How Much Does It Cost to Start Dropshipping? - Blog Post Cover Image

How Much Does It Cost to Start Dropshipping?

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One of the most common questions I hear from new entrepreneurs is: “How much does it cost to start a dropshipping store?”

The truth is, it can cost you a lot, or it can cost you almost nothing. And the honest answer? You’ll have far better results if you follow the path that costs almost nothing.

In this post, I’ll break down the real costs of starting a dropshipping store in 2025, explain why you should avoid “middlemen,” and show you how to launch a profitable business the right way.

The Wrong Way: Paying Middlemen

When you start researching dropshipping, you’ll come across companies that want to charge you big upfront fees to “let” you sell their products or build you a pre-made store.

These companies are middlemen. They:

  • Charge for access to products.
  • Bundle in basic website templates.
  • Promise “done-for-you” stores that rarely generate sales.

Are they outright scams? Not always. But they are a losing proposition for beginners. The middleman profits while you waste money on a business model that isn’t sustainable.

dropshipping-middlemen-infographic

The Right Way: Building Your Own Store & Working With Real Suppliers

If you want a profitable business, you need to build your own store (on Shopify) and get approved with legitimate suppliers.

These real suppliers don’t charge you to access their products. You only pay for inventory after a customer has purchased from you. That’s why dropshipping is such a low-risk business model when done correctly.

Dropshipping Startup Costs

Here’s what it actually costs to start a dropshipping store using the Drop Ship Lifestyle model:

1. Shopify Store – $29/month

Shopify is the only platform I recommend. It’s easy to use, customizable, and built to scale. Right now, Shopify offers a 3-day free trial and 6 months for just $1/month, giving you plenty of time to launch.

Try Shopify Free for 3 Days Using This Link. After That, It’s Just $1 a Month For 6 Months.

2. Domain Name – $11–$15/year

A professional domain makes your store look trustworthy. Buy one through Shopify or a registrar like Namecheap or Google Domains.

3. Suppliers & Products – $0 upfront

With real suppliers, you don’t pay for access. You only pay wholesale pricing after your customer pays you. This means no inventory costs when you’re starting out.

4. Paid Traffic (Google Ads) – $0 to start

New advertisers can get a $100 Google Ads credit when they sign up. With the right setup, that’s enough to land your first sale—and reinvest those profits into more traffic.

Copy and Paste This Link Into Your Browser to Learn More About Signing Up for a $2500 Google Ads Credit. https://ads.google.com/intl/en_us/start/lc/

Bottom Line: How Much Does It Cost to Start a Dropshipping Store?

Using this method, your startup costs are:

  • Shopify: $29/month (first 6 months for $1/month)
  • Domain: ~$12/year
  • Suppliers: $0
  • Paid Ads: $100

👉 That means you can realistically launch your dropshipping store for less than $40.

Compared to traditional retail, where you’d spend hundreds of thousands stocking inventory and renting storage space, dropshipping is by far the cheapest and lowest-risk way to start an online store.

Recap

  • Don’t waste money on middlemen who charge for “access.”
  • Build your own Shopify store and get approved with real suppliers.
  • Expect startup costs of around $40.
  • Take advantage of free ad credits to land your first sale.

When done the right way, dropshipping doesn’t just cost less, it sets you up with a long-term, scalable, and sellable business.

This blog post is also available in video form. Click ‘Play’ below to start watching! Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel for weekly updates and insights!

If you found value in this, please let me know in the comments below. And if you have any questions, definitely post them as well! I’m always happy to continue the conversation there.

104 thoughts on “How Much Does It Cost to Start Dropshipping?”

  2. Omgoodness, I have had many questions, but with your constant, PROFESSIONAL, helpful emails, I am getting my questions answered. Anton, Thank You Soooo Much for your thorough approach? You are relieving all my fears to pull the trigger! I am thrilled to find out that my startup cost will only be approximately $140.oo bux a month!

    Reply

  6. I have a shopify web site where I sell private label products and other products that are not private products. Can I use this to do drop shipping? I am interested to know more including attending your seminar online.

    Reply

    • While you technically can use a just a phone to build a dropshipping business, I would encourage your to get even a basic computer as it will make the process 100x easier. You don’t need anything fancy. Even a $200 5 year old Thinkpad would be more than enough power for the day to day tasks that it takes to build a profitable online store.

      Reply

  11. Hey Everyone,

    As many of you already know I created Drop Ship Lifestyle after selling a network of eCommerce stores and then trying to find a community of other store owners to network with… What I found was a bunch of scammers who promised newbies they would get rich quick by following their push-button systems!

