As an aspiring dropshipper, choosing the right ecommerce platform is crucial for your success. Shopify dropshipping has become one of the most popular digital commerce models due to its simplicity and business scalability. In this article, I’ll detail each Shopify plan for dropshipping to help you decide the best option for your business.

Which Shopify Plans for Dropshipping Are Available?

When choosing the best Shopify plan for dropshipping, it is essential to compare the features of each plan. 

Shopify plans for dropshipping include Basic Shopify, Shopify, and Advanced Shopify, each designed to accommodate various stages of your business growth.  

Before committing to a paid plan, you can start with a Shopify free trial to test the platform’s features and see which plan aligns with your needs. 

Basic Shopify Plan: Features and Limitations

Basic Shopify plan provides a mobile-friendly storefront where you can display unlimited products, ideal for experimenting with various niches using product research tools for dropshipping. It includes built-in abandoned cart recovery to help recapture potential sales. Additionally, you can create discount codes and gift cards to encourage purchases and clear inventory, key strategies for building a loyal customer base.

With Basic Shopify, you can set up a custom Shopify domain, which is essential for establishing your brand identity. A custom domain Shopify setup costs around $16.95 per year but significantly enhances your professional appearance and customer trust.

Basic Shopify also offers Shopify SEO optimization features that help your product pages rank in search engines. These SEO-friendly Shopify capabilities include customizable meta tags, mobile responsiveness, structured data markup, and fast loading speeds. XML sitemap generation is automatic, helping search engines discover and index your pages quickly.

Shopify Payments streamlines transactions with competitive rates, allowing you to accept credit cards without third-party payment processors. This integrated payment gateway reduces friction during checkout, potentially improving your conversion rates.

I could tell Basic Shopify provides the essentials for a cost-effective dropshipping launch. However, consider these limitations for future growth:

• Limited Staff Accounts: This plan restricts you from adding staff accounts, which can hinder growth if you involve multiple people in managing your store.
• Higher Transaction Fees: Compared to higher-tier plans, Basic Shopify comes with a slightly higher transaction fee for each sale you make.
• Limited Reporting: While Basic Shopify offers basic reports, they may lack the depth needed to make informed strategic decisions as your business grows.

Shopify Grow Plan: When to Upgrade?

As your dropshipping business grows, upgrading your Shopify Grow plan becomes essential. The Shopify plan offers a wealth of features specially designed for scaling dropshipping operations.

For instance, its inventory management tools help you monitor stock levels, which is crucial for avoiding stockouts even when managing virtual inventory from your supplier. Additionally, detailed reports provide insights into customer behavior and sales data, allowing you to refine your product offerings and marketing strategies to better meet your dropshipping audience’s needs.

The Shopify plan also enables seamless supplier sync through compatible apps like Spocket. This dropshipping supplier integration streamlines your product import automation and order fulfillment automation, saving time and reducing errors.

Moreover, Shopify includes fraud analysis to safeguard your business against harmful transactions. Therefore, consider upgrading your Shopify plan to enhance your operations as your business expands.

To answer this question, just take your time to consider these factors:

• Increased Sales Volume: The lower transaction fees offered by Shopify can significantly benefit your bottom line as your sales volume increases.
• Growing Team: If you need to involve additional team members to manage your store operations, Shopify allows you to create more staff accounts.
• Data-Driven Decisions: As your business matures, you’ll require in-depth sales data to make strategic choices. Shopify’s extensive reporting equips you with the insights needed for informed decision-making.

Advanced Shopify Plan: Is It Worth the Investment for Dropshipping?

Advanced Shopify unlocks a powerful feature set. But is the investment worth it for your dropshipping venture? Let’s delve into the features and weigh the value proposition:

• International Commerce Features: Simplify cross-border selling with automatic tax and duty calculations at checkout. Additionally, regional pricing allows you to adjust product prices for different markets, maximizing your profit potential in global dropshipping.
• Carrier-Calculated Shipping: Offer your customers accurate, real-time shipping rates during checkout, which fosters trust and may increase conversion rates.
• Multi-currency Support: Display prices in local currencies to increase conversion rates in international markets.
• Advanced Reporting and Analytics: Gain deeper insights into your dropshipping business with customizable reports and analytics tools. Make data-driven judgments to optimize your business strategy.
• Up to 15 Staff Accounts: Manage large and complex teams efficiently with the ability to create additional staff accounts.
• Lower Transaction Fees: Enjoy Shopify’s most competitive transaction fees, significantly boosting your profit margins on high-volume sales.
• Shopify POS: Advanced Shopify supports hybrid dropshipping models through Shopify POS, enabling you to combine online and in-person sales.

Who Should Consider Upgrading to Advanced Shopify?

• Dropshippers with Global Aspirations: If you plan to conquer international markets, Advanced Shopify simplifies the process and equips you to handle complexities like taxes and regional pricing.
• High-Volume Dropshippers: The lower transaction fees offered by Advanced Shopify can translate to significant savings on high-volume sales.
• Dropshipping Businesses with large teams: Advanced Shopify allows for more staff accounts for dropshipping operations with complex structures and numerous team members.

