Direct answer: Total cost of ownership (TCO) includes platform fees, payments, apps, implementation, integrations, operations and the cost of change. Shopify reports an advantage in research it commissioned, but the published benchmark is a comparison of studied North American businesses, not a guaranteed saving for every merchant.
Read the benchmark in context
Shopify's TCO calculator and research summary describe a study commissioned by Shopify and conducted from December 2023 to January 2024. Shopify reports TCO up to 36% better than selected competing platforms. “Up to” is a result within the research, not the result your store should budget for. Review the methodology and run a merchant-specific comparison before choosing a platform.
Calculate your own cost
- Subscription and transaction charges in your country and plan.
- Payment provider rates, gateway charges and refund costs.
- Apps, custom integrations and ongoing operational support.
- Migration, data cleanup, training and maintenance.
- Revenue assumptions, with conversion tests kept separate from verified costs.
Document the baseline and compare like-for-like capabilities over the same period. A checkout conversion benchmark or illustrative uplift is not a promise that a particular store will grow.
Payment availability changes the comparison
Shopify Payments is country dependent. If it is unavailable for your business, include the chosen third-party provider's rates and applicable Shopify third-party transaction fees. Even where Shopify Payments is available, using an additional third-party provider can trigger fees; check the current payment guidance. The former blanket claim that activating Shopify Payments removes every transaction fee was too broad.
Make the decision from your economics
Model expected order volume, average order value, gross margin, refunds, customer acquisition cost and implementation effort. Test the assumptions with actual quotes and the latest plan terms. Shopify can be a strong fit without claiming to have the lowest TCO for every merchant.
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