You can start a dropshipping business for $500-1,000. This covers a Shopify store, a few product samples, and your first month of ads. Most of your cost will go to advertising — not inventory, since dropshipping means you only pay for products after you make a sale.

Startup Costs Breakdown

1. Store Setup ($50-100)

Shopify offers a $1/month trial for the first 3 months. After that, Basic Shopify is $39/month. A .com domain costs about $10-15/year.

You don't need a paid theme — free Shopify themes work great when you're starting out.

2. Product Samples ($50-150)

Order 5-10 samples from AliExpress or your agent before you start selling. You need to:

• Check the product quality yourself
• Take your own photos and videos (don't use supplier images)
• See how long shipping actually takes

3. Advertising ($200-1,000/month)

This is your biggest ongoing cost. You need to test products with paid ads.

Most successful dropshippers spend $500-1,000/month on ads before finding a winning product. Plan for 2-3 months of testing before you hit profitability.

4. Apps ($0-50/month)

Stick to free apps when you start. You can upgrade later.

• Reviews: Loox or Judge.me (free plans available)
• Email marketing: Klaviyo (free up to 250 contacts)
• Dropshipping automation: DSers (free plan)

Ongoing Monthly Costs