Is Shopify free to use? It’s a question countless smaller business owners have asked over the years. Unfortunately, the simple answer is “no”.
Unlike some other companies in the ecommerce landscape, Shopify has no “forever free plan”.
The cheapest way to use Shopify to sell online, is to access it’s “Starter” plan for $5 per month, but this doesn’t give you access to the intuitive website builder, and a range of other crucial tools.
However, just because you can’t use Shopify for free doesn’t mean it doesn’t offer great value for money. In fact, I recommend Shopify to a lot of business owners, large and small.
The platform is popular for its ease of use, scalability, and robust features, which make growing your business (in any industry) extremely simple.
If you’re wondering whether Shopify is worth the cost, here’s what you need to know.
Key Takeaways
- Shopify is not free to use. You’ll need to pay for a monthly subscription fee, as well as accounting for extra costs (like payment processing fees.)
- You can access Shopify for free for three days, as part of a trial period. However, while you can set your store up, you’ll need to choose a premium plan to keep using it.
- Shopify has a range of pricing plans to choose from, ranging from $5 per month for Shopify Starter, to $2,300+ for Shopify Plus
- There are alternatives to Shopify with free plans, although many of these options do offer limited functionality.
What is Shopify?
Shopify is a leading omnichannel commerce platform, which empowers companies to build an online presence, sell products and services online (and in-person with Shopify POS), and grow their revenue with marketing tools.
It combines everything from robust inventory and order management with an intuitive website builder, integrated payment processing, and staff and customer relationship tools.
Plus, Shopify is incredibly flexible. Not only are there various plans available to suit different business needs, but Shopify’s app market features thousands of integrations and plug-ins you can use to expand the functionality of your store.
Does Shopify Have a Free Plan?
No, Shopify doesn’t have a completely free plan. The only way to use Shopify for free is to access its three day free trial.
Compared to other companies offering free trials of their software, this three-day demo might seem a little restrictive. However, Shopify does give you an option to extend your trial.
Currently, business owners can start their free trial by signing up for an account with Shopify here, then access their first month of Shopify Basic, or Shopify Starter for just $1.
While the free trial and $1 first month deal for Shopify will allow you to set up your store, and start selling products.
You’ll also get all of the customer support and guidance you’d get if you were paying full price for Shopify’s Basic plan.
After your $1 month, you’ll need to choose your Shopify plan (which you can change at any time). Prices include:
- Shopify Starter: $5 per month
- Shopify Basic: $29-$39 per month (annually or monthly)
- Shopify: $79 to $105 per month (annually or monthly)
- Shopify Advanced: $299 to $399 per month (annually or monthly)
- Shopify Plus: Custom pricing starting at $2,300 per month
There are also payment processing fees to consider, alongside costs for domain hosting, shipping, extra POS fees, applications, integrations, and potential transaction fees.
Shopify Alternatives that Do Offer Free Plans
Shopify might not offer a free plan, but there are platforms out there that do. It’s worth noting that any “free plan” from an ecommerce vendor may have some caveats, such as reduced access to features, limitations on how many products you can sell, or higher payment processing rates.
Some of the most popular free alternatives to Shopify include:
- WooCommerce: As an open-source plugin for WordPress, WooCommerce is free to use. However, you still need to pay for hosting for your WordPress site, apps and integrations, payment processing rates, and any specialist support you’ll need building your store.
- Big Cartel: Big Cartel allows you to list up to 5 products on an ecommerce store (with 1 image per product) on the free plan. You also get sales tax autopilot, SEO-optimized website templates, a real-time sales dashboard, and mobile apps.
- Square Online: Square offers a free plan for its ecommerce builder, which gives you the basic tools you need to start selling online. However, you will have to pay Square’s highest credit card processing rates, and you won’t be able to access a custom domain.
- Ecwid: The free plan from Ecwid allows you to sell through an online store and link-in-bio tool. Unfortunately, you can only sell up to 5 products, but you still get a site builder, unlimited bandwidth, and a range of marketing features.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, you can use Shopify for free for three days, and you won’t be automatically charged anything when your trial ends. However, you won’t be able to start taking payments on the free trial plan, and you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan to continue using the platform.
You can start selling products on Shopify’s free trial, and access a wide range of features, but you won’t be able to continue running your store after your trial ends. Ultimately, you’ll have a hard time building a successful store within three days.
Shopify doesn’t have “hidden costs”, but it does have fees many people regularly overlook. For instance, you’ll have to pay for credit card processing rates, and transaction fees (if you use a third-party payment processor). There may also be fees for domain hosting, shipping, apps and integrations, themes, and other services to consider.
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