Shopify Review 2024: Is It the Best Ecommerce Platform?

Shopify is a powerful tool for online commerce, but it may not be the best jumping-off point for a novice. If you’re willing to put in the work to create a thriving online business, you’ll likely find success with Shopify.

But if this is your first time creating an online store, you’ll need to learn about the platform beforehand. We liked all of the tools Shopify offered but found ourselves searching for lots of how-tos and help videos.

To decide whether Shopify is the right platform for your ecommerce business, read our full breakdown below. We tested the web builder firsthand and then dug into the pricing, features, and tools Shopify provides.

Shopify review at a glance

Price	$29/mo-$2,300/mo
Free plan	No
Free trial	Yes — 3 days
Money-back guarantee	No
Number of collaborators	5 – Unlimited
Storage space	Unlimited
Custom domain	Yes (for purchase)
Site analytics	Starting at Advanced plan
Ecommerce tools	Yes — for all plans
AI tools	Yes
Learn more	Get Shopify

We last tested Shopify on November 20th, 2024.

Our experience

While we appreciate how powerful the ecommerce platform Shopify is, we don’t find it as beginner-friendly as other web-building software (like Wix). This is because Shopify caters to businesses only. On the plus side, Shopify gave us 3 days free, and we didn’t have to input any payment information. This was a solid start, but we felt some bumps along the way.

Setting up our Shopify account was easy enough. You can attach it to your other accounts, like Google, Apple, or Facebook, or create an account with an email. You’ll be asked a few simple questions about your shop before being taken to the main dashboard. From there, you can build out your web page any way you see fit.

Once we entered the main dashboard, we were left to our own devices to explore. There wasn’t a tutorial or an explanation given. We ended up going to YouTube to watch videos on how to set up a store since Shopify didn’t provide any additional education.

Even with all the YouTube tutorials, we still weren’t able to upload any images or videos. We checked our settings and compatibility, which were all correct, and then restarted our laptop. After that, we were able to upload media, but the editing tools weren’t robust.

There are user guides on Shopify’s site if you feel like sifting through its library, but the YouTube video was easier and more informative. One of our biggest takeaways from Shopify was that it’s much better suited to people who already have a grasp on ecommerce sites. Newbies will likely spend a lot of time learning the platform from other sources like YouTube.

Those who are trying to create a business website for the first time may have trouble navigating the platform. If Shopify had more intuitive controls, like other services we’ve tried, it would be much easier to use.

Shopify prices and subscriptions

Shopify ranges from $29/mo-$2,300/mo, which might seem high, but the site is geared toward businesses looking to scale up to a higher profit margin. There’s a 3-day trial that leads to getting your first month for $1. This is so you can get your store up and running, hopefully making some profit, before paying the full month's charge. The Basic and Shopify plans are for smaller businesses, while the Advanced and Plus plans are designed for higher-traffic sites.

If you have a small- to moderate-sized team, you can create access profiles for them on all accounts other than the Basic plan. Large teams will benefit from the Plus plan’s unlimited team account options. The two higher plans are also where you’ll find dynamic analytics to track everything from the click-through rate to abandoned carts.

Features	Basic	Shopify	Advanced	Plus
Price	$29/mo	$79/mo	$299/mo	$2,300/mo
Money-back guarantee
Number of collaborators	1	5	15	Unlimited
Storage space
Custom domain
Site analytics
Ecommerce tools
AI tools
Learn more	View plan	View plan	View plan	View plan

Shopify is a little pricy, but it also comes with a reputable name, plenty of space to scale your business, and useful tools. While other sites have more intuitive features, Shopify’s strength lies in its wide reach and integration.

If you’re just starting out and want Shopify’s scalability, we suggest starting with the Basic plan until you’re turning enough profit to justify increasing your plan. If you already have an established business or a comfortable amount of startup capital, we would recommend the Advanced plan.

