Shopify Software Reviews

“All in one builder”

Pros

The templates are thoughtfully built and already optimized in ways that help store owners succeed so most of the work is just swapping in your own content and branding. It's also really convenient to purchase a domain, choose a theme and handle hosting all in one place instead of piecing everything together separately. Setting up sales tax is much simpler too especially compared with platforms like Magento or WordPress where that often means dealing with extra plugins and added frustration. On top of that, it integrates well with sales channels like Amazon and eBay and being able to manage inventory quantities from one central place is a big plus.

Cons

The drawback as with most DIY platforms, is that there are limits built into the software. Once you want more advanced customization, you usually need a developer who truly understands the platform and has deeper coding knowledge. That can be harder than with WordPress, where there are millions of developers available while this has a smaller pool of genuine experts to choose from.

“ideal for ecommerce”

Pros

It is very accessible and most store owners can run and manage their shops without needing much help from agencies or developers.

Cons

There still aren't as many Liquid developers available as there are for some other platforms and the payment processing fees can become expensive over time if you're doing a meaningful volume of sales.

“powerful integrations”

Pros

You can have a store configured within minutes, learn your way around it in a few hours and realistically start selling the same day. Another big plus is how well it connects with just about everything. There's a huge mix of free and paid apps that either expand what the platform can do or make daily tasks simpler. The interface is also already built with a strong shopping experience in mind so that part doesn't need much extra effort.

Cons

The only real complaint I have about it is traffic source attribution. This usually becomes more noticeable once sales start picking up and you want clearer answers about where visitors are actually coming from. Was it a blog article, a Facebook campaign, Google Ads or just organic traffic? They're good problems to have, of course but I've run into quite a few frustrations trying to pin those details down accurately. It does provide reports that offer some visibility into traffic sources but personally I think they fall short when it comes to depth and detail. That said if you can live with that limitation I'd still absolutely recommend it without hesitation.

“perfect for online selling”

Pros

When I was getting started with dropshipping a couple of years ago, it came up and quickly proved to be an all in one ecommerce platform. It works really well for online sales, dropshipping and creating a solid space for an online store. The part I appreciated most was being able to connect with current and potential customers through social media, plus the Amazon integration is a big bonus. It's also a very beginner friendly option.

Cons

Issue is that it doesn't offer a free plan, only a free trial. It also adds extra charges when you choose to use an external payment gateway.

“Endless customization”

Pros

Using it has been very easy. It's packed with features, highly customizable and connects well with just about everything through its integrations. There are also tons of apps available which makes it possible to extend the platform in almost any direction you need.

Cons

The biggest downside is the cost since it can start to get expensive over time. Also, there are so many apps in the marketplace that it can feel overwhelming and some of them really need better regulation or at least clearer minimum instructions so users know what they're getting into.

“Won me over!”

Pros

It won me over in a way no other alternative really has! There are quite a few things I genuinely appreciate about it. First there's no need to worry about hosting at all which is a huge benefit. It handles the hosting for merchant accounts on its own servers so I never had to go looking for a separate hosting plan. Another big plus is the free SSL. With some other platforms, keeping a site secure means paying extra for an SSL certificate but the platform includes that for every user and that's something I value a lot. Getting started was also very quick. I was able to set everything up and have my store running in around half an hour and I didn't need any programming knowledge to do it. Even making custom changes and adjustments only took about an hour which feels excellent compared to many alternatives. The free trial was another thing I appreciated. It gives new users a full two weeks to test the service without paying and that gave me the chance to explore it properly before deciding to spend any money. I also liked how simple it is to install apps. It has a wide range of apps that add extra functions to a store and installing them is very easy. There are both free and paid options available which gives users some flexibility. Payment collection is also convenient because the platform has its own payment system built in making it possible to receive payments from customers for products or services without much trouble. Of course, the processing fees depend on the plan. On top of that, it integrates very well with dropshipping services which is a major advantage since so many store owners use that business model.

Cons

As much as I really enjoy using it, there are still a few downsides that stand out. The biggest one is the cost. For someone just starting out, it can feel quite expensive compared to alternatives like WooCommerce. With WooCommerce, it's possible to build an ecommerce or dropshipping site without paying for the platform itself and the main extra costs are usually hosting and, if needed, an SSL certificate. Another issue I ran into was app availability. I decided to use a payment gateway other than its own option but I couldn't find the app for the payment processor I wanted in the app store. Because of that, I had to switch and use a different processor than the one I originally planned on. The cost of apps is also a drawback. While apps are useful for adding features to a website, many of the better ones are premium and require additional payment. That means users are not only paying for the platform itself but may also have to spend extra money to get the specific functions they want. For beginners and other users watching their budget, that can definitely be discouraging. Other than those issues though, it is still a very good platform to use.

“I'm satisfied”

Pros

Connects really well with my inventory system social media channels, email marketing software and the rest of the tools I use. It also works really nicely with Google Ads which makes it simple to list products on Google Shopping and run highly effective retargeting campaigns. The live view feature is especially helpful because it shows me where customers are coming from in real time. On top of that the shipping discounts are a big plus.

Cons

My biggest frustration is that I can't choose which shipping option appears first. Since one of my delivery options is "local pickup" and it's free, I don't want that showing as the default. A lot of customers from out of town select local pickup by mistake and then I have to reach out to fix it which feels unprofessional. Other than that, it's a really solid platform.

“don't have to code”

Pros

The platform is very user friendly and you really don't need any coding knowledge to build a website. There are also some pretty nice templates available to buy which makes it simple to customize the front end the way you want.

