Shopify costs: what you actually pay
Shopify's pricing is more predictable than Amazon's. You pay a monthly subscription plus a small cut of each sale.
Monthly subscription
| Plan | Monthly (billed monthly) | Monthly (billed annually) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $39 | $29 | New sellers, small volume |
| Shopify | $105 | $79 | Growing stores, staff accounts |
| Advanced | $399 | $299 | High volume, advanced reporting |
| Plus | $2,300+ (custom pricing) | Enterprise | |
Most independent sellers start on Basic and stay there until their volume justifies an upgrade. The annual discount is worth taking if you're committed to Shopify long-term.
Transaction fees
If you use Shopify Payments (Shopify's built-in payment processor), there are no additional transaction fees beyond the credit card processing rate. If you use a third-party payment processor like PayPal or Stripe, Shopify charges an additional transaction fee:
- Basic: 2% transaction fee on third-party processors
- Shopify: 1% transaction fee on third-party processors
- Advanced: 0.5% transaction fee on third-party processors
Use Shopify Payments if you're in a supported country and it avoids this fee entirely.
Credit card processing rates (Shopify Payments)
- Basic: 2.9% + $0.30 per online transaction
- Shopify: 2.6% + $0.30 per online transaction
- Advanced: 2.4% + $0.30 per online transaction
Other Shopify costs to budget for
- Custom domain: ~$15-20/year through Shopify or a third-party registrar
- Apps: The Shopify App Store is extensive. Many sellers end up spending $50-200/month on apps for email marketing, reviews, upsells, and reporting. Budget for this.
- Theme: Free themes are available. Premium themes cost $150-400 one-time.
Amazon costs: what you actually pay
Amazon's fee structure is more complex than Shopify's and depends heavily on your product category and fulfillment method.
Selling plan
Amazon offers two selling plans:
- Individual plan: No monthly fee, but $0.99 per item sold. This plan is limited and doesn't include access to all selling categories or advertising tools. Only appropriate for very low-volume testing.
- Professional plan: $39.99/month, no per-item fee. This is what virtually all serious sellers use.
Referral fees
Amazon charges a referral fee on every sale. This is a percentage of the total sale price (including shipping charged to the buyer). The percentage varies by category:
| Category | Referral Fee |
|---|---|
| Most categories (general) | 15% |
| Clothing & accessories | 17% |
| Electronics | 8% |
| Books | 15% |
| Jewelry | 20% (up to $250), 5% above $250 |
| Handmade (Amazon Handmade) | 15% |
| Home & kitchen | 15% |
| Health & personal care | 15% |
Most sellers in most categories pay 15%. This is significantly higher than Etsy's 6.5% transaction fee or Shopify's 0% (with Shopify Payments). Amazon's traffic volume is what justifies this cost.
Closing fees
For media categories (books, music, DVDs, video games), Amazon charges an additional $1.80 closing fee per item sold. Non-media categories don't have this.
Amazon FBA fees explained
FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) lets you ship your inventory to Amazon warehouses, and Amazon handles picking, packing, shipping, and customer returns. It's convenient but adds significant fees on top of your referral fees.
Fulfillment fees (FBA)
FBA fees are charged per unit shipped and are based on the item's size and weight. As of 2025, these are approximate ranges:
- Small standard: $3.22 - $4.18 per unit (up to 16 oz)
- Large standard: $4.50 - $7.17 per unit (up to 20 lbs)
- Small oversize: $9.73+ per unit
- Large oversize: $75+ per unit
Amazon updates these periodically. Check the current fee schedule in Seller Central for exact rates on your specific product dimensions and weight.
Storage fees
Amazon charges monthly storage fees for inventory sitting in their warehouses:
- January - September: $0.87 per cubic foot (standard-size)
- October - December (peak): $2.40 per cubic foot (standard-size)
Inventory that sits for more than 365 days incurs long-term storage fees of $6.90 per cubic foot or $0.15 per unit, whichever is greater. Don't send slow-moving inventory to FBA.
Other FBA fees
- Returns processing: Amazon may charge you for handling returned items in certain categories
- Removal fees: $0.97 - $13.05 per unit if you want Amazon to return or dispose of your inventory
- Labeling fees: $0.55 per unit if Amazon labels your items (you can do it yourself to avoid this)
Selling through FBM (Fulfilled by Merchant) avoids FBA fees but means you handle all shipping yourself.
Hidden costs on both platforms
These are the costs that don't show up prominently in any fee schedule but are real parts of running a multi-platform business.
Advertising spend
Amazon's marketplace is pay-to-play for most sellers. Without Amazon Sponsored Products ads, many listings get buried. Budget for at least 5-15% of your Amazon revenue going back into advertising. Shopify requires its own traffic -- from Google Ads, Facebook/Instagram, or organic SEO -- and that costs time and/or money.
Returns and refunds
Returns are a cost of doing business. Amazon has one of the most liberal return policies in e-commerce, which is great for buyers and expensive for sellers. Budget for a return rate of 5-10% for non-media products (higher for apparel). Every return is a lost sale plus the cost of receiving the item back.
Photography and listing work
Amazon has strict image requirements -- white backgrounds, multiple views, minimum 1000px. If your current product photos don't meet Amazon's standards, you'll need to reshoot them. Quality product photos make a significant difference in conversion on both platforms.
Tools and software
Multi-channel sellers typically use: an inventory sync tool (~$25-60/month), email marketing software (~$20-50/month), bookkeeping/accounting software (~$20-50/month). These add up to $65-160/month in baseline tool costs before you've paid a single platform fee.
Side-by-side cost comparison
| Fee Type | Shopify (Basic) | Amazon (Professional) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly subscription | $39/mo | $39.99/mo |
| Transaction fee (own payment) | 0% (Shopify Payments) 2% (third-party) | n/a (no own payment) |
| Credit card processing | 2.9% + $0.30 | Included in referral fee |
| Referral/transaction fee per sale | 0% (with Shopify Payments) | 8-20% (varies by category) |
| Fulfillment fees | None (you ship yourself) | $3.22+ per unit (FBA) or none (FBM) |
| Storage fees | None | $0.87-$2.40/cubic ft/month (FBA) |
| Listing fees | None | None for most categories |
| Traffic acquisition | You're responsible | Built-in + paid ads |
A real example: $5,000/month in sales on both platforms
Let's say you're selling a handmade home decor item at $45, and you're generating $2,500/month on Shopify and $2,500/month on Amazon FBM (self-fulfilled). Here's an approximate monthly cost breakdown:
| Cost | Shopify | Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly plan | $39 | $39.99 |
| Transaction/referral fees | $72.50 (2.9%) | $375 (15%) |
| Per-transaction fixed fees (~55 orders) | $16.50 ($0.30/order) | $0 |
| Advertising (optional on Shopify, likely on Amazon) | $0-$200 | $125-$375 (5-15%) |
| Total (mid-range advertising) | ~$228 | ~$665 |
| Effective fee rate | ~9.1% | ~26.6% |
The comparison highlights something important: Amazon costs significantly more per sale, but provides something Shopify doesn't -- traffic. The question is whether Amazon's traffic generates enough additional revenue to justify that premium. For most sellers in competitive categories, it does. For high-margin niche products, the math is sometimes worse.
See our comparison of which platform has the lowest selling fees for a broader analysis including Etsy and eBay.