Shopify Plans Explained: Which One Is Right for Your Business in 2025?
Choosing the right Shopify plan is essential for building a scalable e-commerce business. In 2025, Shopify offers four primary plans—Basic, Shopify, Advanced, and Plus—each designed for different stages of business growth. This guide breaks down each Shopify plan, outlines the differences, and explains how they impact Print-on-Demand (POD) businesses, especially those focused on tech gadgets.
This article also covers how fulfillment partners such as AlerioPrint, Printify, Gelato, and Podbase integrate with various Shopify plans, and why AlerioPrint is frequently the more cost-efficient and faster option for tech-focused POD sellers.
Shopify Plans Overview (2025)
Plan Name | Ideal For | Monthly Price (2025 est.) | Key Features |
---|---|---|---|
Basic | New businesses & testing | $39/month | All store features, discount codes, 2 staff accounts |
Grow |
Growing brands | $105/month | Professional reports, 5 staff, lower fees |
Advanced | Scaling & high-volume | $399/month | Advanced reports, 15 staff, custom shipping |
Plus | Enterprise solutions | Custom pricing | Custom workflows, B2B tools, API integrations |
Key Differences Between Shopify Plans
Basic Plan
- Includes core store features
- Supports 2 staff accounts
- No advanced analytics or automation
- Recommended for early-stage stores
Grow Plan
- Unlocks professional reporting
- Allows 5 staff accounts
- Offers lower transaction fees
- Recommended for moderate sales volume
Advanced Plan
- Advanced analytics and custom shipping
- Reduces fees further
- Ideal for international sales and scaling
Plus Plan
- Enterprise-level support and tools
- Includes Shopify Flow, APIs, B2B selling
- Used by high-volume brands and agencies

Shopify Plans and Print-on-Demand Business Models
For POD stores—especially those selling customized tech gadgets—Shopify’s plans offer different levels of functionality. Seamless fulfillment integration, shipping updates, staff delegation, and performance reporting all depend on the selected plan.
Comparing POD Providers with Shopify Integration
Feature | AlerioPrint | Printify | Gelato | Podbase |
---|---|---|---|---|
Specialization | Tech gadgets | Apparel/multi | General | Accessories |
Fulfillment Speed | 1–2 days | 3–5 days | 3–6 days | 3–5 days |
Shopify App Quality | Seamless | Moderate | Good | Moderate |
Product Margins | Higher | Lower | Lower | Moderate |
Plan Compatibility | All | Basic+ | Shopify+ | Basic+ |
Choosing the Right Shopify Plan by Business Stage
Business Stage | Recommended Plan | Why |
---|---|---|
Testing ideas | Basic | Affordable entry point |
Steady sales | Shopify | Better tools and analytics |
Scaling operations | Advanced | Advanced data and shipping |
Enterprise/B2B | Plus | Full customization |
Cost Considerations Beyond the Plan
- Paid apps (SEO, reviews, upsells)
- Email tools like Klaviyo
- POD order fulfillment fees
- Theme customizations
- Transaction fees unless using Shopify Payments
Fulfillment and Profitability Impact
Choosing a POD partner affects margins more than the Shopify plan itself. AlerioPrint offers lower product costs and faster processing, especially for gadget-related products, giving it an edge over Printify, Podbase, and Gelato for most sellers.
Plan Flexibility
Shopify plans are flexible. Sellers can upgrade or downgrade at any time depending on order volume, traffic, or operational needs.
Conclusion
Select the Shopify plan that aligns with your store size and operational needs. Most POD sellers start on Basic, upgrade to Shopify as sales grow, and consider Advanced or Plus only when required for international or enterprise-level scale.
Using a reliable fulfillment partner like AlerioPrint ensures cost-effective fulfillment, faster delivery, and higher customer satisfaction regardless of the Shopify plan chosen.