Shopify review · Canada
Is Shopify worth it for your business? Here’s the real cost.
We build and run Shopify stores for clients in Toronto. Here’s what Shopify costs in Canada once fees are counted, what’s new with selling inside AI chats, and who should pick something else.
3 days free · No credit card to start · Then $1/month for your first 3 months on most plans · Includes our free setup call
Disclosure: Digital 6ix is a Shopify affiliate. If you sign up through our links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It doesn’t change what we recommend: we also tell you who should skip it.
Illustration of a product sold inside an AI chat. Not Shopify’s interface.
- Sell through
- Your online store
- In person with POS
- ChatGPT
- Google AI Mode and Gemini
- Copilot
- Perplexity
Our verdict
The safest choice if you sell products and plan to grow
Shopify is what we reach for when a client sells physical or digital products and wants to sell online, in person and now inside AI chats from one system. It isn’t the cheapest way to put a few products on a website. Basic is $49 CAD a month before card fees and apps, so very small sellers and service businesses can often pay less elsewhere.
✓A good fit if
- Products are the business, not an add-on to a services site
- You want to sell online and in person from one inventory
- You want your products ready for shopping inside AI chats
- You’d rather not manage hosting, security or updates
✕Skip it if
- You sell services or bookings, with a handful of products at most
- You already run WordPress and want full control: look at WooCommerce
- Every dollar of monthly cost matters more than room to grow
What you get
What Shopify actually does for you
One system for your products, orders and payments, wherever the sale happens.
Online store and checkout
Themes, product pages, cart and checkout, with hosting included and no setup fees.
Shopify Payments
Online card rates start at 2.8% + 30¢ CAD on Basic. No extra third-party fee when you use it.
Point of Sale
Sell in person from the same inventory. In-person card rates start at 2.6%, with POS Pro at $119 CAD a month per location.
Selling inside AI chats
Shopify says its merchants have AI selling built in, with ChatGPT, Google AI Mode and Gemini, Copilot and Perplexity listed, and more coming.
Apps
Add reviews, email, subscriptions and more from the Shopify App Store. Many apps carry their own monthly fees.
Staff accounts
Extra staff accounts aren’t included on Basic. Grow includes 5 and Advanced includes 15.
Rates and limits from Shopify’s Canadian pricing page. AI chat channels are still rolling out, so check which ones are live for your store.
Inside Shopify
See Shopify
Screenshots from Shopify’s admin.
Pricing in CAD, checked October 2026
What Shopify costs in Canada
Prices from Shopify’s Canadian pricing page. The card rate is what you pay on each online sale through Shopify Payments, and it usually matters more than the plan price once you’re selling.
Basic
or $37/month billed yearly
2.8% + 30¢ per online sale- Online store, checkout and hosting
- In-person card rate 2.6%
- 2% extra fee with a non-Shopify payment provider
- No extra staff accounts
Grow
or $99/month billed yearly
2.6% + 30¢ per online sale- 5 staff accounts
- In-person card rate 2.5%
- 1% fee with a non-Shopify payment provider
- Worth it once lower card rates cover the higher plan price
Advanced
or $389/month billed yearly
2.4% + 30¢ per online sale- 15 staff accounts
- In-person card rate 2.4%
- 0.6% fee with a non-Shopify payment provider
- For established stores with real monthly volume
How the free trial works. You get 3 days free with no credit card. When the trial ends, you pick a plan. Shopify’s current offer is $1 a month for your first 3 months on most plans, then the regular monthly price. Budget for the full price from month 4, plus card fees and any paid apps. Shopify lists no setup fees, and you can cancel anytime.
- Agentic plan: $0 a monthSell your products inside AI chats without an online store, paying only card fees when something sells. Availability is still expanding, so check that it’s open to you.
- Shopify Plus: from $3,400 CAD a monthFor high-volume brands with complex operations. Most businesses reading this won’t need it for years.
Our sign-up bonus
Free 30-minute store setup call when you start through our link
Three free days go fast. We’ll walk through your setup with you so the first $1 months go into selling, not guessing.
- Start your trial through any Shopify button on this page.
- Book a free call and mention “Shopify setup” in the booking notes.
- We review your plan together: which plan fits, payments, product pages, and what your store needs to show up in Google and AI answers.
No obligation to hire us. The call is yours either way.
Your first month
Your first 30 days on Shopify
The platform is the easy part. These are the steps we’d take with a new store before spending a dollar on ads.
- 1
Pick the plan for where you’ll be in 6 months
Start on Basic unless your monthly sales already make Grow’s lower card rate cheaper overall. Switching plans later is simple.
- 2
Set up payments, shipping and taxes first
Turn on Shopify Payments to avoid the extra third-party fee, then set shipping rates and taxes for the provinces and countries you sell to.
- 3
Write product pages people and AI can quote
Plain answers about size, materials, price and who it’s for beat clever copy, for Google and for AI assistants. Here’s the difference between being mentioned and being cited.