Cons

Monthly cost can climb quickly once you start adding apps. Support could also be better trained when it comes to troubleshooting problems. On top of that their payments is a real headache if you sell products like supplements or homeopathic items, definitely something to watch out for!

“overpriced and stripped back”

Pros

At the very least, it provides a basic online store setup if that's all you're looking for.

Cons

It feels far too expensive for what it offers and the features are pretty watered down. To get a store working the way it should, you end up having to pay for extra apps and added features because the cheapest plan gives you very little. It really comes across like they're trying to drain new businesses and small stores for every bit they can.

“Good platform”

Pros

As a website-building platform for non-technical users, it works really well. It comes with a good range of tools and customization options and there are helpful guides for some features in both Portuguese and English. It also integrates nicely with other platforms and apps which makes managing different parts of the business more convenient.

Cons

At times, the platform can be a bit unstable and may go offline for a couple of hours. Once an online store starts growing a lot, handling orders and customer management only through this software can become somewhat challenging.

“Handy integrations”

Pros

Has been a really solid ecommerce platform to work with. It's user friendly, reporting is simple to put together and when you need extra customization, there's usually a plugin available that does the job. Support was fast and helpful too (at least on the plus version where the chat support is included). It also connects really well with most other platforms.

Cons

As our business grew, a few limitations started to become more noticeable. One big frustration was that only one person could be set as the system admin which turned into a bottleneck whenever a charge needed approval and we had to track that person down before anything could move ahead. It also became more complicated once we wanted to go beyond its standard out-of-the-box setup especially for things like custom PDPs and other more customized changes.

“Time saving automation”

Pros

Running my store with this platform has been really easy and the automation tools save me a lot of time. It helps me keep inventory well organized and gives me all the features I need to manage my online shop effectively.

Cons

One thing I'd still like to see is the ability to set different pricing for the online store and the POS app. Right now, changing prices for an in-person event or booth is harder than it should be because those prices aren't listed separately.

“mobile friendly platform”

Pros

The platform is easy to use overall and the speed plus mobile-friendly design are built right into the way it structures its scripts.

Cons

It takes way too many plugins to get certain things working which can become expensive fast. And if you don't have at least a little coding knowledge, you'll probably end up asking a lot of questions which can cost you even more.

“broad access”

Pros

Setting up an online store with this platform feels like one of the better choices out there. It lets users build their own store and comes with plenty of advantages along the way. The platform is very user friendly and since it's a hosted solution, it can be accessed from practically anywhere. It also does a solid job of helping us organize and manage our products which is a big plus. There's a reason it's become such a popular tool lately.

Cons

Using the service does require paying a fee and you can choose the payment method that fits your needs best. The pricing is a bit higher compared with some other online store platforms. Even so, the platform still delivers strong value because of the range of benefits it offers users.

“covers a lot!”

Pros

It covers a lot more than just basic online selling. The platform includes third party app development, e-commerce tools, retail point-of-sale hardware, affiliate opportunities for referring merchants and plenty of learning resources including articles, guided learning paths and professional certification options. Another big plus is how engaging the overall experience feels for users, admins, developers and partners alike. Their retail store events in downtown Los Angeles add a lot of value especially the master classes led by professionals who have successfully built brands and launched both online and physical stores with this. It's also impressive to see how well those businesses and third party services connect back into its ecosystem.

Cons

Hvaing a polished and professional ecommerce presence set up definitely comes with slight difficulty and there are quite a few steps and lessons involved along the way. Even so, for committed developers and entrepreneurs, it is absolutely a practical and worthwhile platform for building an online commerce presence.

“has many features”

Pros

Having full flexibility to build and manage my entire website was a big plus. It includes several features that are essential for running retail successfully such as coupons, abandoned cart tools and more. It also works really well for handling multiple brands since you can assign specific items to the appropriate brand when needed.

Cons

The downside is that you end up needing apps for almost everything. While I was on this platform, I spent more time maintaining the website than adding new products and the return I got from that effort was little to none. There are separate apps for importing products from places like Etsy, for managing mailing lists and for nearly every other function you can think of. Since most of those apps come with an extra cost, it ends up being more expensive than just the monthly subscription.

“simple to use and figure out”

Pros

Using this platform feels really easy and I'm able to get more done because everything is so simple to figure out.

Cons

Honestly I don't have anything negative to say about it.

“Amazing cutsomer service!”

Pros

It covers pretty much everything you'd want from a platform and the customer support has been excellent. They also keep improving it all the time which makes it even better to use.

Cons

If I had to point out one downside, it would be the pricing for a medium-sized business. There really isn't a reasonably priced mid-tier option available.

“modern sites”

Pros

Building a modern website with this platform is very approachable even without prior experience and the App Store offers plenty of add ons to improve the customer experience without needing to spend time hunting down third party tools. It also connects really well with a wide range of other systems.

Cons

One limitation is that you do not get complete drag and drop design freedom unless you know how to code. It is not a huge problem but if you want a very customized look, you would either need to have a site built from scratch or learn some coding yourself. The billing structure can also be a little frustrating.

“Great fit for busy stores”

Pros

Running more than 100 stores every day including high traffic sites with hundreds of orders coming in, this platform has been a core part of how we manage everything efficiently.

Cons

Across the board, the experience has been very positive especially with the huge selection of apps, add ons and customization options it offers. My only real concern is that I wish there were a mid tier plan for smaller clients since the monthly pricing can be pretty steep while still limiting access to some useful app integrations and features.