Shopify
The leading hosted ecommerce platform, with themes, checkout, POS and a huge app store.
- Verified facts
- 4 of 4
- Alternatives ranked
- 6
- Approved reviews
- 0
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About Shopify
Shopify is a hosted platform for running an online store, and for many sellers the default starting point. You choose a theme, add products and connect payments, and Shopify handles hosting, security, checkout and updates. Its strengths are the checkout, including Shop Pay, a vast app store for nearly any feature, built-in point of sale for physical shops, and sales channels for marketplaces and social platforms. Larger brands move to Shopify Plus, and developers can build custom storefronts with its Hydrogen framework and APIs. The costs add up: monthly plan fees, extra transaction fees if you use a third-party payment provider, and paid apps for features some rivals include. Customising checkout and deeper logic needs higher plans or developers. Plans are billed monthly or yearly in local currency after a short trial. It runs in the browser with iOS and Android apps for managing the store.
Best for: Most merchants who want a reliable hosted store that can grow from first sale to enterprise.
Pros and cons
What works
- Fast, trusted checkout with Shop Pay
- Largest ecommerce app and theme ecosystem
- Built-in POS and multichannel selling
Why people leave
- Apps and plan upgrades push monthly costs up
- Extra fees when using third-party payment gateways
- Deep checkout customisation reserved for higher plans
Top Shopify alternatives
See all 6- 1
BigCommerce66.5More built-in features and no extra fee for using your own payment gateway.
- 2
WooCommerce62.6Free, open-source store on WordPress that you host and fully control.
- 3
Medusa55.3Open-source headless commerce for teams that want to own their stack.
- 4
Ecwid53.6Add a store to an existing website or social page without moving platforms.
- 5
Wix50.3Simpler all-in-one site builder for businesses where the store is a side feature.
Why people left Shopify
In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.
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Reviews
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Shopify: common questions
Is Shopify free?
No, Shopify is a paid product.
Is Shopify open source?
No, Shopify is not open source. Open-source alternatives include WooCommerce and Medusa.
What platforms does Shopify run on?
Shopify is available for Web, iOS and Android.
What are the best alternatives to Shopify?
The highest-ranked Shopify alternatives right now are BigCommerce, WooCommerce and Medusa. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.