How Much Does a Shopify Domain Cost? Honest Breakdown

If you’re planning to launch a Shopify store, one of the first things you’ll need is a domain name. But how much does a Shopify domain really cost? Understanding domain pricing is crucial for budgeting your online store. 

In this article, we’ll give a clear, honest breakdown of Shopify domain costs, common issues, and tips to make the best choice for your store.

What is a Shopify Domain?

A Shopify domain is a unique web URL or web address that directs customers to your store. When merchants create a Shopify store, they receive a free domain (for example, yourstore.myshopify.com).

In this article, however, we’ll focus on paid custom domains rather than the free option. While a free domain may be fine for exploring Shopify, it doesn’t look very professional even during the testing phase. Using a custom domain gives your Shopify store a professional name that’s easy for new customers to remember. 

The custom domain gives the store the freedom to name their URL, their way.

So, if buying Shopify domain is your go-to choice, we recommend purchasing it ideally after setting up a few key pages of your store and before starting a product testing campaign.

How Much Does a Shopify Domain Cost Per Year and Per Month?

With Shopify, domains typically start at $9 up to $20+ per year. This cost conveniently includes domain registration, automatic renewal, and free WHOIS privacy protection, which safeguards your personal information, something that often comes at an additional charge from third-party registrars.

The exact price for your chosen domain doesn’t include hidden fees. This means the price you see is the price you pay for the domain itself, with no extra charges for hosting or essential privacy features.

Till now, Shopify offers hundreds of domain extensions (TLDs), including popular ones like .com, .net, .org, .store, .shop, .co, as well as many country-specific extensions such as .ca, .co.uk, and .com.au. 

For most merchants, we generally recommend using a .com domain which typically costs between $11 and $16+ per year on Shopify, as it is the most widely recognized, professional, and memorable for customers. If your preferred .com is not available, other trustworthy options include .store or country-specific extensions that match your target market.

However, noting that the domain name can also impact its prices on Shopify. For example, buying the domain name “bakehacks.com” directly in Shopify would cost around $16 annually.

How Shopify's Domain Pricing Compares to Other Platforms

Domain prices can naturally vary depending on the extension (TLD) and domain names, so we’ll compare the cost of “bakehacks.com” domain on Shopify versus other platforms like GoDaddy, Hover, Namecheap. 

The actual cost of registering a domain doesn’t fluctuate drastically across reputable providers, it’s usually in the $9–$20/year range for a standard .com.

How to Buy a Domain on Shopify: Step by Step

Step 1. Choose Your Domain Name

Domain pricing varies depending on the TLD (top-level domain) you choose, and availability can change at any time. Therefore, before you buy a custom domain, Shopify allows you to check the price and availability of your domain name using Shopify’s domain name generator.

Shopify’s domain generator instantly shows whether your preferred name is available, along with other extensions and suggested alternatives. If your first choice isn’t available, you can simply pick one of the recommended options or start a new search.

Start by going to Settings → Domains in your Shopify admin. Select Buy new domain, then enter the domain name you want. Shopify will immediately display which extensions are available—such as .com, .store, or .co—along with their exact prices. Once you’ve found a domain you like, click Buy to continue.

Step 2. Review Your Purchase Details

Before finalizing your order, Shopify shows a clear summary of what’s included. Automatic renewal is usually enabled by default, but you can toggle it on or off depending on your preference. 

It’s also important to verify the contact information used for registration, since Shopify relies on the store owner's email and details. If anything looks outdated, you can easily update it from the same page.

Next, check whether your chosen domain extension includes WHOIS privacy protection. Most Shopify-supported TLDs include it for free, helping keep your personal details off public domain records. If your TLD doesn’t offer WHOIS privacy and you want it, you can go back and choose another extension.

After confirming everything and selecting a payment method, read the required ICANN policies, then click Buy domain. Once purchased, your domain may take up to 48 hours to fully propagate and start working. If this is your first domain on Shopify, it automatically becomes your store’s main address. If you already have one, Shopify sets the new domain to redirect to your primary domain unless you change the setting.

Step 3. Verify Your Email Address

After your purchase, Shopify sends several important emails to help you complete the domain registration. One of these emails requires you to verify your email address. This step is mandatory under ICANN rules, and the domain may be suspended if you don’t verify it within 15 days.

In many cases, if you already own another Shopify-registered domain under the same name and email, Shopify may verify your new purchase automatically—meaning you won’t receive a verification email at all.

3 Common Issues to Watch Out for Buying Shopify Domain 

These issues are not that Shopify domains are inherently bad, but about the unexpected situations that can happen when your domain is tied directly to your store hosting. And honestly, similar risks exist with other platforms as well, which is why many experienced merchants prefer separating their domain registrar from their store host.

1. Losing Control if Your Shopify Account Faces Issues

When your domain is registered directly through Shopify, it’s closely tied to your Shopify account. If your store is ever suspended, locked, or flagged for review, your domain could become temporarily inaccessible for several days—or even weeks. During this period, you might be unable to point your domain elsewhere or make urgent changes. This can directly affect your store’s uptime and, more importantly, your revenue.

2. Harder to Transfer Away from Shopify

Transferring a domain out of Shopify is possible, but it can be tedious and time-consuming. While every domain registrar enforces a 60-day lock period for new domains, Shopify adds extra layers of inconvenience:

3. Verification and Email Issues

After purchasing a domain, you must verify your email address to complete registration. Failing to verify within 15 days could lead to temporary suspension. Although Shopify provides instructions and support, some merchants find third-party registrars easier to manage for domain verification, especially if using a professional email separate from your store domain.

Final Thoughts

Purchasing a domain for your Shopify store is a small but essential investment. While Shopify domains may cost slightly more than other registrars, the convenience, security, and seamless integration make it a great option for beginners and experienced store owners alike. Choosing the right domain today helps build credibility, improve branding, and sets the foundation for long-term online success.

Leah Tran

Leah Tran is a Content Specialist at TrueProfit, where she crafts SEO-driven and data-backed content to help eCommerce merchants understand their true profitability. With a strong background in content writing, research, and editorial content, she focuses on making complex financial and business concepts clear, engaging, and actionable for Shopify merchants.

Let's Collaborate

4.8

32 reviews

Rate us

Share via