Shopify Software Reviews

“perfect for global online sales”

Pros

Running our sales through the platform across two continents has been a really positive experience. If you need a platform to sell one or countless products online, this is honestly the one to go with.

Cons

I really don't have anything bad to say about the platform itself. The only part I'm not a fan of is that the featured "experts" can be very expensive if you choose to hire them.

“no coding required”

Pros

Almost every day, I'm working in this platform and the biggest advantage for me is how easy it is to use. I can jump into the platform and add a new location in a short amount of time instead of spending half an hour on it. As someone who doesn't code, that saves me a lot of time.

Cons

Nothing specific comes to mind as a setback. Of course any software has room to get better but this one is usually already working on updates and tends to stay ahead of issues before I even get a chance to suggest them.

“beginner friendly”

Pros

It feels very approachable so even without any background in building websites, you can still put together a site without much trouble.

Cons

There are plenty of free apps you can add for extra features and functions but some of the better ones require an additional payment. On top of the monthly subscription, that can become pretty expensive for someone just getting started and that's really the only downside for me.

“perfect for my shop”

Pros

Switching from Big Cartel to this platform was such a good move for my store. I really enjoy using it especially because it gives me access to all kinds of analytics and financial reports which makes it much easier to keep track of how the business is doing.

Cons

One setback is that the mobile app can be a bit frustrating when trying to issue orders from my phone. Still I'm hopeful that it's something they'll continue improving with future updates.

“frustrating POS and inventory gaps”

Pros

Getting a storefront online doesn't take much effort and adding products is easy.

Cons

I don't even know where to start. Inventory records only go back three months and I was shocked to realize I had lost four months of inventory history. Printing a receipt is another trouble because you have to purchase and download a separate app and it's outdated to use since you have to wait a couple of minutes for the receipt to upload before printing. Employee logins are also inconvenient because they require another app plus a monthly fee. Returns are awkward too, you can't apply a credit to a customer's account so the only options are refunding their money or issuing a gift card. If an order is marked as pending payment, you also can't take that payment through the POS system. There's no way to add vendor information without it being visible to customers which makes no sense. On top of that, the duplicate feature for adding products doesn't work the way it should. It's hard to fully explain but it really feels like it wasn't designed by someone who understands how a business actually operates.

“Flexible templates”

Pros

Starting off with it was quick and I didn't need any coding knowledge to build the site. There are plenty of templates available, both free and paid and it's hard to accidentally mess up the whole website while making changes.

Cons

The credit card processing fees aren't very clear and setting up payment options outside the US was more difficult than I expected.

“easy to use”

Pros

Setting up an online store with this platform is pretty easy and doesn't require any coding trouble which makes it simple for anyone to launch a business and scale it over time. There's also a wide range of apps and themes created by skilled developers and that really adds to the overall online shopping experience. The convenience of getting a store running and starting sales quickly is exactly what you'd want from an e-commerce platform.

Cons

A few areas especially collections and navigation, can still feel a bit confusing and not very beginner friendly at first. That said, it offers plenty of tutorials, guides and a large community so getting help and figuring things out becomes much more manageable.

“launch a store in a day!”

Pros

If your product info is already prepared and you're fine using a ready made theme, a basic store can realistically go from just an idea to a live site in a single day! Connecting payment gateways and shipping services is also very easy.

Cons

From a developer's perspective, it comes with a bit of difficulty because it uses its own templating language. Standard CSS, HTML and JavaScript still apply but instead of something like PHP, you'll be working with Liquid. It's not especially difficult, just one more language to pick up.

“powerful platform”

Pros

Right away, the templates stood out and the platform is easy to use. There's also a lot of support available, plus a great user forum. Since it's so widely used, it really does make running an e-commerce business much simpler.

Cons

It does feel a bit expensive. You can manage without it but the kind of Rube Goldberg setup you'd need to build and maintain on your own takes a lot of time. It simplifies that process quite a bit.

“store setup made simple”

Pros

Building an online store with this platform feels very easy even for someone with little to no coding or website-building knowledge. That simplicity is easily its biggest advantage.

Cons

It is an excellent platform but it does cost a bit more than some other alternatives. That said the pricing usually feels reasonable once your online store is bringing in revenue.

“practical store setup with fees”

Pros

Turning a regular website into an online store is pretty easy with this platform. It works as an all in one e-commerce solution and you don't need to be an IT expert to get started. Their team is capable enough to help with the setup and a big plus is that there's no need to change your domain name so you can keep your existing brand and begin selling from day one.

Cons

Commission fees are a bit on the high side although that can be easier to accept if you're not technical and would otherwise be paying for custom website development. There are also times when the platform can make the site feel a little slow.

