Shopify sits in the “Money and foundations” part of a list of 58 tools I keep for building software, publishing content and selling products. Hosts the store, takes the payment and handles the tax. This page is the short, honest version: From ~€29/mo, the moment it earns its place, what to check before you pay, and what else on the list would do the job.
The facts
| What it does | Hosts the store, takes the payment and handles the tax. |
|---|---|
| When you need it | Selling physical products. The default, and the reason is boring reliability. |
| Price | From ~€29/mo |
| Free tier | Not that I can see — check their pricing page |
| Category | Money and foundations |
| Covered in | |
| In my stack | No — listed for the job it does, not because I use it |
Shopify
From ~€29/mo · Selling physical products. The default, and the reason is boring reliability.
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Before you buy
Who should skip it
Skip it if you sell one digital product — a payment link does that for free.
What to check before you pay
Check the total monthly cost including the apps you plan to add, and the transaction fee if you do not use their own payments.
Where Shopify fits
Sell something physical
A store, samples, a way to see the product before it exists, and somewhere to keep the customers. ~€60/mo plus sampling
Alternatives to Shopify on this list
Other tools for selling physical products.
| Tool | What it does | Price |
|---|---|---|
| GuidelyPro | Guides shoppers to the right product through a few short questions instead of a category page. | On request |
Questions people ask
What is Shopify?
Hosts the store, takes the payment and handles the tax. It sits in the “Money and foundations” part of the stack: The boring layer between a demo and a business. Everything here starts free.
What does Shopify cost?
From ~€29/mo. Prices change — this list was last checked on 11 September 2026, and the tool's own pricing page is the source of truth.
When do you need Shopify?
Selling physical products. The default, and the reason is boring reliability.
What are the alternatives to Shopify?
On this list: GuidelyPro. Same job, different trade-offs — the table above says what each one costs and what it is for.
Do you use Shopify yourself?
No, not day to day. It is on the list because of the job it does: selling physical products. The default, and the reason is boring reliability. I say so rather than pretending otherwise.
The Short Version
Every conclusion from all eight playbooks — how these tools turn into income. Free.