Shopify pricing in Australia refers to the four subscription tiers - Basic, Grow, Advanced, and Plus - that determine which transaction fees, staff accounts, and features are available to your store.
Picking the cheapest tier without checking these details usually costs more later in fees and workarounds than the plan itself.
This guide breaks down what each plan actually includes, current pricing before AUD conversion, and how to choose the right plan for where your store is right now.
What does Shopify pricing in Australia actually include?
Shopify pricing in Australia includes four plans: Basic at USD $19 a month, Grow at USD $49, Advanced at USD $299, and Plus from USD $2,300, each on annual billing. Prices scale with transaction fees, staff accounts, and features - Basic suits solo sellers, while Plus serves large multi-location enterprises.
|
Plan |
Monthly Price (USD, annual billing) |
Third-Party Payment Fee |
Staff Accounts |
Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Basic |
$19 |
2% |
Solo (none extra) |
Solo entrepreneurs just starting out |
|
Grow |
$49 |
1% |
Up to 5 |
Small teams with steady sales |
|
Advanced |
$299 |
0.6% |
Up to 15 |
Higher-volume, international reach |
|
Plus |
From $2,300 |
0.2% |
Unlimited |
Large multi-brand or enterprise operations |
Each plan also unlocks different features beyond price and fees. Basic includes an AI assistant for commerce tasks like content and store insights. Advanced adds live third-party shipping rates and regional store tailoring for businesses selling internationally. Plus adds POS Pro across up to 200 locations and unlimited B2B catalogues, built for large multi-brand operations.
These figures are in USD on annual billing. Australian merchants are billed in USD and converted at your card provider's exchange rate, so the amount that actually lands on your statement moves with the exchange rate on top of Shopify's listed price. Pricing and plan inclusions can change, so it's worth checking Shopify's pricing page directly before you commit.
On top of the base plan, factor in payment processing fees, any third-party apps you'll run, and premium theme costs if you don't build on a free theme. These sit outside the plan price but affect your total cost just as much.
How to choose the right Shopify plan for your business stage?
The right plan depends on where your store actually is, not where you hope it will be in a year. If you're pre-launch or a solo entrepreneur doing under a few thousand dollars a month in sales, Basic covers what you need - a working store, AI assistant support, and standard reporting.
Once you've got a small team and steady repeat sales, Grow usually pays for itself. The extra staff accounts - up to five - and the drop from 2% to 1% on third-party payment fees start to matter once you're processing enough volume that a fraction of a percent in fees adds up to real money each month.
Advanced makes sense once you need up to 15 staff accounts, live third-party shipping rates, or you're tailoring your store by region for international reach. If you're running a large multi-brand or enterprise operation needing unlimited staff accounts and POS Pro across multiple locations, that's Plus territory - a different pricing model entirely, starting from around USD $2,300 a month.
The mistake most businesses make is picking based on price alone. Map your current staff count, monthly sales volume, and shipping needs against each plan's inclusions first, then look at the price.
What Australian businesses get wrong about Shopify pricing?
The advertised monthly price is only part of the cost. Transaction fees, third-party app subscriptions, and premium theme purchases all add up separately - and they vary depending on which plan you're on and which payment gateway you use.
Currency conversion is another blind spot. Because most Australian stores are billed in USD, the dollar amount you actually pay shifts with the exchange rate, and some business owners only notice this after a few billing cycles. Factoring in a buffer for currency movement avoids any surprises on your statement.
The other common error is staying on a plan too long. As your store grows, the transaction fee savings and extra features on a higher plan often outweigh the difference in monthly cost - but most stores only reassess their plan when something breaks, not proactively.
It's also worth checking your plan every time you add a new sales channel, staff member, or high-volume promotion. Each of these can shift which plan actually makes financial sense.
How IBF helps Australian businesses choose and launch on Shopify?
Picking the right plan is only one part of getting a Shopify store set up properly. Store structure, app selection, payment gateway setup, and theme configuration all affect your ongoing costs just as much as the plan you're on - and getting any of these wrong usually costs more to fix later than it would have cost to set up correctly the first time.
IBF's Shopify development services help Australian eCommerce businesses choose the right plan for their stage, then build and configure the store around it - covering everything from theme setup and app selection to payment gateways and shipping configuration. That means you're not paying for features you don't use, and you're not missing the ones you need as your store grows.
For businesses migrating from another platform or scaling past their current plan, this kind of setup work matters even more - a plan change is easy, but a poorly configured store isn't.
Frequently Asked Questions About Shopify Pricing in Australia
Q: How much does Shopify cost per month in Australia?
A: Shopify's four plans run from USD $19 a month for Basic up to USD $299 for Advanced, with Plus starting from USD $2,300 for large enterprises, all on annual billing. Australian merchants are billed in USD and converted at their card provider's exchange rate, so the amount on your statement moves with currency fluctuations rather than staying fixed at the listed price.
Q: What's the difference between Shopify's Basic and Grow plans?
A: Basic is built for solo entrepreneurs and costs USD $19 a month, with a 2% fee on third-party payment providers and no extra staff accounts included. Grow costs USD $49 a month, drops that fee to 1%, and adds up to five staff accounts - making it the better fit once you bring on a small team.
Q: Can you switch Shopify plans later as your business grows?
A: Yes, Shopify lets you upgrade or downgrade between Basic, Grow, Advanced, and Plus at any time from your admin settings, and the change takes effect immediately. There's no lock-in contract on the standard plans, so most Australian stores start on a lower tier and move up as staff numbers, sales volume, and reporting needs increase.
Q: Does Shopify charge extra fees on top of the monthly plan price?
A: Yes. Beyond the monthly plan fee, Shopify charges a transaction fee on third-party payment providers - ranging from 2% on Basic down to 0.2% on Plus - plus separate costs for premium themes, paid apps, and your payment gateway's own processing fees. These add-ons vary store to store, so the plan price alone doesn't reflect your total monthly cost.
Q: Which Shopify plan is best for a small business just starting out?
A: Basic is the right starting point for most new Australian stores, since it includes core selling tools, AI-assisted store management, and a working checkout for USD $19 a month. It's built for solo entrepreneurs rather than teams, so plan to move up to Grow once you hire staff or need lower transaction fees.
Final Thoughts
A high-converting Shopify store takes more than a great product - it takes the right structure, design, and strategy behind it. IBF's Shopify development team builds and optimises Shopify stores for Australian eCommerce businesses that want to grow. Get in touch with the IBF team to get started.
