Shopify vs Appy Pie: Comprehensive comparison guide for 2024

Final verdict

Shopify and Appy Pie both offer unique advantages, but they cater to different needs and user bases.

• 
  Shopify (Overall Grade: 8.1/10)
  
  is a robust ecommerce platform designed for businesses looking to scale their online stores. It excels in providing advanced ecommerce features, comprehensive analytics, and a wide range of integrations. Shopify’s strong focus on security, marketing tools, and customer support makes it an ideal choice for serious online businesses. When comparing Shopify vs Appy Pie, Shopify stands out for its professional design options and ecommerce capabilities.
• 
  Appy Pie (Overall Grade: 7.2/10)
  
  is a no-code development platform that simplifies website creation for users without coding skills. It offers a user-friendly interface, a wide array of templates, and essential ecommerce features. Appy Pie is perfect for individuals and small businesses looking to establish an online presence quickly and efficiently. In the Shopify vs Appy Pie comparison, Appy Pie is more accessible for beginners and those seeking a straightforward, cost-effective solution.

	Overall grade: 8.1	Overall grade: 7.2
Design functionalities & templates	8.2	6.8
Ease of use	7.5	8.3
Ecommerce	9.2	7.2
Website Editors	7.9	7.7
Product testing options	8.1	8.9
Price	8.2	7.4
Hosting quality	9.0	6.9
Website speed optimization	7.8	5.0
Plugins and integrations	8.7	6.4
Marketing features	8.8	7.5
Customer support	8.6	8.2
Security	9.0	7.5
AI capabilities	7.9	7.2
User Management	6.5	7.3

Best for ecommerce

9.2

7.2

Verdict

: Appy Pie is suitable for those seeking a simple, no-code solution for ecommerce, while Shopify excels in providing a comprehensive and scalable ecommerce platform.

• 
  Shopify
  
  : Shopify is a leading ecommerce platform that offers a wide range of features for online businesses. It supports comprehensive store building, advanced inventory management, multi-channel selling, and detailed analytics. Shopify Payments and other gateways make it a robust choice for serious ecommerce ventures. When comparing Shopify vs Appy Pie, Shopify’s extensive features and scalability make it ideal for businesses looking to grow and manage a large volume of products.
• 
  Appy Pie
  
  : Appy Pie’s Website Builder is designed for ease of use, making it accessible for users with minimal technical skills. It offers essential ecommerce functionalities like product listings, inventory management, and multiple payment gateways. However, it may not match Shopify’s depth and scalability. Appy Pie is best suited for individuals and small businesses looking for a quick and simple way to establish an online presence.

Best for informational & business websites

6.8

7.4

• 
  Shopify
  
  : Shopify, with a score of 6.8, is primarily an ecommerce platform. While it can be used for informational sites, its features are more geared towards online stores. The platform offers professional templates and robust tools, but it may feel overly complex for simple informational needs. Shopify’s strength lies in its ecommerce capabilities, making it less ideal for purely informational websites.
• 
  Appy Pie
  
  : Appy Pie, scoring 7.4, excels in creating informational and business websites with its no-code development platform. It offers a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface and a wide range of customizable templates, making it accessible for users without coding skills. Appy Pie’s focus on ease of use and quick deployment makes it a practical solution for businesses looking to establish an online presence efficiently. When comparing Shopify vs Appy Pie, Appy Pie stands out for its simplicity and versatility in creating non-ecommerce websites.

Detailed comparison

8.2

6.8

🏆

Winner: Shopify.

If you’re looking for a platform that offers more professional and ecommerce-focused design options, Shopify is the preferred choice.

Shopify’s templates are sleek and professional, ideal for ecommerce sites. They offer a sophisticated look with a focus on online stores. While the free template selection is not large, Shopify’s premium theme store provides a variety of industry-specific options, offering advanced features for a strong brand presence.

