How to Cancel Shopify in 2026 (Save Your Store Data + Avoid Restart Fees)
Shopify starts at $39/month (Basic) and goes up to $399/month (Advanced). If your store isn't making money, that's $468-4,788/year in overhead. Here's how to cancel, pause, or downgrade without losing your data.
⚡ Pause vs Cancel: Shopify offers a "Pause and Build" plan ($9/month) that keeps your store data but disables checkout. This is a retention tactic — you're still paying $108/year for a dead store. If you're truly done, CANCEL and export your data.
Step 1: Export Everything
Shopify stores can be exported, but it's not a one-click process:
Blog posts: No built-in export. Use a Shopify app or manually copy/paste.
Product images: The product CSV has image URLs — download them before the store is deleted.
Gift card balances: Outstanding gift cards are your legal liability. Track these carefully.
Step 2: Handle Your Domain
Shopify-purchased domain: Transfer to another registrar (Cloudflare, Namecheap) BEFORE canceling. You have 10 days after cancellation to initiate a transfer.
External domain: Update DNS records to remove Shopify's CNAME/A records and point to your new host.
Domain expiry: If your domain was included free with your plan, make sure auto-renew is on or transfer it out.
Step 3: Cancel Third-Party Apps
Shopify apps bill separately through Shopify. Canceling your store does NOT automatically cancel app subscriptions:
Go to Settings → Apps and sales channels
Uninstall EVERY paid app before canceling your store
Common expensive apps: Klaviyo, Yotpo, ReCharge, Bold Subscriptions, Oberlo
Some apps bill directly (not through Shopify) — check your credit card statements
Step 4: Cancel Your Shopify Store
Log in to your Shopify admin
Go to Settings → Plan
Click Deactivate store (or "Cancel subscription")
Select your reason
Enter your password to confirm
Click Deactivate store
⚠️ Data Retention: After canceling, Shopify keeps your store data for ~2 years. You can reactivate by logging in and choosing a plan. BUT — don't rely on this. Export everything first because Shopify can change this policy.
The Real Cost of Shopify
Shopify's sticker price doesn't tell the full story:
Basic plan: $39/month ($468/year)
Transaction fees (non-Shopify Payments): 2.0% per transaction on top of processor fees
Shopify Payments processing: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (Basic)
Apps: Average store uses 6+ paid apps = $50-200+/month additional
Theme: Premium themes cost $180-350 one-time
Realistic total for a small store: $100-300/month all-in
Cheaper Alternatives
WooCommerce (free + hosting ~$5-15/mo): Open-source on WordPress. You own everything. Massive plugin ecosystem.
Etsy ($0.20/listing + 6.5% fee): If you sell handmade/vintage. Built-in traffic. No monthly fee.
Square Online (free tier): Free online store with Square payment processing (2.9% + $0.30).
Big Cartel (free for 5 products): Artists and makers. Simple. $9.99/mo for up to 50 products.
Gumroad (10% fee, no monthly): Best for digital products. No subscription, just takes a cut.
Stripe + simple website: If you have few products, a landing page + Stripe checkout costs $0/month.
💡 The Math: If your store makes less than $500/month in revenue, Shopify's fees (plan + apps + transaction fees) eat 20-40% of your revenue. At that scale, Etsy, Square, or WooCommerce on a $5 VPS is a better deal.
🔍 Find All Your Subscriptions
Shopify + apps + domains + email + hosting — e-commerce subscriptions stack up. Upload your bank statement to find every recurring charge.