Glossary
What is Shopify?
In depth
Shopify launched in 2006 (Tobi Lütke + Daniel Weinand) and is today the #2 e-commerce platform on the internet after Amazon. 4.7M+ active stores in 175+ countries, $235B GMV in 2025. The Shopify philosophy: "merchants should not think about infrastructure" — hosting, security, payments, theme, admin are all managed.
Ideal fit: (1) sole entrepreneur — store live by the weekend (Basic $39/mo). (2) Dropshipping — Oberlo / DSers integration native. (3) International brands — multi-currency, automatic 175-country tax handling. (4) Mid-tier brands — Shopify Plus ($2,000+/mo) custom checkout, multi-store. (5) Headless setup — Hydrogen + Oxygen ($0-$99/mo) Next.js-style.
Price reality: Basic $39/mo + 2.9% + $0.30 transaction (Shopify Payments). Using a third-party gateway adds +2% transaction fee. Shopify $79/mo (lower transactions). Advanced $399/mo (lowest fees + advanced reports). Plus enterprise $2,000+/mo. Apps: 80% of premium stores run 5-10 paid apps ($20-$200/mo each).
Weaknesses in Georgian context: (1) BoG iPay + TBC E-Commerce do not work natively — Stripe/PayPal mandatory. (2) Georgian tax (DGT 18% VAT) needs a custom rule. (3) Liquid template language is constrained — checkout customisation restricted without Plus. (4) Subscription billing limited — Recharge ($60-$300/mo) plugin needed. (5) Data export — leaving Shopify is difficult, products + customer data export per-tier.
Craftwebstudio recommendation: International dropshipping + EU/US-funded brand → Shopify. Georgian market in 80% of cases → WooCommerce or custom Next.js + Stripe Atlas.
Examples
- 1Shopify Basic $39/mo + Tegeta Delivery custom app + GEL multi-currency = Georgian store live in 1 week
- 2Shopify Plus $2,000/mo: brand-level customisation + multi-store + 0.5% transaction fee
- 3Headless: Shopify Storefront API + Next.js + Vercel — fastest LCP, brand-level UX
- 4Shopify migration from WooCommerce: $1,500-$5,000 (small) or $5,000-$15,000 (mid), 4-8 weeks
- 5Required apps for a Georgian store: Geolocation (auto-redirect), Tax Override (DGT VAT), Custom Pricing
Related terms
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Frequently asked questions
Is Shopify Basic $39/mo enough for small business?▾
Yes — for stores doing <$5,000/mo revenue. Payment fee 2.9% + $0.30. Above $10K/mo revenue → Shopify $79/mo (lower fees). Apps add $50-$300/mo extra.
Does BoG iPay work on Shopify?▾
No — no official integration exists as of Q1 2026. Options: (1) custom app + Shopify Payments API, $1,500-$3,000 setup. (2) Stripe Atlas Delaware entity + USD checkout. (3) Move to WooCommerce.
Is Shopify SEO worse than WordPress?▾
No — built-in SEO is good (sitemap, schema, mobile-first). But URL structure is restricted (/products/, /collections/) and schema customisation limited. For long-form content blogs → WordPress wins. Pure transactional stores → Shopify is equal.
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