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 $40K per month as of March 2026. 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: No free tier available
Yes, Shopify Plus offers a free trial plan as of March 2026. The free tier includes 6 features with limits on gmv and platform fee. Paid plans start at $2300/month (Shopify Plus (3-Year Term)). Pricing verified from 6 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
- Custom pricing negotiation
- Dedicated launch engineer
- Merchant Success Manager
- Custom API rate limits
- Priority support with dedicated SLA
What's NOT Included (Paid Only)
- 10 expansion stores included
- Unlimited staff accounts
- Shopify Flow automation
- Advanced checkout customization with Checkout Extensibility
- B2B on Shopify (wholesale channel)
- Shopify Audiences for ad targeting
- Lower credit card processing rates (2.15% + $0.30)
Free Plan Limits
| Limit | Free Plan | Paid Plans |
|---|---|---|
| GMV | $100M+ annually | Unlimited/Higher |
| Platform fee | Custom negotiated rate | Unlimited/Higher |
You'll Need to Upgrade When...
- You exceed the user limit
- You need features like 10 expansion stores included or Unlimited staff accounts
- 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 (High Volume / Custom) $0 | Shopify Plus (3-Year Term) $2300/month | |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 6 included | 7+ included |
| Support | Community/Email | Priority Support |
| Branding | Shopify Plus branding | Your branding |
| Best For | Enterprise brands doing $100M+ in annual revenue needing custom terms | High-growth DTC brands committing to the Shopify ecosystem long-term |
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Shopify Plus free?
Yes, Shopify Plus offers a free trial plan with 6 core features included. However, there are limits on gmv, 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, Custom pricing negotiation, Dedicated launch engineer, Merchant Success Manager, Custom API rate limits, and 1 more features. Key limits include GMV: $100M+ annually, Platform fee: Custom negotiated rate.
03 What's NOT included in Shopify Plus's free plan?
The free plan excludes: 10 expansion stores included, Unlimited staff accounts, Shopify Flow automation, Advanced checkout customization with Checkout Extensibility, B2B on Shopify (wholesale channel). 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 10 expansion stores included or Unlimited staff accounts, 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.