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Short answer: there is no official Shopify free 120 days trial in October 2026. Shopify’s current public offer is 3 days free (no credit card), then $1/month for your first 3 months on most plans. That gives you about 93 days of store time for roughly $3 before normal pricing starts.
Last updated: October 2026 · How we researched this: we checked Shopify’s official pricing and free-trial pages, its help center and 2020 press release, and read Shopify Community threads where merchants asked about 90- and 120-day trials.
Key takeaways
- The current deal is 3 days free, then $1/month for 3 months on most plans (checked October 2026).
- Shopify’s own community team said it is “not aware” of any 120-day trial. Pages promising one are out of date or exaggerated.
- The only official long trial we found was a 90-day trial in 2020, offered during COVID-19.
- After the $1 months, Basic costs $39/month (or $29/month billed yearly). Grow is $105 ($79 yearly).
- Plan your setup before you sign up, so you use the cheap months to sell, not just to build.
Is the Shopify free 120 days trial real?
Not today. When a merchant asked about it in the Shopify Community, the official Shopify account replied that it was not aware of any free trial that long. Other users in the thread found 90-day or 3-month offers instead.
We first published this page in 2024, when “120 days” was a common claim on blogs and affiliate sites. We have rewritten it because that claim no longer matches what you will see at checkout.
Where the “120 days” idea comes from
- The 2020 COVID-19 offer. In April 2020 Shopify extended its free trial to 90 days for new standard-plan signups. Many old articles still repeat it.
- Adding promos together. Some sites add a free trial to a discounted period and call the total a “free trial”. The current offer, for example, is 3 free days plus 3 paid months.
- Affiliate and partner links. Some links have shown different offers over time. They all land on Shopify’s own signup, so you get whatever Shopify offers that day.
- Rumors. Community posts mention 120- or 180-day deals for certain groups or regions. We found no official Shopify page confirming any of them.
What Shopify actually offers in October 2026
Shopify’s pricing page says: “Try 3 days free, then $1/month for 3 months.” Its FAQ adds that “most plans” start at $1 per month for the first 3 months, then switch to standard monthly pricing.
| Offer | Length | Cost | Status (Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free trial | 3 days | $0, no card needed | Active |
| Intro price after trial | 3 months | $1/month on most plans | Active |
| 90-day free trial | 90 days | $0 | Ended (2020 only) |
| 120-day free trial | 120 days | $0 | No official evidence |
| Starter plan | Ongoing | Low monthly fee | Not open to new stores |
A note on Shopify Starter. It was a cheap plan for selling through social links. Shopify’s help center now says the Starter plan isn’t available to new stores, so it is not a way to get a long, cheap trial.
Developers and agencies can also build client stores from a Shopify Partner account. That is a tool for building stores for others, not a trial for your own business. Those stores can’t take real orders until they move to a paid plan.
What you pay after the Shopify trial ends
After the $1 months, you move to the normal price of the plan you picked. Here are the prices from Shopify’s US pricing page (checked October 2026).
| Plan | Monthly billing | Yearly billing (per month) | Online card rate | Fee if not using Shopify Payments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $39 | $29 | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2% |
| Grow | $105 | $79 | 2.7% + 30¢ | 1% |
| Advanced | $399 | $299 | 2.5% + 30¢ | 0.6% |
| Plus | From $2,300 | — | 2.25% + 30¢ | 0.2% |
Prices differ by country and change often, so check your local page before you decide. Shopify also advertises “1% back” on sales as subscription credits on Basic, Grow and Advanced, with caps by plan.
Your real first-year cost (estimate)
- Basic, monthly billing: 3 × $1 + 9 × $39 = about $354 in year one.
- Grow, monthly billing: 3 × $1 + 9 × $105 = about $948 in year one.
- Add paid apps, a theme (free ones exist) and a custom domain (often $10–$20/year).
These are our own sums from list prices, not Shopify quotes. Your bill depends on your plan, country and add-ons.
How to start the current Shopify trial, step by step
- Go to Shopify’s free trial page and enter your email.
- Answer the short setup questions (what you sell, where you sell). You can skip most of them.
- Use the 3 free days to pick a free theme and add 3–5 real products.
- Before day 3 ends, choose a plan. Basic suits most new stores. Your $1/month period starts here.
- Set up Shopify Payments (or PayPal), shipping zones, taxes and your policy pages.
- Connect a domain, remove the store password and place a test order.
- Put a reminder in your calendar a week before month 3 ends, so the full price is no surprise.
For a fuller walkthrough of each setting, see our guide on how to set up your Shopify store.
How to get the most from 3 days free plus 3 months at $1
Three free days go fast. The trick is to do your slow work before you sign up.
Pre-trial checklist
- Product photos taken and edited.
- Product titles, descriptions and prices written in a spreadsheet (you can import them as CSV).
- Store name chosen and domain checked.
- Shipping costs worked out for your main countries.
- Returns, privacy and shipping policies drafted.
A 90-day plan for the $1 months
- Month 1: launch, place test orders, and install only essential apps. Our list of best free Shopify apps helps you avoid paid apps early.
- Month 2: drive traffic with email, social posts and basic SEO. Track which products get views and sales.
- Month 3: decide. Do you stay, change plan, or close the store before full pricing starts?
Gotchas to know
- Paid apps bill separately. Many have their own trials that end at different times.
- Yearly billing is cheaper per month, but you pay up front. Check if your promo applies before switching.
- Shopify’s “Pause and Build” option is only for stores past the free trial and on a paid plan. While paused, customers can’t check out.
- Asking support to extend a trial is not guaranteed. Community users report mixed results.
Who should NOT start a Shopify trial yet
- You have no products or supplier lined up yet. The cheap months will pass before you can sell.
- You only want a blog or portfolio. A website builder or WordPress is cheaper.
- You can’t afford about $39/month after month 3, plus apps.
Not sure Shopify is the right fit? Read our full Shopify review or our Shopify overview first.
Shopify free 120 days trial: FAQ
Does Shopify offer a 120-day free trial?
No. As of October 2026 there is no official 120-day free trial. Shopify offers 3 days free, then $1/month for 3 months on most plans.
Can I still get a 90-day Shopify free trial?
Not as a free trial. Shopify offered 90 days free in 2020 during COVID-19. Today the closest option is 3 free days plus 3 months at $1/month, which is about 93 days for roughly $3.
Do I need a credit card for the Shopify free trial?
No. Shopify says the 3-day free trial needs no credit card. You add billing details when you pick a plan and start the $1/month period.
What happens when my Shopify trial ends?
To keep your store, you choose a paid plan. After the 3 months at $1, you pay that plan’s normal price, such as $39/month for Basic on monthly billing.
Can I extend my Shopify free trial?
There is no official way to extend it. Some merchants say support helped case by case, but it is not guaranteed. Prepare your products before signing up so you don’t need extra time.
Conclusion
The Shopify free 120 days trial is a myth from older promotions. The real deal in 2026 is still good: 3 free days and 3 months at $1 is enough to launch and test a store for about $3.
Prepare your products first, launch in month 1, and decide by month 3 whether the full price makes sense for you.
