What is Shopify?
Shopify is the leading e-commerce platform, powering over 4.4 million stores in 175 countries. From small businesses to enterprise brands like Gymshark and Allbirds, Shopify handles billions in sales.
Key Features
Online Store
Build a beautiful storefront with customizable themes.
POS System
Sell in person with Shopify's point of sale hardware.
Payment Processing
Accept payments with Shopify Payments or 100+ gateways.
Inventory Management
Track stock across multiple locations automatically.
Marketing Tools
Built-in SEO, email marketing, and social selling.
App Store
Extend functionality with 8,000+ apps and integrations.
Pros & Cons
What We Like
Easiest to get started
You can go from signup to selling in a single afternoon—no technical skills required to launch a professional store.
Massive app ecosystem
8,000+ apps mean whatever feature you need—reviews, subscriptions, bundles—there's an app for it.
Excellent reliability
99.99% uptime means you never lose sales to downtime, even during Black Friday traffic spikes.
Strong omnichannel
Sell on your website, Instagram, Facebook, Amazon, and in-person with unified inventory and reporting.
What Could Be Better
Transaction fees add up
Using external payment gateways incurs 0.5-2% fees on top of the gateway's fees—Shopify Payments avoids this but isn't available everywhere.
Apps get expensive
Essential functionality often requires paid apps at $10-100+/month each, significantly increasing your total cost.
Limited customization without code
Deep customization beyond theme settings requires Liquid (Shopify's templating language) knowledge or a developer.
Shopify Pricing
Compare plans and find the right fit for your team.
* Prices shown are estimates. Visit Shopify's website for current pricing.
Our Verdict
Shopify is the gold standard for e-commerce. If you want to sell online, it's the safest and most capable choice for most businesses.
Shopify Alternatives
Other Ecommerce tools you might consider.