Shopify Software Reviews

“helpful trial for starting online”

Pros

Having a trial period was a big plus! It gave me enough time to test the platform, explore the features and figure out whether it was worth paying for afterward. At the beginning it was a bit tricky to figure out but once I spent some time with it, it started to make sense. It's a really solid option for anyone trying to break into ecommerce and launch an online store without spending too much.

Cons

Customer support was the part that really disappointed me. I ran into a minor issue and called for help but the representative was located overseas and had such a strong accent that I could barely understand what she was saying. I explained the problem several times yet she mostly just repeated my own words back to me instead of actually helping. In the end I didn't get the support I needed and had to search online myself before finally finding the answer.

“Easy to use”

Pros

Its incredibly easy to use! It puts all the analytics in one place so I don't need to jump between different sites like Google Analytics to understand what's happening on my website or how customers are interacting with it.

Cons

I have no complaints at all. I absolutely love this software and regularly tell other people how amazing it is.

“efficient platform”

Pros

I really appreciate the built in shopping cart features and the biggest advantage is the huge selection of ecommerce apps and extensions that can add more functions to your store.

Cons

It can feel a little expensive for a small business. Also a lot of the apps come with their own monthly charges so the overall cost can add up over time.

“user friendly”

Pros

Setting up an online store feels very easy even without any programming skills. The blogging feature is another big plus and it really helps with improving the site's SEO.

Cons

I honestly haven't run into any major downsides. The only thing worth mentioning is that it can feel a little expensive for someone just getting a business off the ground although the 14 day free trial is definitely a nice touch.

“Amazing!”

Pros

After five years of running an online store on this platform, it has proven to be a very capable! Getting started was easy and importing products through CSV was simple to handle. The app store offers a wide mix of free and paid plugins that help cover gaps and all kinds of eeds. I've also migrated stores from several other platforms and had them converted over to this one within just a few hours. The interface feels accessible and is uncomplicated to move around in. Over the past few year, being able to add sales channels like Houzz and Facebook has made a noticeable impact on product visibility. For developers the option to switch themes quickly and customize with Liquid is a really valuable part of the platform.

Cons

Pricing jump between the mid level plan and the advanced plan feels pretty steep. The mid tier option also caps staff accounts at five and that can be restrictive if you work with outside developers or virtual team members. Redirect management from an older site is somewhat limited as well although that issue can usually be handled by adding a paid app from its app store.

“handy order and discount tools”

Pros

I can view every customer order in one place, apply discounts when needed and keep track of order management without any trouble.

Cons

There are quite a few links throughout the system although it doesn't take long to get used to where everything is.

“Works really well”

Pros

Running an online store with it works really well especially if you do not have a large team or several departments helping out. One of its strongest points is how accessible it feels on both the front end and the admin side. The platform walks you through the whole process of building your store, from choosing the website layout and templates to setting up product pages, writing descriptions, configuring payments and defining shipping options. You can handle everything on your own without needing much prior experience. It also comes with different pricing plans so it is worth reviewing them carefully and picking the one that best matches your business model. All of the plans let you upload unlimited products while the differences are mostly tied to the number of user accounts and certain store features. One thing I really appreciate is that it has its own payment platform with multiple options available which saves you from having to set up an external provider if you do not already use one. At the same time if you already have a provider, integration is still possible. Another useful feature is the ability to calculate taxes by country and limit shipping to specific regions.

Cons

If you need something highly customizable or you are planning a very large website, you should compare it with other platforms as well. The biggest limitation I have run into is tax calculation. At the moment calculating taxes automatically at the country level is possible but doing it by product or product group is not as easy. That would be especially useful for stores that sell items with different tax rates.

“Secure selling”

Pros

Right away it gives you access to thousands of store templates that make an online shop look polished and professional. The payment system feels secure and is handled very discreetly which gives both sellers and buyers extra peace of mind. It also works really well with the mobile app and is well optimized for both mobile users and desktop visitors. Another big plus is how safely and securely you can back up transactional data along with website data in just a few steps. Compared with other platforms that depend heavily on plugins, it keeps things more easy so the store owner can manage important parts of the site without needing much coding knowledge.

Cons

Once you start pushing for more advanced features on a particular template, things can get intimidating especially if the level of customization you want is not fully supported by the theme. At that point you may have to deal with more advanced CSS and custom HTML to get those extra features working properly. I'd also really like to see them offer a free plan especially for people who want more time to get familiar with the platform after the initial free trial when they first sign up or express interest.

“Powerful add ons”

Pros

Quite simple to use and the onboarding process is quick. Adding products even in large batches, is simple and mostly self-explanatory. Setting up the payment processor is usually fast and trouble free and there's also a strong range of third-party add ons to extend the platform.

Cons

Occasional site maintenance downtime can get in the way. There are also some security concerns and it's not quite as effective or customizable as certain competitors. Also the cost can be on the higher side.

“professional store in days”

Pros

Getting an online store up and running was the best part for me especially because I could connect it to my social media platforms within just a couple of days. The finished store looked very polished and professional and the analytics tools you can integrate with it are extremely powerful.

Cons

A few of the backend tools were somewhat difficult to figure out at the beginning.

“feature-packed”

Pros

There's a massive app store that covers pretty much anything you might need and a lot of developers already know the framework well. The platform feels accessible and easy to work with. I've tested other options but this still comes out ahead when it comes to functions and overall features.

Cons

one issue is that it costs more than a lot of competing platforms. I also wish more features were included natively in the plan especially drag and drop theme templates. That's pretty standard in website design now so it's frustrating to have to pay extra for an app or theme just to get that capability.

“built for ecommerce first”

Pros

Feels like it was built with online selling as the priority with everything else coming after that and that's the part I appreciate most.

Cons

Some important ecommerce features aren't included out of the box so you end up needing extra apps that add cost or you have to move up to a higher plan.

“simple interface”

Pros

Managing an online store feels very easy because the interface is simple and user friendly which is really important for any e-commerce business. I also appreciate that it makes it possible for me to earn a living without much trouble.

Cons

The pricing plans are a bit expensive for beginners and that can discourage a lot of starters from choosing it.

“perfect tools for building”

Pros

There are tons of useful apps and tools available and many of them are free or fairly low cost which really helps when putting your site together.

Cons

The login process can be a bit slow sometimes even with a high speed gigabit internet connection.

“top pick for ecommerce”

Pros

Has easily been the best platform and app I've used for building an ecommerce website and running an online business. I'd highly recommend it!

Cons

I really haven't come across anything worth calling a downside at this point.

“flexible scaling for small stores”

Pros

A lot of my clients only need light eCommerce features. Maybe they're selling a book, a couple of products or a single program and it has been a really good fit for that. We've had success setting clients up on it because it's simple to launch, scales well as they grow and the pricing is usually reasonable. Another big plus is being able to use the WordPress Buy Buttons which makes it work nicely with a client's existing website.

Cons

Source attribution inside the platform can be difficult to work with because the traffic buckets feel too broad which makes paid ad tracking pretty messy. Support has also been inconsistent. At times our problems get resolved fast but other times it depends on the rep and the issue can drag out for several days.

“Plug and play”

Pros

Setting up an online store felt incredibly easy! I didn't need a developer or any coding and website skills to get everything live. Within a day my site was up and running with payment gateways connected and my social media links added as well. It was a real lifesaver. The 14 day trial also gives you enough time to see whether the platform is the right fit before committing.

Cons

At times batch product uploads can get stuck without any notification from the system. That said the support team is very helpful whenever this happens.

“Good for growing stores”

Pros

Building our own site with this worked out really well because a full custom website was out of reach for us financially. We were able to start with what we needed and add more features whenever the timing made sense. It's a really solid option for a business that's still growing.

Cons

The add ons can be a bit tricky at times but the customer support team has always been helpful whenever we've needed assistance.

“customer support is amazing!”

Pros

Round the clock customer service is one of the best parts! Every support agent I've dealt with has been patient and it really feels like the platform understands what ecommerce businesses need. The platform's features are set up in a way that genuinely helps make selling online more manageable.

Cons

The only downside is having to pay for certain add ons. Still there are plenty of free options available along with trial offers which helps.

“clean setup”

Pros

Right away it feels simple and neatly designed. It's nice that you don't need any prior experience with this kind of platform either since there are ready-made store templates you can use to get started. My favorite part is the shipping integration add-on with multiple courier services. That makes handling orders much easier to organize and helps make sure all the necessary steps are completed before shipping.

Cons

Problem is that most add ons that improve the software are paid and they usually come with an extra monthly charge or fee.