Shopify Software Reviews

“solid value”

Pros

After comparing it with WIX, WordPress and BigCommerce for our ecommerce site, it ended up being one of the top choices alongside BigCommerce. The setup process was easy, the pricing was competitive, the store design options were strong and the backend was user friendly. It also offered plenty of plugins for extra customization.

Cons

Issue was that it didn't include a built in gift certificate option and adding that feature is usually expensive which is ultimately why we went with BigCommerce instead.

“Review for platform”

Pros

It manages to be very flexible while still being simple to work with. If you need a theme, there are tons of free and paid options on 'themes.shopify.com' Want multilingual support, upsell tools or different marketing and customer retention features? The Shopify App Store offers hundreds of excellent apps! Need automation for handling AliExpress orders? Oberlo covers that! Running POD? Printify integrates with it! Need a free logo? There's hatchful.shopify.com! Looking for professional help? experts.shopify.com is there too along with plenty of tutorials on YouTube! You can even find tips through Oberlo's 101 resources. Overall it feels very complete. You just don't get that same all in one ecosystem with Magento or WooCommerce.

Cons

A part that really gets frustrating is the product editor. At times, I'll update product variations, save everything and then a few seconds or minutes later it reverts back to the previous version. Because of that, you end up saving repeatedly and refreshing the page depending on what you're editing. On top of that the Text/HTML editor isn't nearly as capable as it looks. I run into problems with it all the time. A better workaround is to use a free online HTML editor first and then paste the code into the platform.

“self-service website”

Pros

Building our website design with this platform has been much more manageable. It's a self-service platform so our small business can set up an e-commerce site ourselves instead of paying someone outside to build it.

Cons

The only real downside for us is that the payment and processing fees feel a little expensive for a small business. I understand that's part of how it earns its revenue but it's still my one main complaint.

“friendly tools, weak product catalog”

Pros

It does have some real advantages so I don't want the title to give the wrong impression. It comes with a lot of user friendly features especially for someone who wants to build a store without coding a website from scratch. You can design your site and add different elements pretty easily and it also lets you import products from its large marketplace. On top of that, it provides helpful information like how many products are selling in a certain market. Since it's free to use, it's also a pretty good entry point for getting started in dropshipping which is how I began using it.

Cons

Even with the strengths mentioned, there are plenty of areas where this falls short. The biggest one is customization. You can definitely make changes and adjust the appearance of your site but it still doesn't feel nearly as customizable as other website building platforms. The real deal breaker for me though, is the quality of the products in the marketplace you're supposed to source from. A lot of them are made with very poor materials and the few that aren't low quality tend to already be heavily oversold. That makes it much harder to stand out because you often end up listing products people have already seen everywhere else.

“my opinion”

Pros

Affordable store themes and apps are available to add extra functions. It also connects well with a wide range of services and payment providers. On top of that, the Buy Button makes it possible to quickly add a shopping cart to almost any website.

Cons

The lower priced plans don't include all features which can be limiting. I'd rather see pricing tied to traffic levels or sales volume. It also takes an extra percentage fee when you use your own credit card merchant account instead of the payment option it provides.

“Add ons that save time”

Pros

One of the biggest strengths has to be the add ons. They're basically plug-and-play which is a big help from a development standpoint because they connect with the platform without much trouble. That saves a lot of time and money compared with hiring a programmer or developer to create certain features from the ground up. There's also plenty of room for customization and I'm genuinely impressed by how much this platform can do.

Cons

If you're a new startup, the cost of add ons can definitely add up in terms of setup and ongoing expenses. I also feel like quite a few of them are essential which makes that downside more noticeable. Even so, they're still a valuable part of building a profitable eCommerce business.

“Many useful apps”

Pros

Out of the different platforms I tested, this one was the fastest and simplest to get running for launching an online store. It also comes with an app store packed with extensions and tools you can add to improve and expand the website.

Cons

Problem is that it isn't free. I received a 3 month trial but if you have to start paying from month one, it's the kind of expense people often avoid when they're still unsure whether they'll actually make sales.

“easy interface”

Pros

The interface is extremely easy so getting everything set up and launching the store doesn't take much time. The storefront themes make it possible to start selling right away and the app marketplace gives you plenty of options to extend the store's functions.

Cons

Monthly platform fee feels reasonable when your site brings in regular orders but it can get expensive for stores that only see occasional sales. On top of that although some marketplace apps are free, a lot of them require paid subscriptions which increases the overall cost.

“fast setup”

Pros

I can have a site live within just a couple of hours which is a huge plus. At the same time, it's flexible enough that I can still get into the coding side when I want to make more advanced custom changes.

Cons

The blogging tools feel a bit outdated. Adjusting the blog layout isn't as flexible as I'd want and there's also no category option for blog posts. On top of that, the fees can become pretty expensive if you don't use the platform's built in payment service.

“easy to set up a shop”

Pros

You really don't need to be an expert to work with this platform. It gives you a very easy toolbox with a lot already preset so setting up a shop and handling purchases is simple. The app store is also packed with plenty of add ons so there's something useful for pretty much everyone.

Cons

When it comes to the German market though, a lot of legal requirements are missing. For example, you have to arrange the checkboxes for terms and conditions and privacy consent yourself and there's no proper invoicing system built in. That means spending extra money on apps to cover those gaps. On top of that, the transaction fees on every single order can really add up and by the end of the month those charges can take a noticeable bite out of your profit.

