Short answer
To dropship on Shopify you need the Basic plan, a free theme like Dawn, products that ship to your market and an app or builder that forwards orders to the supplier. Add store policies and a test ad budget. Plan for $250 to $500 to start.
Dropshipping on Shopify in 6 steps
- 1
Shopify account on Basic
Basic is enough to start. Higher plans only pay off at high five-figure monthly sales.
- 2
Pick a theme
The free default theme Dawn is fast and perfectly fine. A premium theme won't bring sales at the start.
- 3
Import products
Use a dropshipping app from the Shopify App Store, or a builder like 5minstore that brings products with known cost and margin.
- 4
Set up fulfillment
The app forwards orders to the supplier and syncs the tracking number back. Test it with a real order to yourself.
- 5
Shipping and payments
Create shipping zones, state a realistic delivery time, turn on Shopify Payments and PayPal.
- 6
Policies and launch
Add refund, privacy and terms policies plus contact details, then remove the password page.
What you need to dropship on Shopify
| Piece | What for | Cost (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify Basic | store, checkout, hosting | $29–39 per month |
| Dropshipping app | import products, forward orders | $0–30 per month |
| Domain | your own address instead of myshopify.com | $10–20 per year |
| Test ad budget | first sales | $150–300 once |
Shopify prices from shopify.com, checked October 26, 2026. The full breakdown is in our Shopify pricing guide.
The three most common mistakes
- Hiding long delivery times. Promise 3 to 5 days and deliver in 12, and you get chargebacks and bad reviews. Put the real delivery time on the product page.
- Pricing without every cost. Product cost, shipping, payment fee, sales tax and ad cost per sale all count. If less than $5 is left per order, the product barely pays.
- Too many products. 300 imported items with copied descriptions look like a junk shop. 5 to 15 well-described products sell better.
Where most of the work really is
The store is the easy part. Finding products that ship in a reasonable time, still leave a margin after ads and don't break product safety rules is where beginners lose weeks.
5minstore builds your Shopify store with products that come with cost, suggested price and profit per sale, writes the copy and sets up policy templates. You see the supplier once you sell.
FAQ
Is Shopify good for dropshipping?
Yes. Shopify handles hosting, checkout and payments, and there are many apps for fulfillment. The downside is the monthly cost of the plan and apps, even before your first sale.
How long does it take to set up?
By hand, one or two weekends. With a builder that prepares products, copy and design, the preview is ready in minutes. A test order still takes a few days.
Can I dropship on Shopify with no money?
Almost. You skip buying stock, but the plan, domain and especially ads cost money. Plan for $250 to $500.
Do I need a business license?
It depends on your country and state. In many places you need to register once you sell regularly. Check your local rules before your first sale.
Your store. Live in 5 minutes.
Type your idea, pick products with margin, done.
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Updated: 26 October 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice.