Shopify Review: Is Shopify Worth It for Starting an Online Store in 2026?

Shopify powers over 4.8 million active online stores across 175+ countries. It has processed more than $700 billion in total sales since launch. And it consistently ranks as the number one ecommerce platform by market share, ahead of WooCommerce, Magento, and BigCommerce.

Those numbers are impressive. But “most popular” does not automatically mean “right for you.”

Shopify is excellent at making ecommerce accessible. It is also expensive once you add up monthly fees, transaction costs, app subscriptions, and premium themes. For some businesses, Shopify is the obvious choice. For others, it is overkill — or the wrong tool entirely.

This review covers Shopify’s actual costs, strengths, weaknesses, and who it works best for — so you can decide whether to invest before you commit.

First — This Is Important…

Hey, my name is Mark.

Shopify is the best all-in-one ecommerce platform for most sellers. But building and running a Shopify store requires significant ongoing investment — in time, money, and marketing. Most stores that fail do so because the owner underestimated what it takes to drive traffic.

The model I use generates $500–$1,200/month per digital asset with no inventory, no product costs, and no advertising budget. Where Shopify store owners fight for every sale, each lead generation website produces predictable recurring revenue from day one.

Go here to see the exact system I use to do this

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What Is Shopify?

Shopify is a hosted ecommerce platform that lets you build, manage, and scale an online store without coding knowledge. You get a website builder, payment processing, inventory management, shipping tools, and marketing features — all in one subscription.

Unlike self-hosted platforms like WooCommerce (which requires you to manage hosting, security, and updates yourself), Shopify handles the technical infrastructure. You focus on products and marketing. Shopify handles everything else.

The platform supports physical products, digital downloads, services, subscriptions, and even in-person sales through Shopify POS (point of sale). If you want to sell online, Shopify is designed to make it as straightforward as possible.

Shopify Pricing

Pricing is where Shopify gets complicated, because the monthly subscription is just the starting point.

Plan	Monthly Cost	Transaction Fee (Shopify Payments)	Transaction Fee (3rd Party)
Basic	$39/mo	2.9% + $0.30	2.0%
Shopify	$105/mo	2.7% + $0.30	1.0%
Advanced	$399/mo	2.5% + $0.30	0.6%
Shopify Plus (Enterprise)	~$2,000+/mo	Negotiated	Negotiated

Hidden costs to budget for:

Premium themes ($150 to $400 one-time), apps and plugins ($5 to $300+ per month each — and most stores need 5 to 15 apps), custom domain ($10 to $15/year), email marketing tools, and paid advertising to drive traffic.

A realistic monthly budget for a functioning Shopify store on the Basic plan is $100 to $300+/month including apps and subscriptions — before any advertising spend. Add marketing costs and the true monthly investment can easily exceed $500 to $1,000+.

Shopify Pros

Incredibly easy to use. The drag-and-drop store builder requires zero coding. Product listing, inventory management, and order processing are intuitive even for complete beginners. If you can use a smartphone, you can set up a Shopify store.

All-in-one platform. Hosting, security, SSL certificates, payment processing, shipping label generation, and basic analytics are all included. No separate hosting account, no plugin compatibility issues, no security patches to manage.

Massive app ecosystem. Over 8,000 apps let you add virtually any functionality — email marketing, reviews, upsells, subscriptions, loyalty programs, SEO tools, print on demand integration, and more.

Scalable. Shopify grows with your business. Stores doing $100/month and stores doing $100 million/year both run on Shopify. Kylie Cosmetics, Gymshark, and Fashion Nova all use the platform.

Excellent point-of-sale system. If you sell both online and in person, Shopify’s POS system syncs inventory across all channels — a feature that smaller platforms struggle to match.

24/7 customer support. Phone, chat, and email support available around the clock. Extensive documentation, video tutorials, and community forums provide additional help.

Strong shipping discounts. Up to 88% off shipping rates through USPS, UPS, and DHL Express on higher-tier plans.

Shopify Cons

Costs add up fast. The $39/month Basic plan sounds affordable until you add apps ($50 to $200+/month), a premium theme ($150 to $400), and transaction fees. A fully functional store often costs $200 to $500+/month to operate.

Transaction fees if not using Shopify Payments. If you use a third-party payment gateway (PayPal, Stripe, etc.) instead of Shopify Payments, you pay an additional 0.6 to 2.0% on every transaction — on top of the gateway’s own fees.

Limited free themes. Only 12 free themes are available. Most professional stores need a premium theme, adding $150 to $400 in upfront costs. Theme customization beyond basic settings requires knowledge of Shopify’s Liquid templating language — or hiring a developer.

SEO limitations. Shopify adds forced URL structures (/collections/, /products/) that you cannot change. Blogging functionality is basic compared to WordPress. For businesses that rely heavily on SEO and content marketing, these limitations matter.

Platform lock-in. Your store, data, and design are tied to Shopify’s ecosystem. Migrating to another platform means rebuilding your site, potentially losing SEO rankings, and re-creating integrations from scratch.

App dependency. Many features that competitors include natively (advanced reporting, multi-currency support, product filtering) require paid apps on Shopify. This creates ongoing costs and potential compatibility issues.

Who Should Use Shopify

Anyone selling physical products online. Shopify is purpose-built for ecommerce. Product management, inventory tracking, shipping, and payments are best-in-class.

