Is the basic plan better than the starter plan for self-hosted websites?

Shopify Discussion

Topic summary

A user purchased Shopify’s Basic plan ($29/month) but only uses Buy Buttons on their self-hosted website, questioning whether they should have chosen the cheaper Starter plan ($5/month) instead.

Key Plan Differences:

  • Both plans support Buy Buttons on external websites
  • Starter plan has higher transaction fees (5% vs 2.9% + 30¢)
  • Basic plan includes additional features: full customizable storefront, blog functionality, automation tools, shipping discounts, multi-currency/language support

Recommendation:
For someone only using Buy Buttons on a self-hosted site, the Starter plan would likely be sufficient and more cost-effective. The Basic plan is worth keeping only if:

  • Planning to expand e-commerce operations soon
  • Needing features like blogging, automation, or multi-currency selling
  • High sales volume where lower transaction fees offset the higher monthly cost

The discussion includes a comparison video link and remains open for the original poster to decide based on their specific business needs.

Summarized with AI on November 2. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

I purchased the Basic plan but I do NOT use a shopify-hosted website. I built a website myself and host it outside of shopify and I place “Buy Buttons” on that site.

With that said, did I screw up by not getting the much cheaper Starter plan, or are there more limitations with the Starter plan that I’m not aware of?

2

Here is a video you can watch that compares the two plans:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJEEOvgnh6I

1 Like
3

Thanks so much!

1 Like
4

You may have chosen a plan with more features than you currently need for your situation. Here’s a breakdown of the key differences between the Shopify Starter and Basic plans:

  1. Website Functionality:
    • The Starter Plan does not provide a fully functional, customizable standalone website. It offers a simple one-page storefront.
    • Basic Plan: Allows you to create a fully functional, customizable standalone online store with access to themes.
  2. Buy Buttons:
    • Both plans support the use of Buy Buttons on external websites.
  3. Pricing:
    • Starter Plan: $5 per month
    • Basic Plan: $29 per month
  4. Transaction Fees:
    • Starter Plan: 5% per transaction (when using Shopify Payments)
    • Basic Plan: 2.9% + 30¢ online, 2.7% + 0¢ offline (if using Shopify Payments); 2.0% if using external payment gateways
  5. Additional Features on Basic Plan:
    • Blog functionality
    • E-commerce task automation tools
    • More apps and integrations
    • Shipping discounts (up to 77% with Shopify-approved carriers)
    • Multi-currency selling
    • Multiple language support

Given that you’re using your self-hosted website and only utilizing the Buy Buttons feature, the Starter plan would likely be sufficient for your current needs. It offers the essential features for selling products on an existing website at a lower cost.

However, plan to expand your e-commerce operations soon and take advantage of features like blogging, automation tools, or multi-currency selling. The Basic Plan might be worth keeping.

To determine if you should switch to the Starter plan, consider:

  1. Your current and near-future business needs
  2. The volume of sales (due to different transaction fees)
  3. Whether you need any of the additional features offered by the Basic Plan

If you’re not using the extra features of the Basic Plan and the transaction fee difference doesn’t offset the higher monthly cost, switching to the Starter plan could be a cost-effective move for your business.