Shopify Free Account: A Quick Guide

Can You Really Get a Shopify Free Account?

Yes, you can use Shopify for free - but with some limits. Shopify does not offer a permanently free plan, but there are four ways to get started without paying full price. You can sign up for the 3-day free trial, take advantage of the $1/month introductory deal for the first three months, start on the $5/month Starter plan, or create a completely free developer store through the Shopify Partner Program.

Each option works differently and fits a different situation. Store owners testing the waters should start with the free trial and $1/month deal. People who just want to sell through social media or links can use the Starter plan. Developers and agency owners building stores for clients should go straight to the Partner Program. Below, we break down every option so you can pick the right one.

Shopify Free Trial: 3 Days to Test Everything

Shopify’s free trial gives you 3 days of full access to the platform. You do not need a credit card to sign up. During the trial, you can build your store, add products, install apps, and customize your theme - but you cannot accept real customer payments or remove the store password page.

After the 3 days, Shopify currently offers the first 3 months at just $1/month. That means your first 93 days cost a total of $3. This is the cheapest way to launch a real, paying Shopify store.

How to Start Your Free Shopify Trial

1. Sign up on Shopify’s website. Click “Start free trial,” enter your email, and create a store name. No credit card is required at this step.
2. Answer the setup questions. Shopify asks about your industry, revenue goals, and whether you already sell online. These answers customize your dashboard but do not lock you into anything.
3. Add your products. You can add products manually one at a time, or import them in bulk using a CSV file. Add at least 3-5 products so you can see how your store will actually look.
4. Pick a free theme. Shopify offers 13 free themes in the Theme Store. Filter by “Free” to see them all. Each theme has multiple presets, so you get more than 13 design options. Use the theme editor to change colors, fonts, and section layouts without writing any code.
5. Install free apps. Search the Shopify App Store and filter by “Free.” Useful free apps include email marketing tools, basic SEO checkers, and inventory trackers. Stick to 3-5 apps at the start to keep your store fast.
6. Build your essential pages. Create an About Us page, Contact page, Shipping Policy, and Privacy Policy before you launch. Shopify has templates for the legal pages that you can customize with your store details.
7. Set up shipping and payments. Configure your shipping zones and rates. Connect a payment provider like Shopify Payments, PayPal, or Stripe. You will need this ready before your first real sale.
8. Place a test order. Turn on Shopify’s test mode (Bogus Gateway) and run through the full checkout process. Check that order confirmations, shipping notifications, and inventory counts update correctly. Also test on your phone - over half of Shopify traffic comes from mobile devices.

What You Can and Can’t Do on the Free Trial

Before you sign up, know exactly what the free trial includes and what it does not. This saves you from surprises on day 3.

What’s Included

• Full access to the Shopify admin dashboard
• Add unlimited products with images, descriptions, and variants
• Install free and paid apps from the App Store
• Customize any free theme using the drag-and-drop editor
• Set up shipping zones, tax rules, and discount codes
• Place test orders using the Bogus Gateway
• Connect a custom domain (if you already own one)

What’s Not Included

• You cannot accept real customer payments during the trial
• Your store is password-protected and not visible to the public
• You cannot remove the password page until you pick a paid plan
• Some apps require a paid Shopify plan before they activate
• Shopify Payments setup requires choosing a plan first

The bottom line: the free trial is for building and testing, not for selling. Once your store is ready, pick a plan (starting at $1/month for the first 3 months) to go live.

Shopify Starter Plan: The $5/Month Almost-Free Option

If you do not need a full online store, the Shopify Starter plan costs $5/month and lets you sell products through links, social media, email, and messaging apps. You get a simple product page hosted by Shopify, but you do not get a full storefront with collections, navigation, or a custom theme.

