Shopify Review 2025: Pros, Cons & How to Get Started

Starting an online business has never been easier — at least, that’s what every tool and platform wants us to believe. But the reality? Choosing the right platform is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make. It can either empower you to grow your dream store… or drain your wallet before you’ve even sold your first product.

That’s where Shopify comes in.

You’ve probably already heard of Shopify. It’s one of the most popular platforms for building an online store, used by everyone from small side hustlers to big global brands. But here’s the thing — popularity doesn’t always mean it’s the right solution for you.

So in this blog, I’ll walk you through:

What Shopify is (in plain language).
The real pros and cons I’ve seen from using and researching it.
How it stacks up against other e-commerce solutions.
A step-by-step look at how you’d actually get started.
And finally: my honest conclusion, as someone who believes in DYOR (Do Your Own Research) before committing.

I’m not here to hype Shopify as “the best” or sell you empty promises. I’m here to share what I’ve found, so you can make up your own mind. If you do decide to try it, I’ll link to the official site via my affiliate program at the end of this article. That way, if this blog helped you, you can support my work without it costing you extra.

Let’s get started.

1. What is Shopify, Really?

At its core, Shopify is an all-in-one e-commerce platform. That means you don’t need to be a coder, a designer, or a server administrator to launch your own online store. You sign up, log in, and you’ve got the basics ready to build:

A storefront (your website).
A dashboard to manage products, inventory, and orders.
Built-in tools to process payments.
Shipping and tax settings.
Apps and themes to customize your store.

Think of Shopify as the “Apple” of e-commerce: it handles the technical side so you can focus on selling.

What I like is that it’s not only for big businesses. Beginners can start small (maybe with a few handmade items, dropshipping products, or even digital downloads) and then scale up as things grow.

But here’s the flip side: being “all-in-one” means you don’t always get the same flexibility you’d get if you built your store on WordPress/WooCommerce or coded it yourself. With Shopify, you’re building inside their ecosystem. That’s not a bad thing… but it does mean you play by their rules and pay their fees.

2. Why People Choose Shopify (The Pros)

Let’s be honest: Shopify wouldn’t be powering millions of online stores worldwide if it didn’t have some major strengths. Here are the biggest reasons people flock to it:

Ease of Use – You don’t need to touch a single line of code. Drag, drop, and click(your store is live in hours, not weeks.)
Professional Designs – The themes look clean, modern, and trustworthy. A good first impression matters when you’re asking people to type in their credit card details.
Built-in Payments & Checkout – No need to set up PayPal, Stripe, or third-party gateways unless you want to. Shopify Payments is integrated and works out of the box.
Scalability – You can start with 1 product or 10,000. The system doesn’t care(the infrastructure is there to grow with you.)
App Ecosystem – Want dropshipping? Print-on-demand? Abandoned cart recovery? There’s an app for that. (Sometimes too many, but more on that later.)
Support & Resources – 24/7 customer support, active community, and countless tutorials. You’re never stuck alone.
Global Reach – Sell in multiple currencies, ship internationally, and use Shopify’s translations. This is a big plus if you don’t want to limit yourself to your local market.

In short: Shopify makes getting started simple and growing sustainable. That’s why many beginners and pros alike choose it.

But… no platform is perfect. And it’s only fair to talk about the downsides too.

3. The Drawbacks (The Cons)

Here’s where things get real. Shopify is powerful, yes. But it has a few weak spots you’ll want to know before jumping in:

Monthly Fees – The system isn’t free. Plans start at $39/month (as of 2025). That’s fine if you’re making sales… but for beginners with zero revenue, it can feel steep.
Transaction Fees (if you don’t use Shopify Payments) – If you choose another payment processor, Shopify takes a cut on top of what Stripe/PayPal already charge. Double fees = less profit.
App Overload – Remember those awesome apps I mentioned? Many of them aren’t free. Add too many, and your costs can skyrocket.
Limited Customization – Unless you learn Shopify’s coding language (Liquid), you’re somewhat boxed in compared to WooCommerce (which is fully open-source).
Lock-In Effect – Moving away from Shopify later can be a headache. Your store is tied to their system, so exporting everything cleanly isn’t as simple as copy-paste.

In short: Shopify is convenient, but convenience has a price tag. If you’re not prepared, the costs can outweigh the benefits (especially in the early days).

4. Shopify vs. Other E-Commerce Platforms

Before jumping headfirst into Shopify, let’s take a step back. Is it really the best option for you, or just one of many? Here’s how it stacks up against other popular choices:

🛒 WooCommerce (WordPress)

WooCommerce is free (the plugin), but you need hosting, a theme, and extra plugins to make it shine. That can mean hidden costs, especially if you want premium features.
Shopify includes hosting, security, and updates in its monthly fee. No tinkering with servers, no worrying about updates breaking your site.
👉 If you love full control and already know WordPress, WooCommerce might be better. If you just want to sell without headaches, Shopify wins.

🛒 Wix / Squarespace

Wix & Squarespace are primarily website builders with e-commerce added on. They’re great for simple stores, digital portfolios, or creatives selling a handful of products.
Shopify is an e-commerce-first platform. Every feature is designed around selling, scaling, and running a serious online store.
👉 If your store is a “side feature” of your website, Wix/Squarespace are fine. If your website is your store, Shopify pulls ahead.

🛒 BigCommerce

BigCommerce is Shopify’s closest competitor. It offers similar features, sometimes with more built-in tools (no need for apps).
The downside? BigCommerce can feel more complex, and its pricing structure isn’t as beginner-friendly.
👉 If you want maximum features out of the box and don’t mind a steeper learning curve, BigCommerce works. Otherwise, Shopify is smoother to get started with.

5. So… Is It Worth It?

The real answer: It depends on you.

If you’re just starting out and want an easy, reliable way to sell online — Shopify is a solid choice.
If you’re already comfortable with WordPress or want total freedom — WooCommerce might be a better fit.
If you’re experimenting and not sure if e-commerce is your long-term game — maybe start small with Wix/Squarespace before investing.

But here’s the truth: Shopify makes it hard to fail at the basics. You won’t waste weeks setting things up. Instead, you’ll be testing products, learning what sells, and focusing on actual business growth. And that’s where the real value lies.

6. My Final Thoughts

From my point of view, Shopify is one of the most beginner-friendly ways to start selling online. It takes care of the tech headaches, gives you professional-looking results, and makes it easier to focus on what really matters: your products and your customers.

But let me be clear — Shopify is not a magic money button.

You still need to learn marketing.
You still need to test products.
And above all… you need traffic.

That last part is the most important: without people visiting your store, you won’t make sales — no matter how good your setup is. Don’t worry, I’ll cover different traffic strategies (both free and paid) in a future blog, so you’ll have a roadmap for that part too.

7. Should You Try Shopify?

If you’re serious about testing the waters of e-commerce, I’d say yes — Shopify is worth trying. They even offer a free trial, so you can explore the platform without committing right away.

👉 Try Shopify Here

Transparency & Disclaimer

I want to be fully open with you: if you sign up through my link, I may earn a commission. It doesn’t cost you anything extra, and in fact, sometimes it gives you special trial deals.

That said, I’m not a “guru” selling you dreams of overnight riches. I’m just someone who has tested these tools, seen what works, and is sharing my honest perspective. At the end of the day, it’s up to you to DYOR (Do Your Own Research) and decide if Shopify is the right path for you.

Frederique-solutions