    This led me to create a new community along with an online training program that shares how to build a REAL online business.

    I’d love to hear what you think… it’s a 2.5-hour training designed to help you drop ship profitably… all for free.

    Be sure to click here to check it out and send me your feedback!

    If you go through the “How To Start & Grow A Hyper-Profitable Online Store” webinar and still have questions just contact me and I will help you out

    Reply

  13. Setting up the website seem complicated, and picking items to sale, I just don’t get any of this, I don’t have a lot of money.

    Reply

  15. Before I start my business do I need to get a business tax Id first. Before doing anything. Also, how much will it cost to join your program. I would like to start soon as possible

    Reply

  16. I need w mentor I am 55 and on disability but work I can put in 500 a month I want to work with Anton can I join DSLS with a monthly fee!

    Reply

    • Hi Michael, We don’t offer payment plans directly but you may be able to use PayPal credit. Please reach out to support[at]dropshiplifestyle.com and we can see if it makes sense. Talk soon!

      Reply

  19. This article was beyond BEYOND helpful!! My God, thank you for this. Literally saved me and people like me from spending thousands on Amazon FBAs and these damn middlemen gouging prices for feeding us free information. Thank you again!

    Reply

  20. Hello . Iam interested in the business. And I have the 40 dollars to start with. Can you please help out to get started?

    Reply

  21. Let’s say i purchase this course. Do I then have other courses or something from you besides this? I have used another program, and learned some good things, but then there were other options extra. I just want to know what I need to budget in order to be successful

    Reply

  22. Please let me know what the best price you could offer because I already spent for one dropshipping class and afraid of spending for another. I rather want to pay once I see profit, this time around.

    Reply

  23. Hello,
    I had already gone through the training,will be willing to pay $29 per month and also for the domain.
    Im really interesting in this,but is unable to begin by myself.
    Let me know how much help you offer to get me started.
    Thanks in advance
    Nadine

    Reply

  28. hi, I got preety confusing, how to get the money after sell the product from Shopify? I mean, is it directly deposit our bank
    account or should we need to open new account for Shopify?

    Reply

  29. Thanks for the info. My concern around all of this is the ongoing monthly costs that you would incur even before you have a potential sale. Also obtaining products in a timely manor. Most people are experienced with online ordering and having products within a short time frame. I don’t see how this can be achieved if you use suppliers overseas.

    Reply

  31. Hi. I’m at the very beginning of this enterprise. The one thing I cant seem to get my mind around is the actual purchasing process. When a customer orders something from my store and I then place the order with my supplier. Do I have to spend my own money to buy from the supplier or is the customer money paying for the order and I then make my money once the order has been been completed.

    Reply

    • Hi Ashely,

      You can either use your own money/credit card or wait 48 hours for Shopify to deposit the funds into your account.

      Reply

      • Hey man I’m a young black Male trying to find his way with a burning hustle and there is something’s I just dont understand with dropshipping so to my knowledge you have too still put up nice amount of money to start dropshipping with shopify. AND CAN you tell me what you absolutely need this money for.

        Reply

    • Great question, Liz!

      The answer is that it depends on your Shipping & Returns Policy. In Drop Ship Lifestyle, I share our templates for you to use on your store but as a general rule of thumb, the customer pays for return shipping (and sometimes a restocking fee) if they change their mind about the purchase. However, if the items arrived damaged then we will cover the return shipping fee + replacement. Sidenote: this is why insuring shipments is important 😉

      Reply

  33. Hi Anton,
    Thank you for the very clear, informative and inspiring presentations you provide us free of charge. It indeed motivates us to sign up.
    When a shipped product is damaged when received by a customer, will the supplier pick up the tab for the second shipping cost?

    Reply

    • Great question, Liz!

      The answer is that it depends on your Shipping & Returns Policy. In Drop Ship Lifestyle, I share our templates for you to use on your store but as a general rule of thumb, the customer pays for return shipping (and sometimes a restocking fee) if they change their mind about the purchase. However, if the items arrived damaged then we will cover the return shipping fee + replacement. Sidenote: this is why insuring shipments is important 😉

      Reply

  34. Are the Shopify drop ship partners pre qualified? How do I know that when a customer buys an item from my store that the supplier will send the item once I purchase it in a timely manner and get to the customer quickly and how do I know it looks exactly like the image and fits etc Are the suppliers through the shopify store proven quality?

