Shopify has several plans, but the monthly subscription is only part of the real cost of running a store. Payment charges, apps, staff access, shipping, and integrations can all affect a store’s total spend.
For a business in Dubai or elsewhere in the United Arab Emirates, the right Shopify plan fits how the store will operate. This guide breaks down the main plans, their approximate cost in AED, key payment fees to watch, and when an upgrade makes sense.
Shopify plans pricing in the UAE
Shopify currently lists four main plans on its UAE pricing page: Basic, Grow, Advanced, and Plus. Since the subscription prices are shown in USD, the AED values below are approximate conversions for easier budgeting.
| Shopify plan | Monthly billing | Annual billing equivalent | Best suited to | Third-party transaction fee |
| Basic | About AED 118/month | About AED 88/month | Solo sellers and smaller stores | 2% |
| Grow | About AED 338/month | About AED 253/month | Growing businesses with a small team | 1% |
| Advanced | About AED 1,465/month | About AED 1,098/month | Larger and international stores | 0.6% |
| Plus | From about AED 8,447/month | Contract-based | Complex and enterprise businesses | 0.2% |
What are the different Shopify plans?
Each plan suits a different stage of business.
Shopify Basic
Basic works well for a smaller store where one person handles most of the day-to-day work.
It includes a full online store, unlimited products, inventory management, reports, and Shopify’s main selling tools. However, Basic does not provide additional staff accounts.
“Basic” usually makes sense when:
- One person manages most store operations
- The business is still building online sales
- You do not need advanced shipping tools
- Keeping monthly costs low matters
For many new e-commerce stores in Dubai, Basic can provide enough functionality without paying for features the business may not need yet.
When does Shopify Grow make sense?
Grow becomes more useful once several people are involved in managing the store. In addition, the plan supports up to five staff accounts and offers lower card rates and a lower third-party transaction fee than Basic.
It can be useful when separate people are handling:
- orders
- customer support
- marketing
- inventory
- store management
For example, one person may manage orders while another handles marketing or customer support. As a result, the store becomes easier to manage as the team grows. Therefore, when asking which Shopify plan is best, team size and day-to-day operations matter just as much as sales.
When is Shopify Advanced worth the extra cost?
Advanced is aimed at businesses with more demanding operations. It supports up to 15 staff accounts, live third-party shipping rates, and stronger regional selling options.
That can become useful when a company based in the United Arab Emirates starts selling across Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, or other international markets.
Advanced may be worth considering when:
- International shipping is becoming more complex
- Several staff members need access
- Regional selling needs more control
- Live third-party shipping rates are required
- Payment and transaction costs are becoming significant
A higher plan should solve a real business requirement. Moving to Advanced simply because revenue has increased does not automatically make it the right choice.
What Shopify plan should I choose?
A simple way to decide is to match the plan with how the store operates.
| Business situation | Plan to consider |
| New or smaller online store | Basic |
| Growing team managing the store | Grow |
| More complex shipping or international expansion | Advanced |
| Enterprise, B2B, or complex operations | Plus |
Before subscribing, check more than the plan price.
Look at:
- expected monthly sales
- number of people managing the store
- payment gateway requirements
- countries you plan to sell in
- shipping setup
- paid apps
- ERP or CRM integrations
- whether a third-party payment provider will be used
The right Shopify subscription plan is the one that covers these needs without adding unnecessary monthly costs.
How much does Shopify cost per month in the UAE?
The subscription is only one part of the monthly bill.
A practical Shopify pricing calculator should include:
Monthly Shopify cost = plan fee + payment processing + third-party transaction fee, if applicable + paid apps + development + integrations
For merchants using Shopify Payments, Shopify’s UAE pricing page currently lists standard online card rates starting from:
- Basic: 2.9% + AED 1
- Grow: 2.8% + AED 1
- Advanced: 2.7% + AED 1
- Plus: 2.5% + AED 1
Shopify also lists third-party transaction fees of 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced, and 0.2% on Plus.
That difference can matter as order volume grows.
