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Webflow vs Shopify
Both can sell online. Webflow is a visual site builder with a CMS and a built-in store for smaller catalogs. Shopify is a commerce platform built around products, orders and checkout. The right one depends on how much of your business happens in the cart.
The short answer
Choose Shopify if online sales are the business, the catalog keeps growing, or you sell across several channels. Choose Webflow if the site is mainly content and marketing, and you sell a small range of products with a fully custom design. We build in Webflow and Framer. We don’t build Shopify stores.
At a glance
Built for
Content-led marketing sites, with Ecommerce for smaller stores.
Online stores of any size, plus selling on other channels.
Editing
A visual builder based on HTML and CSS concepts. Editors get a limited role for text, images and CMS items.
A theme editor with sections and blocks. How much you can change depends on the theme.
Selling
Webflow Ecommerce adds products, cart and checkout, all designed in Webflow. Product limits depend on the plan.
Cart, checkout, payments, shipping, inventory, discounts and customer accounts are built in.
CMS
Collections that reference each other, for posts, authors, case studies and more, with plan limits.
Products and collections, plus blog posts, pages and custom content through metafields and metaobjects.
Design control
High and precise. Product pages, cart and checkout are styled in the same tool as the rest of the site.
Good within a theme. Deeper changes mean editing Liquid or a custom theme.
Integrations
App marketplace, CMS API and custom code.
A large app store for reviews, subscriptions, loyalty, shipping and more.
Typical fit
Brands where content leads and the store is one part of the site.
Brands where online sales are the business.
How to decide
How big the store is
Choose Webflow if
You sell a small range of products and expect it to stay that way.
Choose Shopify if
You have many products with variants and expect the catalog to grow.
Where you sell
Choose Webflow if
All your sales happen on your own website.
Choose Shopify if
You also sell in person, on social platforms or on marketplaces, and want one place to manage it all.
How much content you publish
Choose Webflow if
Content is a main channel, such as a journal, guides or a resource library with collections linked to each other.
Choose Shopify if
Content supports the store, and a blog and a few pages are enough.
What you need from the store
Choose Webflow if
The basics cover you: products, cart, checkout and order emails.
Choose Shopify if
You need subscriptions, loyalty programs, advanced discounts or detailed shipping rules. Most of these come from Shopify apps.
Who runs it day to day
Choose Webflow if
Someone on your team or a partner owns the build, and the store is one of several things the site does.
Choose Shopify if
Your team spends its days on orders, stock and customers.
What it costs
Webflow
Webflow charges a site plan for each site, with separate Ecommerce plans if you sell, plus a Workspace plan for the people who build. Check the current plan for product limits and any transaction fee.
Shopify
Shopify charges a monthly plan plus payment processing on each sale. Using a payment provider other than Shopify Payments can add a transaction fee. Paid themes and apps add their own costs.
For a small store, the platform plans are close. As sales and the catalog grow, Shopify’s apps and tooling usually save more time than they cost.
How we help
We design in Figma and build in Webflow and Framer. We don’t build or customize Shopify themes. If the store is the business, a Shopify specialist is the better fit, and we’ll tell you on the first call.
For brands that already sell online, we also run Social Media Management and Paid Ads.
Questions
Daniel G. Bright
Founder, BrightStudios
Still have a question?
Book a call with me to talk through your project and agree the next step.
Keep exploring
Webflow vs WordPress
A visual builder with a hosted CMS, or a plugin ecosystem and full control of the server.
Webflow vs Wix
A content-led site that grows with the company, or a quick setup you run yourself.
Webflow vs Squarespace
Structured content and precise design, or a template-based site with business tools included.
Webflow vs HubSpot
Precise design and a structured CMS, or pages and CRM in one system.
Talk it through
Tell us what the site needs to do and who will run it. We’ll recommend one platform and explain why.