Shopify E-Commerce Review For 2025
Shopify eCommerce Plans & Pricing
Shopify Comparison
Expert Review
Pros




Cons


Shopify eCommerce's Offerings
Special offer: Start a free trial and enjoy 3 months of Shopify for €1/month on select plans.
Shopify pricing plans vary to fit users and businesses of all sizes from individuals trying to push a one-off sales campaign to large enterprises with hundreds of millions in annual turnover. The available plans are as shown below.
Additional Costs:
- Transaction Fees: Shopify charges a fee for each transaction if you use an external payment gateway. These fees vary by plan, with lower rates for higher-tier plans.
- Payment Processing Fees: Fees for using Shopify Payments (the in-house payment processor) also vary by plan and depend on the business’s location.
Customer Support
Overall, Shopify’s multi-faceted support system ensures that assistance is readily available through various channels, catering to the diverse needs of businesses operating online stores.
When I tested Shopify’s e-commerce platform, I found that it offers a comprehensive support system to assist businesses in selling online effectively.
Live Chat Support
I tried out Shopify’s 24/7 live chat feature, accessible through the Help Center. The support agents were knowledgeable and responsive, providing immediate assistance for various inquiries.
Phone Support
Shopify offers phone support in select regions, including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and others. I found that speaking directly with a support representative can expedite the resolution of complex issues.
Email Support
For less urgent matters, Shopify provides email support. I found that this channel is suitable for detailed inquiries, with responses typically received within 24 to 48 hours.
Community Forum
I explored Shopify’s Community Forum, a platform where users can ask questions, share experiences, and provide solutions. This peer-to-peer support system enhances the overall support ecosystem.
Blog and Help Center
Shopify maintains a regularly updated blog covering topics like e-commerce trends, business tips, and platform updates. Additionally, the Help Center offers a wealth of articles and guides to assist users in navigating the platform.
Features & Functionality
General Features
Shopify has a solid collection of features for building e-commerce websites, extending their functionality, and marketing to customers across multiple channels. You can map a custom domain, use unlimited bandwidth, access financing through Shopify Capital, and use robust analytics tools.
It is a robust, user-friendly CMS platform suitable for small startups and large enterprises looking to grow and manage their online sales effectively.
Here are some of the top features for e-commerce sites:
- Customizable online storefronts
- Product listing and inventory management
- Extensive app store
- Unified sales channels
- Advanced marketing tools
- Comprehensive dashboard and analytics
- Shopify POS (Point of sale)
- Mobile optimization
- Dropshipping capabilities
- Multilingual and multi-currency support
- Abandoned cart recovery
- Optimized checkout
- Shopify Ping
- Free stock photos
- Multichannel sales
- Payment options
- Safety
I’ll explore these features in more detail below:
Products Listing and Inventory Management
Shopify tools have some of the best inventory tracking and listing features available. I found it easy to list unlimited products across all plans and create multiple variations of each product. The options are limited to three, so you can’t get too deep into the weeds, but it should be adequate for most users.
Like with the drag-and-drop builder, some plugins allow you to add more than three options to your product variants. Finally, the central dashboard gives you a clear overview of your inventory, sales, and web traffic.
Customizable Online Storefronts
The Shopify website builder provides a range of customizable themes that make it easy for businesses to design and deploy their online store. Users can select and modify themes without needing coding skills, ensuring their store aligns with their brand image.
Extensive App Store
