You’ve heard Shopify is the gold standard for e-commerce. You’re ready to launch. But then the question hits: how much is this actually going to cost?
The honest answer? It depends — but it’s far more predictable than most people think. In this guide, we break down every cost involved in launching a Shopify store in 2025, from the monthly plan to payment processing fees, themes, apps, and everything in between.
1. The Shopify Plan: $39–$399/month
Shopify offers three main plans for new merchants:
- Basic ($39/mo) — perfect for new stores. 2 staff accounts, unlimited products, basic reports.
- Shopify ($105/mo) — for growing stores. 5 staff accounts, professional reports, lower transaction fees.
- Advanced ($399/mo) — for scaling stores. Custom reporting, the lowest fees, 15 staff accounts.
For most new store owners, Basic is the smart starting point. You can always upgrade as revenue grows.
2. Domain Name: ~$14/year
You’ll need a custom domain (like yourstore.com). Shopify sells domains directly, or you can buy from Namecheap, GoDaddy, or Google Domains and connect it. Budget $10–$20/year.
3. Theme: $0–$380 (one-time)
Shopify’s free themes (Dawn, Sense, Craft) are genuinely excellent and conversion-optimized. Paid themes from the Shopify Theme Store run $180–$380 one-time. For most new stores, a free theme is all you need to launch professionally.
4. Apps: $0–$100+/month
This is where costs can creep up. Common apps include:
- Email marketing (Klaviyo, Omnisend) — $0–$30/mo
- Reviews (Judge.me, Loox) — $0–$15/mo
- Upsells / cross-sells — $10–$30/mo
- SEO tools — $0–$20/mo
At ReadyCart, we configure your store with free apps only at launch so you can validate before spending on paid tools.
5. Payment Processing: 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction
Shopify Payments (powered by Stripe) charges 2.9% + $0.30 per online transaction on the Basic plan. If you use a third-party payment processor, Shopify adds an extra 0.5%–2% fee. Use Shopify Payments to avoid this.
6. Store Setup: $0–$2,000+
This is the wildcard. DIY setup takes 30–80 hours of learning curve. Agencies charge $2,000–$10,000+ for a full build. At ReadyCart, our Shopify Launch Sprint gets you a conversion-ready store in 7–10 days for €300–500 — a fraction of agency cost with none of the DIY headaches.
The Real Total: What to Budget
| Item | Monthly Cost | One-Time Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify Basic Plan | $39 | — |
| Domain | ~$1.20 | ~$14 |
| Free Theme | $0 | $0 |
| Essential Apps | $0–$30 | — |
| Store Setup (ReadyCart Sprint) | — | €350 |
| Total to Launch | ~$40–70/mo | ~€364 |
Bottom line: a professional Shopify store in 2025 costs around $40–70/month to operate, plus a one-time setup investment. Compared to the cost of a brick-and-mortar or a custom-built site, it’s remarkably accessible.
Ready to launch without the guesswork? ReadyCart’s Shopify Launch Sprint gets your store built and live in 7–10 days — conversion-ready, no technical stress. Get in touch today.