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It's a split decision.
Pick Shopify if you need a broader commerce operation with online, in-person, social and AI channels, international tools, and a 21,000+ app ecosystem. Its Basic plan starts at CHF 21/month billed yearly. Choose Payhip for digital products, courses, memberships or a simpler creator store: Free Forever costs $0/month but takes a 5% transaction fee; Plus is $29/month at 2%, while Pro is $99/month with no transaction fee. Their stated prices and fees aren't directly comparable.
01Side by side
| Shopify | Payhip | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | CHF 0 Agentic (AI-channel sales); Basic CHF 21/month yearly | $0 Free Forever; 5% transaction fee |
| Free plan | CHF 0 Agentic offer; not general storefront pricing | Free Forever plan, all features; 5% fee |
| Best for | Multichannel retailers and growing commerce businesses | Creators selling downloads, courses and memberships |
| Core strength | Centralized sales across online, retail, social and AI | Digital products, courses, memberships and physical goods |
| Learning curve | Ease-of-use review score: 8 | Ease-of-use review score: 7 |
| Integrations / data | 21,000+ commerce apps in Shopify App Store | Checkout embeds on an existing website |
| Team / seat costs | Grow: CHF 59/month yearly; 5 additional staff accounts | Staff-account pricing and limits not published |
| Support | Review support score: 5 | Review support score: 6 |
Shopify Choose Shopify if
- Choose Shopify if multichannel selling matters.
- Choose Shopify if you need international commerce tools.
- Choose Shopify if a large commerce app ecosystem matters.
Payhip Choose Payhip if
- Choose Payhip if you sell downloads or digital products.
- Choose Payhip if you need courses or memberships.
- Choose Payhip if you want a free starting plan.
02Pricing compared
Shopify Basic costs CHF 21/month with yearly billing or CHF 29 month-to-month. Grow is CHF 59 or CHF 79, and Advanced is CHF 269 or CHF 359, respectively. The pricing page lists a 3-day free trial. Standard online card rates are 2.95% + CHF 0.30 on Basic, 2.75% + CHF 0.30 on Grow, and 2.55% + CHF 0.30 on Advanced. Payhip’s Free Forever plan is $0/month with a 5% transaction fee; Plus is $29/month at 2%, and Pro is $99/month with no Payhip transaction fee. PayPal and Stripe still charge standard fees, but Payhip does not state their rates. Shopify’s prices are in CHF and Payhip’s are in USD, so the listed subscriptions and fees are not directly comparable.
03Features and depth
Shopify is built for a broader commerce operation: its listed channels include online, in-person, social and AI sales. It supports international selling through Shopify Markets and shipping tools, and centralizes payments, fulfillment and retail management. You can create a store with AI or choose a prebuilt theme, use Sidekick AI for admin tasks, and extend the setup with more than 21,000 apps. The pricing page also lists inventory locations and B2B catalogs on its plans.
Payhip’s feature set is geared toward creators and smaller storefronts. It supports digital downloads, courses with quizzes and drip publishing, memberships, coaching and physical products. Sellers can build a customizable website without coding, connect a custom domain, or embed Payhip checkout on an existing site. Its plans list unlimited products and revenue. Pick based on what you sell: Payhip covers common creator formats, while Shopify lists more sales channels and operational tools.
04Ease of use and learning curve
Payhip’s no-code store builder and option to embed checkout on an existing website suit sellers who want a relatively contained storefront. Its product tools cover downloads, courses, memberships and physical goods, so creators can manage several formats in one place.
Shopify offers AI store creation, prebuilt themes and Sidekick AI, which the product description says can help spot growth opportunities and automate admin tasks. Its centralized management also brings payments, fulfillment and retail into one admin. The trade-off is more choices to configure: channels, international selling and apps are part of its broader offer. If you only need a creator store, Payhip’s scope may be easier to navigate; if you need several channels, Shopify has more to learn and manage.
Questions people ask
Are Shop and Shopify the same?
The published product information describes Shopify as a commerce platform for creating stores and managing sales across channels; it does not define Shop or explain how the two relate. We would not treat the names as interchangeable based on these details alone. Check Shopify’s current product documentation for the distinction.
Is Payhip safe and legit?
The published information describes Payhip as a platform for selling digital and physical products, courses and memberships, with checkout that can be embedded on a site. It also says sellers can use PayPal and Stripe, but gives no security, buyer-protection or regulatory details, so this information alone cannot establish safety or legitimacy.
Can Indians sell on Shopify?
The product information says Shopify supports international selling through Shopify Markets and built-in shipping tools, but it does not confirm seller eligibility in India or list supported payment methods there. Check Shopify’s current country and payment-provider requirements before choosing a plan.
Does Shop Pay charge a fee?
The published pricing details list Shopify’s standard online card rates by plan and third-party transaction fees, but they do not state a separate Shop Pay fee. Those listed rates should not be assumed to answer what Shop Pay charges in every setup; confirm the applicable rate with Shopify.