Setting foot into the world of ecommerce is an exciting step for any entrepreneur. For many, Shopify has become a go-to platform for building and managing an online store, thanks to its user-friendly interface, powerful integrations, and extensive marketplace of apps. But while Shopify has plenty to offer, it’s essential to weigh both the advantages and potential limitations to ensure it’s the right fit for your business.
In this guide, our web design experts will explore the key pros and cons of using Shopify in 2025, providing a comprehensive overview to help you make an informed decision about launching or scaling your ecommerce business on this platform.
Pros of Shopify for Ecommerce
1. Ease of Use
Shopify’s user-friendly interface makes it an attractive choice for businesses looking to simplify their ecommerce operations. Setting up an online store can be a complex task, but Shopify has built its platform to streamline everything from inventory management to sales analytics.
- Fast Setup: You don’t need advanced technical skills to start selling. Shopify’s setup process is intuitive, allowing even beginners to build a functional online store in a matter of hours.
- Automation: Shopify’s automated features, such as order notifications and inventory tracking, help businesses manage their daily operations smoothly.
Why it’s a pro: With Shopify, even non-technical entrepreneurs can set up, manage, and operate an online store efficiently, making it ideal for small and medium-sized businesses.
2. Abandoned Cart Recovery
Cart abandonment is a common issue in ecommerce, but Shopify’s Abandoned Cart Recovery feature provides a solution. Originally only available on premium plans, Shopify now offers this essential tool across all plans.
- Customisable Notifications: Shopify allows you to adjust the timing and frequency of recovery emails to suit your customer base.
- Increase Conversions: By nudging customers who leave items in their cart, Shopify helps you recover potential sales that may otherwise be lost.
Why it’s a pro: Abandoned cart recovery can help increase your bottom line by reminding customers to complete their purchases.
3. Ability to Sell Across Multiple Channels
Shopify’s flexibility extends beyond your website. It enables you to sell products through various channels, helping you reach more customers.
- Social Media Integration: Shopify seamlessly integrates with major social platforms like Facebook and Instagram, enabling you to sell directly from these apps.
- Marketplaces: Shopify also allows integration with marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, expanding your reach.
- Custom Channels: If you have a mobile app, Shopify can also integrate with it, making it easier for customers to buy your products.
Why it’s a pro: Selling across multiple platforms boosts visibility and helps capture sales from diverse customer touchpoints.
4. Wide Range of Themes
Shopify provides a wide range of themes specifically designed for ecommerce. With options ranging from sleek and minimalist to vibrant and dynamic, there’s something for nearly every business type.
- Customisable: Each theme can be tailored to your brand’s aesthetic, with the ability to adjust colours, fonts, and layouts.
- Mobile-Optimised: All themes are responsive, ensuring a seamless experience for mobile shoppers.
Why it’s a pro: A professionally designed theme helps create a compelling and cohesive brand presence, essential for ecommerce success.
5. Shopify App Store
Shopify’s extensive app store is one of its biggest strengths, providing over 3,000 apps that help with everything from marketing to customer service.
- Variety of Apps: The app store includes everything from SEO tools to analytics, loyalty programs, and even AI-driven chatbots.
- Free and Paid Options: While some apps come with a fee, there are plenty of free apps to cover basic needs.
Why it’s a pro: Shopify’s app marketplace allows you to expand your store’s functionality and customise it to your specific needs, without needing extensive technical expertise.
Cons of Shopify for Ecommerce
1. Setup Costs and Fees for Additional Features
While Shopify’s intuitive setup makes it an attractive choice for many, the initial costs often extend beyond the basic subscription fees. Setting up a store with Shopify usually involves adding a range of apps for enhanced functionality, which can increase monthly expenses. Here’s a closer look at the cost factors you might encounter when customising your Shopify store.
- App Subscription Fees: Shopify’s App Store offers over 8,000 apps that help enhance your store’s functionality, covering everything from email marketing and ecommerce SEO to loyalty programs and custom reporting. However, many of these apps come with monthly fees that vary depending on their features and level of customisation. For example, some basic apps may cost around £10–£20 per month, while more advanced apps, like detailed analytics tools or customer review systems, can cost upwards of £50 per month. Over time, these fees add up, especially if you require multiple apps to cover different aspects of your store.
- Essential Advanced Features: For businesses that require features like multi-language support, currency conversions, product reviews, abandoned cart recovery, or email marketing automation, third-party apps are often essential. Even some basic functionalities that ecommerce businesses expect—such as automated customer feedback collection or advanced search filters—aren’t always built into Shopify’s plans and must be added through paid apps. This means the more tailored your store needs to be, the higher the monthly investment in premium features becomes.
- Design and Theme Costs: Shopify offers a variety of themes, with several free options available. However, most professional or high-performing themes come with a one-time fee, typically ranging from £150 to £250, which can be a considerable upfront cost for small businesses. Additionally, further customisation might require hiring a Shopify developer, depending on your store’s design requirements.
- Payment Gateway Integrations: If you opt not to use Shopify Payments (Shopify’s in-house payment processor), you may need to integrate a third-party gateway, which may charge its own transaction fees or setup costs, adding yet another layer of expense.
Why it’s a con: Shopify’s base subscription is affordable, but building a fully functional, customised store can quickly escalate your monthly expenses. Relying on premium apps and custom themes can transform an initially cost-effective platform into a significant monthly investment.
