Shopify

Shopify is a paid online store platform on the SaaS model: you rent the store on a subscription, and the vendor runs the servers, software updates and platform security. Behind it is Shopify Inc., a company incorporated in Canada and with its principal office in Ottawa, listed on NASDAQ and the Toronto Stock Exchange. The articles in this category put Shopify next to other platforms, so you can judge it on price lists and terms rather than on other people's opinions.

What Shopify is in practice, and what it costs

• Subscription. On Shopify's euro price list for Ireland, the Basic plan is €24 a month billed annually. Above it sit Grow, Advanced and Plus, the last from €2,100 a month. Hosting and an SSL certificate are included in every plan.
• Payments. Shopify Payments is available in every EU member state except Slovakia. If you connect a third-party payment provider instead, Shopify adds its own transaction fee: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced and 0.2% on Plus.
• Apps and themes. Some features are bought as apps, and a ready-made theme costs something different from a custom design.

A fair Shopify review is therefore a calculation: what you will pay with your payment provider, which apps you need from day one, and what you can take with you if you ever change platform.

Where to start

• E-commerce platform comparison — Shopify next to WooCommerce, PrestaShop, Shopware and others, by price list, sales fees and data export on exit. The best first read.
• Ecommerce website cost — subscription, fees, setup and monthly running costs in one calculation.
• Free online store — what Shopify's trial covers and what always costs money.

Running a store on Shopify

• Ecommerce website design — a ready-made template or a custom build.
• Headless commerce — when a custom front end on top of the store engine makes sense.
• Omnichannel — one stock level for the online store and a physical shop.
• Supplier feed integration — CSV, XML or API.
• Google Merchant Center and ecommerce SEO — getting products seen in Google.
• Platform models and how to choose: e-commerce platform guide.