    Reply

    • Great question, Juliette!

      You will need to vet all of your suppliers prior to reaching out to them to get approved.

      I give you a list of suppliers, and show you how to confirm they are legit, inside of my Award Winning Drop Ship Blueprint.

      You can learn more here: Free Training From Drop Ship Lifestyle

      Hope that helps!

      Reply

  35. Very informative article.
    I am a WordPress Developer so I want to develop my site by woocommerce. Even I have a web hosting, just need to buy a domain. So If I do this, is it the right decision for me? If not, why it’s a wrong decision?

    Reply

    • I prefer Shopify over WooCommerce since their sole focus is eCommerce. They are leading the way with technology and they also have the best support.

      Reply

  36. Hi Anton, Great article. my question is regarding suppliers. Obviously as a new eCommerce business, my concern is how these established suppliers will work with me? Can you share what are some of the criteria needed/required from them?

    Reply

      • Hey Anton,
        whats the cost pm to have a store , also do you charge a commision on each product shipped by the dropshipping process?

        Reply

        • Hey Roz,

          Can you clarify what you mean by “cost pm”?

          And no, we do not charge any commissions to students of Drop Ship Lifestyle 🙂

          Reply

  38. Hey Anton! I just wanna know if I use Google Ads specifically then I will get targeted sales, but after installing all the necessary apps etc. how much will be required to invest in order to get $1000 in profit? What’s that investing amount for a general store to get 1k profit? Any idea? So that I can start myself by watching and reading your free courses and then I can pay for your paid classes so that I can live a professional dropship lifestyle. #Q- What’s the minimum amount required to get 1k profits?

    Reply

    • Hi Shah,

      In my Drop Ship Blueprint, I recommend getting started with free apps.

      And while I’m not allowed to make any income claims, I can say that we always strive to get a 10x ROAS (Return On Ad Spend).

      That means I would be willing to spend $100 to get $1,000 in sales. It is also our goal to maintain a 25%+ profit margin.

      With that being said, it’s not always about paid ads. I also teach how to get free traffic inside of my Drop Ship Blueprint 🙂

      Hope that helps!

      Reply

  39. Dear Anton! It’s very good sounds that the Shopify startup costs are low but if you selling your course than all of this are expensive! This amount is in Hungary 2 months average salary. Please, note this also!

    Reply

  41. Thanks so much for the info! However, the biggest cost newbies can expect to pay is for your DSL course, which is not mentioned. I think it is definitely worth the cost, but wonder why you don’t mention it unless you’re just providing a general answer, not one specifically aimed towards potential DSL clients.

    Reply

  42. It’s useful but details like actually doing what is needed, for a beginner like me is also needed. Every step even the smallest needs to be taken correctly so need guidance all the way. What about registering with tax authorities, registering the company is needed or not etc etc.

    Reply

  43. Thanks so much Anton for all the work you put into informing everyone. This is great information, and I’m hoping to enroll soon.

    Reply

    • Great question, Bren! We simply use Shopify to host our own stores. Our customers do not know we use Shopify, and we are responsible for sending traffic. If you’re brand new to this I’d highly recommend starting with my free training webinar. Here’s the link: Free Training From Drop Ship Lifestyle

      Reply

  45. Anton, I’ve been watching a lot of your videos and webinars, trying to get as much information as possible before enrolling in your course and starting my own drop shipping store. I’m mostly hung up on what licenses and permits are required. I know this can vary widely depending on location. I’m in Houston Texas myself. Is there any information on this topic in your course or do you have any suggestions on the best place to get that kind of information?

    Reply

    • Hi Kevin,

      I discuss this in the welcome module of the Drop Ship Blueprint.

      You have a few different options when first getting started… they’re not difficult to get set up but it’s hard to explain in this comment. If you’re serious about getting started definitely join Drop Ship Lifestyle and watch my videos that cover the process from A-Z!

      Thanks!
      Anton

      Reply

  47. How much do you invest per month to get your store flying in adwords? For about 2-3 months. YOu can`t put 100$ to test on just 1 product and the sale well there probably not gonna be enough sales to make you another 100

    Reply

    • Hi Bogdan,
      Testing and optimizing your Google PLAs is an ongoing process that will take place at least every 2 weeks while you run your online store.
      With that being said, $100 is a good amount to start with and you should be able to earn a sale by the time that is spent.
      Also just an FYI – Google will give you a $100 credit to get started with 🙂
      Hope that helps!

      Reply

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