Shopify
Pick Shopify if: Small businesses selling online and in person that want one hosted platform.
Skip it if: Sellers who want their own payment provider may pay extra, since third-party gateways add a 0.2% to 2% fee.
Quick overview
- Plans
- Basic $39/month, Grow $105/month, Advanced $399/month billed monthly ($29, $79 and $299/month billed yearly). Shopify Plus from $2,300/month. Trial: 3 days free, then $1/month for 3 months. Extra costs can include third-party gateway transaction fees, apps and premium themes.
- G2 rating
- 4.4 / 5.0
- Comparisons
- Featured in 5 comparisons
Is Shopify right for you?
- Best for
- Small businesses selling online and in person that want one hosted platform. source ↗
- Not for
- Sellers who want their own payment provider may pay extra, since third-party gateways add a 0.2% to 2% fee. source ↗
From Shopify's own pricing and help pages, checked Nov 4, 2026.
Key features
- Hosted online store builder with themes and drag-and-drop customization
- Integrated payments (Shopify Payments) and multi-currency selling
- Omnichannel sales (online, POS, social, marketplaces) with unified inventory
- App ecosystem (Shopify App Store) and extensibility via APIs
- Built-in marketing, SEO, analytics, and abandoned cart recovery (plan-dependent)
Pros
- Fast to launch and easy to manage without a developer
- Large ecosystem of apps, themes, and agency partners
- Reliable hosting, security, and performance at scale
- Strong omnichannel capabilities (online + POS + social/marketplaces)
Cons
- Costs can rise with apps, premium themes, and higher-tier plans
- Transaction fees may apply when using external payment gateways
- Deep customization can require Liquid/dev work and may be constrained vs fully custom stacks
Shopify in our comparisons
Shopify alternatives
Stay with Shopify if you want to launch fast and scale later. Pick BigCommerce if you sell B2B or run several storefronts from day one.
+1
Marcus WilliamsUpdated September 2026
Webflow alternatives
Stay with Webflow if you want design control and a site that grows with you. Pick Squarespace if you want a polished site with minimal setup.
+1
Emily RodriguezUpdated September 2026
Best Ecommerce Platform for Small Business
Pick Shopify if you sell mainly online and plan to grow. Pick Squarespace if design matters most, or Big Cartel if you have five products or fewer.
+2Marcus WilliamsUpdated October 2026
Best Website Builder for Small Business
Wix is the best fit for most small businesses: a free plan to start, and bookings, payments and a store from the Core plan. Pick Squarespace for a polished brand site or Shopify if you mainly sell products online.
+2Emily RodriguezUpdated October 2026
Squarespace alternatives
Stay with Squarespace if you want a polished site with almost no upkeep. Switch to Wix for more freedom and a free plan, or to Shopify if the store is the business.
+2Emily RodriguezUpdated October 2026