How much is Shopify per month in South Africa? (2026 rands)
A clear, honest rand breakdown of every Shopify plan — plus the transaction fees and extras most guides leave out. From the team behind 400+ SA Shopify stores.
Shopify’s Basic plan costs roughly R550–R720 per month at current exchange rates, with the mid-tier around R1,400–R1,800, Advanced around R5,500–R6,500, and Plus from about R35,000. Shopify bills in US dollars, so your exact rand figure moves with the exchange rate — and the subscription is only part of your true monthly cost.
Below is the full plan-by-plan breakdown in rands, plus the fees and extras that quietly add up — so you can budget properly rather than get a surprise. (Looking for the one-off cost to build a store rather than the monthly subscription? That’s our separate guide on how much a Shopify store costs in South Africa.)
Shopify plans in rands
*Because Shopify Payments isn’t available in South Africa, Shopify adds this extra transaction fee on top of your payment gateway’s own fee. It’s the single most important number most people miss. Paying annually usually knocks around 25% off the monthly subscription.
Basic pays ten times the Plus transaction fee
Shopify’s extra fee as a % of each sale, on top of your gateway fee. On R100,000 a month in sales: R2,000 on Basic, R1,000 on Grow, R600 on Advanced, R200 on Plus.
Applies because Shopify Payments is not available in South Africa.
Your true monthly cost (with everything)
The subscription is the smallest line on the bill. A realistic all-in monthly cost also includes:
- Payment gateway fee — roughly 3% of sales (PayFast, Peach, Yoco, etc.).
- Shopify’s extra transaction fee — 0.2%–2% of sales, because you’re not on Shopify Payments.
- Apps — most stores run a few; budget R200–R900+ depending on what you need.
- Domain — ~R100–R200 a year.
Worked example: a Basic-plan store doing R100,000/month in sales pays roughly R650 subscription + ~R3,000 gateway fees + ~R2,000 Shopify transaction fee + a couple of apps — call it R5,650/month before apps, about R5,850–R6,550+ with them. A brand-new store doing modest volume lands closer to R1,500–R3,000. The percentages matter more than the subscription: get your payment gateway choice right and you save on every single sale.
The plan is R650. The month costs about R5,650.
Basic-plan store with R100,000 in monthly sales, using the worked example above. Apps not included.
Gateway at roughly 3% and Shopify’s 2% Basic fee, both on R100,000. Add apps (R200–R900+) for the all-in figure.
Shopify monthly cost FAQs
How much is Shopify per month in South Africa?
The Basic plan is roughly R550–R720/month at current exchange rates, the mid-tier around R1,400–R1,800, Advanced around R5,500–R6,500, and Plus from ~R35,000. Shopify bills in US dollars, so your rand cost moves with the exchange rate. Paying annually usually saves around 25%.
Does Shopify charge transaction fees in South Africa?
Yes. Because Shopify Payments isn’t available in SA, Shopify charges an extra transaction fee (2% on Basic, 1% on the mid plan, 0.6% on Advanced) on top of your payment gateway’s own fee. It’s the cost most people overlook — and a real reason to weigh up your plan and gateway carefully.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Shopify’s monthly fee?
WooCommerce has no monthly platform fee and takes no cut of your sales — you pay only for hosting (~R100–R700/month) and your gateway. It’s often cheaper month-to-month, but it’s self-hosted, so you own the maintenance. See our WooCommerce South Africa guide and platform comparison.
We have built 400+ online stores for South African businesses since 2014. Read more about Shopify development in South Africa.