- 4
Keep the store structure simple
Clear collections and clean navigation help shoppers and crawlers find every product. How site structure affects AI visibility.
- 5
Check where you show up, every month
Ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity the questions your buyers ask and log the answers in our free GEO tracker template. Look for the trend, not one result.
Alternatives
Shopify vs Squarespace vs Wix vs WooCommerce
The four platforms small businesses compare most often. We only earn a commission from Shopify.
| Platform | Best for | Entry price to sell | Platform fee on sales | Hosting | Free trial | We earn from it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify | Product businesses that want to grow online, in person and in AI chats | $49 CAD/month, or $37/month billed yearly | None with Shopify Payments; 2% on Basic with another provider | Included | 3 days, no card, then $1/month for 3 months | Yes |
| Squarespace | Service businesses and small catalogs where design comes first | $25/month, or $19/month billed annually (US page) | 2% on Basic, 0% on Core and up | Included | 14 days, no card | No |
| Wix | Small websites adding a simple store | Core at $29.77/month billed yearly (USD reference price, varies by location) | Not listed on its pricing page | Included | No trial on paid plans; 14-day money-back guarantee | No |
| WooCommerce | WordPress sites that want full control | Plugin is free; hosting about $25 to $350/month, extensions $29 to $299/year each | None from WooCommerce | You arrange it | Free plugin; 30-day money-back guarantee | No |
Checked on each platform’s pricing page on October 11, 2026. Shopify prices are in CAD from its Canadian page. Squarespace, Wix and WooCommerce figures are as shown on their pages in USD or without a currency, so check your local price. Card processing fees apply on every platform.
Pick your level
Which option fits you
Some businesses should build it themselves. Some shouldn’t. Pick the level that matches where you are.
Free, no email
Plan it yourself
Use our free SEO and GEO audit template, the same one we use with clients, to plan your store’s pages before you build. Then run a Radar scan to see who AI recommends in your category today.
Get the free audit template Run a free Radar scan →Build it yourself
Shopify
Start with 3 days free and no card, then $1 a month for your first 3 months on most plans. Plus our free 30-minute setup call.
Start your free Shopify trialAffiliate link. We may earn a commission.
Have it done for you
Digital 6ix
We build and run Shopify stores: design, product pages, SEO, and the GEO work that gets your products named in AI answers.
Book a free strategy call See our website design work →Worth knowing
What to know before you buy
$1 a month doesn’t last. The offer covers your first 3 months on most plans. Budget for the full price from month 4, which is $49 CAD a month on Basic.
Fees add up beyond the plan. Every online sale pays a card rate, and many apps charge their own monthly fee. Add them up before you compare platforms on plan price alone.
Other payment providers cost extra. Use anything other than Shopify Payments and Shopify adds a fee: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced.
A store doesn’t market itself. Shopify gives you the store. Getting found in Google and AI answers still takes product pages, content and links.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does Shopify cost in Canada?
Shopify Basic is $49 CAD a month, or $37 a month billed yearly. Grow is $132 CAD a month and Advanced is $517 CAD a month. Card fees on each sale and any paid apps come on top. Shopify Plus starts at $3,400 CAD a month.
Does Shopify have a free trial?
Yes. You get 3 days free with no credit card required. After that, Shopify’s current offer is $1 a month for your first 3 months on most plans, then the regular monthly price.
What fees does Shopify charge on each sale?
With Shopify Payments, online card rates are 2.8% + 30¢ CAD on Basic, 2.6% + 30¢ on Grow and 2.4% + 30¢ on Advanced. If you use a different payment provider, Shopify adds a fee of 2%, 1% or 0.6% depending on the plan.
Can I sell in ChatGPT and other AI chats with Shopify?
Shopify says its merchants have AI selling built in, and it lists ChatGPT, Google AI Mode and Gemini, Copilot and Perplexity, with more coming. Its Agentic plan lets you sell in AI chats without an online store for $0 a month plus card fees. Availability is still expanding, so check what’s live for you.
Is Shopify or Squarespace better for a small business?
If products are the business, we’d pick Shopify for its selling tools and room to grow. If you mainly sell services and want a beautiful site with a few products, Squarespace usually costs less and is easier to run.
Do I need an agency to set up Shopify?
No. Many owners launch a working store on their own. An agency earns its fee when you need a custom design, a large catalog moved over, or a plan to get found in Google and AI answers from day one.
Does Digital 6ix earn money from Shopify?
Digital 6ix is a Shopify affiliate. If you sign up through our links and your store moves to a full-price plan, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We also build Shopify stores for clients, which is where our opinion comes from.
Start your store, or let us build it
Try Shopify free and book your free setup call, or talk to us about building the whole thing.
3 days free · No credit card to start · Then $1/month for your first 3 months on most plans
Disclosure: Digital 6ix is a Shopify affiliate. If you sign up through our links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