So, The Verdict: Which Shopify Plan is Best for Dropshipping? 

I would recommend choosing the Shopify Plan for most dropshipping businesses. Here’s why:

• Cost-effective for Growing Businesses: The Shopify Plan is priced at $105 per month, which is an affordable step up from Basic Shopify without jumping straight into the higher costs of the Advanced Shopify Plan. This makes it the ideal plan for businesses that are outgrowing the basic features of the entry-level plan but aren’t yet ready to invest in the more expensive Advanced Shopify.
• Balanced features for growth: The Shopify Plan offers a balance of features that support growth and scalability without the high cost of the Advanced Shopify Plan. It includes key tools such as inventory management, detailed reporting, and staff account management. These features help streamline operations and refine your product offerings and marketing strategies. 
• Lower transaction fees: While the Basic Shopify plan has higher transaction fees  (2.9% + 30¢), the Shopify Plan offers lower rates (2.6% + 30¢), which becomes increasingly beneficial as your sales increase. This helps you save on costs and improve profitability.
• Fraud protection: The fraud analysis feature keeps your dropshipping business safe from harmful transactions, which is especially important as your sales volume grows.
• Scalability: As your dropshipping business grows in sales volume, the Shopify Plan enables you to expand your team (with 5 staff accounts), track sales data more efficiently, and manage your business operations with greater flexibility.

Also, based on current trends and recent Shopify updates, here’s my assessment of the best Shopify plan for dropshipping in 2025:

• For Beginners: Basic Shopify remains the ideal starting point in 2025, offering essential features while minimizing costs as you validate your business concept.
• For Growing Businesses: The standard Shopify plan offers the best balance of features and cost for most established dropshipping businesses in 2025.
• For High-Volume Sellers: If your monthly sales exceed $10,000, Advanced Shopify becomes cost-effective in 2025 due to the transaction fee savings.

Cost Analysis of Shopify Plans for Dropshipping

When you visit the Shopify Pricing page, you will notice that they offer three main plans listed in the table at the top, from $39 to $399.

Monthly Fees and Transaction Costs

Each plan offers a specific price, but the key difference in price is the transaction fee. This fee combines a percentage of your sale and a flat fee. Let’s delve into the cost breakdown for each plan:

• Basic Shopify ($29/month, annual payment): This plan comes with a 2.9% transaction fee + $0.30 per sale. While budget-friendly for startups, the higher transaction fee can affect your profits as your sales volume increases.
• Shopify ($79/month, annual payment): This plan offers a slightly lower transaction fee of 2.7% + $0.30 per sale, alongside additional features compared to Basic Shopify. Upgrading to Shopify can be cost-effective if your sales volume justifies the lower transaction fee percentage.
• Advanced Shopify ($299/month, annual payment): This top-tier plan boasts the lowest transaction fee of 2.5% + $0.30 per sale. However, the significant monthly cost makes it ideal for high-volume businesses. 

Here’s a crucial consideration: the impact of transaction fees on your profit margin. Let’s say you sell a product for $10.

• Basic Shopify: You’d pay a transaction fee of $0.59 ($10 x 2.9%) + $0.30 = $0.89, resulting in a net revenue of $9.11.
• Shopify: The transaction fee would be $0.57 ($10 x 2.7%) + $0.30 = $0.87, leaving you with $9.13 net revenue.
• Advanced Shopify: The transaction fee dips to $0.54 ($10 x 2.5%) + $0.30 = $0.84, translating to a net revenue of $9.16.

The seemingly minor differences in transaction fee percentages can impact your profits, especially for high-volume sales.

Let’s take a look at this table to have a more comprehensive view concerning the differences between 3 Shopify plans:

Feature	Basic Shopify	Shopify	Advanced Shopify
Monthly Price	$39	$109	$399
Credit Card Rate	2.9% + 30¢ USD	2.7% + 30¢ USD	2.5% + 30¢ USD
Transaction Fee	2%	1%	0.6%
Staff Accounts	N/A	5	15
Inventory Management	Basic stock management	Inventory management tools	Advanced inventory management tools
Reporting	Basic reports	Comprehensive reports	Custom reports and analytics
International Features	None	Limited	Extensive (taxes, duties, regional pricing)
Carrier-Calculated Shipping	No	No	Yes

Additional Costs to Consider

Besides the cost of Shopify plans, users often invest in premium themes and add-ons. While free Shopify themes are available, many businesses opt for premium themes offering the desired features, functionalities, and design. Premium themes typically cost between $150 (CAD 203.94) and $380 (CAD 516.65).

Here are some common additional costs associated with using Shopify:

• Domain Name: This must be bought separately from a domain registrar, such as Google Domains or DreamHost, typically costing around $16.95 (CAD 22.74) per year.
• Premium Theme: The prices for these themes range from about $150 (CAD 203.94) to over $380 (CAD 516.65).
• Premium Apps and Plugins: The costs vary, ranging from as little as $5 (CAD 6.70) per month to several hundred dollars.
• Time: Building an online store also requires a significant investment of time.
• Development: Occasionally, businesses might hire a web developer or designer to help set up their Shopify site or to address any technical issues.

