OneWave
How much does a Shopify store cost in 2026?
There are two bills: what you pay Shopify every month, and what you pay someone to build the store. Here is what each one costs right now.
A DIY Shopify store costs $19 to $72 a month for the plan, plus $170 to $400 if you buy a paid theme. Having it built costs $500 to $2,000 for a basic setup, $1,000 to $8,000 for theme customization, and $5,000 to $25,000 for a custom design. Shopify Plus builds start around $25,000.
| Route | Upfront cost | Ongoing cost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY, free theme | $0 | $19 to $72 a month (Basic or Grow plan) | [1] |
| DIY, paid theme | $170 to $400 for the theme | $19 to $72 a month | [1] [2] |
| Basic setup or theme install by a pro | $500 to $2,000 | Plan only | [3] |
| Theme customization | $1,000 to $8,000 | Plan, plus optional support | [3] |
| Custom theme or custom design | $5,000 to $25,000 | Plan, plus support | [3] |
| Shopify Plus build (agency) | $25,000 to $150,000+ | From $2,300 a month for Plus | [1] [3] |
What Shopify itself charges
Shopify's plan is the one cost every store pays. In the US, Basic is $19 a month billed yearly or $27 billed monthly. Grow is $54 yearly or $72 monthly. Advanced is $299 yearly or $399 monthly. Plus starts at $2,300 a month [1].
New stores can try Shopify for 3 days free, then pay $1 a month for the first 3 months [1]. Card processing fees are separate and vary by plan. If you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments, Shopify adds its own fee of 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow and 0.6% on Advanced [1].
Most small stores start on Basic or Grow. Move up only when the extra features or lower fees pay for themselves.
Themes: free or $170 to $400
Shopify has free themes that work well for a simple catalogue. Paid themes in the Shopify Theme Store are a one-off purchase, and the ones we checked ranged from $170 to $400 [2].
A paid theme gives you more layouts and features, not a better business. Plenty of stores sell well on a free theme with good photos and clear product pages.
What a build costs when you hire help
Build prices depend on how far you move from a ready-made theme. CartCoders' 2026 figures put a basic setup or theme install at $500 to $2,000, theme customization at $1,000 to $8,000 and a fully custom theme at $5,000 to $25,000 [3]. Migrating from another platform runs $5,000 to $20,000 or more, and speed and conversion work runs $1,500 to $15,000 [3].
Hourly rates vary by who you hire and where they are. Second Talent puts mid-level US freelancers at $62 to $100 an hour [5]. CartCoders puts mid-level US and Canada developers higher, at $75 to $130 [3]. The sources disagree, so treat $60 to $130 an hour as the realistic US range.
- Product count and how clean your product data is
- Custom sections or a fully custom design
- Migration from another platform
- Integrations with stock, shipping, email or accounting tools
- Copy and photography, if you don't supply them
The running costs people forget
After launch you still pay the plan, card fees and any paid apps. Each app sets its own price, so add them up before you install.
Ongoing developer help is optional. Agency retainers for an active store run $2,000 to $10,000 or more a month [3]. Black Belt Commerce says a store doing around $1 million a year typically starts at $3,000 to $5,000 a month with an agency, or $750 to $2,500 a month with a freelancer for 10 to 20 hours [4]. A new store rarely needs either.
When DIY is the right call
If you have under 20 products, decent photos and a few free evenings, build it yourself on a free theme. You will spend $19 to $72 a month and learn how your store works [1].
Hire help when your time is worth more than the build fee, when you need a design that matches your brand, or when a slow or confusing store is already costing you sales.
How OneWave prices a Shopify store
OneWave is a small, founder-led studio. You get one fixed quote before any work starts, you talk directly to the person designing and building, and you own the code, accounts and data. Prices are in US dollars.
- Store setup From $500
- A new store on Shopify, Wix or Squarespace on a premium theme styled to your brand, built on a live preview link you can check as it goes.
- Custom store build From $3,000
- A new store or full rebuild with custom design for every key page.
- Holiday store pack $1,500 fixed
- Speed fix, homepage and product page redesign, a Black Friday page and ad tracking. Live in 10 days.
- Monthly care $300 a month
- Ongoing updates and support after launch.