2. Comprehensive Breakdown of Shopify’s Pricing Structure
Shopify’s subscription plans start affordably, but the tiered pricing model can lead to substantial costs, particularly for growing businesses that need advanced functionality. Here’s a breakdown of Shopify’s primary pricing components:
- Monthly Subscription Plans: Shopify offers several subscription tiers:
- Basic Shopify: Priced around £25 per month, this entry-level plan includes fundamental features, allowing businesses to start an online store with essential sales tools and 24/7 support.
- Shopify Plan: At around £65 per month, this mid-level plan includes professional reports and more staff accounts, providing enhanced functionality for small to medium-sized businesses.
- Advanced Shopify: For £344 per month, this plan offers more advanced reporting tools, additional staff accounts, and lower transaction fees, catering to larger or fast-growing businesses.
- Transaction Fees: Shopify charges additional transaction fees unless you exclusively use Shopify Payments. Transaction fees range from 2% on the Basic plan to 0.5% on the Advanced plan. For stores with high sales volumes, these fees can become a substantial expense. For example, if your store generates £10,000 in monthly sales, the transaction fees alone could cost £50–£200, depending on your subscription plan and payment gateway.
- Credit Card Fees with Shopify Payments: While Shopify Payments avoids additional transaction fees, it does charge credit card processing fees, which vary by country. In the UK, Shopify Payments charges 2.2% + 20p per transaction on the Basic plan, 1.9% + 20p on the Shopify plan, and 1.6% + 20p on the Advanced plan. For larger transactions or high sales volumes, these fees can add up significantly.
- Higher Costs as Business Scales: While the Basic plan may suffice for startups, as your store grows, you’re likely to require more staff accounts, advanced reports, and lower transaction fees—all available only on Shopify’s higher-priced plans. This incremental cost structure can lead to substantial monthly costs as your business evolves and your operational needs increase.
- Additional Costs for Shopify Plus: For large or enterprise-level businesses, Shopify Plus is an option, offering enhanced support, customisation, and scalability. However, Shopify Plus comes at a significant cost, starting at £2,000 per month, making it suitable only for businesses with high sales volumes that require extensive customisation and operational support.
Why it’s a con: Shopify’s cumulative costs, from transaction fees and premium apps to advanced features and additional plans, can become difficult to manage for budget-conscious businesses. For ecommerce businesses with rapid growth or complex needs, the escalating costs may lead them to explore more cost-effective, flexible platforms or consider custom solutions.
3. Image and Design Limitations
While Shopify themes are customisable, the platform has some limitations when it comes to image management and overall design flexibility.
- Image Cropping Issues: Shopify does not automatically crop all uploaded images to the same size, leading to potential inconsistencies in product display.
- Template Constraints: While Shopify themes offer some flexibility, they don’t provide the same freedom as a bespoke design, especially when compared to platforms like WordPress with WooCommerce.
Why it’s a con: For businesses that prioritise brand-specific design, Shopify’s limitations may make it harder to achieve a fully unique look.
4. Lack of Full Adaptability
Though Shopify allows some customisation, its templated approach may feel restrictive to businesses that want a fully unique experience.
- Custom Code Limitations: To make substantial changes, you’ll need a comfortable knowledge of HTML, CSS, and Shopify’s own Liquid code.
- Adaptation Costs: Hiring developers to create custom code can be costly, and may still not yield the same results as a fully bespoke site.
Why it’s a con: Businesses seeking a highly tailored customer experience may find Shopify’s templated nature restrictive, especially when competing with brands using custom-built websites.
5. SEO Limitations
Shopify does offer SEO tools, but they’re not as extensive as those available with custom websites or platforms like WooCommerce.
- Limited SEO App Options: Shopify’s SEO capabilities often depend on third-party apps, which can come with added costs.
- Impact on Speed: Shopify’s theme architecture can slow down page load times, a factor that affects SEO.
Why it’s a con: Effective ecommerce SEO requires more control over technical features, which Shopify doesn’t always offer without additional apps.
6. Ownership and Dependence on Shopify Updates
One downside of using Shopify is that you are dependent on Shopify’s development timeline and the maintenance of third-party apps.
- App Dependencies: If a third-party app stops updating, it may affect your store’s functionality.
- Limited Customisation: If Shopify doesn’t offer a feature or app, you’re left to adapt your business needs around the platform.
Why it’s a con: Limited control over platform changes and app dependencies can leave businesses vulnerable to issues outside their control.
Shopify: Is it Right for Your Business?
Shopify can be an excellent choice for small businesses, especially those looking to quickly set up an online store with an easy-to-manage platform. However, as businesses grow or require more customised features, Shopify’s limitations can become apparent.
Key Takeaways:
- Ideal for Small to Medium Businesses: Shopify’s ease of use and multi-channel integrations make it perfect for startups and SMEs looking for a straightforward platform.
- Consider Your Budget: Apps and additional fees can make Shopify expensive as your business scales, so consider long-term costs.
- Evaluate Customisation Needs: If you need high levels of customisation, Shopify’s templates may not provide the flexibility you’re looking for.
- Look Beyond Initial Setup: Consider the need for ongoing management, app updates, and reliance on Shopify’s support and updates.
Partner with Yellowball for a Bespoke Ecommerce Website Solution
Shopify is an accessible, easy-to-use ecommerce solution for many businesses, offering a quick setup and the essential tools needed to start selling online. However, for those seeking more adaptability, a unique brand experience, or a site built for high-performance SEO, a bespoke website design may be a more effective, long-term solution.
At Yellowball, we specialise in creating custom WordPress, WooCommerce, and Laravel ecommerce websites and customer experiences tailored specifically to your brand’s needs, boosted by expert ecommerce SEO and PPC services. Ready to create an ecommerce website that drives results? Contact Yellowball today and let’s build something exceptional.
