Company Name: Shopify
Website URL: Shopify.com
Core Pricing: Basic starting at $39/mth, Shopify plan at $105/mth, Advanced at $399/mth plus additional fees for various plugins, themes, and transaction costs
Founders: Tobias Lütke, Scott Lake, and Daniel Weinand
Community Size: Over 1.7 million businesses worldwide
Overall Rating: 1.4/5 based on TrustPilot Reviews
Transaction Fees: Vary based on plan and selected payment gateways
Shopify has helped many launch successful online stores, but its rising fees and extra charges have been one of the latest wide spread complaints. In saying this, it is one of the most popular platforms out there for creating “e-commerce” stores, and has been widely utilized for dropshipping style stores and services.
Recently, they have had a lot of customer feedback that hasn’t been so favourable on platforms like Trust Pilot.
If you are looking to build an e-commerce store and you have a starting budget of several $1,000 (with ongoing costs of $39-$299/mth minimum), then it can absolutely be a consideration for your business.
If you are simply looking to build a business online, there are viable alternatives that you should consider, or that you could utilize in parallel to your store. Wealthy Affiliate being one example, which offers an affordable and straightforward solution helping you create a business in absolutely any niche.
Below is a comparison to highlight the key differences.
Shopify Overview:
- Pricing: Ranges from $39 to $399 per month, plus extra costs for apps, themes, and transactions.
- Features: A robust e-commerce platform with hosting, security, and inventory tools— but fees can add up.
- Support & Community: Offers 24/7 support, though feedback on responsiveness is mixed (with a 1.4-star TrustPilot rating)
Wealthy Affiliate Overview:
- Pricing: Free Starter membership, with premium plans at $49/mo (or $497/year) and Premium Plus+ at $99/mo (or $588/year).
- Features: Provides step-by-step training in affiliate marketing/SEO/Youtube/AI/Social Media, plus essential website tools — all in one place.
- Support & Community: Known for top-notch support and an active, trustworthy community (with a 4.9-star TrustPilot rating).
The clear winner is Wealthy Affiliate if you are looking to create a successful business online, and have access to all the resources that you need to make this happen.
Its cost structure is more transparent, the training is comprehensive, and the community is highly supportive—making it a great choice over Shopify.
Below is a chart comparing the two:
While Shopify may work for larger e-commerce operations, Wealthy Affiliate offers a better, more cost-effective solution that is particularly friendly for newcomers and small businesses.
Create your free Wealthy Affiliate Starter account to get rolling with an online business, or to help you scale your existing online business. No credit card required.