Is Shopify ecommerce software?

Yes. Shopify is evaluated as a hosted SaaS ecommerce platform.

Does Shopify have a free plan or free trial?

No free plan is published. A free trial is documented (about 3 days). Confirm current terms with the vendor.

Did SoftwareGlimpse personally test Shopify?

No. This review is based on first-party product and pricing research evidence, not hands-on product usage. Affiliate relationships never influence scores.

Shopify Review

ECOMMERCE SOFTWARE

Choose Shopify when you want the default hosted ecommerce platform — fast launch, strong checkout, channels, and a proven scale path.

Last updated 2026-08-18Independent editorial review

Starting price
$39.00/user/month
Free plan
No
Free trial
3 days
Best for
Merchants wanting a hosted store without managing infrastructure

Visit Shopify

View pricing Watch Shopify product tour

SoftwareGlimpse review

9.2/10

Excellent

ease of use9
storefront commerce fit10
catalog orders depth9
checkout conversion9
integrations10
omnichannel pos9

How we score →

By Lee M.FounderReviewed 18 Aug 2026

See Shopify in action

Official vendor demonstration of product surfaces. It supplements screenshots and editorial analysis — it is not independent SoftwareGlimpse testing.

This video is hosted on YouTube

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Official vendor video

The Shopify Story

What this shows

Shopify admin, storefront setup, channels, and payments overview

Pricing

Verified 2026-08-18 from shopify.com/pricing (high confidence). Monthly: Basic $39, Grow $105, Advanced $399, Plus from $2,300. Annual (~25% off): $29 / $79 / $299. Processing via Shopify Payments varies by plan; third-party gateway fees apply if not using Shopify Payments. Apps, themes, and POS add-ons raise TCO. Affiliate economics excluded from scoring.Full pricing details →

Basic
$39.00
per month
$29/mo billed annually ($39 monthly). Entry full online store.
Try Shopify
Grow
Most popular
$105.00
per month
$79/mo billed annually ($105 monthly). Professional reports and staff accounts.
Try Shopify
Advanced
$399.00
per month
$299/mo billed annually ($399 monthly). Advanced reporting and lowest standard processing.
Try Shopify
Plus
Custom
Contact sales
From $2,300/mo — enterprise checkout, automation, and B2B features.
Try Shopify

Product screenshots

Verified captures from Shopify's product interface.

Shopify admin and storefront marketing frame

Product UI frame from the official Shopify homepage.

Official Shopify marketing UI asset

https://www.shopify.com/ · Checked 2026-08-18

Our verdict

Choose Shopify when you want the default hosted ecommerce platform — fast launch, strong checkout, channels, and a proven scale path. Consider BigCommerce for multi-storefront GMV packaging; WooCommerce for WordPress/open-source control; Square Online if in-person POS is the center of gravity. Scores reflect first-party documentation as of 2026-08-17 — not hands-on product testing. Confirm current packaging, minimums and usage rates on the vendor site before purchase.

Best for

Merchants wanting a hosted store without managing infrastructure
Brands scaling across online + retail channels
Teams that value app ecosystem over building custom stacks

Not ideal for

Merchants who need full code ownership on day one with zero subscription
Pure dropshipping-only workflows with no storefront ambition
Buyers optimizing solely for lowest processing spread at tiny volume

Bottom line

From $39/mo Basic ($29 annual). Grow $105 ($79 annual). Advanced $399 ($299 annual). Plus from $2,300/mo. 3-day trial. Confirm live card rates and promos on shopify.com/pricing.