If you have a business with product inventory or that sells goods and services, Shopify should be on your radar. The platform makes it easy to build a digital storefront for customers, whether they’re buying in person, online, or via social or digital marketplaces. Shopify plans start at $29 per month, billed annually, with additional tiers at $79 and $299 per month. A more expensive plan comes with lower processing fees, greater shipping discounts, and additional staff accounts, so if you have a higher sales volume and more inventory, the savings could easily offset the increased annual fee. There’s also a $5-per-month Starter subscription for users who sell products via social, such as Instagram or WhatsApp. Shopify doesn’t have a fully free tier, but it does offer a three-day free trial followed by one month for $1, so you can try it out before you commit.Â
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Shopify’s website builder isn’t as intuitive to use or as easy to customize as some other platforms, and though there are nearly 240 themes to choose from, only a handful are free. There is a guided setup wizard for adding products, designing your storefront, and setting up payments and shipping, as well as basic AI tools for generating text and media for your site. If you need additional support to get up and running, you can hire a professional through Shopify’s partner directory. Â
All plans have unlimited bandwidth and storage, page caching, and an SSL certificate, as well as robust marketing and e-commerce features for both in-person and online sales, such as inventory tracking, point of sale, abandoned cart recovery, and email marketing. Shopify promises 99.99% uptime and 24/7 customer support via live chat if any issues arise.Â
Shopify features: SSL certificate | 99.99% uptime | Basic AI tools | 24/7 customer chat support | Three-day free trialÂ
