Shopify Plans
Basic is fine early. Standard earns the extra plan cost once volume makes the lower processing rate matter.
Shopify Basic is the cheaper monthly plan. Shopify Standard costs more. At first glance, the 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 a higher rate. Standard charges a lower rate. That gap sounds tiny until volume shows up. Once monthly revenue is high enough, the processing savings exceed the extra plan cost.
Add better reporting, more staff accounts, and lower shipping rates, and the Standard plan earns the extra cost once volume is there. Below that, Basic is perfectly fine.
150+
Clients
$70M+
Revenue
$23M+
Ad Spend
Klaviyo Gold Partner
Partner
GOSH has worked with 150+ eCommerce clients. We work on Shopify. The plan choice is simple math: if monthly revenue is still modest, stay on Basic. Once volume is high enough, 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 | Higher monthly plan. Higher base cost but lower payment processing fees. | Lower monthly plan. Lowest starting cost to run a full Shopify store. |
| Payment Processing (Online) | Lower per-transaction rate. Saves money at higher volumes. Pays for the upgrade once revenue is high enough. | Higher per-transaction 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 decisions tied to numbers. | Basic reports: overview and finance reports. Limited analytical depth. Hard to make informed decisions without exporting to spreadsheets. |
| Shipping Discounts | Better shipping discount with Shopify Shipping. Better rates from USPS, UPS, and DHL. | A smaller 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
Modest monthly revenue: stay on Basic. The processing fee savings do not outweigh the higher plan cost yet. Put the difference into marketing.
Higher monthly 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.
Much higher volume: consider Advanced or Shopify Plus for checkout customization and even lower fees.
Pick Shopify (Standard) if...
Upgrade to Shopify Standard when volume makes the lower processing fees save more than the plan costs. Better reporting helps you grow faster.
Pick Shopify Basic if...
Stay on Basic if monthly revenue is still modest. 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.
Honest answers to
common questions
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