Shopify is a hosted commerce platform covering storefront, checkout, payments, shipping labels and multichannel selling from one admin. Products are unlimited on every plan, themes are customisable without touching infrastructure, and the app store covers subscriptions, reviews, loyalty and fulfilment. Native channels push catalogues to Amazon, eBay, TikTok Shop and the social platforms, and the Admin API plus checkout extensions allow backend customisation as you move up the tiers. Staff account limits, third-party payment transaction fees and API rate limits are what actually separate the plans.
Who it is for
DTC brands that want a storefront, checkout and marketplace channels from one vendor with minimal infrastructure work.
Key features
- Hosted storefront and optimised checkout
- Unlimited products on every plan
- Native Amazon, eBay and social channels
- Shipping labels and discount tooling
- App store and Admin API
Where it falls short
There is no free plan — only a short trial — and using a third-party payment gateway instead of Shopify Payments adds a transaction fee that scales with order value, so effective cost depends on your payment stack as much as on the plan tier.
Pricing
Tiers are differentiated by staff accounts, the transaction fee applied when you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments, and API or checkout extensibility. Billing is monthly with a discount for annual terms, and the trial is short rather than a permanent free tier. Apps and POS seats are billed separately, which is where budgets usually drift.
Prices move; the tier structure is the part that stays true. Check current pricing on Shopify.
Alternatives to Shopify
Frequently asked
How much does Shopify cost?
Shopify is paid software. Tiers are differentiated by staff accounts, the transaction fee applied when you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments, and API or checkout extensibility. Billing is monthly with a discount for annual terms, and the trial is short rather than a permanent free tier. Apps and POS seats are billed separately, which is where budgets usually drift.
What is Shopify best for?
DTC brands that want a storefront, checkout and marketplace channels from one vendor with minimal infrastructure work.
What are the best alternatives to Shopify?
The closest substitutes we list are BigCommerce, Ecwid and Squarespace. They sit in a similar price bracket but make a different trade-off, so read the weaknesses section of each review before switching.
Which platforms does Shopify run on?
Shopify is available on Web, iOS, Android and API.