Shopify’s trial is 3 days, with no credit card required. After it, most people continue at $1 a month for 3 months before the normal price starts. It is a good deal, with three restrictions nobody puts in the headline.
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How the trial works
- 3 days, no card. You sign up with an email address and get a working store straight away.
- Then $1 a month for 3 months once you pick a plan, after which the standard monthly price applies.
- The length can vary by country, according to Shopify’s help centre. The sign-up page shows the one that applies to you.
What you cannot do during the trial
- Take real orders. During the trial your store is private or its checkout is inactive. To accept a real order you have to choose a paid plan — billing then starts once the trial period ends.
- Extend it. Shopify’s help centre is explicit: the trial cannot be extended.
- Leave it running. If the trial ends before you pick a plan, the store is paused until you do. Nothing is lost, but nothing is visible either.
How to use three days properly
Three days is enough to find out whether Shopify suits you, if you do the parts that reveal problems rather than the parts that are fun.
Day one — the boring settings. Add five real products with real photos. Set up shipping zones and rates, and tax settings for where you sell. Most stores that stall, stall here.
Day two — the storefront. Install a free theme — all 24 are made by Shopify — and build the home page, one collection and your policy pages. Resist buying a premium theme before day three.
Day three — money. Set up payments, then place a test order with Shopify’s test payment mode and follow it all the way to the confirmation email. If everything works, pick a plan before the trial runs out.
What the introductory months cost
On Basic, 3 months at $1 followed by nine at $39 comes to $354 for the first year — almost exactly the cost of paying for the year upfront, but without the commitment. Put a reminder in your calendar for the end of the third month: that is the date the price changes.
The full plan comparison, and what a real first year costs once apps and card fees are added, is on our pricing page.
Questions we get asked
Do I need a credit card for the Shopify free trial?
No. Shopify’s trial page states it plainly: no credit card required.
Can I sell during the free trial?
Only once you have chosen a paid plan. Until then the checkout is inactive, so you can build and test but not take real payments.
What happens if I do nothing when the trial ends?
The store is paused until you choose a plan. Your products and settings are kept.
Can I get a longer trial?
Not by asking — Shopify does not extend trials. Occasional promotions change the length, and the sign-up page always shows the current one.
Start your free trialNo credit card required