I can't see any free themes or theme library

Technical Q&A

Topic summary

User cannot see free themes or the theme library after upgrading, and their previously used Dawn theme appears partially missing. The interface shows “unlock new theme and full store customisation,” despite the upgrade.

Key clarification:

  • £5/month is the Shopify Starter plan, which offers a simplified online shop focused on selling via social media and does not allow adding additional themes from the Shopify Theme Store.
  • Full theme access (including free themes and theme library) is available on the Shopify Basic plan, which starts at £19/month.

Recommended actions:

  • Verify current subscription via Settings > Plan to confirm whether it’s Starter or Basic.
  • If on Starter and needing full theme customization, switch to the Shopify Basic plan via Settings > Plan.
  • If the plan already shows Basic but themes are still unavailable, contact Shopify Support through the Help Center for account-specific investigation.

Status: Guidance provided; resolution pending user plan verification or support follow-up.

Summarized with AI on January 4. AI used: gpt-5.
2

Hi @crystallia_co ,

Thank you for reaching out to the Community! I’m happy to provide some assistance with this request, to ensure it gets resolved. To confirm I’m fully understanding, you recently upgraded to the Shopify Basic Plan?

If you haven’t done so already, I’d encourage you confirm the subscription plan that you’ve selected. To complete this, you can head into Settings > Plan from the Shopify admin to view the details of your subscription. The Shopify Basic Plan begins at £19/monthly and would provide you with complete access to the Shopify Theme Store.

The Shopify Starter Plan however, begins at £5/monthly and does not provide you with the option to add any additional themes to your shop. This plan comes equipped with a simplified online shop and is directed to merchants looking to sell through social media. To learn more about the Shopify Starter Plan, you can check out this document.

To switch over to the Shopify Basic Plan, you can head into Settings > Plan from the Shopify admin to make this adjustment. If however, you are seeing the Shopify Basic Plan listed as your current subscription, I’d encourage you to connect with us directly. This will allow our support team to take a closer look and ensure that gets resolved.

To connect with us, you can:

  • Head over to our Help Center.
  • Enter into the chat box Contact Support.
  • Log into your shop.
  • Select one of the available support options.

Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.