10 min read
Shopify free trial is an excellent way to test the eCommerce builder and build your store before committing long term. During the trial period, you get full access to Shopify’s features, including the page builder, payment gateway setup, app and theme stores, and product management.
Currently, Shopify offers a free 3-day trial + 3 months for $1/month. The promotional offer is applicable to monthly Basic, Grow, and Advanced plans.
In this guide, I’ll show you how to claim the Shopify free trial. You’ll learn how to make the most out of your trial period and prepare your store for launch.
How to start a Shopify 90-day free trial
To claim Shopify’s 3-month trial, follow these steps:
- Open the Shopify free trial landing page.
- Enter your email address and click “Start free trial.” You’ll get 3 days free, and then 3 months for just $1/month.
- Create a strong password for your Shopify account and click “Create Shopify account.”
- You’ll be asked a few questions to help tailor Shopify for you. You can complete or skip them.
- Choose a plan that you want to start your free trial on.
- Insert your credit card details. You can skip this part for now, but you’ll have to add the details after the 3-day free trial ends to start the 90-day trial for $1/month.
- That’s it. You’ll be redirected to Shopify Admin where you can enjoy your free trial.
Shopify trial details & restrictions
There are specific details you should be aware of before opting for a Shopify trial. Here are the main things to note:
- Availability. The free trial is only available for new Shopify users who have no accounts.
- The full offer. The completely free trial is available for 3 days. After that, you get 3 first months of the Basic, Grow, or Advanced monthly plans for just $1/month.
- Trial price. The monthly price of the 3 trial months depends on the location. While it’s $1/month in the US, it’s €1/month in European countries and £1/month in the UK.
- Payments. The credit card isn’t required for the free 3-day trial. If you choose to proceed with the 90-day trial for $1/month, you’ll need to provide your payment details.
- Trial features. During the free 3-day trial, you can test all features but you won’t be able to remove the password from your site. You can only remove it after you choose a plan.
- Unavailable regions. Due to regulatory restrictions, the offer is unavailable in the following regions: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, the Crimea region of Ukraine, and the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics in Ukraine.
What you can do during the trial
The free 3-day trial on Shopify allows you to test all features except for removing the password from the site. You can remove the password only after choosing a plan to start the 3-month trial for $1/month. Here are the main things you can do during the trial:
Customize your website
After you sign up for the free trial, you’ll find the free Dawn theme already installed. You can either build your website using the free theme, or you can choose another best Shopify theme.
Shopify comes with an intuitive drag-and-drop page builder that you can use to customize pages to your liking. This includes changing fonts, rearranging elements, modifying theme settings, and more.
You can even use the options in the top-right corner to switch between devices. This allows you to view how your store looks on mobile or in full-screen mode.
Create products and collections
Shopify allows adding unlimited products no matter what plan you have. Using the free trial, you can start importing or adding your products manually. Beyond adding the basic item information, such as image and price, you can also track inventory, set shipping information, and organize your Shopify products to collections.
Shopify also allows easily setting up variants for a product. You can add fabric, color, size, fit, target gender, and even custom variants. And for SEO-friendliness, you can edit SEO metadata, like meta title, meta description, and Shopify URL handle, in the same place.
Set up payment gateways
With Shopify, there are three options: Shopify Payments, third-party gateways, or manual payment methods. Shopify Payments offers competitive credit card rates, Shop Pay for one-click checkout, and fraud protection.
Alternatively, you can add third-party gateways like Paypal or Stripe. If you also need manual methods, you can add bank deposits, money orders, Cash on Delivery (COD), or custom payment methods.
Expert tip: I suggest opting for Shopify Payments instead of third-party gateways because it doesn’t have additional transaction fees, helping you save money.
Test order processing
To ensure successful order processing, Shopify allows testing it using native tools. You can do so by going to your Shopify Admin’s Payment section in Settings.
Here, you’ll find the “(for testing) Bogus Gateway.” You can use it to check whether your payments work as intended before starting to receive real orders.
Additionally, Shopify helps with seamless order processing by letting you directly print shipping labels.
Install third-party apps
To make the most out of your free trial, you can also enrich your store’s functionality with apps from the Shopify App Store.
You can find third-party apps for many categories, including:
- SEO optimization (like TinyIMG)
- Customer service
- Email marketing
- Dropshipping
- Sales channels
- Store design
Although many apps are paid, they usually come with free plans that may even be enough for your store if you’re just starting out.
How to cancel a Shopify free trial?
To cancel your free Shopify trial, all you have to do is:
- Open your Shopify Admin and go to Settings.
- Click Plan > Cancel trial.
That’s it. If you have already chosen a Shopify plan and started the 3-month trial for $1/month, it will be immediately canceled if you do it before the end of the trial period.
Shopify compared to other eCommerce trials
I researched the eCommerce builder market to make a quick comparison table of the best free trial options for your business. Like Shopify, all other platforms offer full access to standard website building features. However, I found that Shopify offers the best eCommerce trial because it extends its promotional offer to 3 months for only $1/month.
Here’s how the eCommerce platform free trial details compare:
| Shopify | BigCommerce | Wix | Squarespace | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free trial |  No (only after the 3-day trial) |
 15 days |
No trial (Limited free plan) |
14 days |
| Credit card required | No (only after the 3-day trial) |
No |
No |
No |
| Trial limitations | Can’t remove site password until a plan is selected | Can’t point the store to a custom domain | Wix branding and limited custom domains | Can’t remove site password |
| Best for | Beginners and small to large stores | Growing businesses | Simple websites | Small stores, creatives |
Sign up for Shopify’s free trial and start building your bookings business today
Whether you’re a first-time entrepreneur or a small business that wants to get into eCommerce or migrate from another platform, a Shopify free trial is the ideal starting point. You get full access to Shopify’s features for 3 days free, followed by 3 months for just $1/month.
With a free trial period, you can test whether Shopify is the suitable eCommerce platform for your store’s vision. You can design a fully functional store, add products, set up a seamless checkout process, and more without instant commitments.
Frequently asked questions
Shopify has a strict no-refund policy according to their Terms of Service. If you want to test the platform out, I suggest opting for the free 3-day Shopify trial. After it ends, you can pick a monthly plan for 3 months at just $1/month.
When you sign up for a Shopify free trial, you get 3 days completely free, plus 3 months for $1/month. To get the trial, enter your email in the Shopify free trial page and sign up. Then, pick a plan and insert your credit card details to get started.
Shopify’s free trial is 3 days long – you don’t need to add a credit card during this period. After this period, you can get a Shopify promotional – 3 months at $1/month.
Shopify doesn’t offer the 90-day free trial anymore. Instead, you can get a 3-day free trial plus 3 months for only $1/month.
