Short answer
Starting a dropshipping store usually costs $100 to $200 without ads (plan, domain, test order), then about $50 to $120 a month. Ads are the biggest cost: many plan $200 to $500 for first tests. You don't need to buy inventory up front.
One-off startup costs
| Item | Cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Business registration | $0–150 | depends on your state or country |
| Domain | about $10–20 per year | optional at first |
| Test orders | about $30–80 | each product once to yourself |
| Theme | $0 | free themes are enough |
| Logo and design | $0 | with a builder or yourself |
Monthly running costs
| Item | Cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify Basic | $29–39 | yearly or monthly, as of Oct 26, 2026 |
| Apps | $0–40 | as few as possible |
| Payment fees | about 2.9% + 30¢ per sale | on Shopify Payments, Basic plan |
| Ads | your choice | usually the biggest cost |
Add taxes and, if you need it, an accountant.
Worked example: profit per sale
Example values, not a promise. Assumption: product cost including shipping $10, ad cost per sale $10.
| Retail price incl. 19% VAT | €32.90 |
| net of VAT | €27.65 |
| − Cost incl. shipping | €10.00 |
| − Payment fee | €1.25 |
| = Profit before ads | €16.39 |
| − Ad cost per sale | €10.00 |
| = Profit per sale | €6.39 |
Your fixed monthly costs come out of this profit too. With around $100 in fixed costs, you need that many sales before anything is left.
Can you start dropshipping with no money?
Almost. No upfront stock keeps it cheap, but starting with zero rarely works:
- Building the store and picking products can be free, and Shopify's trial covers the first days there.
- Without an ad budget you rely on organic reach: TikTok, Instagram Reels, Pinterest. It costs time instead of money and usually takes weeks.
- Expect at least $100 to $200 for your plan, a domain and a test order.
- For paid ad tests, $200 to $500 is a common range.
Where you save the most
On apps and ads. Many stores pay for five apps they don't need and run ads for products that have no margin even before ad spend. Before each test, work out what a sale may cost in ads and stop any ad above that.
5minstore.com shows profit per sale while you pick products, so you know before spending a cent on ads whether a product has room.
FAQ
How much money do I need to start dropshipping?
Without ads, usually $100 to $200. With a first ad test, plan for $300 to $700.
What does dropshipping cost per month?
Without ads about $50 to $120: your Shopify plan, one or two apps and payment fees. Ads come on top at your own budget.
Do I need to buy inventory?
No. You buy each product only after your customer has paid. Note that payment providers sometimes pay out only after a few days.
What's the biggest cost?
Almost always ads. That's why margin per product decides whether a store pays off.
Your store. Live in 5 minutes.
Type your idea, pick products with margin, done.
Build your store, see costs firstRead more
- Dropshipping
- Make money dropshipping
- How to start dropshipping
- Is dropshipping still worth it?
- How to dropship on Shopify
- AI dropshipping
- How to find and vet dropshipping suppliers
- Dropshipping store builder
- Is dropshipping legal? Licenses, taxes and rules
- TikTok dropshipping
- Dropshipping vs Amazon FBA
- How to find winning products
- Dropshipping marketing
- Create an online store in 5 minutes
- Make money with an online store
- Vibe coding for online stores
- Shopify pricing
- Shopify alternatives
- Shopify website builder
- How does Shopify work?
- AI store builder
- Shopify SEO guide
- Shopify marketing guide
- Shopify free trial
- Run your store with your own AI
- Your own store for your community
- Product database
5minstore.com editorial team · Updated: 30 October 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice.
