How it's calculated
Fixed costs are what you pay whether you sell or not: the plan, apps, email tool and other subscriptions for 12 months, plus the theme and domain once. Card fees grow with sales: the percentage of each order plus 30¢. Gross profit is your orders × average order × gross margin.
Orders a month to cover fixed costs is your monthly fixed cost divided by what one order leaves after product costs and card fees. Below that number, the store costs you money each month even if every single order is profitable.
What to cut first
Not the plan. Look at apps: list each one with what it costs and what it did for you last month. Most new stores pay for at least one app they no longer use. Here's how to audit them in 30 minutes.
Questions people ask
How much does Shopify cost per month?
In the US, the Basic plan is $39 a month billed monthly or $29 a month billed yearly, and Grow is $105 or $79 (US list prices checked November 2026). Shopify shows different prices in many countries, and often runs an intro offer for the first months. Check shopify.com/pricing for yours.
Do I need a paid theme?
No. Shopify's free themes are fast and well maintained, and plenty of successful stores never buy one. A paid theme is a one-time cost, usually a few hundred dollars, worth it only when a specific feature saves you an app or a developer.
Which costs do people forget?
Card fees (they grow with sales), apps that each look cheap, an email tool once the list passes the free tier, and the domain renewal. Add your own time too, even if you don't pay yourself yet.
What does gross margin mean here?
The share of an order left after product cost, postage and packaging, before card fees and fixed costs. If an average $45 order leaves $18 after those, the margin is 40%. The profit per order calculator works this out for you.