Shopify plans and prices in CAD
Shopify has three main plans for small and mid-sized stores (Basic, Grow and Advanced) and Plus for large ones. The offer on its page when we checked: three days free, then $1 a month for three months. Prices below are from Shopify's Canadian pricing page.
| Plan | Paid yearly | Paid monthly | Per year (yearly) | Per year (monthly) | Staff accounts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $37 | $49 | $444 | $588 | None beyond the owner |
| Grow | $99 | $132 | $1,188 | $1,584 | Up to 5 |
| Advanced | $389 | $517 | $4,668 | $6,204 | Up to 15 |
| Plus | From $3,400 | From $3,400 | From $40,800 | From $40,800 | Unlimited |
Paying yearly saves $144 on Basic, $396 on Grow and $1,536 on Advanced. Most small Canadian stores start on Basic; the jump to Grow is mainly about staff accounts and slightly lower card rates.
Card rates and the third-party payment fee
With Shopify Payments, your card rate depends on your plan. If you use a different payment provider instead, Shopify adds its own transaction fee on every order, on top of whatever that provider charges you.
| Plan | Online cards | Online Amex and international cards | In person (cards) | In person (Interac) | Fee if you use another payment provider |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | 2.8% + 30¢ | 3.5% + 30¢ | 2.6% | 15¢ | 2% |
| Grow | 2.6% + 30¢ | 3.4% + 30¢ | 2.5% | 15¢ | 1% |
| Advanced | 2.4% + 30¢ | 3.3% + 30¢ | 2.4% | 15¢ | 0.6% |
| Plus | 2.15% + 30¢ | 3.15% + 30¢ | 2.4% | 10¢ | 0.2% |
The break-even: Grow costs $744 a year more than Basic on yearly billing, and saves 0.2 percentage points on standard online card payments. That only pays for itself at about $372,000 a year in online card sales. Staff accounts, not card rates, are the usual reason to move up.
The third-party fee is the trap. On Basic, using another payment provider costs an extra 2% of every order. On $50,000 a year in sales that is $1,000 a year to Shopify before your provider's own fees. Unless you have a strong reason, use Shopify Payments.
What a small Canadian store really pays in a year
| Shopify Basic | |
|---|---|
| Plan | $444 |
| Card processing (2.8% + 30¢ per order) | $732 |
| Apps | Depends on what you add |
| Total before tax and apps | $1,176 |
| 13% HST on the plan (Ontario) | +$57.72 |
The same store on Squarespace Core comes to about $1,140 before tax (see Squarespace pricing), so the plans are close at this size. What separates them is what you sell and how: Shopify's checkout, in-person selling and inventory tools are deeper. The Shopify vs Squarespace comparison goes line by line.
Sales tax on the Shopify bill
Shopify's Canadian pricing page shows prices before sales tax. Expect GST/HST on your Shopify bill at the rate for your billing address: 5% GST in Alberta, BC, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Quebec and the territories, 13% HST in Ontario, 14% in Nova Scotia and 15% in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and PEI (CRA rates). If your business is registered for GST/HST, ask your accountant how the tax on the subscription is claimed back.
Apps: the cost that grows quietly
Shopify's plans cover the store itself. Reviews, subscriptions, product options, wholesale pricing and many marketing tools come from the Shopify App Store, and many charge their own monthly fee. Budget for them up front, and review the list once a year: stores often pay for apps nobody uses any more.
When it's worth paying someone instead
- You need product options, bundles or B2B pricing that the theme does not handle cleanly.
- You are moving an existing store and its Google rankings over, which needs every old URL redirected.
- You need the store bilingual for Quebec, or accessible to AODA standards.
- You want one person answerable for updates, apps and fixes. A care plan does that.
If none of that applies, Shopify on your own is a reasonable choice. If some of it does, tell us what you sell and you'll get a fixed price in CAD from a Shopify developer.
Questions people ask
How much does Shopify cost per month in Canada?
Basic is $37 a month paid yearly or $49 month to month, Grow is $99 or $132, and Advanced is $389 or $517, all in CAD before GST/HST. Plus starts at $3,400 a month.
What are Shopify Payments fees in Canada?
Online card payments cost 2.8% + 30¢ on Basic, 2.6% + 30¢ on Grow, 2.4% + 30¢ on Advanced and 2.15% + 30¢ on Plus. Amex and international cards cost more, and in-person Interac payments are 15¢ (10¢ on Plus).
Does Shopify charge a transaction fee?
Only if you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments. Then Shopify adds 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced and 0.2% on Plus, on top of your provider's fees.
Is there a free trial of Shopify in Canada?
When we checked, Shopify offered three days free, then $1 a month for three months on a paid plan.
Sources
Each checked November 8, 2026. Platforms change prices often; their own page is the final word.