Shopify's pricing page shows clean monthly numbers. Then you start reading about transaction fees, app costs, and third-party charges. What looked simple suddenly feels confusing.

India's e-commerce sector is estimated to hit $326.7 billion by 2029. As it grows, more Indian businesses are setting up Shopify stores every month. The ones who budget correctly from day one are the ones who protect their margins from the start.

Most sellers focus on the plan price they see on Shopify's pricing page. That number is only the starting point. The real cost also includes what Shopify charges on every transaction, plus what you pay for apps, themes, and your domain. And for Indian sellers shipping globally, the payment gateway you pick adds its own transaction fees to every international order.

Tip: Always calculate your total monthly Shopify cost beyond the plan fee. Add transaction fees based on your expected order volume, then add 18% GST, to get the real number.

How much does each Shopify plan cost in India?

Here is what each Shopify plan costs in India when billed yearly, which saves up to 25% over monthly billing:
A ₹1,499/month plan does not cost ₹1,499 once you add GST and transaction fees. Knowing the base price of each plan is the first step toward working out your actual monthly spend.

Each plan builds on the one below it, so Grow includes everything in Basic, and Advanced includes everything in Grow. Here is what you get with each.

Starter plan (₹399/month)

The Starter plan is Shopify's most affordable option. It gives you a simple one-page online store plus the ability to sell through social media, messaging apps, and payment links. You do not get a full online store with product pages, collections, or a custom checkout. Transaction fees on the Starter plan are 5% per sale when using Shopify Payments.

This plan works if you are testing a product idea or selling a handful of items through Instagram, WhatsApp, or similar channels.

Basic plan (₹1,499/month billed yearly)

The Basic plan is where most Indian sellers start. You get a full online store, unlimited products, 10 inventory locations, and 24/7 live chat support. It includes built-in AI tools, abandoned checkout recovery, and selling on social media and marketplaces.

The main limitation is the 2% fee on transactions processed through third-party payment providers. You also do not get additional staff accounts on this plan.

Grow plan (₹5,599/month billed yearly)

The Grow plan adds up to 5 staff accounts and cuts the third-party payment provider fee to 1%. You also get higher-value Shopify credits (up to ₹1,70,000). Everything in Basic is included.

Grow makes sense when you have a small team managing the store and your monthly sales volume is high enough that the lower transaction fee saves you more than the price gap between Basic and Grow.

Advanced plan (₹22,680/month billed yearly)

The Advanced plan is built for businesses selling across regions. You get up to 15 staff accounts, region-specific pricing, and live third-party shipping rates at checkout. The third-party payment provider fee drops to 0.6%.

If you are an Indian exporter selling to buyers in five or more countries, the regional pricing and multi-currency features here start to earn their keep.

Plus plan (from ₹1,75,000/month)

Plus is Shopify's enterprise plan. It includes unlimited staff accounts, up to 200 POS Pro locations, full checkout customisation, wholesale/B2B selling, and priority 24/7 phone support. The third-party payment provider fee is the lowest at 0.2%.

Plus is for businesses processing very high order volumes or needing custom checkout flows and dedicated support.

Note: Shopify currently offers a 3-day free trial followed by ₹20/month for the first 3 months on select plans. It is a low-risk way to set up and test your store before committing to full pricing.

What are Shopify transaction fees in India?

Every sale on Shopify has a transaction fee attached to it. If you do not factor these into your product pricing, your profit per order will be lower than you expect. Shopify charges two types of transaction-related fees:

• Third-party payment provider fee: a percentage Shopify charges on every transaction when you use a payment gateway other than Shopify Payments. The rate depends on your plan.
• Payment gateway processing fee: what your actual payment gateway charges to process the customer's card or payment method. This is separate from Shopify's fee.

Here is a quick overview of the third-party payment provider fee on each plan:
These fees are on top of whatever your payment gateway itself charges. So if your gateway charges 2.75% and you are on the Basic plan, your total fee per transaction is 2% + 2.75% = 4.75%.

For Indian sellers accepting international payments, this combined fee directly affects your margin on every cross-border sale. The higher your order volume, the more these percentages add up.

Tip: If your monthly sales volume is above ₹5 lakhs, run the math on upgrading your plan. The higher plan fee might cost less than what you are paying in transaction fees on a lower plan.

How does GST affect your Shopify costs?

Many Shopify pricing guides skip GST entirely. Then your first invoice arrives, and the total is 18% higher than the plan price you signed up for.

Shopify charges 18% GST on all subscriptions and fees for Indian businesses. This applies to your monthly plan fee, your transaction fees, and any Shopify add-ons you buy.

Here is what the monthly plan fee looks like after GST:
If you provide a valid GSTIN during signup, you can claim input tax credit on the GST paid. If you do not provide a GSTIN, the GST is still charged, and you cannot claim it back.

This matters for GST-compliant businesses. Make sure your GSTIN is registered on your Shopify account from day one.

Note: GST also applies to Shopify transaction fees and app purchases, not just your plan subscription. Factor it into every cost estimate.

What extra costs should you expect beyond the plan fee?