Shopify Themes

Compared to Shopify, Appy Pie offers a wide array of website templates with over 10,000 options, catering to various needs and budgets. Categorized across industries, these templates are mobile-friendly and customizable, allowing users to edit colors, fonts, layouts, and add features. The platform’s pre-designed themes, layouts, and user-friendly drag-and-drop builder enhance visual appeal and customization ease, making it accessible for users without coding knowledge.

Appy Pie Themes

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7.5

8.3

🏆 Winner: Appy Pie

. Scoring 8.3, Appy Pie is acclaimed for its simplicity and intuitive design, making it highly accessible for users without coding skills. Shopify, with a score of 7.5, offers a robust platform but with a steeper learning curve, especially for those new to ecommerce. If ease of use is a priority, Appy Pie is the clear winner in this category.

Learning Resources

🏆 Winner: Shopify

. While both platforms offer solid learning resources, Shopify goes a step further with its wide array of detailed tutorials and active community forums, making it easier for users to learn and adapt.

9.2

7.2

Shopify is a leading ecommerce platform that provides a comprehensive set of features for online businesses. It offers tools for creating and customizing online stores, managing products, processing payments, and handling order fulfillment. On the other hand, Appy Pie provides ecommerce features for building and managing online stores within your app. It includes key functionalities such as product listings, inventory management, a secure shopping cart, diverse payment gateways, support for multiple currencies, promotions, order management, shipping options, tax calculation, and analytics.

Ecommerce themes and templates	8.2	6.0
Product page customization	8.5	7.0
Payment processing and commissions	8.8	6.5
POS capabilities	8.1	6.0
Payment gateways	9.5	7.5
Product numbers	9.0	6.5
Additional ecommerce features	9.1	7.0

Shopify ecommerce features:

• Comprehensive store builder
• Shopify Payments and other gateways
• Advanced inventory management
• Multi-channel selling
• Abandoned cart recovery
• Detailed analytics and reporting

Appy Pie ecommerce features:

• Product and Inventory Management
• Shopping Cart
• Multiple Currencies
• Promotions and Discounts
• Order Management
• Shipping Options
• Analytics
• Tax management

Ecommerce themes & templates

Shopify offers about 150 modern responsive themes for creating a virtual storefront, ensuring a good look on both desktop and mobile devices. While some themes are free, others cost between $170 to $380. In contrast, Appy Pie offers a small selection of ecommerce website templates. These templates are designed to help users create online stores quickly and efficiently, without the need for coding skills. Appy Pie’s ecommerce templates feature mobile-first designs, customizable product galleries, and various other features aimed at enhancing the online shopping experience for both the store owner and their customers.

Product page customization

Shopify has a limit of three options per product, totaling 100 unique variations. This limit may not pose a significant constraint, and it is suggested that for products with numerous options, creating separate listings on Shopify can be a more manageable approach. While Shopify offers titles, descriptions, and image galleries with zoom effects, customization options like adding ribbons, size charts, and wishlists are not as straightforward. However, Shopify distinguishes itself with additional features through its extensive library of extra apps, offering functionalities like reviews, Facebook stores, eBay item importers, and a unique Augmented Reality feature for an enhanced customer experience.

On the other hand, Appy Pie’s Website Builder provides users with extensive customization options for product pages, enabling the creation of unique online stores or product showcases without requiring advanced coding skills. Users can personalize product details like descriptions, images, and pricing, ensuring they can offer comprehensive information to assist customers in making informed purchasing choices.

Payment processing

When it comes to payment processing, Shopify offers payments with typical charges of

2.9% + 30¢

per online transaction on basic plans, and lower fees for higher-tier plans. However, it adds extra fees for using other payment gateways. Shopify Payments is Shopify’s own payment processing gateway. It allows merchants to accept credit card payments directly on their store without having to integrate third-party payment providers. This simplifies the payment process, reduces transaction fees, and streamlines the handling of finances.

