“Shopify is king when it comes to easy setup and simplicity, particularly if you have little to no technical skills. It's the best all-in-one e-commerce platform.” - Neil Patel, Digital Marketing Expert
Starting an online business in 2025 comes with a wide range of platform choices, each with its strengths. Selecting the right e-commerce platform is crucial for long-term success, as the platform you choose will impact everything from daily operations to your potential for growth.
Shopify has emerged as one of the most popular options, known for its user-friendly setup and rich features that suit many entrepreneurs. However, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. Below, we’ll break down the pros and cons of Shopify to help you decide if it’s the best platform to power your online business in 2025.
What to Consider When Choosing an E-commerce Platform
As a marketing manager with six years of experience in e-commerce, I’ve seen businesses get stuck with platforms that were far too complex for their needs, leading to increased operational costs and constant frustration with management.
In other cases, platforms have lacked essential integrations with warehouses, payment systems, and sales tools, forcing stores to create makeshift solutions to fill those gaps. So, what are the main factors to consider when choosing an e-commerce platform?
User-Friendliness for Non-Tech Entrepreneurs
Get a trial period (most platforms offer this option) and try to use the admin panel. You want simple setups and intuitive interfaces. Check how to process orders and ensure the CRM will make your daily operations manageable, saving you time and avoiding tech-related headaches.
Integrated Payment Processing Options
Reliable, flexible payment options improve checkout conversion rates. Ensure the platform offers secure and varied payment methods convenient for your customers. Make sure the platform supports the popular payment methods in your region.
Strong Customer Support and Community Resources
Look for platforms with robust customer support, ideally available 24/7, and a strong community of users for extra tips and troubleshooting. This will not only inspire you to run your business but also help you find business collaborations, as these platforms often have closed communities of business owners.
Security and Compliance Standards
Make sure your platform follows security standards to keep customer data safe. Compliance with data protection laws, like GDPR, is critical to avoid legal issues down the road. Study how platform policies align with the laws in your region.
Customizable Design and Branding Options
Customizable themes and design tools allow you to create a brand-consistent look that appeals to your audience. Ensure the platform has options for brand personalization. Often, they offer a limited number of free designs that don’t look as polished and more appealing than paid ones. Make sure the price fits your budget. Also, consider that you chose design for years ahead, so ensure it aligns with your branding and will look modern for a while.
Is Shopify Still Relevant in 2025?
As of 2025, Shopify remains a leading platform with over 4.1 million active stores worldwide, accounting for approximately 10% of the global e-commerce market. Shopify continues to innovate with updates aimed at improving speed and user experience, including new AI-driven tools for personalization and enhanced analytics. These enhancements keep Shopify competitive and appealing to entrepreneurs aiming to establish or grow their presence online in 2025.
Which Types of Businesses Use Shopify the Most?
Each successful business knows its target audience and how to address its pain points. It’s well known that Shopify is a great choice for startups and SMBs. However, instead of relying on our opinion, let’s dig into numbers and see who Shopify users are exactly.
B2C E-commerce (General Retail): ~60%
This includes direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands across various industries like fashion, beauty, health, and electronics, which make up most Shopify stores.
Dropshipping: ~15%
Dropshipping businesses, which rely on suppliers to fulfill orders, are prevalent on Shopify due to easy integration with dropshipping apps like Oberlo.
B2B (Wholesale): ~8%
Some companies use Shopify for wholesale or hybrid B2B and B2C models, leveraging Shopify Plus for features like bulk pricing and B2B checkout options.
Subscription-Based Businesses: ~5%
Subscription services, including monthly boxes and membership-based products, are increasingly popular on Shopify due to apps that support recurring billing.
Digital Goods (Courses, E-books, Software): ~4%
A growing percentage of Shopify stores sell digital products, with setups that allow easy downloads and secure transactions for e-books, online courses, and more.
Service-Based E-commerce: ~3%
A smaller percentage of Shopify businesses provide services instead of physical products, such as consulting, coaching, and event bookings.
Nonprofit and Fundraising: ~2%
Some nonprofits and community-based organizations use Shopify to sell branded merchandise or collect donations through their website.
The most popular industries using Shopify include fashion (23%), health and beauty (15%), and home goods (11%), showing the platform’s strength in supporting a wide array of product types.
Top Benefits of Shopify for New Online Businesses
“90% of e-commerce startups fail within the first 120 days.” - MarketingSignals
Of course, most e-commerce failures aren’t caused by choosing the wrong platform. Those failures are rather due to marketing or business-related reasons. However, a correctly chosen platform will serve as a multitool for all your e-commerce tasks. When it comes to Shopify, even its slogan, “Make commerce better for everyone," emphasizes its goal of empowering entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes to create and grow their online presence easily.