How to Build a Dropship Business with Shopify: A Detailed Guide 

Building a dropshipping business with Shopify involves several key steps:

• Step 1: Select a Niche: Choose a product category with demand and reasonable competition.
• Step 2: Choose Your Suppliers: Partner with reliable suppliers who offer quality products and timely shipping.
• Step 3: Set Up Your Store: Create a professional-looking storefront with compelling product descriptions.
• Step 4: Implement Marketing Strategies: Use social media marketing, email marketing automation, and SEO to drive traffic.
• Step 5: Optimize for Conversions: Test different page layouts, calls-to-action, and checkout processes.
• Step 6: Analyze and Improve: Use Shopify’s analytics and Google Analytics integration to identify areas for improvement.

A successful dropshipping business thrives with Shopify’s scalability, allowing you to start small and expand as your customer base grows.

To get more details, refer to our article “Shopify Dropshipping Tutorial: The Ultimate Guide 2025.” 

Dropshipping Supplier Integration with Shopify

Supplier sync is one of Shopify’s strongest advantages. The platform offers seamless connections with various suppliers through dedicated apps:

• Spocket: Connects with US and EU suppliers for faster shipping times and higher-quality products.
• DSers: Supports bulk ordering from multiple suppliers and automated order tracking.
• CJDropshipping: Offers product sourcing, quality control, and worldwide fulfillment services.

Effective dropshipping supplier integration streamlines your operations, reducing manual work and minimizing errors in order processing.

See more: 

• Top 11+ Shopify Dropshipping Suppliers Free & Premium
• How To Become A Dropship Supplier On Shopify In 8 Steps
• How to Find & Choose Good Dropshipping Suppliers
• Top 7+ Shopify Product Research Tools You Don’t Skip

Start Shopify Dropshipping Free Trial

Ready to begin your dropshipping journey? Begin Shopify dropshipping today with a free trial to explore all the platform’s features without financial commitment. The Shopify trial gives you 3 days to:

• Set up your store and customize its appearance
• Add products and create collections
• Test different themes and apps
• Familiarize yourself with the admin interface

During your Shopify free trial, you can experiment with different store setups to determine which plan best suits your needs. Once your trial ends, you can seamlessly transition to Shopify 1$ for next 3 months or the chosen plan without losing any of your store setup.

Start your Shopify dropshipping free trial now by visiting Shopify’s official website and clicking the “Start free trial” button.

Successful Dropshipping Businesses Using Shopify

To gain a better understanding of how different Shopify plans can impact dropshipping success, let’s take a look at some real-life case studies.

Meowingstons

• Store: Meowingstons
• Niche: Cat Apparel
• Products: Clothing & Apparel for Cat Lovers
• Plan: Shopify or Advanced Shopify 

Marketing Strategies:

• Smart and unique website content
• Effective branding strategy
• Social media engagement

What makes them successful: 

• Unique Website Content: Meowingtons showcases its passion for cats through its name and creative website content. You’ll find clever wordplay such as “Shop Meow” instead of “Shop Now,” “Testi-meow-nials” for “Testimonials,” and the catchy tagline, “You Shop. We Give. They Purr.”
• Admirable Mission of the Brand: The team at Meowingtons actively participates in cat fostering through an Office Cats Foster Program. They are committed to evolving into a full-fledged team that fosters and manages their website operations. Furthermore, Meowingtons supports various animal rescue organizations.
• Engaging Customers on Social Media: Meowingtons excels in engagement by encouraging customers and community members to share photos of their cats on Instagram by tagging @meowingtonsco. 

Venetto Design

• Store Name: Venetto Design
• Niche: Luxury Products
• Products: Bedding, Dining, & Home Decor
• Plan: Shopify or Advanced Shopify 

Marketing Strategy:

• Expertly branded, high-quality website
• Customer Marketing
• Email marketing and promotion
• Effective use of images

What makes them successful:

• Dedicated Page for Customer Reviews: Venetto Design improves the shopping experience by making customer reviews easily accessible. They have created a dedicated page for reviews, ensuring customers can view them effortlessly.
• Beautiful and High-Quality Product Images: Their images heavily influence products’ perceived quality and value. Venetto Design prioritizes this by featuring gorgeous, high-quality images that highlight the premium nature of their products, thereby enhancing their appeal.
• Using Gamification to Encourage Email Signups: To boost newsletter sign-ups, Venetto Design incorporates gamification. They engage customers by offering a chance to win a 500€ gift card in exchange for entering their email. 
• Engaging Customers on Social Media: Meowingtons excels in engagement by encouraging customers and community members to share photos of their cats on Instagram by tagging @meowingtonsco. 

Read more: Shopify Dropshipping Case Study

Wrapping Up

Selecting the ultimate Shopify plan for dropshipping success is a critical decision. By understanding the different plans, and evaluating their features and pricing structure, you can make an informed choice. Whether you’re just starting with a Shopify trial or ready to invest in Advanced Shopify for international dropshipping, the platform offers scalable solutions for businesses at every stage.

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