Beginners who want simplicity. If you do not want to manage hosting, security, or plugin updates, Shopify’s all-in-one approach eliminates technical headaches.

Businesses that sell both online and in person. Shopify’s POS system and unified inventory management make it the strongest choice for omnichannel retail.

Dropshippers. Shopify integrates seamlessly with dropshipping suppliers (Oberlo, Spocket, DSers). The platform is practically the default choice for dropshipping businesses.

Print-on-demand sellers. Integrations with Printful, Printify, and other POD providers make Shopify the easiest way to launch a POD brand with your own storefront.

Who Should Not Use Shopify

Content-first businesses. If your business model is primarily blogging, courses, or content marketing with occasional product sales, WordPress with WooCommerce gives you better content tools and SEO flexibility.

Budget-constrained startups. If your budget is under $100/month for everything, Shopify’s real costs (with necessary apps and themes) may be too high. Consider starting on Etsy or a marketplace where traffic is built in.

Developers who want full control. If you have technical expertise and want complete customization, open-source platforms like WooCommerce or Magento offer more flexibility (at the cost of more complexity).

Shopify vs Alternatives

Platform	Best For	Starting Price	Ease of Use
Shopify	All-around ecommerce	$39/mo	Very easy
WooCommerce	WordPress users wanting flexibility	Free (+ hosting ~$10/mo)	Moderate
Etsy	Handmade, vintage, crafts	$0.20/listing	Very easy
BigCommerce	Mid-size to enterprise	$39/mo	Moderate
Amazon	Maximum audience reach	Variable fees	Moderate

Shopify wins on ease of use and all-in-one convenience. WooCommerce wins on flexibility and total cost of ownership. Etsy wins on built-in traffic for handmade goods. The right choice depends on your specific business model and technical comfort.

Shopify’s AI Features in 2026

Shopify has invested heavily in AI tools that make store management faster and more accessible. Key AI features include:

Shopify Magic: AI-powered content generation for product descriptions, email campaigns, and blog posts. It handles basic copywriting well, though human editing is still needed for brand-specific tone and accuracy.

Shopify Sidekick: An AI assistant that helps with store management tasks — answering questions about your store’s performance, suggesting optimizations, and automating routine workflows.

AI-powered search and recommendations: Improved product recommendations for buyers, which can increase average order values and conversion rates.

Smart inventory forecasting: Predictive analytics that help you manage stock levels more effectively, reducing overstock and stockout situations.

These AI tools give Shopify a meaningful edge over competitors that have been slower to adopt AI. For solo entrepreneurs managing stores without a team, the productivity gains are substantial.

What Makes Shopify Stores Succeed or Fail

Having a Shopify store does not guarantee sales. Most Shopify stores that fail do so for predictable reasons that have nothing to do with the platform itself:

No traffic strategy. Building a beautiful store without a plan to drive visitors is the number one reason stores fail. Shopify does not bring you customers — you have to attract them through paid ads, SEO, social media, email marketing, or influencer partnerships.

Wrong niche or product selection. Selling generic products that are available cheaper on Amazon is a losing strategy. Successful Shopify stores sell unique, branded, or niche products that customers cannot easily find elsewhere.

Insufficient marketing budget. Most profitable Shopify stores invest significantly in Facebook, Instagram, Google, or TikTok advertising. If your marketing budget is $0, organic growth through content marketing and social media is possible but much slower.

Poor product photography and descriptions. Online shoppers buy with their eyes first. Low-quality photos and vague descriptions kill conversions regardless of product quality.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Shopify really cost per month?

The Basic plan costs $39/month, but realistic monthly costs including apps, themes, and tools typically run $100 to $300+. Add advertising and total monthly investment easily exceeds $500 to $1,000+.

Can you make money on Shopify with no experience?

Yes, but expect a learning curve. Shopify makes store creation easy. Marketing, product selection, and customer acquisition are the hard parts. Budget 2 to 3 months of learning and testing before expecting consistent sales.

Is Shopify better than selling on Amazon?

They serve different purposes. Amazon gives you instant access to millions of shoppers but limited branding. Shopify gives you a branded store you control but requires you to drive your own traffic. Many sellers use both — selling on Amazon for volume and Shopify for brand building.

Can you use Shopify for dropshipping?

Yes. Shopify is the most popular platform for dropshipping. Apps like DSers and Spocket connect your store to suppliers who ship directly to customers. You never handle inventory.

Is Shopify worth it for a small business?

For businesses selling physical products, Shopify’s ease of use and comprehensive features make it worth the investment. For businesses selling primarily digital products or services, simpler and cheaper alternatives may be more appropriate.

The Bottom Line

Shopify deserves its reputation as the leading ecommerce platform. For most people looking to sell physical products online, it is the best combination of power, ease of use, and scalability available.

Just go in with realistic expectations about costs. The $39/month starting price is a foot in the door — the actual investment to run a competitive store is significantly higher. And having a beautiful store means nothing without a strategy to drive traffic and convert visitors into buyers.

For income that does not require inventory, shipping, app subscriptions, or advertising budgets, here’s how I build simple websites that generate $500–$1,200/month each in recurring revenue. For the full model, see local lead generation.

If you do choose Shopify, invest time in learning marketing before you invest money in premium themes and apps. The most successful Shopify stores are not the prettiest — they are the ones that know how to put their products in front of the right buyers.