Tool profile
Shopify: cost, fit and limits
Shopify is a commerce platform made by Shopify Inc. whose point of sale product lets merchants sell in person from a phone, tablet or register while sharing orders, customers and inventory with an online store. It includes an AI assistant called Sidekick in every store.
What to know first
Shopify POS is not sold alone. The base plans (Basic, Grow, Advanced, Plus) include casual in-person selling, and a per-location POS Pro add-on unlocks the retail features such as unlimited staff access and returns at any location. That makes the real cost the plan plus POS Pro. Sidekick is named on the pricing page, but no register-specific AI function is described there.
Shopify at a glance
| Maker | Shopify Inc., Canada |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Free trial only |
| Entry price | €21 per month for Basic on yearly billing |
| API access | Yes |
| Category | Best AI Point of Sale Software in 2026, rank 7 of 10 |
| Website | shopify.com |
Who Shopify is best for
Online brands opening a shop
Orders, customers and stock sit in one store record, so a pop-up or flagship location sells from the same inventory as the web store without a second system.
Merchants with several shops
POS Pro lists returns and exchanges at any location, inventory management and omnichannel selling, which matters once stock moves between sites.
Teams with many cashiers
Every plan includes limited staff POS access, and POS Pro lists unlimited staff access with roles and permissions, so a growing team does not pay per login.
Large merchants
The Plus plan is priced at 2,100 euros per month on a three-year term, a commitment suited to businesses with high volume and a long horizon.
Shopify plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | 28 euros per month | Casual in-person selling with limited staff POS access, simple customer profiles and returns at the original purchase location. |
| Grow | 78 euros per month | Same in-person baseline as every plan, on the next tier of the store plan ladder. |
| Advanced | 384 euros per month | Higher store plan tier. Casual in-person selling is included, with the retail upgrade sold separately as POS Pro. |
| Plus | 2,100 euros per month, three-year term | Top plan for large merchants. Casual in-person selling is included. It suits large merchants with high volume and a long horizon, since the commitment runs for three years and cannot be shortened. |
| POS Pro add-on | 79 euros per location per month, billed yearly | Unlimited staff access, roles and permissions, rich customer profiles, loyalty insights, returns anywhere, inventory management, retail reports and omnichannel selling. |
Checked October 2026.
What Shopify does
- Staff roles
- POS Pro lets owners set roles and permissions for unlimited staff, so a cashier can ring up sales while a manager approves returns. A small team can start with the baseline access in every plan, and move up only when the shop grows beyond a few cashiers.
- Customer profiles
- Basic plans keep simple customer profiles, and POS Pro adds richer profiles with loyalty insights tied to in-person and online purchases. This helps a shop recognize repeat buyers whether they used the web store or the counter, and it feeds marketing lists.
- Cross-location returns
- A return or exchange can be processed at any location on POS Pro, while the standard plans accept returns only where the item was bought.
- Inventory management
- POS Pro lists stock management across locations, with professional retail reports for sales and stock decisions. A shop that moves stock between a stockroom and a counter location can see what is where without calling anyone, and reports show what sells fastest.
- Sidekick
- Shopify describes Sidekick as an AI assistant built into every store. The pricing page gives no register-specific function, so test what it does in your own admin.
- Starter hardware
- A smartphone or tablet and a Shopify card reader are enough to begin. Stands, barcode scanners, cash drawers and receipt printers are optional add-ons. Buy only the accessories you will use in the first month, since stands and drawers can be added whenever the counter grows.
How Shopify handles your data
Shopify Inc. states in its privacy policy that it is headquartered in Canada, and that users in the EEA, UK and Switzerland deal first with Shopify International Ltd. in Dublin. It uses machine learning to improve services, with a human involved or no legal effect, but states no rule on training with merchant data. Data may move to Canada and the United States under Binding Corporate Rules and Standard Contractual Clauses. After a store closes or payments stop, Shopify retains store information for two years before deletion begins. The page lists subprocessors for cloud hosting but names no data center locations.
Where Shopify falls short in practice
- Two bills to add up. The store plan and POS Pro are priced separately, so a three-location retailer on Grow pays 78 euros plus 237 euros of POS Pro before payments and hardware.
- No restaurant tools. The pages describe retail selling: staff access, returns, inventory and omnichannel reports. No table service, tabs or kitchen display appear, so cafes need another product.
- Sidekick is vague for the till. Sidekick is listed as built in, yet the pricing page describes no function for the register. Confirm in a trial what it can do with POS data.
Works with
Alternatives to Shopify
Shopify: common questions
Do I need POS Pro to sell in a shop on Shopify?
No. Every plan includes casual in-person selling with limited staff access, simple customer profiles and returns at the original location. POS Pro at 79 euros per location per month adds unlimited staff, richer profiles, cross-location returns and inventory management for busier shops.
What does the Shopify Plus term mean for a small shop?
The pricing page lists Plus at 2,100 euros per month on a three-year term. That is a large, long commitment, so it fits high-volume merchants. Most small shops will compare Basic, Grow and Advanced, with POS Pro added where needed.
Is Shopify POS suitable for a restaurant?
The pricing page describes retail needs: returns, inventory, staff access and omnichannel selling. It does not list table plans, tabs or kitchen screens. A restaurant should compare restaurant-focused systems instead of stretching a retail setup. A restaurant should list its must-have tools, such as tabs and kitchen screens, and compare vendors that build for hospitality first.
How long does Shopify keep my store data after I close?
The privacy policy says Shopify retains store information for two years after a store closes, payments stop or the account ends, before deletion begins. Where Shopify acts as processor for a merchant, the merchant decides retention. Export orders and customers yourself before closing, since you cannot count on data being available in a usable format later.
What hardware do I need to start with Shopify POS?
The pricing page says a smartphone or tablet plus a Shopify card reader is enough to start. Optional items include an iPad stand, barcode scanners, cash drawers and receipt printers. Shopify advises checking compatibility before reusing existing hardware at the counter.