Shopify vs Discourse Cloud pricing: which is cheaper for your team?
Shopify's cheapest paid tier (Basic) lists at $29/month, which beats the other on entry pricing. Mid-tier and enterprise math can flip the answer — use the per-tier table below to see the real cost for your team size at each tier.
Calculate the cost for your team
Shopify pricing tiers
| Tier | Monthly | Annual (eq) | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $39 | $29 | month | Entry ecommerce plan. |
| Grow | $105 | $79 | month | More staff and reporting features. |
| Advanced | $399 | $299 | month | Advanced reports and lower card rates. |
| Plus | $2300 | $2300 | month | Enterprise commerce starting benchmark. |
Discourse Cloud pricing tiers
| Tier | Monthly | Annual (eq) | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free (self-host) | $0 | $0 | month | Community support, self-managed |
| Pro | $100 | $100 | month | 5 staff seats, 20 GB storage |
| Business | $500 | $500 | month | 15 staff seats, 100 GB storage |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | month | Custom, deep customization |
Feature by feature
The non-pricing differences that drive the real decision.
| Capability | Shopify | Discourse Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Billing model | month | month |
| Pricing model | Store plan pricing plus payment and app costs | Flat-rate hosted forum |
| Cheapest paid tier | Basic at $29/month | Pro at $100/month |
| Mid-tier benchmark | Advanced at $299/month | Business at $500/month |
| Total paid tiers published | 4 | 2 |
| Last verified | 2026-05-16 | 2026-05-17 |
Best for…
Hand-picked use cases mapped to the winner.
| Use case | Winner |
|---|---|
| Lowest entry price (10-person team) | Shopify Basic |
| Most pricing tiers (room to grow) | Shopify (4 tiers) |
| Predictable per-seat billing | Neither (both flat/usage) |
| Most recently verified pricing | Discourse Cloud |
Choose Shopify when
- Shopify's base plan is only part of the cost.
- Entry tier (Basic) at $29/month is your budget ceiling.
- Plus comparisons should include checkout customization, B2B, automation, and payment-rate assumptions.
Choose Discourse Cloud when
- Hosted version of the open-source Discourse forum with flat monthly pricing and a free self-host option.
- Entry tier (Pro) at $100/month is your budget ceiling.
- Enterprise plan is custom-priced and includes deep customization, dedicated infrastructure, and premium support.
Switching considerations
Watch the hidden fees on both sides. Shopify: Payment processing, third-party transaction fees, paid apps, themes, and agency work can exceed the base plan. Discourse Cloud: SAML authentication costs extra Always confirm with the vendor before purchase.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper for a 10-person team, Shopify or Discourse Cloud?
At entry tier and 10 seats on annual billing: Shopify Basic comes to $29/mo; Discourse Cloud Pro comes to $100/mo. Shopify is the cheaper entry-tier choice at this team size.
Does Shopify have more pricing tiers than Discourse Cloud?
Shopify publishes more paid tiers (4 vs 2). More tiers usually means more granular ways to grow without re-platforming.
Which pricing was verified more recently?
Shopify's pricing was last verified 2026-05-16; Discourse Cloud's on 2026-05-17. Both pages link to the vendor's official pricing source so you can re-check before committing.