How do you build a store with the Shopify website builder?
By John Will, Founder & CEOUpdated · 8 min read
The Shopify website builder lets you build a store without code: sign up (3 days free, then $1 a month for 3 months), add products, pick one of 24 free themes or a paid one, connect a domain, set up payments, shipping and taxes, then test and launch. Plans cost $25, $65 or $399 a month billed monthly. Hire a developer when you need custom sections, integrations, a migration or a Shopify Plus build.
Key takeaways
- Shopify plans: Basic $25, Grow $65, Advanced $399 a month billed monthly ($19, $49 and $299 billed yearly). Plus starts at $2,300 a month.
- The Shopify Theme Store lists 24 free themes. Paid themes are a one-time payment; Impulse, for example, is listed at $500.
- Shopify's AI store builder (launched May 2025) generates store layouts from a few keywords. It is a starting point, not a finished store.
- Hire a developer for custom sections, apps that must talk to your ERP or 3PL, a platform migration, or anything that breaks the theme editor.
What is the Shopify website builder?
Shopify's website builder is the theme editor inside your Shopify admin. You pick a theme, then add, remove and reorder sections and blocks on any page without code. Themes are built with Liquid, Shopify's templating language, plus HTML, CSS, JavaScript and JSON, so a developer can go further when the editor runs out.
Shopify also has an AI store builder. According to PYMNTS (May 2025), it creates store layouts with text and images from a few descriptive keywords. Use it to get a first draft fast, then replace the generic copy and images with your own.
How do you build a Shopify website step by step?
This is the order we use for a Shopify website setup. Shopify's Help Center covers each step, and its setup guide and printable checklist track progress.
- Sign up. Start a trial at shopify.com. You do not need to pick a plan until the trial ends.
- Add your products. From Products, click Add product, then add the title, description, images, price, SKU, inventory and variants.
- Choose a theme. Add a free theme in the admin or buy one from the Shopify Theme Store. You can preview paid themes before you buy.
- Build the key pages. Home, collection, product, about, contact, FAQ, and the shipping, returns and privacy policies.
- Connect a domain. Buy one through Shopify, connect one you own, or transfer it in, then set it as your primary domain.
- Set up payments, shipping and taxes. Turn on a payment provider, build shipping rates by zone and check your tax settings.
- Install only the apps you need. Reviews, email capture and subscriptions are common. Every app adds script weight to the store.
- Test and launch. Place a test order, check mobile, speed and analytics, then remove the store password.
How much does it cost to build a Shopify website?
| Cost | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic plan | $25 a month ($19 billed yearly) | Solo sellers |
| Grow plan | $65 a month ($49 billed yearly) | 5 staff accounts |
| Advanced plan | $399 a month ($299 billed yearly) | 15 staff accounts |
| Shopify Plus | From $2,300 a month | Unlimited staff; B2B and checkout features for larger brands |
| Theme | $0 for 24 free themes; paid themes are a one-time payment | Example: Impulse, $500, one-time payment and lifetime license |
| Developer or agency | Quoted per project | Shopify Partners bill you directly, not through your Shopify bill |
The plan is the small number. The real Shopify website creation cost is the build itself and the apps you keep paying for each month.
Doing $100K+ a month and aiming for $1M? Launching or rebuilding Shopify next to a $100K+ a month marketplace business? Shaazford quotes the build as a one-off project and runs the store for $1,600 a month.
What is the best Shopify website builder plan for a growing brand?
Basic is fine for a test. A brand doing $100K+ a month on Amazon that is launching DTC usually starts on Grow or Advanced, for staff accounts and better reporting, and moves to Plus when it needs B2B wholesale features, unlimited staff accounts or very high order volume. Shopify says Plus handles 10,000+ checkouts per minute and 99.99% uptime during flash sales.
Do not over-buy on day one. Shopify plans change month to month, so match the plan to what the store needs this quarter.
When should you hire a Shopify developer instead of building it yourself?
Build it yourself if a theme does 90% of what you need. Hire a Shopify website builder, developer or agency when:
- You need custom sections, product page logic or bundles the theme editor cannot do.
- The store must connect to an ERP, 3PL, subscription platform or Amazon inventory.
- You are migrating from WooCommerce, Magento or another platform and need redirects, customers and order history moved cleanly.
- Speed or conversion has stalled and the fix is in code, not settings.
Shopify's Partner Directory lets you filter by service, location, industry and price range. A partner works through a collaborator account, which expires on its own if unused for 90 days.
Shaazford quotes store builds as one-off projects and runs Shopify for brands doing $100K+ a month at $1,600 a month. Our beauty client, already at $300K a month on Amazon, went from $0 to $85K a month on Shopify in 90 days (case study).
What should you check before you launch a Shopify store?
- A real test order, start to finish, including the confirmation email.
- Mobile first: most visits will be on a phone. Check the product page and checkout on one.
- Page speed after apps are installed, not before.
- Analytics and ad pixels firing on purchase.
- Email capture and a welcome flow live before the first ad dollar. See our Shopify email marketing guide.
- Policies, contact details and shipping times visible on every product page.
Sources
- Shopify, pricing: Basic, Grow, Advanced and Plus prices; trial terms
- Shopify Help Center, getting started (first product, theme, domain)
- Shopify Help Center, introduction to Shopify: setup guide, store design checklist, Shopify Launch Check
- Shopify.dev, themes
- Shopify Theme Store, free themes: 24 free themes listed on 7 October 2026
- Shopify Theme Store, Impulse theme listing: $500, one-time payment, lifetime license
- Shopify, Shopify Plus
- Shopify Help Center, hiring and working with Shopify Partners
- PYMNTS, Shopify debuts AI-powered store builder (May 2025)
- Shaazford case study, beauty brand DTC launch on Shopify
Plan prices, themes and setup steps from shopify.com, the Shopify Help Center and the Shopify Theme Store, checked on 7 October 2026. The AI store builder description is from PYMNTS. Plus performance figures are Shopify's own claims.
Questions, answered.
How do I use the Shopify website builder?
Sign up, add products, choose a theme, then use the theme editor to add and arrange sections on each page. Connect a domain, set up payments, shipping and taxes, place a test order and launch.
How much does it cost to build a Shopify website?
Plans are $25, $65 or $399 a month billed monthly, or $19, $49 and $299 billed yearly. Themes are free or a one-time payment. Apps, a domain and any developer work are extra.
Is there a free Shopify website builder?
Shopify offers a 3-day trial and then $1 a month for 3 months, and 24 free themes. After that you need a paid plan to keep selling.
Does Shopify have an AI website builder?
Yes. Shopify launched an AI store builder in May 2025 that generates store layouts with text and images from a few keywords you enter.
Should I hire a Shopify website builder?
Hire one when you need custom features, integrations with an ERP or 3PL, a migration from another platform, or code-level speed and conversion work. A good theme covers most stores without custom code.
How long does it take to build a Shopify website?
A simple theme-based store can go live in days. A custom build with integrations usually takes several weeks; our beauty client's store shipped in 21 days.
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