Shopify Starter Plan Review: Is It Right for Your Ecommerce Business?

Finding a low-cost, user-friendly ecommerce platform can be challenging for small businesses. The market is flooded with different options, and it's difficult to change companies once you have invested the time to create a website.

One popular option to consider is Shopify. Shopify is a very popular option in the United States, holding a 30% market share. Shopify has some excellent plans for beginners.¹

This article will cover the pros and cons of the Shopify Starter Plan.

What Is the Shopify Starter Plan?

The Shopify Starter Plan is a cheaper and simpler version of Shopify that is suitable for smaller companies. It is essentially a Shopify for beginners who want to try out Shopify’s services. It offers a free trial, an initial discount period, and a low monthly fee. This plan can make your online store setup process easy. If this is your first time creating a website, this may be the best option for you.

Features and Benefits of the Shopify Starter Plan

There are many ecommerce platforms out there to choose from. Shopify is one of the most popular options out there. Shopify pricing is very attractive, which makes it a great choice for smaller companies. This plan was originally $9/month, but Shopify decided to lower the price and offer a free trial.

Below are some of the main Shopify features.

Shipping and Inventory Management Support: Shopify allows users to set up a shipping profile to manage shipping rates and order routing. Some companies can save up to 88% on shipping. However, you may need some of Shopify’s more advanced plans to access these features.²

Website Templates: The Shopify Starter Plan allows you to use multiple website templates. This feature is available for all of its plans, but the starter plan only allows you to use one template.

Customer Support: Shopify has received positive reviews for its strong customer service. This starter plan also offers 24/7 customer support.

Localized global selling: Shopify also provides many features that make it easy to sell your products in international markets. It allows you to manage multiple currencies and manage taxes and duties. The starter plan provides localized selling in 3 markets.

Other Services: You can also have collaborator accounts and use Shopify to promote your products on various social channels. Shopify also provides support for websites that need to receive international payments.

Analytics: The starter plan also comes with various types of analytic services. Some of these tools include an analytics page, finance reports, inventory reports, customer reports, and marketing reports.

Who Is Shopify Starter Designed For?

Many small businesses may decide to adapt their business and launch an ecommerce store. However, breaking into this space can be harder for first-timers.

The Shopify Starter Plan is best for small businesses or individuals who are on a budget or just getting started. The plan is user-friendly and affordable. Moreover, users don’t have to compromise on quality, as it offers many of the key Shopify features.

Pros and Considerations of the Shopify Starter Plan

Most of the Shopify reviews are very positive. Customers can enjoy most of the core Shopify features with this plan. However, larger businesses may sometimes find the features of the starter plan to be limiting.

Key Advantages

The main advantage of the Shopify Starter Plan is that users can gain access to most of Shopify’s features at an extremely affordable price. This makes the Shopify Starter Plan a solid alternative to other budget-friendly plans.

Monthly Fee: Many customers enjoy Shopify’s pricing structure, as they can enjoy a low-cost monthly fee and an even cheaper trial rate. Customers can do so while still having access to some of Shopify’s key account features.

User Friendly Platform: Shopify is one of the most user-friendly ecommerce platforms out there. It is very easy for new users to use Shopify’s templates to set up an ecommerce website.

Access to other Shopify features: You can still access most of the reporting tools to gain insights about your website, customers, inventory, and other key data points. The Shopify starter plan also allows you to enjoy common services and offerings like fraud analysis, unlimited products, discount codes, custom pricing by markets, and abandoned checkout recovery.

You can check out Shopify’s website for more Shopify tips. There is plenty of information about all of the features you can use with the Shopify Starter Plan. For first-time users, these features should be more than enough to hit the ground running.

Limitations to Consider

However, the Shopify Starter Plan is not the best fit for every business. Larger businesses may rely on the premium features. Moreover, the premium plans may be cheaper because of the starter plan’s higher transaction fees.

Some of the Shopify reviews mention some issues and limitations of this free plan. You may not be able to use key Shopify tools with the free plans. The Shopify starter plan doesn’t allow you to have staff accounts. You also won’t be able to access all of the website templates. Finally, you can’t offer product catalogs when you create your website. These factors may not be limiting at first but could become an issue as you expand.

It is also important to calculate the full cost of upgrading in the future. If you become comfortable with Shopify and want to upgrade in the future, it is important to make sure you will be happy to pay for its advanced plan, which is around $300/month.

Moreover, there are plenty of other affordable options available in the market. Options like Wix, Hostinger, and Squarespace are also some cheap, user-friendly options. It's best to compare the pricing for all plans, not just the starter plans, before becoming too comfortable with one website.

How the Starter Plan Compares to Other Shopify Plans

The Shopify reviews for the starter plan are also favorable. The Shopify Starter Plan provides you with most of Shopify’s key services. For smaller stores that are just getting started, this plan can be a great way to get your feet wet and learn more about Shopify.

Pricing and Features Comparison

Shopify’s pricing varies substantially among all four of its plans.^³ The Shopify Starter Plan is substantially cheaper than the basic plan, the first upgrade available. Businesses with monthly revenue of $1,000 may prefer the starter plan, while large online stores could benefit from upgrading.

While some of the features are limited, the Shopify starter plan allows customers to use the Shopify template to sell an unlimited amount of products. This setup is more attractive than other competitors, such as Wix, which limits the number of items you can sell on free plans.

Other features, such as staff accounts, analytics, blogging, product catalogs, and other perks are limited when you only have a starter plan. Moreover, your website design may not be as appealing with the Shopify Starter Plan as you can only use one template.

If you want to invest in a stronger brand image upfront, it may make sense to immediately upgrade to the basic plan. However, the most important factor to consider will likely be the transaction fees.

When to Upgrade from Shopify Starter

If you don’t know how to start and have never set up an ecommerce store, chances are your best move is to start with the Starter plan. You can also experiment with the free trial and decide if you want to upgrade later.

If you need to rely on Shopify features to run your ecommerce store, Shopify’s basic or advanced plans may be a better fit for you. These plans can allow you to use more templates, have more staff accounts, and rely on other advanced features like analytics.

Your decision will also depend on the amount of sales you anticipate you will make on your website. While the basic plan has a much lower monthly fee, the transaction fees are much higher. If your monthly revenue is well above $1,000, the money you save on processing fees could offset the cost of upgrading to the basic plan.

The Shopify Starter Plan only really makes sense during the early innings of your venture, when your revenue will be lower.

Luckily, it is very easy to start with the Shopify Starter Plan and then upgrade later. You can easily adjust your website layout and become familiar with the other advanced features, if necessary. You can also keep track of your transaction costs during the initial months, and determine if you would save more money by upgrading to a higher-tiered plan.

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	Editor & Business Expert:
	Panna is an expert in US business finance, covering topics from invoicing to international expansion. She creates guides and reviews to help businesses save time and make informed decisions. You can read more useful business articles on her author profile.

Sources

1. Shopify Market Share 2025 Worldwide Data & Stats
2. What Is Shopify and How Does It Work? (2025)
3. Shopify Pricing - Setup and Open Your Online Store Today – Free Trial
   All sources checked March 2025.