Shopify
Shopify is the world's most popular e-commerce platform, powering millions of stores from small businesses to enterprise brands. Its ease of use and comprehensive ecosystem make it a go-to choice for most e-commerce projects.
Key Features
- Hosted platform: No servers to manage
- App ecosystem: 8,000+ apps for any functionality
- Themes: Professional templates with customisation
- Payments: Shopify Payments with competitive rates
- Multi-channel: Sell on social, marketplaces, and POS
- Checkout: Industry-leading conversion rates
Shopify Plans
| Plan | Best For | Notable Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | New businesses | 2 staff accounts |
| Shopify | Growing businesses | 5 staff accounts |
| Advanced | Scaling businesses | Advanced reporting |
| Plus | Enterprise | Unlimited staff, custom checkout |
Development Options
Theme Development
- Liquid: Shopify's templating language
- Theme Kit/CLI: Local development tools
- Sections & Blocks: Modular, customisable content
Headless (Hydrogen)
Shopify's React-based framework for custom storefronts:
- Full control over frontend
- Storefront API for data
- Deploy to Oxygen (Shopify's edge hosting) or elsewhere
Apps
- Public apps: Listed in app store
- Custom apps: Built for specific stores
- Shopify Functions: Backend logic customisation
What We Like
- Time to market: Launch stores in days, not months
- Reliability: 99.99% uptime, handles flash sales
- Ecosystem: App for nearly everything
- Checkout: Optimised and trusted by consumers
- Support: 24/7 support and extensive documentation
What We Don't Like
- Transaction fees: 0.5-2% unless using Shopify Payments
- Customization limits: Some things require Plus or workarounds
- App costs: Monthly fees add up quickly
- Liquid learning curve: Not as intuitive as modern frameworks
- Vendor lock-in: Migration can be complex
When to Choose Shopify
- Most B2C e-commerce stores
- Need for rapid launch
- Limited technical resources
- Multi-channel selling requirements
- Standard e-commerce flows
For complex B2B or extreme customisation, consider Magento or custom solutions.