Shopify Plus Free Plan 2026: What's Included & What's Not
Honest breakdown of the free tier limits and features
Shopify Plus costs $2.3K to $2.5K per month as of July 2026, with 3 plans available including a free tier. Plans: Shopify Plus (3-Year Term) at $2300/month, Shopify Plus (1-Year Term) at $2500/month, and Shopify Plus (Variable Platform Fee) (free). Enterprise pricing is available on request. Pricing depends on your chosen tier, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: Yes
Shopify Plus offers 3 pricing tiers: Shopify Plus (3-Year Term), Shopify Plus (1-Year Term), Shopify Plus (Variable Platform Fee). A free plan is available. Paid plans include Shopify Plus (3-Year Term) at $2300/month, Shopify Plus (1-Year Term) at $2500/month. The Shopify Plus (1-Year Term) plan is brands wanting shopify plus without a multi-year commitment.
Yes, Shopify Plus offers a free trial plan as of July 2026. The free tier includes 3 features with limits on platform fee. Paid plans start at $2300/month (Shopify Plus (3-Year Term)). Pricing verified from 7 sources by CostBench.
Shopify Plus's free offering is a time-limited trial to test the full product.
What's Included in the Free Plan
- All Shopify Plus features
- Variable platform fee for more complex business structures
- Custom terms negotiated with sales
What's NOT Included (Paid Only)
- B2B on Shopify (built-in wholesale + DTC from one place)
- Headless commerce via Shopify APIs
- Shopify POS Pro (multi-store point of sale)
- Checkout customizations (Shop Pay + payment pages)
- Shopify Audiences ad-targeting insights
- ShopifyQL Notebooks analytics
- Shopify Functions (custom back-end logic)
- Managed Markets (cross-border localization)
- 24/7 priority support + Shopify Plus Academy
Free Plan Limits
| Limit | Free Plan | Paid Plans |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | Variable, negotiated based on business structure | Unlimited/Higher |
You'll Need to Upgrade When...
- You exceed the user limit
- You need features like B2B on Shopify (built-in wholesale + DTC from one place) or Headless commerce via Shopify APIs
- You require premium support or SLA guarantees
- You need to remove branding or watermarks
- You need advanced integrations or API access
Hidden Restrictions on Free Plan
- Shopify Plus branding may appear on your content or communications
- Support is limited to community forums or email with longer response times
- Export options may be restricted or include watermarks
- API access is typically limited or not available
- Advanced reporting and analytics require paid plans
Free vs Paid: Which Do You Need?
Free Plan is Enough If...
- You're an individual or very small team
- You need only basic features
- You don't mind usage limits
- Branding on output is acceptable
- Community support is sufficient
You Need Paid If...
- Your team is growing beyond limits
- You need advanced features
- Professional branding is required
- You need priority support
- Integrations/API access is critical
Free vs Shopify Plus (3-Year Term) Plan Comparison
| Shopify Plus (Variable Platform Fee) $0 | Shopify Plus (3-Year Term) $2300/month | |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 3 included | 9+ included |
| Support | Community/Email | Priority Support |
| Branding | Shopify Plus branding | Your branding |
| Best For | Enterprise brands with complex or high-volume business structures needing custom terms | High-growth brands committing to the Shopify ecosystem long-term at the lowest rate |
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Shopify Plus free?
Yes, Shopify Plus offers a free trial plan with 3 core features included. However, there are limits on platform fee that may require upgrading.
02 What's included in Shopify Plus's free plan?
Shopify Plus's free plan includes: All Shopify Plus features, Variable platform fee for more complex business structures, Custom terms negotiated with sales. Key limits include Platform fee: Variable, negotiated based on business structure.
03 What's NOT included in Shopify Plus's free plan?
The free plan excludes: B2B on Shopify (built-in wholesale + DTC from one place), Headless commerce via Shopify APIs, Shopify POS Pro (multi-store point of sale), Checkout customizations (Shop Pay + payment pages), Shopify Audiences ad-targeting insights. You'll also have Shopify Plus branding and limited support options.
04 When should I upgrade from Shopify Plus's free plan?
Consider upgrading when: you hit user or storage limits, need features like B2B on Shopify (built-in wholesale + DTC from one place) or Headless commerce via Shopify APIs, require premium support, or want to remove branding. The cheapest paid plan starts at $2300/month.
05 Is Shopify Plus's free plan really free forever?
Shopify Plus's free offering is actually a time-limited trial, not a forever-free plan. After the trial period, you'll need to subscribe to a paid plan to continue using the service.