Your Shopify plan fee is only one part of the bill. The extras can quietly double your monthly spend if you are not tracking them. Here are the common additional costs Indian Shopify store owners pay:

• Paid apps: most stores install 3 to 6 apps for reviews, SEO, email marketing, or inventory. App costs typically run from ₹500 to ₹5,000 per month each.
• Premium themes: Shopify offers free themes, but high-quality premium themes usually cost a one-time fee of ₹10,000 to ₹30,000. A free theme is fine for most new stores.
• Custom domain: a domain costs around ₹800 to ₹1,500 per year. You can buy it through Shopify or a third-party registrar.
• Shipping labels: if you use Shopify Shipping, label costs vary by carrier and destination. International labels cost more than domestic ones.
• Managed Markets fee: if you use Shopify's Managed Markets feature to sell internationally, there is a per-transaction fee (6.5% at the time of writing) that covers local payment methods and currency conversion.
• POS Pro: if you sell in a physical store and need advanced retail features, POS Pro costs ₹7,000/month per location. POS Lite is included free.

A realistic monthly spend for a Basic plan store with 3 paid apps and a custom domain looks like this:
Transaction fees and payment gateway charges sit on top of this, based on your sales volume. The actual number can be higher or lower depending on which apps you install.

Tip: Start with free apps and the free Shopify theme. Add paid tools only when you have a clear reason. Every app you add increases your monthly cost and can slow down your store.

How do you pick the right Shopify plan in India?

Picking a plan that is too expensive wastes money. Picking one that is too basic limits your store as you grow. The right choice depends on three things: your current sales volume, your team size, and where your buyers are located.

Starting out

The Basic plan at ₹1,499/month (billed yearly) works for most new stores. You get a full online store, unlimited products, and all the core selling features. The 2% third-party provider fee is manageable when order volume is low. Stay on Basic until you have a clear reason to upgrade.

As a small team

Once more than one person is managing the store, the Grow plan gives you up to 5 staff accounts. The 1% transaction fee also becomes meaningful when your monthly sales cross roughly ₹3 to 5 lakhs, because the fee savings start to offset the higher plan cost.

Selling internationally from India

The Advanced plan makes sense when you sell to buyers in more than one region and want to show prices in their local currency. It also gives you live shipping rates from third-party carriers at checkout, which matters for export businesses shipping physical goods worldwide.

Testing a product idea

The Starter plan at ₹399/month lets you sell through social media and messaging apps without building a full online store. It is the cheapest way to validate demand before committing to a bigger plan.

Note: You can upgrade or downgrade your Shopify plan at any time. Start lower and move up when your sales data tells you it is time.

What pricing mistakes do Indian Shopify sellers make?

Pricing mistakes do not show up on day one. They show up a few months later, when your margins are thinner than planned and you cannot work out where the money went.

• Ignoring GST in budgets: many sellers calculate their Shopify cost on the plan price alone. Adding 18% GST to every fee, subscription, and app charge changes the math significantly.
• Overpaying for plans too early: moving to Grow or Advanced before your volume justifies it wastes money every month. The lower transaction fee only helps if you are processing enough orders.
• Not comparing payment gateway totals: your payment gateway fee stacks on top of Shopify's third-party provider fee. The combined rate is what actually comes out of each sale. Some sellers only look at one of the two.
• Installing too many paid apps: every app seems useful during setup. Three months later you are paying for six and using two. Audit your apps quarterly.
• Skipping yearly billing: monthly billing on Basic costs ₹1,994/month versus ₹1,499/month on yearly billing. That is ₹5,940 extra per year for the same features.
• Overlooking international payment costs: Indian sellers accepting cross-border payments often forget currency conversion fees, failed-transaction costs, and higher processing rates on international cards. These affect every global order.

The fix for all of these is the same. Work out your total cost per order before you launch, including every fee. Then revisit that number every quarter as your volume changes.

Keep more global revenue from every Shopify sale with PayGlocal

Here is the cost most Indian Shopify sellers underestimate. When you sell to global buyers, a failed international payment costs you more than any transaction fee. Every declined card or unsupported payment method is a sale that never reaches your bank account.

That is the gap PayGlocal is built to close. PayGlocal is a cross-border payments platform for Indian businesses selling globally, and D2C brands like Nish Hair, The Loom, and India Trend already run their international Shopify checkouts on it. It supports 33+ currencies across 180+ countries, and connects to your store through a ready-made Shopify plugin.

The outcome sellers care about is the payment success rate: the share of attempted payments that actually go through. PayGlocal delivers a payment success rate of up to 96% on international orders, so more of your global buyers reach the "order confirmed" screen instead of a declined card.

Here is what you get:

• Card payments: fewer international card transactions get declined, so more global customers complete their purchase.
• Multi-currency accounts: collect in 33+ currencies through 40+ local payment methods, giving buyers a familiar checkout that converts better.
• Dynamic checkout: your checkout adjusts to where the buyer is, showing the right currency and payment options automatically.
• Recurring payments: set up subscription billing on international cards using standing instructions, without manual follow-ups or missed charges.
• One platform: view, manage, and settle all your international payments from a single dashboard.

Your Shopify plan controls your subscription cost. Your payment gateway controls how much of your revenue you actually collect. For Indian sellers going global, both deserve the same attention.

Final thoughts

Shopify pricing in India goes well beyond the monthly plan fee on the pricing page. Your real cost includes transaction fees, 18% GST, paid apps, themes, and payment gateway charges on every order. Know these numbers before you launch.

Start with the Basic plan if you are new, and upgrade only when your sales data supports it. Audit your apps every quarter. Work out your total cost per order, including every fee. These small steps protect your margins as you grow.

And if you sell to buyers outside India, treat your payment gateway as seriously as your Shopify plan. PayGlocal gives Indian Shopify sellers 40+ payment methods, 33+ currencies, and a payment success rate of up to 96% on international orders. Get started with PayGlocal and make sure every global sale actually reaches your account.