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systeme.io vs Shopify is the one comparison on this site where price is not the deciding factor. Shopify is retail infrastructure: inventory, variants, shipping rates, taxes, returns, and an app store for everything else, from $39 a month. systeme.io sells digital products, courses, and coaching through funnels, with no inventory system at all. Pick by what you sell, not by what it costs.
systeme.io vs Shopify: side-by-side comparison
| systeme.io | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | Free, then $17/mo | $39/mo ($29 billed annually) |
| Platform fee on sales | 0% | 0% on Shopify Payments; 2% on Basic using another provider |
| Card rate | Your processor's rate | 2.9% + 30c on Basic, lower on higher plans |
| Physical inventory and variants | No | Yes |
| Shipping rates and labels | No | Yes |
| Digital product delivery | Built in | Usually an app |
| Courses | Built in | An app |
| Email marketing | Unlimited sends included | Shopify Email or an app |
| Sales funnels with upsells | Built in | An app |
| App ecosystem | None | Very large |
| Trial | Free plan | 3 days free, then $1/mo for 3 months |
Prices checked September 18, 2026.
What Shopify does that systeme.io cannot
Anything to do with physical goods. Stock levels, product variants in six sizes and four colours, calculated shipping, label printing, tax by jurisdiction, abandoned-cart recovery tuned for retail, and point-of-sale for a market stall. If you ship boxes, this is not a close comparison and systeme.io is not a candidate.
What systeme.io does that Shopify needs apps for
A multi-step funnel with an opt-in, a sales page, an order bump, and a one-click upsell. A course area behind the checkout. An email list with sequences. An affiliate program. On Shopify each of those is an app with its own monthly fee, which is how a $39 plan becomes $120 by the end of setup.
The fee comparison on a digital sale
Selling a $50 ebook: on systeme.io you pay only your processor, so roughly $1.75 on a 2.9% plus 30 cent card rate. On Shopify Basic using Shopify Payments the card rate is the same, but using an outside processor adds 2%, about another dollar. Neither is expensive. The real cost difference is the subscription plus the apps.
Running both
Plenty of businesses do. Shopify runs the store; systeme.io runs the list, the launches, and the course or membership that sits alongside the products. The two connect through Zapier. If you sell physical goods and also teach, this is the sensible shape.
Free plan, no card. Affiliate link; we earn a commission on paid plans.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell physical products on systeme.io?
You can take payment for one, but there is no inventory tracking, variants, or shipping calculation. For anything beyond a couple of items, use Shopify.
Is systeme.io cheaper than Shopify?
Yes. Free to $97 a month against $39 to $399, and Shopify usually needs paid apps for funnels, courses, and email.
Can I sell digital downloads on Shopify?
Yes, normally through an app. systeme.io delivers digital products natively at no extra cost.
Can I use both?
Yes, and many people do: Shopify for the store, systeme.io for the email list, launches, and courses, connected through Zapier.
Related: Etsy alternatives for digital products, systeme.io pricing.