E-commerce cost guide
The total cost of Shopify in Canada
A Shopify budget should include the plan, payment processing, possible third-party transaction fees, apps, theme or custom development, content, integrations, POS, tax tooling, maintenance, support, and ongoing conversion work. Plan price alone is not the total cost, and transaction volume can outweigh the subscription difference.
Monthly or annual platform subscription
Payment and possible third-party fees
Apps, content, support, and improvement
Build the cost model
Start with the current Canadian Shopify plan and payment rates from Shopify. Add monthly app charges, annual themes, development, data migration, product content, photography, integrations, POS hardware and subscriptions, support, and internal staff time.
Model payment fees using average order value, monthly orders, card mix, international transactions, refunds, and the selected payment provider. Do not compare plans using subscription price alone.
Separate launch from operation
Launch costs include discovery, design, theme work, product and customer migration, redirects, analytics, tax and shipping configuration, integrations, accessibility, testing, and training.
Operating costs include platform, apps, payment fees, merchandising, promotions, content, customer service, maintenance, security review, analytics, and conversion improvement.
Evaluate ownership and exit
Record ownership of the domain, store, theme licence, custom code, analytics, merchant accounts, product data, customer data, email, integrations, and recovery methods.
Test exports before an emergency. The business should understand what can be exported, what must be recreated, and what stops when an app or agency relationship ends.
Primary sources
This page separates sourced facts from North Star's operational guidance. Check the current source before relying on a changing price, rule, list, or technical standard.
Questions businesses ask
What is the cheapest Shopify plan in Canada?
Plan names and prices change. Use Shopify's current Canadian pricing page, then add payment, app, implementation, and operating costs.
Are transaction fees the same as card-processing fees?
Not always. Card-processing fees and additional third-party payment-provider fees are separate line items and depend on the plan and payment setup.
Does Shopify include hosting?
Shopify states that its plans include e-commerce hosting and SSL. Domains, apps, implementation, content, integrations, and support remain separate decisions.
Turn the research into an operating plan
North Star can help assess the environment, define scope, document ownership, implement controls, and verify the result.
Scope a Shopify build