Shopify Review

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What it is: Ecommerce platform
Best for: Product-first stores that plan to grow
Price: $29/mo billed yearly, $39 monthly (Basic), checked October 26, 2026
Prices checked: October 23, 2026

We researched Shopify's pricing pages, terms and help center, plus what merchants and shoppers say about it online. We haven't run a store on it ourselves, so this is a research-based review, not a hands-on test.

Who it’s best for

People who want their own online store for physical or digital products, not just a listing on a marketplace.
Sellers who are fine paying a monthly fee plus extras like apps and themes in exchange for an all-in-one setup.

Who should skip it

Probably not the best fit if your site is mainly a portfolio, blog or service business with a few products. A website builder like Wix may suit that better (see below).

What it costs

Prices checked October 23, 2026, from Shopify’s own pricing page unless noted. Prices change often, so check the official page before you buy.

Basic: $29 a month billed yearly, or $39 month to month.
Grow: $79 a month billed yearly. Advanced: $299 a month billed yearly. Plus (for big businesses): from $2,300 a month.
Free trial: 3 days, then $1 a month for your first 3 months on a regular plan.
Card fees with Shopify Payments, online: 2.9% + 30 cents (Basic), 2.7% (Grow), 2.5% (Advanced). In person starts at 2.6% + 10 cents.
If you use a different payment provider instead of Shopify Payments, Shopify adds its own fee (2% on Basic).
No setup fee. Most stores also pay for a few apps or a paid theme, so budget more than the plan price.

What we like

One place for your store, checkout, payments, shipping labels and in-person sales.
A huge app store, so you can add almost any feature.
Merchants rate it well on business software sites: 4.4 out of 5 on G2 and 4.5 on Capterra (as reported on October 7, 2026).
24/7 chat help on every plan.
Automated sales tax calculation is included on the Basic plan, and every plan lets you sell unlimited products.

What to watch for

Costs add up. Apps, themes and payment fees can cost more than the plan itself.
Support is chat first. Phone and email help are only for Plus, Retail or POS Pro stores, per Shopify's help center.
Its Trustpilot score is 1.3 out of 5 (5,237 reviews). Many of those come from shoppers upset with a store that runs on Shopify, but merchants also complain there about reaching a real person and billing problems.
Merchants in independent reviews describe held payouts and paused payment accounts. Shopify documents that this can happen.

The fine print

The $1 a month offer is only for the first 3 months; then the normal price applies.
Using an outside payment provider triggers the extra transaction fee on top of that provider's own fees.
Shopify Plus is a yearly contract that can't be cancelled early.

The main alternative: Wix

It's a popular website builder that can also run a store. Wix's paid plans come with a 14-day money-back guarantee.

What it costs: $29/mo (Core, the first plan that accepts payments), checked October 26, 2026

Read our full Wix review · Shopify vs Wix

Pick Shopify if you…

want selling to be the center of your site, with checkout, payments, shipping labels and inventory in one place.
want automated sales tax from day one. It's included on Shopify Basic at $29 a month; on Wix it starts with the $39 Business plan.
plan to grow: every plan sells unlimited products, the app store is huge, and there are bigger plans when you need them.
also sell in person and want one system for your store and your counter.

Pick Wix if you…

mainly want a good-looking website, blog or portfolio, and the shop is a smaller part of it.
sell services or appointments. Wix Core includes scheduling and services; on Shopify that usually means an extra app.
want more time to change your mind. Wix gives 14 days for a refund; Shopify's free trial is 3 days.

Our take

Shopify is the safe default if selling online is the main point of your site. It starts at the same $29 a month (billed yearly) as Wix's cheapest plan that can take payments, and it includes automated sales tax at that price. Budget for apps and payment fees, not just the plan price, and use Shopify Payments to avoid the extra transaction fee. If the website matters more than the shop, Wix is worth a look.

Side by side

Company	Best for	Starting price for selling online	Trial / refund
Shopify	Product-first stores that plan to grow	$29/mo billed yearly, $39 monthly (Basic), checked October 26, 2026	3-day trial, then $1/mo for 3 months
Wix	Design-first site with a shop, bookings or services	$29/mo (Core, the first plan that accepts payments), checked October 26, 2026	14-day money-back

From our company records. Check the official pages for current prices.

What we checked

Shopify plan prices and card rates on the Shopify pricing page, read October 22, 2026
Trial terms: 3-day free trial, then $1 a month for the first 3 months
The 2% extra fee when you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments (Basic plan)
Which support channels each plan gets (Shopify Help Center)
Merchant ratings on G2 and Capterra, and the Trustpilot page, where most reviews come from shoppers
Shopify pricing page rechecked October 23, 2026: automated sales tax on Basic, unlimited products, Plus now listed from $2,300 a month
Wix plan prices, what the Core plan includes (payments, scheduling and services) and its 14-day money-back guarantee, read October 23, 2026.
Which Wix plans include automated sales tax (Wix Help Center)

Sources

Visit Shopify’s official site

How we review

We read the company's own terms, test the sign-up or booking steps where we can, and compare it with alternatives. A commission never changes what we write. Read our disclosure.