“full control for creators”

Pros

Running an online store alongside my Tudor history podcast started out as a simple idea to sell some fun print-on-demand leggings but it's turned into something much bigger. A lot of creators stick with places like Redbubble or Spreadshirt and that works if you just want someone else to manage the whole transaction. The difference with this platform is that you actually own the customer relationship. Being able to collect sales data and grow a mailing list is a huge part of building a real business. You can still work with print-on-demand vendors but now the entire buying experience is centered around your brand. The leggings can have your branded tags, the mailing address is your business and the whole shop feels like it truly belongs to you. Yes, that also means customer service comes back to you instead of going to a marketplace but if the goal is to build a business around your audience, that direct connection matters. On top of that, you keep the profits and with the app ecosystem you can shape the store to match your personality and stay in control of the full sales process.

Cons

I don't like how many features are locked behind higher tier plans and how much functions depends on paid apps. It's nice that those options exist but the costs can stack up fast before you realize it. At one stage I was spending nearly $100 a month just on apps alone. I still sell on marketplaces like Etsy too because it feels a bit like the difference between showing up at a church craft fair and opening your own standalone store. With the craft fair there's already built in foot traffic. With your own shop, you get much more ownership, branding and control but bringing in visitors is entirely on you.

“Has stellar support!”

Pros

Whenever I've needed assistance, it's customer service has been incredibly helpful. They also offer plenty of free training which made it easier to get started and continues to be useful as the store grows. After trying other platforms for my online shop, this one has easily been the best choice.

Cons

The only change I'd really appreciate is not being charged until the site is actually live. The free trial is pretty short and if you're new to this platform, you're often still learning your way around and not quite ready to launch by the time it ends.

“low maintenance”

Pros

Compared with other eCommerce platforms, this hits a really strong balance between simplicity and capability. I've always been a fan of WooCommerce and have used it for site builds since 2012 but over the last few years this has become my default choice for easy online store projects. When you already know the platform, it's completely realistic to launch a basic store in under two hours. The app and theme marketplaces are another big plus. They may not be as massive as the WordPress ecosystem but the overall quality tends to be higher which makes up for the smaller selection. It still has a few gaps when you stack it up against WooCommerce but it can handle about 95% of what most people would ever want from an eCommerce site and it does it with less trouble than just about anyone else. The reliability is probably its biggest advantage. Since you're not managing the server, database or middleware yourself, the platform takes care of the heavy maintenance automatically. For many serious online businesses, the subscription cost pays for itself just in reduced maintenance work alone.

Cons

A tradeoff with it is that it's nowhere near as customizable as platforms like WooCommerce or Magento, mainly because you don't get access to the server-side code or the database. That can make advanced builds more difficult and in some cases impossible especially when you're dealing with complicated data driven requirements. To be fair those situations don't come up all that often and most businesses can usually work around them with alternative solutions. Pricing is another sticking point. It starts at around $30 per month which can feel pricey next to many open source options. On top of that app costs can add up fast. A lot of small businesses will probably end up spending somewhere between $50 and $100 per month to get the features they need to support online sales. If you're okay skipping certain functions or can find free substitutes, you can usually keep the total closer to the $30 to $50 range.

“so manageable!”

Pros

Running an online store feels much more manageable with this platform because backend access is so easy. Uploading products, updating listings and making edits on the site is very simple and handling pages and user management is just as convenient. Another big plus is how well it connects with other platforms which makes it possible to keep everyone and everything linked through one central hub.

Cons

Every now and then, it seems to go down and when that happens my website becomes unreachable along with myshopify.com. I'm still not sure whether that's an issue specific to the plus version or something that affects the platform more broadly.

“simple to make changes”

Pros

The analytics are clear and the integration options with third party software feel better than anything else I've used. Making changes and updates is hard to beat and the whole platform is genuinely enjoyable to work with. Whether it's loyalty programs or email marketing, there's usually a easy app available that only takes a few minutes to set up.

Cons

Financial side of the platform is disappointing. You can choose other providers but they add an extra premium on top.

“no need for expert knowledge”

Pros

I didn't have any background in web development, design or user interface work yet I was still able to launch a store within an hour or two. Once everything is set up, the analytics tools are especially impressive and add a lot of value.

Cons

Many of the more useful features are only available through plugins and those usually come with their own monthly subscription fees. Because of that the total cost of running a store can end up being much higher than the base subscription alone.

“helpful apps”

Pros

Keeping content up to date is easy and the available apps work a lot like WordPress plugins. They're useful for improving your blog and helping boost conversions across the site.

Cons

We've been trying to get our ecommerce numbers in Google Analytics to line up with the data in the platform because they never seem to match. It also doesn't let you place GA code on the checkout pages.

“online selling made easy”

Pros

It gives you what you need to build a professional online store and run complete e-commerce operations that can compete with more established brands.

Cons

Trial length needs changes. Fourteen days feels a bit too short and having a full month before paying would make it easier to confirm everything is working properly before committing.

“flexible store tools and support”

Pros

Running a store this platform has been really helpful. The customer support is excellent, the interface is user friendly and it makes the experience simple for customers as well. There are also plenty of add ons available to handle different kinds of work.

Cons

The pricing is quite expensive. Paying $259 per month especially for the advanced plan, is not affordable for everyone. On top of that, there are also several design limitations that make certain changes difficult to achieve.