Which Shopify plan is best for dropshipping?

When starting a dropshipping business on Shopify, one of the most important decisions you'll face is selecting the right plan. Shopify offers multiple pricing tiers, each with unique features and benefits tailored to different types of businesses.

Choosing the correct Shopify plan for your dropshipping store will impact your ability to scale, manage orders, and optimize customer experience. In this guide, we'll break down the key features of each Shopify plan to answer you question: Which Shopify plan is best for dropshipping?

We'll also touch on how certain Shopify themes can further enhance your dropshipping success.

Shopify Plans Overview

Before diving into the specific benefits for dropshipping, it's essential to understand the different Shopify plans and what they offer:

1. Shopify Starter ($5/month) : This plan is ideal for selling products through social media channels like Facebook and Instagram but doesn't provide a full online store.
2. Basic Shopify ($39/month) : This plan includes everything you need to set up an online store, manage inventory, and process payments.
3. Shopify ($105/month) : Ideal for growing businesses, this plan adds professional reports, better shipping discounts, and more robust eCommerce features.
4. Advanced Shopify ($399/month) : Geared toward larger businesses, this plan offers advanced reporting, third-party shipping rates, and more tools for scaling.
5. Shopify Plus (Custom pricing) : This enterprise-level plan offers the highest level of customization, support, and automation tools for large-scale businesses.

Now, let's look at which Shopify plan is best suited for your dropshipping business.

Shopify Starter Plan: Best for Testing the Waters

If you're completely new to eCommerce and want to dip your toes into dropshipping, the Shopify Starter plan might seem tempting. For just $5 a month, you can sell products directly through social media without maintaining a full-fledged website.

However, the Starter plan lacks many essential features you'll need for long-term success in dropshipping, such as a dedicated online store and customizable Shopify themes.

While this plan might be useful if you're experimenting with dropshipping and aren't ready to commit to a full store, most serious dropshippers will quickly outgrow it.

Basic Shopify Plan: The Best Starting Point for Most Dropshippers

For the majority of new dropshipping businesses, Basic Shopify offers the best balance of affordability and functionality. Priced at $39 per month, it provides everything you need to set up a fully functional dropshipping store.

Key features include:

• Unlimited products : Dropshipping relies on having a wide product range, and this plan allows you to list as many products as you want.
• Abandoned cart recovery : This feature can significantly boost email sales by automatically sending follow-up to customers who leave items in their cart without purchasing.
• Customizable themes : Basic Shopify gives you access to both free and paid Shopify themes, allowing you to create a unique and professional-looking store. Themes like Debutify and Booster offer built-in features specifically designed for dropshipping, such as optimized product pages, trust badges, and conversion-focused layouts. Tips: You can find a nice list of top Shopify themes for dropshipping at eComStart:  https://ecomstart.io/best-shopify-themes-for-dropshipping/

If you're just starting out and don't have a large budget, Basic Shopify is likely the best plan to begin with. As your business grows, you can easily upgrade to a more advanced plan.

Shopify Plan: Ideal for Growing Dropshipping Businesses

If you've been dropshipping for a while and are experiencing consistent sales, you may want to upgrade to the Shopify plan for $105 per month. This plan includes all the features of the Basic plan but adds some useful tools for scaling your business.

Notable features include:

• Professional reports : With more in-depth analytics, you can make better decisions on which products to focus on and optimize your marketing efforts.
• Better shipping discounts : If you're offering free or discounted shipping, the savings on shipping rates can offset the higher monthly fee.
• More customization options for themes : While you can access most themes on the Basic plan, the additional features on the Shopify plan allow you to optimize them even further for better conversions.

Themes like Turbo are perfect for stores on this plan. Turbo is designed for high traffic and fast loading times, ensuring that your customers have a seamless shopping experience even as your store grows.

Advanced Shopify: For High-Volume Dropshippers

For businesses that have scaled significantly, the Advanced Shopify plan at $399 per month offers powerful features designed for managing high order volumes and expanding globally.

Key features include:

• Advanced reporting : Get more detailed insights into your business performance, customer behavior, and product success rates.
• Third-party shipping rates : If you're calculated working with multiple suppliers or shipping internationally, this feature allows you to show real-time shipping rates to customers.
• Lower transaction fees : For dropshippers handling a large number of transactions, the reduced fees can lead to substantial savings.

Check out our recommendation for free & premium Shopify store at  our latest Diigo entry

Shopify Plus: For Enterprise-Level Dropshipping

If you've grown your dropshipping business into an enterprise, Shopify Plus offers the highest level of customization, automation, and support. This plan is designed for businesses processing thousands of daily orders and requires a custom quote based on your specific needs.

Shopify Plus is compatible with any theme, but stores on this plan often opt for custom-built themes to support their unique workflows and branding.

Conclusion: Which Plan is Right for Your Dropshipping Business?

For most new dropshippers, Basic Shopify is the best starting point. It provides all the tools you need to run a successful store, access to a wide variety of dropshipping apps, and customizable themes like Debutify and Booster . As your business grows, you can easily upgrade to the Shopify or Advanced Shopify plans for more advanced features and analytics.

Choosing the right plan depends on the size of your business, your budget, and your growth goals. No matter which plan you choose, Shopify's robust ecosystem of apps and themes ensures that you can scale your dropshipping business successfully.

If you want to read more about Shopify, don't forget to check out eComStart Shinobi blog  every week!

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