Updated 1 October 2026 · Pludor team · 3 sources
Shopify is a paid ecommerce platform with a huge app and theme ecosystem that scales to large brands; Pludor is a free store that adds bookings, AI answering and AI content without apps. Pludor costs less while sales are small, but above roughly $1,000 a month Shopify Basic's lower per-order fees make it cheaper (Shopify, Pludor). Counted as a whole stack, Shopify plus separate tools for bookings, AI call answering and email can cost $200 or more a month before sales fees, all of which Pludor includes (see the table).
Published pricing for each.
| Shopify | Pludor | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | Basic $39 billed monthly ($29 yearly), Grow $105, Advanced $399 (Shopify) | $0; optional plans $9, $29, $79 (pricing) |
| Card fees (US, online) | Basic 2.9% + 30¢ with Shopify Payments; 2% extra with a third-party provider (Shopify) | Stripe 2.9% + 30¢ (Stripe) |
| Platform fee per order | None with Shopify Payments | 4.99% + 90¢ on Free; 4% / 3% / 2% + 90¢ on paid plans (pricing) |
| Extending the store | Thousands of apps and themes, many paid | Bookings, AI answering, AI content, live selling built in |
| Best at | Large catalogues, custom brands, agencies | Small sellers, creators and service businesses starting free |
Prices checked 1 October 2026.
Many sellers pay for several tools to cover these jobs. Pludor includes them in one free store, with free amounts every month and pay-as-you-go past them (pricing).
| Job | Usual separate tool | On Pludor |
|---|---|---|
| Online store and checkout | Shopify Basic, $39 a month billed monthly (Shopify) | Included, $0 a month, no item limit |
| Bookings and deposits | Calendly Standard, $10 per seat a month billed yearly (Calendly) | Included; 30 bookings free each month, then pay as you go |
| AI receptionist for calls | Smith.ai AI Receptionist Pro, $150 a month for about 75 calls (Smith.ai) | Included; 10 AI-answered calls and 100 AI replies free each month |
| Email marketing | Mailchimp Essentials, from $13 a month (Mailchimp) | Included; 500 marketing emails free each month |
| Online courses | Teachable Starter, $39 a month plus a 7.5% transaction fee (Teachable) | Included: courses and paid challenges |
Monthly subscriptions in this table add up to about $251.00 a month before any per-sale fees; on Pludor the same jobs start at $0 a month plus 4.99% + 90¢ per paid order and card processing (pricing). Prices checked 1 October 2026 on each tool's pricing page.
The right platform depends on your sales volume and what you need beyond a product catalogue. A fixed monthly fee is easy to carry once sales are steady; a free start matters more when you are testing an idea.
Add the monthly fee, the card fees and any platform fee at your real sales and order count.
Export products and customers as CSV files, import them, then redirect your domain.
Start on a free plan, add your best products, and upgrade only when fees on sales cost more than a plan.
Use a store that supports services with time slots and deposits, or add a booking app.
Count the monthly cost of each app you would need and compare it with platforms that include those features.
Higher plans on both platforms lower the per-order fee; switch when the saving is bigger than the plan price.
At low sales, yes, because there is no monthly fee. With a $25 average order, Pludor is cheaper below roughly $1,000 a month; above that, Shopify Basic usually costs less because it has no per-order platform fee (Shopify, Pludor). See the worked numbers below.
There is no item limit, but Shopify's app ecosystem and theme customisation suit large or highly custom brands better.
Bookings on Shopify usually come from an app. Pludor includes bookings with deposits.
Yes, both support custom domains.
Creators selling downloads, bookings and memberships from a bio link often find a free all-in-one store simpler; brands building a large product line often prefer Shopify.
Shopify shows a short free trial and a reduced first months offer on its pricing page (Shopify); check the current terms.
With a $25 average order: at $300 a month (12 orders), Shopify Basic costs about $51 and Pludor Free about $38. At $1,000 (40 orders), Shopify Basic is about $80 and Pludor about $126 on its $9 Starter plan. At $5,000 (200 orders), Shopify Basic is about $244 and Pludor about $564 on its best plan. Rates from Shopify, Pludor and Stripe; apps not included.
Many Shopify stores pay for several apps each month (reviews, subscriptions, bookings, upsells). Add them to the comparison; they can change the answer.
If one platform saves you hours of setup and admin each week, that time is worth more than a small fee difference.
Keep product data, photos and customer lists exportable so a switch later is a weekend, not a month.
Some brands run their main shop on Shopify and use a free store for bookings, live selling or a creator side business.
AI helps whichever platform you choose.
AI can get platform prices wrong; check each figure against the pricing pages linked here.
Pludor is a free store with checkout, bookings, AI answering and AI content built in. It is a strong choice for starting out and for creators and service businesses; at higher volumes, compare it against Shopify with the numbers above.
Free to start - no card, no item limit. Pay only for what you use past the monthly free amounts.
Open my free storeChecked 1 October 2026. Fees and rules change; follow the links for the latest.