What the Starter Plan Includes

• A Linkpop page (Shopify’s link-in-bio tool) where customers can browse and buy
• Shareable product links you can post anywhere - Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, email
• Shopify’s checkout for processing payments
• Access to Shopify Payments (2.9% + 30 cents per transaction in the US)
• Order management and basic analytics in the Shopify admin
• Manual order creation for in-person or custom sales

What the Starter Plan Does NOT Include

• No full online store or custom theme
• No product collections or navigation menus
• No discount codes or gift cards
• No shipping rate calculator (you set flat rates only)
• No staff accounts - just your single login

The Starter plan works best for creators, influencers, and side hustlers who already have an audience on social media and just need a way to take payments. If you need a full storefront, you will want the Basic plan or higher.

Free Trial vs Starter vs Basic: Which One Should You Pick?

Choosing between Shopify’s low-cost options depends on what you actually need. Here is a quick comparison:

Our recommendation: If you want a real online store, start the free trial, build your store during those 3 days, then lock in the $1/month deal for 3 months. That gives you 93 days to make your first sales before paying full price. If you only sell on Instagram or through direct links, the $5/month Starter plan is enough.

How to Keep Costs Near Zero After the Trial

The free trial and $1/month deal get you started cheaply, but costs can add up if you are not careful. Here are practical ways to keep your Shopify expenses low in the first few months.

• Stick with a free theme. Shopify’s 13 free themes are well-built and mobile-friendly. You do not need a $350 premium theme to make your first sales.
• Limit paid apps. Many store owners install 10+ apps and end up paying $50-100/month in app fees alone. Start with free apps only, and only add paid ones when you have a specific problem to solve.
• Use Shopify Payments. If you use a third-party payment gateway, Shopify charges an extra transaction fee on top of the gateway’s fees. Shopify Payments removes that extra charge.
• Create your own product photos. A smartphone, natural lighting, and a white background are enough for clean product shots. Skip the expensive photographer until you are making consistent sales.
• Do your own marketing first. Post on social media, email friends and family, and join relevant online communities before spending money on ads. Paid advertising works better once you know which products sell.
• Skip the custom domain at first. Your free myshopify.com URL works fine for testing. Buy a custom domain ($14/year through Shopify) once you are ready to look more professional.

Shopify Free for Developers: The Partner Program

Developers, freelancers, and agencies can use Shopify completely free through the Shopify Partner Program. When you join, you get access to unlimited development stores where you can build, test, and experiment with no time limit and no charges.

How to Set Up a Free Shopify Developer Account

1. Join the Shopify Partner Program. Go to the Shopify Partners page and click “Join now.” Fill in your name, email, and business details. The program is free to join with no approval process.
2. Create a development store. From your Partner Dashboard, click “Stores” in the left menu, then “Add store.” Select “Development store” as the type. Enter a store name and you are ready to go.
3. Build your store. Development stores have all the same features as paid stores. You can add products, install apps, customize themes, and test the full checkout process.
4. Test with Liquid. Use Shopify’s Liquid templating language to build custom sections, modify theme files, and create unique store layouts. Development stores are the best place to test code changes without breaking a live site.
5. Transfer or launch. When the store is ready, you can either transfer it to a client (they pick their own plan) or convert it to a live store by choosing a plan yourself.

Development Store Limitations to Know

Development stores are powerful, but they have a few restrictions:

• You can only process up to 50 test orders (use the Bogus Gateway)
• The store is password-protected and cannot go public until a paid plan is selected
• You cannot process real customer payments
• Some apps may not install or function fully on development stores
• Shopify Payments cannot be fully activated

These limits exist because dev stores are meant for building and testing, not running a live business. Once you or your client picks a paid plan, all restrictions are removed.

Why the Partner Program Matters for Developers

The biggest advantage is cost: you pay nothing to build stores. You can have multiple development stores running at the same time, each for a different client or project. You also get access to the Partner Dashboard, which tracks your referred merchants, commissions, and app performance. If you refer merchants to Shopify or build apps, you can earn recurring commissions through the program.

Ready to get going? Let’s get started with Shopify!