Shopify: cancel, pause or downgrade?
Cancelling isn't always the only choice. Here is what each option does to your account, from Shopify's own help pages. Applies in: All countries the help pages cover.
Official sources reviewed . How we review sources
| Topic | Cancel Available | Pause Depends on your plan | Downgrade Available |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it does | Deactivating your store cancels your Shopify subscription. Stores on Shopify Plus must contact Shopify Plus Support to deactivate. | The Pause and Build plan lets you stop selling for a while without closing your store. It is not available on Shopify Plus, the store must be past its free trial and on a paid plan, and you must be the store owner. | You can change to a lower plan from your Shopify admin. The store owner or a staff member with the Manage plan permission must authorize the change. |
| What you keep |
|
| Not stated |
| What stops or goes |
|
|
|
| Billing | The subscription is cancelled at the end of the current billing cycle. Pending charges are billed when you deactivate. Domain renewals are not cancelled when you cancel the store. | The switch takes effect at the end of the current billing cycle. The store keeps running at a reduced subscription fee. Shopify suggests uninstalling third-party apps with recurring charges so you are not billed for them while paused. | Shopify plans are pre-paid, so a change to a lower plan takes effect at the end of the current billing cycle. You stay on your current plan until then. |
| Coming back | You can reactivate the store up to 2 years after deactivating it without rebuilding it. After store data is deleted, the store can't be reactivated. | Reopen any time by choosing a new plan. Your old plan is no longer valid. | Not stated |
| Source | Deactivating and reactivating your Shopify storeShopify. Reviewed | Pausing your storeShopify. Reviewed | Managing your Shopify billing plan changesShopify. Reviewed |
Cancel
Available- What it does
- Deactivating your store cancels your Shopify subscription. Stores on Shopify Plus must contact Shopify Plus Support to deactivate.
- What you keep
- Store information for 2 years, in case you reopen
- Access to view past bills
- What stops or goes
- Access to your Shopify admin
- All apps are uninstalled
- Custom domains are disconnected from the store
- Billing
- The subscription is cancelled at the end of the current billing cycle. Pending charges are billed when you deactivate. Domain renewals are not cancelled when you cancel the store.
- Coming back
- You can reactivate the store up to 2 years after deactivating it without rebuilding it. After store data is deleted, the store can't be reactivated.
Deactivating and reactivating your Shopify storeShopify. Reviewed
Pause
Depends on your plan- What it does
- The Pause and Build plan lets you stop selling for a while without closing your store. It is not available on Shopify Plus, the store must be past its free trial and on a paid plan, and you must be the store owner.
- What you keep
- Access to your Shopify admin and editing products
- All apps stay active
- Customers can still view your products
- What stops or goes
- Checkout is turned off across all sales channels, so customers can't buy
- Billing
- The switch takes effect at the end of the current billing cycle. The store keeps running at a reduced subscription fee. Shopify suggests uninstalling third-party apps with recurring charges so you are not billed for them while paused.
- Coming back
- Reopen any time by choosing a new plan. Your old plan is no longer valid.
Pausing your storeShopify. Reviewed
Downgrade
Available- What it does
- You can change to a lower plan from your Shopify admin. The store owner or a staff member with the Manage plan permission must authorize the change.
- What you keep
- Not stated
- What stops or goes
- Moving from annual to monthly billing might lose features or benefits included with the annual plan
- If you are on a discontinued plan, you can't switch back to it after changing plans
- Billing
- Shopify plans are pre-paid, so a change to a lower plan takes effect at the end of the current billing cycle. You stay on your current plan until then.
- Coming back
- Not stated
Managing your Shopify billing plan changesShopify. Reviewed
Cancelling? Check what depends on it first
Exports, sign-ins, linked services and billing through app stores: your cancellation checklist is built from your answers, in your browser.
Plans, prices and options differ by country and by how you pay (for example through Apple or Google). If you pay through an app store, cancel there. Names are trademarks of their owners; we aren't affiliated with Shopify. Other services