Shopify Free Trial 2026: 3 Days Free, Then $1/Month for 3 Months

So, you want to try Shopify before you commit. Good idea. The current deal is simple: 3 days free with no credit card, then $1 a month for your first 3 months on most plans.

I’m an accountant, so I’ll show you exactly how the trial works, what you can and can’t do during it, what you’ll pay once the $1 months end, and how to get the most out of those first three months. The old “90-day free trial” and “6-month trial” offers you might read about elsewhere have ended.

How the Shopify Free Trial Works in 2026

Stage	How long	What it costs	What you can do
Free trial	3 days	$0, no card	Build your store, add products, choose a theme, set up payments and shipping
$1 offer	First 3 months on a paid plan	$1 a month on most plans	Everything: your checkout is live and you can take orders
Regular price	From month 4	$39, $105 or $399 a month	Same as before, at the standard price

Two rules from Shopify’s Help Center are worth knowing before you start:

• The trial starts when you sign up, not when you start working on your store.
• It can’t be extended. Shopify Support can’t add extra days or reset promotional pricing.

What You Can and Can’t Do During the Trial

During the free days your store is in private mode, or its checkout is switched off. That’s the main limit.

• You can: add products and collections, choose and edit a theme, set up payments and shipping, browse the app store and configure your settings.
• You can’t: take real orders until you choose a paid plan (or switch off private mode and set up a payment provider).
• Nothing is lost: everything you build during the trial carries over when you pick a plan.

If the trial ends before you choose a plan, your store is paused until you do. Your products and settings are kept.

What You’ll Pay After the Trial

Here’s what each plan costs once the $1 months are over. Card rates are for online payments through Shopify Payments in the US.

Plan	Monthly	Billed yearly (per month)	Online card rate	Best for
Basic	$39	$29	2.9% + 30¢	New stores and solo sellers
Grow	$105	$79	2.7% + 30¢	Small teams, 5 staff accounts
Advanced	$399	$299	2.5% + 30¢	High-volume stores

• Basic$39
• Grow$105
• Advanced$399

Drawn from the table above. Lowest price highlighted.

The $1 offer vs yearly billing

Here’s an accountant’s quirk worth knowing: over a full first year, the $1 offer and yearly billing cost almost exactly the same.

On Basic, 3 months at $1 plus 9 at $39 is $354. Paying yearly is $348, but you hand over the whole year upfront. So take the $1 offer while you’re testing whether your store sells. Think about yearly billing once it’s proved itself.

For the full breakdown of fees and hidden costs, see my Shopify pricing guide.

How to Start Your Shopify Free Trial

1. Click my Shopify link and enter your email. No credit card needed.
2. Answer the setup questions (you can skip them) and your store is created.
3. Use the 3 free days to add products, pick a theme and set up shipping.
4. Go to Settings, then Plan, and choose a plan. This is where the $1 a month starts.
5. Add your payment details and switch off private mode to start taking orders.
6. Set a calendar reminder for the end of month 3, when the regular price begins.

How to Get the Most From the Trial

Three free days isn’t long, so plan them. Here’s the order I’d work in:

1. Day 1: pick a free theme and set your brand basics: logo, colours and menu.
2. Day 2: add your first 5 to 10 products with real photos and clear descriptions.
3. Day 3: set up Shopify Payments, shipping zones and taxes, then place a test order.
4. Months 1 to 3: launch, drive your first traffic and add only the apps you really need. Keep an eye on your app bill.

What If You’re Not Ready to Keep Paying?

• Before you pick a plan: do nothing. The store pauses when the trial ends, and you’re not charged.
• After you pick a plan: you need to deactivate the store yourself. Shopify keeps your store information for 2 years in case you reopen.
• Refunds: Shopify subscription charges are non-refundable, so cancel before the next billing date.
• Pause and Build: Shopify’s old low-cost pause plan is no longer available to new subscriptions.

Is the Shopify Trial Worth It?

Yes. Three free days plus three months at $1 means you can build, launch and test a real store for $3 in plan fees. That’s the cheapest way to find out whether Shopify, and your product, will work.

Just go in with a plan: use the free days for setup, launch quickly once you’re on the $1 months, and decide before month 4 whether to stay monthly, switch to yearly or close the store.

Frequently Asked Questions

Next steps: Shopify pricing plans explained · best places to sell online · how to start dropshipping.