Appy Pie offers a user-friendly platform for integrating payment processing and POS capabilities into mobile apps and online stores, supporting multiple payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, and Square for secure and versatile customer transactions. While it facilitates easy payment integrations, commission management may require third-party solutions or custom setups. This makes Appy Pie an effective tool for businesses looking to provide a comprehensive shopping experience with a focus on mobility and flexibility.

7.9

7.7

🏆

Winner: Shopify

. Shopify, with a score of 7.9, excels in providing a streamlined, ecommerce-focused editing experience. It’s particularly beneficial for users who prioritize efficient management of online stores. The editor is straightforward, making it easy to add products, manage inventory, and set up payment methods. Shopify’s editor is optimized for sales and business growth, with built-in tools specifically designed for ecommerce businesses.

Appy Pie’s editor, scoring 7.7, is a user-friendly, cloud-based platform that allows individuals, professionals, and small businesses to create mobile-friendly websites without needing to code. It offers a drag-and-drop interface, customizable templates, and various features like social media integration, ecommerce capabilities, and SEO tools. This makes it an ideal solution for quickly creating a wide range of websites, from landing pages to online stores, tailored to users’ specific needs and brand identities.

Mobile editor/app

8.0

5.5

🏆

Winner: Shopify

. Both Shopify and Appy Pie offer mobile editing capabilities, but they cater to different needs and skill levels. Shopify has a dedicated mobile app that allows users to manage their online store from their mobile device. This feature enables the addition, removal, editing, and rearrangement of content on the store’s website, offering convenient on-the-go adjustments to the store’s appearance and layout.

On the other hand, Appy Pie does not have a dedicated mobile app. However, it allows users to edit their website using a mobile browser. This can be a convenient feature for users who prefer to make quick edits on the go, but it may not provide the same level of functionality and ease of use as a dedicated mobile app.

In summary, Shopify receives a higher rating due to its dedicated mobile app and higher mobile editor score, while Appy Pie provides mobile editing capabilities through a mobile browser.

8.1

8.9

Overall Result

:

Appy Pie Wins

. Appy Pie scores 8.9, slightly higher than Shopify’s 8.1. Both platforms offer a free trial, but Appy Pie’s trial lasts for 30 days, twice as long as Shopify’s 14-day trial. Additionally, both platforms allow testing of all premium features during the trial period. However, Shopify offers a form of money-back guarantee in the form of a free trial, while Appy Pie does not offer a money-back guarantee.

Free Plan	No	No
Trial Duration	14 days	30 days
Testing Premium Features	All features during free trial	All premium features during free trial
Money Back Guarantee	Yes (14-day free trial)	No

8.2

7.4

Shopify offers more refined ecommerce features and better value for money, but Appy Pie’s pricing is more accessible for personal projects and small businesses.

	Offerings	Offerings
$10-$20	No offering at this amount.	Start ($18/month): Suitable for personal projects, offering 50 GB storage and access to professional theme templates, domain connection, no Appy Pie ads, CSS & Java customization, etc. Value for price: 6.5
$20-$40	Shopify Basic ($29/month): Unlimited products, 2.9% + 30¢ card fee with Shopify payments, Extra 2% gateway fee without Shopify Payments, Abandoned cart recovery, Automated sales tax, Digital products, POS Integration, 2 staff accounts. Value for price: 8.0	Grow ($36/month): Aimed at small businesses, providing unlimited storage, advanced marketing and monetizing tools, multiple payment gateways, etc. Value for price: 8.5
$70-$80	Shopify Standard ($79/month): Lower card fees (2.6% + 30¢), Gift cards, Professional reports, 5 staff accounts. Value for price: 8.5	No offering at this amount.
$200+	Advanced Shopify ($299/month): Lowest card fees (2.49% + 30¢), Advanced report builder, Real-time carrier shipping, Up to 15 staff accounts Value for price: 8.8	No offering at this amount.

