Shopify free trial: 3 days free, no card needed, then an intro price for the first 3 months
Short answer: Shopify's free trial is 3 days, not 90 days. Shopify's own free trial page says you can try it free for 3 days and that no credit card is required. The "3 months" you may have seen is a different thing: after the trial, most plans start at a reduced monthly price for the first 3 months, and then move to the regular price. That is paid, not free.
What Shopify states, in order:
- Days 1 to 3: free, no credit card required to start
- Months 1 to 3 after the trial: a reduced monthly intro price on most plans (Shopify does not name the plans left out)
- After that: the regular monthly price of the plan you chose
This page covers the trial itself and how to make the three days count. Plan-by-plan prices are in the Shopify pricing guide, payment processing is in Shopify fees, and setup steps are in how to get started on Shopify. All details here were checked on Shopify's official pages on November 2, 2026.
What Shopify says about the trial and the intro price
Check the amount on your own screen, because Shopify shows it in your local currency and region. When we opened Shopify's pricing and free trial pages, the offer read "3 days free, then 150 yen per month for 3 months", with prices in Japanese yen. The English pages did not make clear which country's terms they were showing. We therefore do not quote a U.S. dollar amount here. Open Shopify's free trial page and pricing page and read the figure for your region.
| Stage | What the page says | What to confirm on your screen |
|---|---|---|
| Free trial | 3 days, no credit card required | That you are on the trial sign-up path, not a paid plan |
| Intro period | Reduced monthly price for the first 3 months on most plans | The amount for your country and whether your plan is included |
| After the intro | Regular monthly price of the plan | The date it switches and the new amount |
Sources: Shopify free trial, Shopify pricing. The pricing page did not say whether the intro price applies to annual billing, so check that on the checkout screen if you plan to pay yearly. Shopify Plus uses a separate sign-up route and is not covered here.
"Shopify free trial 90 days" and "3 months free": what is actually true
The trial is 3 days. The 3 months is a discounted period you pay for. The mix-up is understandable, because Shopify advertises both numbers together: a short free trial followed by three months at a low monthly price. Read as a headline it can sound like "three months free", but the official wording is a 3-day trial followed by three months at the intro price.
We also found no plan on Shopify's pages that is free indefinitely. If you are looking for a store builder that costs nothing, Shopify's offer is built as a short trial plus a low-cost start rather than a permanent free tier. If cost is the main question, compare it with other options in Shopify vs Wix or Shopify vs WooCommerce.
What to do during the 3 days
Aim to leave the trial with one product that a test customer can buy. Three days is short, so decide these things before you press start:
- One product to sell first: name, photos, price and stock
- Your shipping rates and handling time
- Business name and address for the store's legal pages
- How you want to take payment
Then work in this order:
- Day 1: add the product with title, description, photos and price
- Day 2: set shipping, payments and basic store details
- Day 3: place a test order and check the whole journey, including the confirmation email
Leave theme polish and extra apps for later. The setup details are in how to get started on Shopify.
Picking a plan before the trial ends
When the 3 days end, you choose a plan. Compare the plans on Shopify's pricing page for your region, and read how payment fees differ in Shopify fees and the pricing guide. If you are not yet sure what you will sell, starting on the smallest plan and upgrading when you hit a limit is a reasonable way to keep early costs down.
Make the intro months count
Use the intro period to publish and make the first sale, then decide before the regular price starts. A simple plan:
- Finish a test order during the trial
- Choose a plan and confirm at checkout that the intro price applies to it
- Month 1: add products and set up shipping and returns information
- Month 2: launch and tell people about the store
- Early month 3: put the switch date and regular price in your calendar and decide whether to keep, change or cancel
If you may cancel, check the cancellation steps and dates before month 3 rather than on the day the regular price starts.
FAQ
Is Shopify free? Not permanently. There is a 3-day free trial, then an intro price on most plans for the first 3 months, then the regular price.
Do I need a credit card to start the trial? Shopify's free trial FAQ says no credit card is required.
Is the Shopify free trial 90 days? No. The trial is 3 days. The 3 months is a reduced paid period afterwards.
Does the intro price apply to every plan? Shopify says most plans. It does not list the exceptions, so confirm yours at checkout.
Can I extend the trial? We did not find an extension option on the official pages.
Next step: start the trial and get one product ready to order
Gather one product, your shipping rates and your business details, then start the free trial. If you can reach a working test order within the 3 days, you will have what you need to decide whether to continue.
Try a new Shopify store free for 3 days
Official sources checked on November 2, 2026