I explored the Shopify App Store, which offers thousands of apps to expand store functionality. From SEO features and social media integration to customer service tools, businesses can enhance their online store with specialized plugins that meet their needs.
Unified Sales Channels
Shopify makes selling online easier by integrating multiple sales channels. I played with the platform’s ability to sync inventory and orders across a website, social media, and marketplaces. This feature streamlines inventory management and provides a centralized dashboard for tracking performance.
Advanced Marketing Tools
Shopify doesn’t hold anything back when it comes to helping you market your website in the most effective way possible. The CMS tool has tons of integrations with marketing tools through its app store.
There are also SEO tools that’ll let you easily optimize your website, support a blog, have built-in email marketing, have deep Facebook ads integration, and a native tool named Kit. Kit serves as your marketing assistant and can help convert customers and make marketing recommendations.
Comprehensive Dashboard and Analytics
The platform provides a central dashboard where users can monitor everything from sales to customer interactions. The dashboard is equipped with analytics to gauge performance and make informed decisions.
Shopify POS
This POS tool integrates online and physical sales, allowing businesses to sell in-store while managing their inventory and sales data through Shopify’s ecosystem, making it ideal for businesses with both online and offline sales channels.
Mobile Optimization
Shopify CMS ensures that all online stores are fully responsive, meaning they work seamlessly on mobile devices, thus improving the customer shopping experience and potentially increasing mobile sales.
Dropshipping Capabilities
Shopify tools support dropshipping directly through its platform with tools and partnerships that make it easy to set up and manage without needing to stock inventory.
Multilingual and Multi-currency Support
The CMS platform accommodates global businesses by supporting multiple languages and currencies, which simplifies selling to international customers.
Abandoned Cart Recovery
Shopify helps recover lost sales by automatically sending emails to customers who have left items in their cart, encouraging them to complete their purchases. This can significantly recover potentially lost revenue.
Optimized checkout
The Shopify checkout experience has been optimized through over 2.5 billion transactions. It combines speed and conversion-boosting layouts on desktop and mobile to ensure you get more sales.
Shopify Ping
Shopify Ping is a live chat solution that allows you to answer customer questions in real-time. You can also add products directly into the chat and create a seamless checkout experience. It connects with other messaging apps so you can manage all of them from a central location.
Free stock photos
Shopify has a platform called Burst where you can access thousands of royalty-free images to use on your store, blog, or anywhere else you choose. It has a useful search function and is organized into multiple categories so you can find what you need quickly.
Multichannel sales
The platform supports selling in multiple places including Facebook, Instagram, Walmart Marketplace, eBay, and Amazon. Even though you’re selling in multiple places, inventory management is centralized.
Payment options
The platform has a payment processing feature that you can take advantage of but needs to pay transaction fees. Additionally, it has integrations with many third-party payment solutions like PayPal and Stripe. Still, you have to pay an additional fee on top of the base transaction fee on top of the standard rate.
Safety
As I expected, Shopify has comprehensive security for its merchants and end-users. It’s level 1 PCI DSS compliant. Additionally, all stores have a 128-bit SSL certificate – the industry standard – to encrypt information sent between browsers and your store. You don’t have direct access to credit card information and don’t save it in your store backend so even if something goes wrong, no one can access customer credit card data.