9.0

6.9

🏆

Winner: Shopify

Shopify’s proprietary cloud-based hosting, with a 99.99% uptime guarantee and 5 global data centers, is designed for high-traffic online stores. Appy Pie, with a 99% uptime and reliance on Amazon Web Services, offers a more general-purpose hosting solution. However, Shopify’s specialized reliability gives it a higher rating.

Do they offer hosting?	Yes, included in all paid plans	Yes, included in all paid plans
Data Centers:	5 globally: USA (Ashburn, Virginia; Santa Clara, California), Canada (Toronto, Ontario), Ireland (Dublin), and Singapore	Relies on Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Type of hosting:	Proprietary cloud-based hosting	Proprietary hosting service
Uptime:	99.99%	99%
Uptime Guarantee:	Yes, 99.99%	Yes, 99%

7.8

5.0

🏆 Winner: Shopify

Shopify clearly outperforms Appy Pie in terms of website speed optimization. Shopify has a clear strategy for speed optimization and emphasizes on LCP, FID, CLS improvements, while Appy Pie does not directly implement specific speed optimization strategies and does not disclose any information on their Core Web Vitals improvements.

Focus	App efficiency, Theme optimization	No specific strategies disclosed
Performance Tools	Google Lighthouse, PageSpeed Insights	Not disclosed
Key Strategies	App efficiency, Theme optimization	Not disclosed
Load Times	Varies widely, dependent on optimization	Varies widely, depending on optimization
Page Speed Scores Range	Scores vary; influenced by apps, images	Varies widely, depending on optimization
Core Web Vitals Improvement	Emphasis on LCP, FID, CLS improvements	Not disclosed

Shopify’s approach to enhancing site speed includes app optimization by removing unneeded app code, conditionally loading apps, avoiding immediate pop-up displays, and incorporating app functionality directly into themes. This approach leverages Shopify’s fast servers and CDN network to boost load speed. Shopify also suggests utilizing Google AMP for faster mobile page loads, although with some design compromises.

On the other hand, Appy Pie, as a website building platform, doesn’t directly implement specific speed optimization strategies for your website. They offer various tools and features that can help you optimize your website’s speed on your own. However, they do not disclose any information on their Core Web Vitals improvements. Both load times and Page speed scores varies widely, depending on the optimization and user’s location.

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8.7

6.4

🏆 Winner: Shopify.

With a score of 8.7, Shopify outperforms Appy Pie, which scores 6.4. Shopify offers over 8,000 apps in its App Store, covering a wide range of functionalities. These apps come with various pricing options, including free, paid, freemium, and one-time payment models. On the other hand, Appy Pie provides a range of plugins and extensions for website enhancement, with the availability differing across plans. While the free plan offers basic features, paid plans grant access to the Appy Pie marketplace, which includes over 100 plugins across categories such as marketing, design, social media, SEO, analytics, payments, and more. Despite Appy Pie’s offerings, Shopify’s extensive range of ecommerce-focused plugins and seamless integrations give it the upper hand.

Shopify Applications

Appy Pie Applications

8.8

7.5

🏆

Overall Winner: Shopify

. Shopify stands out for its more advanced ecommerce-focused marketing tools, especially in analytics and ad campaign management. Appy Pie, while offering a range of marketing features, is more suited for businesses looking for a simple, no-code solution.

SEO Tools
Email Marketing
Blogging
Social Media Integration	Advanced integration for selling directly on social platforms	Simplifies content sharing and audience engagement
Analytics and Reporting	Detailed analytics for in-depth insights	Integration with Google Workspace for web traffic insights
Ads and Promotions	Google Ads integration; sophisticated ad campaign management	Tools for creating and managing promotional content

8.6

8.2

🏆 Winner: Shopify

. Comparing Shopify vs Appy Pie, Shopify takes the lead in this category with its 24/7 customer support available through chat, email, and phone. Shopify’s extensive tutorials, community forums, and marketing blog provide valuable resources for users, ensuring they can find answers and support whenever needed. Additionally, Shopify offers robust enterprise-level support, including dedicated account managers and priority support.

