How to Start a Shopify Store: Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners (2026)
Free Online Selling Course, Lesson 43 · Module 8: Build Your Own Store · See all lessons
Selling on Etsy or another marketplace is a great start, but you are building on someone else’s platform. A Shopify store gives you your own website, your own domain, and your own customer list, and Shopify handles the hosting, checkout, and payments.
Here is what trips up most beginners: they spend days picking a theme and tweaking colors before they have a single product or a payment method set up. Shopify’s own setup guide does it in a better order: add your first product, choose a theme, set up a domain, add your store pages, set up payments, place a test order, then launch. And your store stays private (password-protected) until you pick a plan and launch it.
This lesson walks you through starting a Shopify store step by step, what it costs in the US, and the launch checklist Shopify itself requires. Sources are Shopify’s Help Center and pricing page and NerdWallet’s Shopify pricing guide, checked in October 2026.
How Do You Start a Shopify Store?
Go to shopify.com, click Start for free, and create your account. In your Shopify admin, add your first product, choose a free theme, set up a domain, and add About and Contact pages. Then set up payments, place a test order, select a plan, add your store address, and launch your store to make it public. US Shopify plans start at $39 a month, or $29 a month billed yearly.
How Much Does a Shopify Store Cost?
Shopify plan prices vary by country. For US sellers, NerdWallet’s Shopify pricing guide lists:
| Plan | Monthly billing | Yearly billing (per month) | Online card rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $39 | $29 | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Grow | $105 | $79 | 2.7% + 30¢ |
| Advanced | $399 | $299 | 2.5% + 30¢ |
Shopify currently offers a 3-day free trial, then $1 per month for the first three months, according to Shopify’s pricing page. Always check Shopify’s pricing page for your country before you start, since prices change.
Other costs to plan for:
- A domain (optional at first, but it looks more professional)
- Paid themes (free themes are available; Shopify says paid themes are non-refundable)
- Apps you add for extra features
- Marketing, such as ads
Compare plans for your sales: our free Shopify plan calculator shows which plan costs least at your monthly sales.
How to Start a Shopify Store Step by Step
Step 1: Sign Up
- Go to shopify.com and click Start for free.
- Create an account with your email and a password, or sign up with Google, Apple, or Facebook.
- Optional: add billing information now so your store can stay open after the trial, or click Skip to add it later.
- Optional: answer the setup questions for tailored suggestions, or skip them.
Your Shopify admin opens, ready for you to start.
Step 2: Add Your First Product
Shopify’s setup guide starts with products, because what you sell shapes everything else.
- In your Shopify admin, go to Products.
- Click Add product.
- Enter a title and details such as description, photos, and price.
- Click Save.
Organize products into collections so customers can find them easily. If you plan to dropship instead of holding stock, see shopify dropshipping.
Step 3: Choose a Theme
Try a few themes to see which displays your products best.
- Start with a free theme from the Themes page in your admin.
- Paid themes come from third-party designers. Shopify says paid themes are non-refundable, and if you are still in your free trial it suggests choosing a free theme to avoid charges.
Step 4: Set Up a Domain
Shopify’s guide recommends setting up a domain for your store, so customers see your own web address.
Step 5: Add Pages and a Menu
Shopify suggests adding About us and Contact us pages, plus a menu with links so visitors can move around your store. Add your policies (refunds, shipping, privacy) too.
Step 6: Set Up Payments, Shipping, and Taxes
Set up a payment method so you can accept orders, and review your shipping and tax settings before launch.
Step 7: Place a Test Order
Shopify says to place at least one test order to check that checkout, order processing, inventory, shipping, and taxes work. Charges do not apply to test orders. You can use Shopify Payments’ test mode to simulate successful and failed transactions. Turn test mode off afterward to accept real payments.
Step 8: Launch Your Store
During your free trial, your store is in private mode: visitors see a password page instead of your store. Shopify says you must complete these steps before you can launch:
- Select a subscription plan. If you pick one during the trial, you will not be charged subscription fees until the trial ends.
- Add your store address under Settings, General, Business details.
- Set up a payment method and make sure test mode is turned off.
Then launch your store to make it public.
Use the checklist: our free Shopify launch checklist is built into the plan calculator page.
Shopify vs Etsy: Which Should You Start With?
| Shopify | Etsy | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | From $39 ($29 yearly) in the US | $0 |
| Selling fees | Card processing (2.9% + 30¢ on Basic) | $0.20 listing + 6.5% transaction fee + processing |
| Traffic | You bring it | Etsy’s marketplace search |
| Your brand and domain | Yes | Shop inside Etsy |
| Customer emails | Yours | Limited |
Many sellers start on Etsy to test products, then add a Shopify store once they know what sells. See etsy fees and how to start an etsy shop.
Common Mistakes When Starting a Shopify Store
Designing before adding products. Add products first, then pick a theme that shows them well.
Buying a paid theme during the trial. Shopify says paid themes are non-refundable. Start free.
Skipping the test order. It is the only way to know checkout really works.
Forgetting to turn off test mode. You cannot take real payments in test mode.
Expecting traffic on day one. Unlike Etsy, nobody finds your store until you market it. See pinterest for etsy for free traffic ideas.
Key Takeaways
- Sign up at shopify.com with Start for free; your store stays private during the trial.
- Add products first, then a free theme, a domain, and About, Contact, and policy pages.
- Place at least one test order, then turn test mode off.
- To launch, select a plan, add your store address, and set up payments.
- US plans start at $39 a month ($29 yearly), with a 3-day trial and then $1 a month for 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to start a Shopify store?
US Shopify plans start at $39 a month, or $29 a month billed yearly, per NerdWallet. Shopify currently offers a 3-day free trial, then $1 a month for the first three months. Add costs for a domain, apps, and marketing.
Can I start a Shopify store for free?
You can start with Shopify’s free trial and free themes, but you need a paid plan to launch your store publicly.
What do I need before I can launch my Shopify store?
Shopify says you must select a subscription plan, add a store address in your business details, and set up a payment method with test mode turned off.
Is Shopify better than Etsy for beginners?
Etsy is easier for finding buyers because of its marketplace. Shopify gives you your own brand and customer list but you bring your own traffic. Many sellers use both.
How long does it take to set up a Shopify store?
It depends on how many products you add. Shopify says adding and organizing products is often the most time-consuming step.
Final Thoughts
Starting a Shopify store is simple when you follow Shopify’s own order: products first, then theme, domain, pages, payments, a test order, and launch. Start on the free trial with a free theme, and only pay for extras once you are making sales.
Next, see how to sell on notion marketplace, or explore the free online selling course.
You finished: Free Online Selling Course, Lesson 43
Keep going step by step. Each lesson builds on the last one.