Ease of Use and Intuitive Setup
Shopify’s beginner-friendly setup process and straightforward interface make it accessible for non-tech founders who want to launch without delays. This is crucial, as you want to get to market as fast as possible.
Extensive App Ecosystem and Integrations
With thousands of apps in Shopify’s marketplace, users can find tools for everything from email marketing to product reviews, helping streamline and customize operations. You can make the management of your shop even easier at the start and, as you scale, find more complex marketing apps.
Built-in Marketing and SEO Tools
Shopify offers strong SEO features and marketing integrations, including Google Shopping and social media ads, making it easier to attract and convert traffic from the start. However, it’s worth noting that its SEO setup features are limited compared to more customizable platforms.
Reliable Payment Processing
Shopify Payments simplifies transactions by accepting major payment methods securely and without third-party fees, which is a huge plus for new stores.
Active Community and Support Resources
Shopify’s 24/7 support team and active user community provide invaluable help for beginners, ensuring support is there whenever needed. As I mentioned earlier, through Shopify communities, you can build B2B relations with other vendors.
Exploring Alternatives to Shopify
Of course, Shopify isn’t the only platform for e-commerce. However, I should say that these aren’t direct competitors. Each platform is designed for a unique target audience. Some offer more customization, while others target smaller entrepreneurs or bigger businesses. So, it’s up to you to understand what you can offer the market and define which platform meets your requirements best.
WooCommerce
Built on WordPress, WooCommerce is open-source and highly customizable. However, it requires more technical know-how and may involve higher maintenance compared to Shopify. In most cases, you will require a developer who can adapt WordPress to the specifics of your business.
BigCommerce
Known for its robust built-in features, BigCommerce can be a great choice for large catalogs and growing brands, but it has a more complex interface that may be overwhelming for beginners. We could call it “Shopify for bigger companies.”
Wix
Wix is an easy drag-and-drop website builder with e-commerce capabilities, ideal for small businesses with basic selling needs. However, it lacks the advanced tools and scalability of Shopify.
Etsy
While not a full-fledged e-commerce platform, Etsy is a popular marketplace for artisans and crafters. It’s best for sellers who don’t need a standalone store but want access to a large buyer base. Usually, when sellers feel Etsy is not enough, they build a store using Shopify or other platforms.
Breaking Down Shopify Costs
Understanding Shopify’s costs is key to budgeting effectively. Here’s a base minimum you can expect:
Shopify Subscription Fees
Shopify offers several pricing plans, with subscription fees ranging from $39 per month for the Basic plan to $399 per month for the Advanced plan. Each tier offers different features, so it’s essential to choose a plan based on your business’s needs. Higher plans generally offer lower transaction fees, more reporting tools, and advanced features like international pricing. There’s also a Shopify Plus plan for high-volume merchants, with custom pricing starting around $2,000 per month.
Transaction Fees
If you’re not using Shopify Payments (Shopify's built-in payment gateway), Shopify charges additional transaction fees ranging from 0.5% to 2% per sale, depending on your plan. These fees add up, especially if you’re processing a high volume of transactions. By using Shopify Payments, however, you can avoid these extra fees, making it a cost-effective choice for many sellers.
Development Costs
While Shopify’s themes are user-friendly, you may still need a designer or developer to help customize your store, especially if you want a unique look or custom features. Shopify developers often specialize in design and theme customization, but you might need a separate developer if you require complex integrations or custom functionalities outside standard e-commerce operations. Development costs can vary widely, with simple tasks starting at $50–$100 and full custom designs reaching $1,000 or more.
Buying Shopify Apps
Many Shopify stores use apps to add features like email marketing, product reviews, or advanced SEO tools. Apps in the Shopify App Store come in two pricing models: monthly subscriptions (typically ranging from $5 to $50+ per month) or one-time fees, though lifetime purchases are rare. The need for apps varies based on your store’s requirements, so budgeting for app subscriptions is crucial to managing ongoing costs effectively.
Conclusion: Why Shopify Stands Out in 2025
From my years in e-commerce, I can confidently say that Shopify remains a top choice for starting and scaling online businesses in 2025. Its mix of user-friendly tools, flexibility, and a constantly evolving ecosystem ensures that entrepreneurs of all levels can launch and grow their stores without unnecessary hassle. If you’re looking to start a business this year, Shopify’s balance of simplicity and power makes it hard to beat.
