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E-commerce Platform · Buyer's guide · shopify.com
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Shopify

shopify.com

All-in-one hosted e-commerce platform empowering merchants to build, manage, and scale online stores with integrated payments, POS, and multi-channel selling.

Section
Pricing & Plans
Entry-level plan
Basic $39/mo ($29 annual)
Standard $39/mo ($29 annual)
Free plugin
Mid-tier plan
Grow $105/mo ($79 annual)
Plus $105/mo ($79 annual)
Advanced plan
Advanced $399/mo ($299 annual)
Pro $399/mo ($299 annual)
Enterprise plan
Plus $2,300+/mo
Enterprise $1,000-$2,000+/mo
Hosting cost
Included
Included
$10-$250/mo separate
Transaction fees
2.9%+30¢ (or 2% if external)
2.59%+49¢ (no extra fees)
2.9%+30¢ gateway only
Domain registration
$11-20/year
$11-20/year
$7-20/year separate
Section
Core Features
Hosted storefront
Free themes included
12 free themes
12 free themes
100+ free themes
Product listings
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Built-in blogging/CMS
SSL certificate
Auto included
Auto included
Depends on host
Abandoned cart recovery
All plans
Plus plan & up
Via plugins
Discount codes
Gift cards
Multi-currency
Shopify Markets
Built-in
Via plugins
Multi-language
20 languages
Via plugins
SEO tools
Built-in controls
Built-in controls
Advanced native
Email marketing
Basic built-in
Limited built-in
Via plugins
Product reviews
Via apps
Built-in
Via plugins
Section
Payments & Checkout
Native payment processor
Shopify Payments
BigCommerce Payments
WooPayments
Third-party gateways
100+ (2% fee if used)
65+ (no extra fee)
100+ (no extra fee)
Shop Pay / fast checkout
Shop Pay built-in
Apple/Google Pay
Via gateway
Checkout customization
Extensibility API
Customizable
Full control
Buy now, pay later
Afterpay, Klarna, etc.
Affirm, Klarna, etc.
Via gateway
Section
Multichannel Selling
Facebook & Instagram
Amazon integration
eBay integration
TikTok Shop
Point of Sale (POS)
Lite free, Pro $89/loc
Via integrations
Via plugins
Section
Analytics & Reporting
Basic reports
All plans
All plans
Via plugins
Advanced reporting
Advanced plan & up
All plans
Via plugins
Custom reports
Plus only
Pro & Enterprise
Via plugins
Real-time dashboard
Section
Extensibility & Support
App/plugin marketplace
8,000+ apps
1,500+ apps
55,000+ plugins
API access
REST & GraphQL
REST, rate limits vary
Full REST API
Headless commerce
Hydrogen framework
Native headless
Full headless
Code customization
Liquid templates
Limited access
Full code control
24/7 support
All plans
All plans
Community/plugins
Priority support
Plus only
Pro & Enterprise
Section
B2B & Enterprise
B2B wholesale features
Plus & Advanced
B2B Edition addon
Via plugins
Customer groups/segments
Plus plan & up
Via plugins
Price lists
Plus only
Pro & Enterprise
Via plugins
Multi-storefront
Plus only
Pro & Enterprise
Multisite capable
Best fit by objective
Pick the right option for the job
Fast setup with zero technical skills
Shopify
Fully hosted with intuitive drag-and-drop builder, automatic updates, and 24/7 support means merchants can launch in hours without developers
Scaling to high-volume sales without app bloat
BigCommerce
More advanced features built into core plans (abandoned cart, customer groups, advanced reporting) without requiring paid apps, plus no transaction fees
Maximum customization and full code control
WooCommerce
Open-source WordPress plugin with 55,000+ plugins, full access to code and database, and no platform restrictions—ideal for complex requirements
Unified online and in-person retail operations
Shopify
Shopify POS integrates natively with online inventory, offers unified customer profiles, and syncs in real-time across channels with minimal setup
Budget-conscious startups minimizing fixed costs
WooCommerce
Free core plugin means you only pay for hosting ($10-40/mo) and essential plugins, with no revenue-based fees or forced plan upgrades
Multi-channel selling with AI-powered tools
Shopify
Native TikTok Shop integration, Shopify Magic AI for content generation, Shop Pay reaching 250M+ shoppers, and seamless Facebook/Instagram/Amazon sync
Why customers pick Shopify
  • Complete all-in-one solution with hosting, payments, POS, and shipping built-in requiring minimal technical expertise
  • Shop Pay accelerates checkout and reaches 250M+ shoppers, improving conversion rates for domestic and international customers
  • Largest app ecosystem (8,000+ apps) enables rapid feature extension without custom development for most use cases
  • Shopify Markets simplifies international expansion with multi-currency, multi-language, and duty/tax calculation built into core platform
  • Strong AI integration (Shopify Magic) across product descriptions, email content, and image generation on all plans
When to consider alternatives
  • Transaction fees of 2% apply when using third-party payment gateways instead of Shopify Payments, increasing costs
  • Advanced reporting and custom reports locked to higher-tier plans, limiting data insights for Basic and Grow merchants
  • Fewer free themes (12) compared to competitors, often requiring paid theme purchases ($180-$350) for professional design
  • Theme customization requires Liquid templating knowledge; less flexible than open-source alternatives for complex modifications
  • Plus plan costs jump significantly ($2,300+/mo) creating a large gap between Advanced ($399) and enterprise features