When I first started advising ecommerce entrepreneurs, one of the most common questions I heard was, “How much does it really cost to start a print on demand business with Shopify?”
There’s a lot of hype out there, and while this business model is genuinely low-risk compared to others, it’s not free.
You’ll need a realistic sense of both startup and ongoing costs if you want to succeed.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through every cost category—mandatory, optional, hidden, and even per-sale.
My goal is to give you a full picture so you can make smarter decisions before you invest.
Let’s break it down.
1. Shopify Subscription
The first and most obvious cost is your Shopify subscription. You can’t run a print on demand store on Shopify without choosing a plan.
Shopify Plans (2025 prices)
| Plan | Monthly Price | Annual Price (Paid Upfront) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $39 | ~$29/month | Good for beginners |
| Shopify | $105 | ~$79/month | Extra reporting, up to 5 staff accounts |
| Advanced | $399 | ~$299/month | Best for scaling |
Most beginners go with the Basic plan. It includes everything you need to launch and manage your store: hosting, SSL, payment integration, and customer support.
Things to keep in mind:
- Shopify offers a free 3-day trial, but there’s no free plan after that.
- If you commit annually, you’ll save around 25%.
- Even at the Basic level, Shopify has all the features needed for a full-scale print on demand business.
Cost Summary:
- Monthly: $39
- Annually (if paid upfront): ~$348
If you’re starting lean, the monthly plan is totally fine.
2. Domain Name
A custom domain gives your store credibility and is essential if you want customers to take you seriously.
Domain Pricing Breakdown
| Registrar | Typical Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify | $14/year | Easy integration |
| Namecheap | $10–$12/year | Competitive pricing, free WHOIS |
| Google Domains | ~$12/year | Now part of Squarespace (as of 2023) |
You can also transfer your domain to Shopify or point your existing domain to your store.
Pro tips:
- Stick with a .com extension if possible.
- Avoid complex or hard-to-spell names.
- Domain privacy is often included but double-check.
Cost Summary:
- Annual: $10–$14
This is a one-time yearly fee, and it’s one of the cheapest but most valuable assets you’ll buy.
3. Print-on-Demand App
The beauty of the POD model is that you don’t need inventory.
But you do need to integrate a POD service provider with your Shopify store. These apps are free to install but charge you only when a customer orders something.
Popular POD Providers
| POD Provider | Monthly Fee | Base Product Costs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Printify | Free / $29 for Premium | $8–$25 per item | Global network of print providers |
| Printful | Free | $9–$30 per item | In-house fulfillment, high quality |
| Gelato | Free / $14.99+ for Plus | $10–$25 per item | Strong in international fulfillment |
| SPOD | Free | $7–$20 per item | Fast production (48 hrs) |
Printify is a strong choice for beginners who want flexibility and competitive pricing. Its global network of print providers lets you choose suppliers based on cost, location, and quality, which helps you offer faster shipping to different regions.
Printful handles everything in-house, from printing to packaging, which ensures consistent quality and branding. It’s ideal if you value reliability and want to maintain premium standards for your products.
Gelato stands out for its international reach and efficient local production. If your target audience spans multiple countries, their localized printing model reduces shipping times and costs.
SPOD is known for its speed, often producing and shipping orders within 48 hours. It’s a great option if quick turnaround and reliable delivery are your top priorities.
Most people go with Printify or Printful when starting.
Printify offers better pricing if you go with their Premium plan, while Printful focuses on high-quality fulfillment and branding.
What you’ll pay:
- Installation: Free
- Only pay when you make a sale
- Optional: Printify Premium for $29/month (reduces product costs by up to 20%)
Cost Summary:
- Startup cost: $0
- Optional: $29/month for volume sellers
That means you can get started without any upfront investment in your fulfillment infrastructure.
As your sales grow, upgrading to a paid plan like Printify Premium can significantly improve your profit margins, especially if you’re selling at volume.
4. Product Samples
This is one of the few upfront variable costs you should absolutely budget for. You need to see the product quality before shipping it to real customers.
Every POD provider allows you to order discounted samples.
Sample Pricing (Approximate)
| Product Type | Cost (with shipping) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| T-shirt | $15–$20 | Includes base cost + shipping |
| Hoodie | $25–$40 | Depends on size and print method |
| Mug | $10–$15 | Small item, lower shipping cost |
| Poster | $12–$18 | Rolled shipping, flat rate usually |
Order 1–3 of your core products to test quality, print alignment, sizing, packaging, and shipping speed.
Why this matters:
- You need quality photos for your store and ads.
- Avoid bad customer reviews due to print issues.
- Return rates can kill your profits if you skip this step.
Cost Summary:
- Initial investment: $30–$100 depending on how many samples you order
Investing in samples early on can save you from costly mistakes down the line.
It also gives you the chance to experience the unboxing process exactly as your customers would, so you can fine-tune the presentation and ensure everything feels on-brand.
