Pros and cons
What Shopify does especially well — and the limits to anticipate.
Pros
- Fast store launch with no technical knowledge needed
- Huge app ecosystem to fill any specific need
- Payments, shipping, and inventory handled natively
Cons
- Costs rise quickly with additional paid apps
- Transaction fees if you don't use Shopify Payments
- Advanced theme customization requires Liquid coding skills
Shopify: when it makes sense.
Worth it once you want a real, scalable store; for a single digital product, lighter tools are enough.
Keep if
You want to sell online quickly without managing technical infrastructure. You need an app ecosystem for specific needs (subscriptions, dropshipping)
- You use it at least once a week
- The monthly cost (€25) is small next to the time it saves you
Challenge if
You sell very few products — a simple sales page (Gumroad, Stripe) is enough. App + subscription budget exceeds what your sales volume justifies
- You use it less than once a month
- A simple free version or a tool already in your stack would do
