Shopify is the most extensive Ecommerce platform. With its sales tools and a comprehensive drag-and-drop builder, Shopify serves millions of businesses worldwide. Unfortunately, it’s not perfect, and we’re sure some of you are looking to cancel Shopify and get a full refund.
Is it possible? Luckily for you, it is! The company offers great incentives to test it risk-free, so the cancellation process will be straightforward if you get it right. This tutorial will explain how to cancel Shopify and obtain a full refund. We’ll also explore some Shopify alternatives you can try.
How to Cancel Shopify? Everything You Should Know
Let’s cut the cake while it’s hot.
You should know a few things regarding canceling Shopify and obtaining a refund. Let’s start with the refund policy. If you examine Shopify’s website, you’ll notice that the service doesn’t issue refunds. Have you bought Shopify and paid for at least its Basic plan? Chances are you won’t be able to get a refund.
According to its refund policy, refunds are possible only for proven errors. Thus, if Shopify’s customer support service can’t solve your problem, it’ll offer a full refund. If you don’t use it or don’t like the service, you can only cancel your subscription without a reimbursement.
So, how can you cancel Shopify the right way?
By opting for a three-day free trial on its website. It’s impossible to miss, as every plan has the “Try for Free” button, so it begins with a free trial, and you’re charged after the first three days. In other words, it’s essential to cancel Shopify within three days to avoid getting charged.
Canceling Shopify: A Step-by-Step Tutorial
Now that we know the prerequisites for canceling Shopify without losing a cent, let’s see how to do it in practice. We’ll cover two cases. One is simply canceling Shopify, and the other is more complex if you want to transfer your domain and create an online shop with another website builder.
Here’s how to cancel Shopify:
- Go to Shopify’s website and log in to your account.
- Visit Settings on the left side.
- Click Plan and find your subscription plan.
- Click on Deactivate Store under the plan.
- Select Cancel Subscription and Deactivate Store.
- If Shopify asks you for a reason, select one or state the other reason.
- Press Continue.
- If asked to confirm your choice, click Deactivate Now, and you’re done.
Shopify will not charge you from now on, and your previously made online store will be closed. If you canceled within three days, you won’t get a refund because you haven’t spent anything previously. If you’ve bought the plan already, Shopify will stop charging you, but you won’t be able to get a refund.
Have you already subscribed to another Ecommerce site creator? You may want to transfer your domain to it before you cancel Shopify. You can do this with these steps:
- Go to Settings and select Domains
- Find your domain and click on it.
- Select Transfer Domain and select Transfer to Another Provider.
- Click Confirm to reveal the authorization code that will initiate the transfer.
- Go to the new site builder or a domain registrar and provide the authorization code.
Can I Use Shopify for Free After I Cancel?
In a recent post, we explained how to cancel Wix, mentioning its free plan, which is automatically activated afterwards. But can you use Shopify for free after you cancel it? Unfortunately, no.
Shopify doesn’t offer a free plan. It has a three-day free trial, which you can initiate without a credit card. When you close your store and cancel Shopify during this period, you can’t use it anymore. However, canceling Shopify after you’ve paid for it means you can use it until the annual plan expires.
This is true if you don’t manually delete all apps and close your shop. Either way, it’s vital to clarify that Shopify doesn’t offer a free plan, so the best course of action is cancellation within the trial mentioned above.
Shopify Alternatives to Consider Next
Now that you’ve canceled Shopify and hopefully got a refund or at least haven’t lost anything to begin with, you may be wondering what’s next. If you are still dreaming of building an online store, these few alternatives are worth considering.
1. Wix