Unlike most web builders, Shopify doesn't include a free custom domain with its paid plans. You can transfer an existing domain to Shopify. But if you don't have one yet, you'll have to purchase your online store's domain from Shopify or a third-party vendor. 

Shopify features

We found a lot of features, widgets, and tools on Shopify’s platform and feel that these are actually some of Shopify’s greatest strengths. But the sheer number of choices may also be overwhelming. Entrepreneurs can take advantage of Shopify’s comprehensive offerings:

• Website building tools
• Editing tools
• A free and paid app and widget library
• Variety of ecommerce tools and integrations
• SEO and blogging assistance
• Marketing tools
• And more

Building a website

Shopify offers a full catalog of prebuilt themes that you can apply to your website. Depending on your goals, the AI tools in the themes catalog will help you find the perfect theme. The additional categories, blog posts, pages, navigation, and preferences all assist you in creating a Shopify online store that works for you.

Using and editing media

We were able to upload media and do some light editing, like cropping, resizing, and drawing. Shopify allows you to name your images to reap the SEO benefits of keywords. There are other platforms with more robust media editing tools, but these are still sufficient.

Widget library

The Shopify app store is so extensive it could easily become overwhelming. Shopify will recommend top apps for sites like yours, but you also have the option to browse the entire library. We suggest researching the best apps for your style of store and not just relying on what’s suggested.

Ecommerce tools

Since Shopify is solely an ecommerce site (sorry, hobbyists and creatives), businesses can use various tools to create and maintain a successful ecommerce website. From analytics that let you know how your customers interact to finance tools, you’ll have a fully functional site on your first day.

SEO and blogging tools

Even though Shopify is exclusively an ecommerce site, there are opportunities for you to create SEO-rich blog posts. Not only will it help boost your Shopify online store presence and ranking, but you’ll also have an outlet to provide your customers with value-added content that doesn’t require them to purchase something.

Marketing tools

Shopify provides tools to create effective marketing campaigns, track campaign sales, and even set automation. The automation menu includes templates for customer birthdays, first purchase upsells, new subscriber discounts, back-in-stock notifications, and more.

Bonus features

If you want to take your store to the streets, Shopify offers a marketplace where you can purchase physical point-of-sale (PoS) hardware. You can also enjoy Shop integration. Shop is an online marketplace that helps manage payments and order tracking for customers. In addition, Shopify customers with the Plus plan get a whole other set of features like a custom-built app and free expansion stores.

Security and bandwidth

Each plan includes a free SSL certificate. We found that the financial menu in our store included two-factor authentication for increased security. And for business owners looking for customer-facing security, Shopify includes prebuilt tools to help customers manage their data and information sharing.

If you’re concerned about bandwidth, don’t worry. Shopify accounts come with unlimited bandwidth, which lets your store grow to its fullest potential.

Create a free cookie policy for your ecommerce business

As a business owner, you need a cookie policy to disclose what you do with user data. You also need privacy policies, a refund policy, and others. With TermsFeed, you can quickly create legal provisions for GDPR, CCPA, CPRA, and more.

Shopify customer support

Support type	Shopify Help Center
Email or live chat	Yes — AI and live chat
Phone
Online guides or forums

Customer support isn’t as robust as you’d think with a service this expensive. The AI chat assistant hopes to answer all your questions, but there’s also an online forum and guides. Shopify discontinued its phone support, but the AI chat assistant will eventually send you to a live agent if you're completely strapped. Considering the monthly price point for Shopify, we’d like to see better support options.

FAQs

Bottom line: Is Shopify good?

Yes, Shopify is good. It’s a top-tier service for creating a thriving online business, and there are plenty of tools and scalable features that help entrepreneurs grow. While it’s not novice-friendly, anyone who has valuable products and is willing to put in the work should be able to do well on Shopify.

See how Shopify compares to other top website builders for ecommerce:

• Shopify vs. Squarespace
• Shopify vs. Wix