“love the customizable templates!”

Pros

Managing my mom's online store on this platform has been such a positive experience. We built the whole site from the ground up without knowing much about the platform at the start and it still came together really well. There are both free and paid templates available and they offer a lot of customization. One of the best parts is that the templates automatically adapt to mobile without us having to do anything which is great. We've used it for more than five years now and are still extremely happy with it. It's very simple to manage and their customer support has been outstanding. They're available 24/7 and always walk us through everything even very basic questions like how to upload a new image. The inventory tools are also excellent and keep everything well organized. If something sells offline, it's quick to update the inventory in the dashboard so we can avoid any mix-ups.

Cons

Honestly there's not much I dislike about it. If I had to point to one thing, I'd say I wish there were more free templates to choose from. The templates created by the platform itself tend to work the best because they fit in perfectly with the platform. Since software can feel intimidating for some people, having a wider selection of free templates to experiment with before paying for a fancier one would probably make the platform even more approachable.

“has tools for dropshipping”

Pros

Running an online business takes the right automation tools especially with dropshipping and it turned out to be one of those real gems for me. It gives my store a lot of power, from digital marketing options like Facebook marketing apps to fulfillment support. The part I appreciate most is the 14 day trial because it gives you time to set everything up and test things properly without stressing about losing money the way you might on other platforms. Security is also a big concern for online shoppers and it helps with that by providing SSL certificates for the store. On top of that collecting payments is convenient whether through direct deposits or PayPal.

Cons

The hardest part at the beginning can be figuring out which apps are actually worth using and how everything should connect. Integrating sourcing platforms like AliExpress, setting up digital marketing, handling payment collection organizing fulfillment, working out product pricing margins and choosing the right niche market can all feel intimidating at first before you really understand how to make it profitable.

“so many benefits!”

Pros

It makes it simple to add and update products, customize how each item looks and what information is shown, share listings across multiple platforms, give customers different options, sell products and handle fulfillment.

Cons

At the beginning, it felt a little outdated and not very accessible but it became much easier to work with after some time. It really just takes a bit of hands-on use to understand the platform better.

“All in one solution”

Pros

Unlike a lot of ecommerce platforms, it actually does what it promises. The website pages, checkout flow and payment processing are all built in so you're not stuck piecing together a stack and hoping everything works. It just works really well.

Cons

Biggest setback with it is the pricing. Credit card processing fees can be pretty brutal although at least hosting is included in the cost.

“simple store setup”

Pros

Launching the store is very easy and it stays just as manageable when handling the standard features most simple eCommerce stores need.

Cons

Some more advanced capabilities aren't available on regular plans so you'd need to move up to the plus version to access those higher end features.

“great support”

Pros

Whenever I need help, their customer service is great and very responsive. The platform is easy to use and making changes is simple overall. I also really appreciate that they've been doing what they can to support businesses during the COVID-19 crisis.

Cons

One thing I wish they would change is offering the gift card option across all of their website plan levels at all times.

“flexible page builder”

Pros

Putting pages together is easy thanks to the drag and drop tools built into the platform. It works well for building ecommerce websites too and there are plenty of themes available in the market to customize the site the way you want.

Cons

The hosting cost feels quite high. third party plugins are also pricey and if you need a custom built plugin, it has to be developed in Java to integrate with a website from this platform.

“powerful tools”

Pros

Really easy to get a store up and it also makes handoff much simpler when a client needs to manage the site on their own afterward. There's a huge amount of support material available so when something comes up, the answer is usually already in their help docs. If it's not, reaching out through Twitter or their Chat is usually enough to get help pretty quickly. Their payment system, now under a different name is also simple to configure and makes taking payments feel smooth for both the seller and the customer. On top of that the app marketplace is packed with options for just about any feature you might need.

Cons

Creating new pages feels limited. The built in options just aren't very flexible. Yes, you can go into the app store and pay monthly for a landing page builder but not everyone wants to keep adding extra subscription costs. Some basic functions really shouldn't depend on installing another app.

“effective store builder”

Pros

Is a solid ecommerce platform if you want to launch a store without building everything from code. It comes with a mix of free and paid templates to help you get started and there are plenty of helpful features available including reporting tools and social media shopping integrations.

Cons

The downside is that you end up paying extra for a lot of functions through the app store even for things that feel like they should already be built in such as a photo gallery. Since most of those apps run on subscriptions, the monthly expenses can climb quickly. On top of that because it's an open marketplace, support and updates often depend on the individual app developer and some are slow to respond or take too long to fix bugs. Also making changes to templates usually requires coding knowledge or hiring someone who has it.

“Strong integrations”

Pros

Developing an online store with it has been a really positive experience! The interface feels modern and accessible so getting started does not take much effort. It offers a high level of customization which makes it possible to shape the website and brand it exactly the way you want. It also supports selling both physical and digital products and the shipping settings can be configured accordingly. Another big advantage is how well it connects with multiple sales channels like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Amazon and others while also including built in payment options such as Apple Pay and PayPal. Also customer support is available 24/7 and has been very committed to helping users.

Cons

Pricing could be better since the plans do not feel very flexible. The reporting tools could also use improvement especially when it comes to deeper analysis and more detailed insights. In addition the phone support would be more helpful if it offered assistance in multiple languages.