Shopify — free plan, limits and what it is good for
No free plan. A $1/month trial for the first months, then a real subscription — budget for it before you build.
| Pricing | Trial $1/mo, then from ~$29-39/mo |
|---|---|
| Free tier | No (trial only) |
| Account required | Email; card required for trial |
| Watermark on free output | No |
| Limits | Transaction fees unless you use Shopify Payments |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android |
| Best for | Selling physical goods without touching code |
| Last checked | October 2026 |
What the free plan actually gives you
The trial is genuinely cheap — around a dollar a month for the first few months — but it is a trial, not a free tier, and it converts to a full subscription automatically. Add payment processing, apps and a theme and the real monthly cost lands well above the sticker price.
Where people get caught: third-party payment gateways carry an extra transaction fee on top of the subscription, and most useful features (subscriptions, advanced reports, better shipping) are paid apps. Model the total before committing.
Where it breaks
- No permanent free tier
- Extra transaction fee with non-Shopify payments
- App subscriptions add up fast
What we would use instead
If the limits above are a problem, the closest free substitutes are WooCommerce and Fiverr. They are not identical — each one trades something different — but all of them let you finish a job without paying.
Free alternatives
Questions people actually ask
Is there a free Shopify plan?
No. There is a $1/month trial for the first few months, after which a paid plan is required to keep the store live.
What does the trial actually include?
A full store with themes, products, and checkout, limited in duration rather than features. Card details are required upfront.
Can I move my store off Shopify later?
Products and customers export as CSV, but themes, apps and metafields do not transfer cleanly.