopify Plus plan.
The good news is you can still message the team at any time through your Shopify admin account.
Plus, you can take advantage of all of Shopify’s resources, such as its videos, guides, FAQs, and articles if you want to troubleshoot any issues yourself.
Start your Shopify Trial Today
If you’re thinking about using Shopify for your ecommerce store or omnichannel selling strategy (which we definitely recommend) now is a great time to get started.
Although you can only access Shopify for free for three days, you can experiment with the platform for a full three months for only $1 per month using the link on this website.
You can start your trial period by clicking here.
Just remember, Shopify’s deals change regularly, so if you don’t want to miss out on this offer, it’s worth getting started as quickly as possible.
FAQ
It’s easy to get started with a Shopify free trial. If you’re new to the platform, you can either click the link offered in the page above to access a three-day free trial followed by three months of Shopify Basic for $1 per month, or you can visit the Shopify website.
Either way, you’ll need to enter a few basic details when signing up for your account, such as your email address and business name. When you’re signed up, your trial will begin immediately, so it’s worth jumping in and getting started with the platform as quickly as you can.
Unfortunately, you can’t extend the free trial period for Shopify, but you can continue to access the features of Shopify Basic without spending much. Currently, new vendors and existing customers on Shopify Starter can access Shopify Basic for $1 per month for the first three months.
All you need to do is click on the link in this blog post, and enter the information Shopify asks for to get the offer. When the trial period ends, you can choose to deactivate your account, continue with Shopify Basic, or upgrade to another paid plan.
If you’re worried about being slammed with a bill when you forget to cancel your free trial, you’re in luck. Shopify won’t charge you anything automatically when your trial ends, but it will pause your website, so it won’t be accessible to customers anymore.
You can choose whether you want to extend the trial experience with the Shopify $1 deal or move onto a paid plan to continue accessing your website. Otherwise, if you’re not ready to sign up, you can pause your account or deactivate it on the Shopify admin page.
If you want to cancel your Shopify free trial, either because you’re ready to move to a paid plan or you want to use another platform, you can do this from your Shopify admin page. Click the “Settings” tab, followed by “Plan” to see your current plan details. From there, you can click the button to “Deactivate Trial”, to stop the free plan.
You’ll need to click on “Cancel subscription” when prompted, and Shopify will ask you to share the reason you’re cancelling your trial before you can “Confirm” the cancellation.
Comments 0 Responses