Design
Shopify has over 70 professional-looking templates designed by teams like Pixel Union and Clearleft. They serve as a starting point for your eCommerce website. Each one has multiple page layouts and post formats to help you get the look you’re happy with.
The templates can be fully customized to match your vision. You’re not limited to just the colors and the layout. You can go deeper and edit the HTML or CSS to get a pixel-perfect design. Unfortunately, Shopify isn’t a drag-and-drop editor but you can use one of the thousands of apps in the marketplace to get that functionality. The only drawback is that many of Shopify’s themes come with a fee so keep that in mind.









Multimedia Automations
Free Stock Photos
I found that Shopify’s e-commerce platform offers free stock photos through its built-in Burst image library. This feature helps businesses create professional-looking e-commerce website designs without needing external resources, making it an excellent tool for startups and small businesses.
Video Plug-Ins
Shopify supports video plug-ins that allow businesses to showcase products more effectively. I played with apps like Promo.com and Vimeo Create, which make it easy to add promotional videos to product pages, enhancing customer engagement and selling online.
Audio Plug-Ins
For businesses incorporating audio content, Shopify provides plug-ins that support background music, podcasts, and voiceovers. I found these useful for brands looking to create a more immersive online store experience, particularly for media and entertainment businesses.



Marketing
- SEO Tools – Shopify’s built-in SEO features optimize product listings, meta tags, and URLs for better search visibility.
- Social Media Integration – Connects with Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, enabling seamless selling online across platforms.
- Widgets & Apps – The e-commerce platform supports thousands of apps to customize store functionality.
- Abandoned Cart Tools – Automated recovery emails help recapture lost sales.
- Newsletter Tool – Email marketing integrations allow businesses to engage customers effectively.
- Monetization – Various payment options, subscriptions, and digital downloads support revenue growth.
- Product Reviews – Apps enable customer feedback and ratings to improve credibility.
- Visitor Statistics – Real-time analytics track store performance and user behavior.
- Promotions & Discounts – Built-in tools offer coupon codes and limited-time deals.
- Advertising Credits – Shopify partners with platforms like Google and Facebook to provide ad credits for new users.










Hosting
- Free Custom Domain – Shopify provides a free myshopify.com subdomain, while custom domains can be purchased directly within the platform.
- Space – The e-commerce platform offers unlimited storage, ensuring businesses can upload as many products and media files as needed.
- Bandwidth – Shopify includes unlimited bandwidth, allowing stores to handle high traffic volumes without additional costs or slowdowns.




Performance:
Scalability and Reliability
When I tested Shopify’s e-commerce platform, I found it capable of handling high traffic volumes without compromising performance. The platform’s infrastructure supports businesses of all sizes, ensuring consistent uptime and swift page loads, which are crucial for online stores aiming to provide a seamless shopping experience.
Speed Optimization
I played with Shopify’s built-in tools designed to enhance site speed, such as efficient content delivery networks (CDNs) and image optimization features. These tools contribute to faster loading times, benefiting both user experience and search engine rankings.
Integrated Analytics
Shopify offers comprehensive analytics that provide insights into sales performance, customer behavior, and traffic sources. These metrics are invaluable for businesses looking to optimize their operations and marketing strategies.
Overall, Shopify delivers a robust performance framework, making it a top choice among e-commerce platforms for businesses seeking reliability and scalability in their online store builder.
Ease Of Use:
Simple Setup and User-Friendly Design
When I tested Shopify’s e-commerce platform, I found the setup process smooth and intuitive. The online store builder walks users through key steps, making it one of the best e-commerce platforms for small businesses. Even without technical knowledge, I was able to customize the layout, add products, and configure settings with ease.
Store Management and Customization
I played with Shopify’s dashboard and found inventory management straightforward. The platform’s CMS makes managing orders, tracking stock, and updating product listings simple. However, advanced customization requires coding or third-party apps, making it less flexible than an open-source or headless CMS solution.
For those looking to sell online without technical complexity, Shopify offers an affordable e-commerce solution with mobile-responsive design and SEO features. While larger enterprises may need more customization, Shopify remains an excellent choice for selling online efficiently.
Here’s an in-depth tutorial on how to build a store from scratch:
Uniqueness:
Shopify stands out as a leading e-commerce platform due to its scalability, extensive app ecosystem, and built-in payment solutions. Unlike many online store builders, it offers a balance between ease of use and advanced customization, making it suitable for both beginners and growing businesses looking to sell online with SEO features and mobile-responsive design.
Verdict:
Shopify is one of the most robust eCommerce website builders. It brings together all of the important features you’ll need without breaking the bank or charging you a tax for success. You get access to strong marketing tools, robust inventory management, multiple professional-looking templates, and optimized checkout pages.
It has a lot going for it but there is an additional charge for using third-party payment processors and you need to pay more for advanced reports. If you can get past that then the 24/7 support, strong community, and proven platform will help you grow your eCommerce business much faster.
User Review

- Wow, so many features and integration possibilites. Almost too much! I'm impressed and comforted knowing that as I grow my business, the platform also evolves with me. Eveything I need now and in the future.
- I feel that the template options are limited.
- Quickest setup imaginable. Had my site up and running within hours. My site feels safe and reliable now. No long load time or hacking happening here.
- Not so fond of the transaction fees
- Recommend 100%!
- Great looking storefront design and managing features
- Keyword editor is slightly too simple compared to others. Categorizing products isn't as fluid or user friendly as I'd like either.
- No live customer support is available in my region.
- Every app integration you could possibly need is possible, most are even free!
- Nothing bad to report. I'm very pleased.