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What are the top 5 disadvantages of Shopify?
Chances are, you’re already familiar with Shopify, a leading online store builder that over 25% of eCommerce businesses use to manage and scale their online stores.
But while there are countless reasons to choose Shopify, you’re here because you want to know what the platform doesn’t do so well.
It’s always crucial to weigh the potential downsides of a platform before committing to ensure it’s the right choice for you. And that’s exactly what I’m going to share today!
I’ve compiled a list of what I believe are the top 5 disadvantages of Shopify, so you don’t have to.
Are you ready?
Read more: Top 10 Disadvantages Of Shopify.
What Is Shopify?
Shopify is a comprehensive CMS and eCommerce platform that powers over a quarter of all online stores today.
Known for being beginner-friendly, functional, and scalable, Shopify is an easy-to-use, no-code tool that offers everything you need to start, run, and grow your online business.
From designing a beautiful, responsive website to handling transactions, managing emails, and tracking inventory, Shopify has you covered!
With a user-friendly interface and robust features, Shopify’s one-stop-shop makes it easy for businesses of any size to successfully create, manage, and scale their online stores.
Top 5 Disadvantages Of Shopify
It’s a no-brainer as to why Shopify is a leading choice in the eCommerce world.
But does that automatically mean it’s the right fit for your business? Not always!
So, before you dive in and start selling your products on Shopify, it’s important to take a closer look at the most significant disadvantages of the platform.
With that said, let’s take a closer look at Shopify’s top 5 disadvantages now.
1. Unseen Costs That Add Up
While Shopify doesn’t offer a free plan, its three-day trial period and $1 charge for the first month might make it seem like a steal. And don’t get me wrong—it is!
Once the initial period is over, you’ll need to commit to one of their paid plans, which range in price from $29 to $399 per month.
But Shopify’s free trial and tiered pricing plans aren’t the problem here. The real costs become apparent once you dig deeper.
And honestly, these additional costs can hit your wallet harder than expected!
Let’s start with the Shopify App Store.
For many essential apps (some crucial for store functionality), you must pay a monthly fee in addition to your monthly plan, ranging from a few dollars to over $30.
Secondly, while Shopify does offer some free themes, more intricate designs can cost as much as $500.
In addition, there are other costs, such as transaction fees and credit card processing fees, unless you use Shopify Payments (more on this soon).
And let’s not forget the annual domain costs!
When you factor all these extra expenses together, the total monthly cost can be much higher than the base plan price.
So, if you have a tight budget, keep this Shopify disadvantage before committing.
Read more: Is Shopify Good For Beginners?
2. Few Free Theme Options
Given Shopify’s popularity as a top eCommerce platform, you’d expect a large selection of free themes, right? Well, unfortunately, that’s not the case.
There are only 13 free themes available, compared to 200 premium options.
If you’re running a tight budget, that leaves you with very limited design choices!
As a result, many Shopify stores end up looking similar, making it harder for your store to stand out in an increasingly crowded marketplace.
This is something I’ve also personally noticed with Shopify-made stores.
To break free from the pack and create a unique design, you’ll need to invest in a pricey paid theme or hire a developer to make one for you.
This only leads to more costs (and potentially more headaches!)
If creating a unique website is important to you, this is a massive Shopify disadvantage!
Read more: Shopify vs Shopify Plus.
3. Customization And Content Marketing Limitations
Shopify is designed to be user-friendly, which is why so many non-tech-savvy business owners use and love the platform!
Its drag-and-drop interface allows business owners of any skill level the ability to set up and manage their eCommerce store quickly and easily.
But there’s a catch: this simplicity comes at the expense of customization.
Honestly, Shopify’s page editor limits how much you can tweak your store’s design unless you have a coding background.
For those who want a more personalized look, switching to the code editor is an option—but it requires knowledge of Shopify’s proprietary coding language, Liquid.
This could result in extra costs if you need to hire a developer to make any custom changes.
Additionally, compared with other website builders, the range of sections, elements, and design options available for customizing web and product pages is limited.
This is certainly disappointing, to say the least, given the cost of premium themes!
If your business demands a highly tailored online presence, be prepared for additional effort—and potentially higher costs—to get it.
And in terms of content marketing, Shopify falls short.
Online stores who want to create blog posts within their Shopify store may find the editor clunky.
Additionally, you can’t categorize posts or link related content within new articles, which are all critical tools for driving organic traffic!
If content marketing is a big part of your business strategy, I suggest using WordPress paired with WooCommerce instead of Shopify.
Read more: What Are The Advantages of Shopify Over WordPress?
4. Shopify Payments Unavailable In Some Regions
Shopify Payments is Shopify’s very own integrated payment processing solution.
And while this impressive built-in feature aims to streamline the checkout experience and reduce the use of third-party providers, there’s one massive elephant in the room.
It’s not available everywhere.
If you operate from a country that does not support Shopify Payments, you have only one option: use an alternative third-party payment gateway.
This could lead to extra fees and a more complicated setup, which is why it makes this list of Shopify disadvantages!
Before signing up to Shopify, check whether Shopify Payments is available in your country to avoid unexpected costs and unnecessary hassles.
Read more: How To Change Shopify Store Name?
5. No Phone Support On Lower-tiered Plans
Although 24/7 live chat support is available on all plans, phone assistance is unfortunately only reserved for higher-paid plans.
And look, this may not bother some. But this is a significant disadvantage for those who prefer speaking directly with a support representative!
Instead, Shopify encourages you to rely on its extensive knowledge base and online help center to answer common questions and queries.
However, the articles and videos often don’t offer real solutions, which can be frustrating if you’re hoping for immediate, personalized help.
If you rely on phone support for complex issues, upgrading to a higher plan is the only option.
Read more: How To Delete Shopify Store?
Stews Final Thoughts
And that wraps up this list of the top 5 disadvantages of Shopify!
No one can deny that Shopify is an incredibly powerful and user-friendly platform trusted by millions.
I use Shopify for two of my online stores and love how easily I can manage them from both the web and app versions.
But with that said, as we’ve explored, it’s not without its flaws!
While these drawbacks don’t completely overshadow Shopify’s strengths, they highlight the importance of evaluating your business needs before fully committing to the platform.
Whether you use Shopify or not, I hope you’ve found this Shopify top 5 disadvantages list and review helpful.
Make sure you also check out my top 10 advantages of Shopify list!