Appy Pie also offers 24/7 customer support through live chat, email, and phone, along with comprehensive documentation and tutorials to assist users. While Appy Pie provides priority support and dedicated account managers for higher-tier plans, it doesn’t match the extensive enterprise-level resources that Shopify offers. Nonetheless, Appy Pie’s focus on prompt and reliable support ensures a seamless user experience for its customers.

9.0

7.5

🏆

Winner: Shopify

. Shopify’s security measures are more comprehensive than Appy Pie’s. Shopify prioritizes data privacy and security through rigorous measures, including secure infrastructure, encryption, and limited access. They comply with data privacy regulations, practice data minimization, and ensure user control and transparency. Additional security measures include two-factor authentication, regular audits, and a dedicated incident response team.

Appy Pie also offers secure private data storage and protection with advanced encryption and strict access controls. However, it doesn’t provide as many details about its security measures as Shopify does. Therefore, Shopify is considered to have better security.

7.9

7.2

Personalized Design		Appy Pie uses AI to design and customize websites based on user preferences
SEO Optimization	AI-driven recommendations for better search engine visibility
Customer Behavior Analysis	Advanced analytics to understand customer preferences	AI-driven personalized shopping experiences and targeted marketing campaigns
Sales Predictions	AI-powered sales forecasting tools
Inventory Management	AI tools to assist in efficient inventory handling
Content Generation	AI-driven content assistant	AI algorithms for generating top-notch content

🏆 Winner: Shopify

. Shopify, with a score of 7.9, utilizes AI mainly to enhance the ecommerce experience. Its AI features focus on customer behavior analysis, personalized shopping experiences, inventory management, and sales predictions. While Shopify’s AI is powerful, it is more business and data-centric compared to Appy Pie’s design-focused AI.

Appy Pie, scoring 7.2, uses AI to simplify the website creation process. It offers AI-driven personalized design, content generation, and customer interaction features. However, it lacks some of the advanced ecommerce features provided by Shopify.

6.5

7.3

🏆 Winner: Appy Pie

. Managing your online team with Shopify and Appy Pie involves different approaches to website editing access.

• Shopify enforces staff account limits based on plans, ranging from 2 to 15, with Shopify Plus offering unlimited
  accounts. Collaborators with limited access are also an option.
• The Appy Pie website builder offers different user access levels based on the plan chosen. For the Free Plan, one user has full editing privileges. Paid plans include the Starter Plan (3 users), Hobby Plan (5 users), Professional Plan (10 users), and Enterprise Plan (unlimited users). Each plan designates an Admin with full access and additional Editors with varying editing rights. Additionally, paid plans allow for customization of roles, enabling tasks such as content editing or design adjustments.

Shopify User Roles and Access Levels:

Additional Features

SSL Certificate
Custom Domain
Free Custom Domain Included
International Domains
Mobile Responsive
Page Speed
Website Builder Mobile App
Convert a Website To An App
Website Analytics
Multilingual Sites
Multiple Users

User Feedback

Shopify

4482 reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars

Appy Pie

1328 reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars

Shopify’s slightly higher rating on G2 Crowd can be largely attributed to its specialization in ecommerce. Its comprehensive features, ease of use, and robust customer support cater specifically to online businesses, leading to high user satisfaction among those seeking a dedicated ecommerce solution.

Appy Pie garners positive feedback for its user-friendly interface and excellent customer support, offering low-code solutions for app and website building without requiring coding experience. Users appreciate its ease of use, extensive features, and ability to create apps and websites quickly. While some express a desire for more customization options and templates, overall, Appy Pie serves as a valuable tool for businesses and individuals seeking to create apps and websites efficiently.

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