✧ Key takeaways
Shopify's intro offer: 3 days free, then $1/month for your first 3 months — $3 total instead of $117 on Basic. Verified 15 Nov 2026.
Shopify's intro offer is the cheapest way to start a real online store: 3 days free with no credit card, then $1 a month for your first 3 months. Three dollars total for three months of a platform that normally costs $39 a month on Basic. The catch is not hidden — it is just a deadline. Those three months are for building and selling, not for thinking about it.
The deal, in numbers
Basic normally costs $39/month on monthly billing ($29/month billed yearly). For your first three months, you pay $1 a month — $3 total instead of $117. The offer covers Basic, Grow, and Advanced plans; Plus is not included. After the three promo months, the standard price applies automatically, so the decision that matters is the one you make before month four.
The $1 rate covers the subscription only. Paid apps, themes, domains, and transaction fees are billed separately — budget for those if you need them. And the free 3 days do not allow selling: checkout turns on once you pick a plan.
How to use the three months well
The promo is worth $114 on Basic, but only if the months land on months you actually use. Sign up when you have products ready to list, not when you have an idea and a free weekend. A practical three-month plan: month one, build the store — products, photos, policies, payments. Month two, launch and get the first orders, even if they come from people you know. Month three, decide with real data whether the store earns its $39 a month. If it does not, you have spent $3 finding out. If it does, the yearly plan at $29 a month is the next move.
Two things Shopify will not do: extend the trial, or reset the promo. The clock starts at signup and the $1 months start when the free days end, whether you are ready or not. Pick your plan on day one so the free days count.
What to check before you start
- Your exact terms at signup. Trial length and promotional pricing can vary by location and sign-up date — Shopify shows your exact offer on the signup screen.
- Payment fees. Online card rates on Shopify Payments are 2.9% + 30¢ on Basic. Using another provider adds a 2% transaction fee.
- App costs. The $1 months are the time to test free apps. Paid apps start billing on their own schedules and stack up quietly.
- Year one, not month one. Three months at $1 plus nine months at $39 is $354 for the first year on Basic — budget for the whole year, not the intro.
Our verdict
This is the best time to start a Shopify store, because the cost of trying is $3 and three months of real selling. It is a bad deal only for the person who signs up with nothing to sell and lets the promo months expire unused. If you have products and a plan to list them, take it — and read our Shopify review for the full picture on plans, fees, and whether it fits your store.
Disclosure: SaaSNivo may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Offer verified on shopify.com/pricing, 15 November 2026 — Shopify can change prices and offers, so confirm the terms on the signup page before starting.