A store using a third-party payment provider may find that moving to a higher plan reduces enough transaction cost to justify part of the higher subscription fee.
Is Shopify Payments available in the UAE?
Shopify Payments in the UAE is currently in early access and available only to certain merchants, so many stores still use a third-party gateway such as Telr, PayTabs, Checkout.com, or Stripe. Shopify requires merchants to meet business, registration, bank account, and verification requirements before activation.
Eligible merchants can accept credit and debit cards and accelerated checkout methods such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Shop Pay. Shopify Payments in the UAE is currently for online selling; in-person POS payments require an external card terminal with a third-party processor.
For merchants who qualify, payouts can be received in AED on all subscription plans.
If a business does not qualify for Shopify Payments, it can use a supported third-party payment provider instead. In that case, Shopify’s additional third-party transaction fee becomes an important part of the total monthly cost.
When should you upgrade your Shopify plan?
Upgrade when a higher plan solves a clear business problem.
It may be time to move up when:
- More staff members need access
- Lower transaction fees would save meaningful money
- Third-party shipping rates are required
- The business is expanding into more markets
- The current plan is creating workarounds or limitations
Shopify says plan upgrades take effect immediately, with billing adjusted on a prorated basis. Downgrades normally take effect at the end of the current prepaid billing cycle. Before upgrading, compare the extra annual subscription cost with the money or working time the new features could save.
How much does a 1-year Shopify plan cost?
Using Shopify’s current yearly rates, the approximate annual equivalents are
- Basic: around AED 1,058 per year
- Grow: around AED 3,041 per year
- Advanced: around AED 13,177 per year
Shopify currently lists annual billing at $24, $69, and $299 per month for Basic, Grow, and Advanced, respectively.
Annual billing can reduce the effective monthly cost, but it makes more sense after you are confident that the selected plan will suit the business for the coming year.
Do you really need Shopify Plus?
Shopify Plus is meant for complex operations rather than simply stores with higher sales. Shopify currently lists Plus from $2,300 per month, which is roughly AED 8,447 per month.
Plus, it becomes more relevant when a business needs:
- Unlimited staff accounts
- Advanced B2B capabilities
- Fully customizable checkout
- Larger-scale integrations
- Complex international operations
For most small and medium businesses, Plus would be unnecessary unless those features solve a clear business need.
The plan should match the store you are building.
A Shopify plan should fit the actual store requirements, not simply the budget available today.
Basic can handle a serious, smaller store. Grow becomes useful once a team is managing different parts of the business. Advanced makes more sense when shipping, international selling, and operational complexity increase.
Before committing to a plan, map out the payment gateway, apps, shipping, staff access, and integrations the store will need.
MAQ builds Shopify stores for businesses in Dubai and across the United Arab Emirates. If you need more help choosing the right Shopify plan or planning your store setup, contact MAQ for a consultation and get guidance based on your business requirements.
Contact MAQ Computer Services LLC.
Official Shopify Partner — UAE
Phone: +971 55 494 3599 | +971 50 708 0116
Email: info@maquae.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Shopify have a free plan?
Shopify does not currently offer a permanent free plan for a full e-commerce store. Its UAE pricing page currently shows a 3-day free trial, followed by $1 (about AED 3.67) per month for 3 months. Promotional offers can change.
Is Shopify a monthly fee?
Yes. Shopify works on a subscription model. Basic, Grow, and Advanced plans can be billed monthly or yearly, with yearly billing currently offering a lower effective monthly price.
Is Shopify 3 months free?
No. Shopify’s current UAE offer for new merchants is a 3-day free trial followed by $1 (about AED 3.67) per month for 3 months. The 3 months are not completely free.
Does Shopify charge extra for third-party payment gateways?
Yes. Shopify currently lists additional third-party transaction fees of 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced, and 0.2% on Plus.
Can I change Shopify plans later?
Yes. Shopify allows merchants to upgrade or downgrade their plans. Upgrades take effect immediately, while downgrades normally take effect at the end of the current billing cycle.