5. Designs and Branding
Your designs are the heart of your store. If you’re an artist or designer, you can create them yourself.
Otherwise, you’ll need to either buy premade designs or hire freelancers.
Design Cost Options
| Method | Cost per Design | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| DIY (Canva, Photoshop) | Free–$10/month | Canva Pro adds extra assets |
| Fiverr | $10–$50 | Per design or bundled |
| Upwork | $20–$100+ | Better for brand consistency |
| Creative Market / Etsy | $5–$30 | Premade vector packs, licensed designs |
In addition to product designs, budget for:
- Store logo
- Homepage banners
- Favicon (small icon on browser tabs)
- Social media graphics
Cost Summary:
- Low budget: $0 (if you DIY everything)
- Realistic range: $50–$200 for initial assets
These branding elements create a consistent visual identity across your store and marketing channels, which builds trust with visitors.
Even if you’re starting small, investing a bit in cohesive design can make your store look far more professional and increase the chances of converting browsers into buyers.
6. Shopify Theme
Shopify offers a wide range of free and paid themes.
The free ones are great for simple stores, but a paid theme gives you more control, better UX, and better conversion-optimized layouts.
Theme Options
| Type | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free (Dawn, Sense, Craft) | $0 | Clean and mobile-friendly |
| Paid (e.g. Impulse, Prestige, Turbo) | $180–$350 | One-time payment, lifetime use |
I don’t think you need a paid theme to launch. But if you’re optimizing for sales from day one or building a premium brand, it’s worth the investment.
Cost Summary:
- Optional one-time cost: $180–$350
7. Apps and Plugins
You can run your store without many apps, but a few tools make life easier and improve performance.
Recommended Apps (Optional)
| App Type | Cost | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | Free–$15/month | Judge.me, Loox |
| Email marketing | Free–$30/month | Klaviyo, Omnisend |
| Upsell / Cross-sell | Free–$20/month | ReConvert, Vitals |
| Abandoned cart recovery | Included in Shopify | Upgrades available with apps |
Start free. Don’t stack 10 apps at once unless you’ve validated your product and traffic.
Cost Summary:
- Lean setup: $0–$15/month
- With upgrades: $20–$50/month
8. Marketing and Advertising
This is where most of your monthly costs will eventually go if you’re serious about growth.
Marketing Cost Breakdown
| Channel | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Organic Social (TikTok, IG) | Free | Requires content consistency |
| Paid Ads (Meta, Google) | $5–$1000/month | Test small budgets first |
| Influencer Marketing | $25–$200 per post | Micro-influencers work well |
| SEO | Free / $100–$500/month | Mostly time investment upfront |
You can absolutely make your first 10–50 sales without ads using organic traffic. But scaling usually requires some paid campaigns.
Cost Summary:
- Minimum viable budget: $0–$100/month
- Growth stage: $300–$1000/month
9. Transaction Fees
These are per-sale fees that kick in only after a customer pays you.
Shopify Payment Processing Fees (U.S.)
| Processor | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify Payments | 2.9% + $0.30 | Most users go with this |
| PayPal | 3.49% + $0.49 | Optional, but many customers prefer it |
There’s no way around these fees. They’re standard in ecommerce and apply per transaction.
Cost Summary:
- Only paid when you make a sale
- Deducted automatically from your payout
10. Optional Costs and Add-ons
There are other optional tools and services you might need:
- Custom packaging: Printful offers branded packaging inserts ($0.75–$2 each)
- Photography: Pro product photography runs $50–$200 per item
- Legal setup: Registering an LLC or business entity (~$100–$300 depending on state)
- Accounting software: QuickBooks or Wave (free and paid options)
Final Summary: Cost Breakdown
First Month Startup Costs
| Category | Cost Range |
|---|---|
| Shopify Subscription | $39 |
| Domain | $10–$14 |
| POD App | $0 |
| Product Samples | $30–$100 |
| Designs / Branding | $50–$200 |
| Theme (Optional) | $0–$350 |
| Apps (Optional) | $0–$50 |
| Total Range | $129 – $753 |
Ongoing Monthly Costs
| Category | Cost Range |
|---|---|
| Shopify Plan | $39 |
| Domain (averaged monthly) | ~$1 |
| Apps | $0–$50 |
| Printify Premium (Optional) | $29 |
| Marketing | $0–$1000+ |
| Total Range | $40 – $1100+ (depending on growth stage) |
Final Thoughts
If you’re starting a print on demand business with Shopify, you don’t need thousands of dollars. But you do need a plan.
A lean launch can cost as little as $150–$200 in your first month, but if you choose premium tools and invest in design or marketing early, it can climb to $700 or more.
The good news? You don’t pay for inventory. You don’t carry shipping risk. And your costs scale only as you grow.
Start with the essentials. Validate your product. Then scale up with tools and ads when it makes sense.
