Shopify

Shopify provides tiered monthly plans ranging from $29 to $299 per month. The basic plan includes an online store, unlimited products, and basic reporting, while higher tiers add advanced reporting, professional shipping discounts, and greater staff accounts. Exact feature lists are on Shopify’s pricing page, so review that page for the most current details.

Shopify is designed for a wide range of merchants, from small startups launching their first store to rapidly growing brands needing scalable tools, and even large enterprises using Shopify Plus. Its app ecosystem and customizable themes let each segment add the functionality they require, making it adaptable across business sizes.

Shopify includes its own payment gateway, Shopify Payments, which eliminates additional transaction fees for most plans. If you use a third‑party provider, Shopify adds a fee that varies by plan, typically a few percent per transaction. Review the payment settings in your admin dashboard for exact rates.

Setting up a Shopify store involves creating an account, selecting a theme, adding products, configuring payment and shipping options, and publishing the site. For a simple store, many users can launch within a few hours, while more complex setups with custom designs or integrations may take several days.

Shopify limits direct server‑level access, so you cannot modify core code beyond what apps and theme customizations allow. It also charges transaction fees for non‑Shopify Payments and may have higher ongoing costs as you add premium apps. For businesses needing full control over hosting or custom backend logic, a self‑hosted solution might be preferable.