Shopify is paid e-commerce software and there is currently no free version. Shopify still offers a 14-day trial version that does not require a credit card, paypal account or means of payment.
Thus, it is possible to try Shopify totally free for 14 days without any cost or commitment.
Why Shopify isn't free?
The question may seem silly at first glance, but there are supposedly free e-commerce solutions, so why isn't Shopify free?
One of the main reasons is that Shopify is not just an E-commerce CMS but a much more complete experience.
In the price of Shopify there is:
- The cost of developing the platform
- Code maintenance and evolutions (wholesale developer salaries)
- Accommodation costs! And yes Shopify takes care of the hosting, you have to pay the servers.
- Technical, commercial and user support
- Communication and marketing costs
- Etc ..
Because of all these costs borne by the company Shopify, it is necessary to make Shopify paid. Are they essential? It's up to you, in any case, they have made Shopify the most efficient e-commerce solution in the world, in our opinion.
Was there a free version of Shopify?
Like many tech companies, Shopify was free when it launched, but that was over 15 years ago.
Indeed, during the first beta test phase, Shopify offered its users a free and unlimited version of the platform. But it was at the time much less efficient than today!
Shopify also offered a free version for 90 days during the first global Covid lockdown, but this offer is now over.
Shopify offered this 100% free offer for 3 months mainly to help merchants affected by the pandemic switch to e-commerce as quickly as possible with the lowest possible costs.
Will Shopify be able to become free one day?
Considering the investment required to create, develop, maintain and scale a business of this size, it is unlikely that Shopify will ever become free.
However, many other companies, such as Mailchimp, Big Commerce, Salesforces, Prestashop, Wix They also offer e-commerce solutions and therefore put pressure on prices which may work in favor of e-merchants.
And who knows, maybe tomorrow, one of the services offered by Shopify, like Shopify Payments, Shopify Logistics, or Shopify apps will generate enough revenue that the Shopify software itself will be free one day!
And you what do you think ? Should Shopify be free? How do you imagine Shopify pricing in the future? More expensive, less expensive?