Pros
- Free domain
- 800+ free templates
- Customizable shipping
- Unlimited bandwidth
Con
- It could be more affordable
Wix is nearly on par with Shopify, if not a better option overall.
Regarding Ecommerce, Wix is just a notch below, but it’s still excellent for inventory management, competitive transaction fees, and customizable shipping. The website editor is even more comprehensive, allowing for stunning and unique online store designs.
Besides, Wix offers over 800 free templates, whilst Shopify charges you for nearly all templates. Wix’s site-building prowess is permeated with a comprehensive SEO and marketing toolkit, allowing you to adhere to the best business practices and flourish.
If you want more, Wix’s App Store offers hundreds of third-party apps to extend your capabilities. We love Wix for its flexible plans, including unlimited bandwidth, collaborators, and a free domain for a year, which Shopify lacks. Wix is also a tad less expensive overall.
You can start at $29 and get the Core plan with 50 GB of storage, scheduling, marketing tools, and Wix Payments, which allows you to receive payments with nearly 0% fees. Explore our Wix review for more information or see how it stacks against Shopify in this comparison.
2. Squarespace

Pros
- Many Ecommerce tools
- Free domain for a year
- Good-looking free templates
Con
- Subpar hosting performance
Squarespace isn’t necessarily better than Shopify, but it beats it in several aspects. One is store design, where Squarespace murders its competition with good-looking templates. Another is affordable pricing and many Ecommerce features, including unlimited items.
Squarespace is straightforward and offers limitless storage and bandwidth. Moreover, sales tools often involve marketing and SEO features to skyrocket your rankings. We love Squarespace’s intuitive inventory management and customizable shipping for convenience.
Meanwhile, it’s a free domain for a year, which boosts its value additionally, while the allowance of unlimited collaborators makes handling online store tasks simpler. This Squarespace coupon below lets you save big on it and enjoy a risk-free 14-day trial to test it thoroughly.
3. Hostinger Website Builder

Pros
- AI site-building tools
- 0% transaction fees
- Great hosting performance
Cons
- Limited Ecommerce tools
- Only 150 templates
Hostinger Website Builder is an AI-powered website builder and a perfect option when you cancel Shopify. It’s way less expensive, and at $3.79 monthly for the Business plan with a free domain for a year, its value for money is superb. Granted, it’s not as robust as Shopify, Ecommerce-wise.
However, you can sell up to 600 products, enjoy 0% transaction fees, and schedule services and appointments. Hostinger also includes email marketing; you can enjoy its extensive SEO tools to optimize your store further. Hostinger’s AI site builder can make a website for you.
This is ideal for beginners who find site building perplexing. Simultaneously, as the best web host, its hosting performance is top-notch, while hosting-specific features like comprehensive security, fast NVMe storage, and limitless bandwidth ensure your website is buttery-smooth.
Hostinger offers over 150 free templates and is suitable for more than just online shops. It can be used to build a photography website, a portfolio, or anything else.
How to Cancel Shopify: A Recap
You don’t have to jump through hoops to cancel Shopify and get a refund.
The easiest way to cancel Shopify without requesting a refund is to do so in the first three days. Shopify’s three-day trial provides ample time to consider and decide. While you can cancel Shopify anytime, its refund policy clearly states that you won’t get a refund.
Either way, it’s time to explore alternatives with Shopify out of the game. Luckily, we provided three, including Wix, Squarespace, and Hostinger Website Builder. You can test them risk-free using the buttons above, see how they fit your needs, and build your online store from dreams.
FAQs About Canceling Shopify in 2026
Does Shopify have a cancellation fee?
No, you can cancel it without being charged anything. You could say the fee is not getting a refund, but that’s unfair, because Shopify offers a three-day trial, during which you can cancel without this “penalty”.
Can I cancel Shopify anytime?
Yes, you can cancel anytime, but you won’t get a refund. If you cancel outside this period, Shopify will stop charging you, but you’ll still be able to use the service until the plan expires.
Is Shopify the best Ecommerce platform?
It’s the best overall option for online sales if that’s your primary goal. However, Wix is a close second and is an ideal alternative if you find Shopify lacking. Conversely, you can also use Magento to sell online, albeit with suitable Magento VPS hosting because of its hardware requirements.