Shopify alternative
Shopify is the world's best e-commerce platform — and if you run an online store, you should probably use it. But if you're a massage therapist, plumber, coach, restaurant, or freelancer with no product inventory, Shopify's pricing, complexity, and feature set are entirely wrong for you.
No credit card required
Shopify powers over 4 million online stores worldwide. Here's what they don't tell you.
Shopify's core model is products: SKUs, variants, stock levels, shipping rates, fulfilment centres, and purchase orders. Every feature in Shopify assumes you have physical or digital products moving through a supply chain. A yoga studio, law firm, or landscaping company has none of that — and pays for all of it.
Shopify Basic starts at $29/mo — but if you don't use Shopify Payments (only available in select countries), you pay an additional 2% transaction fee on every sale. And their payment processor has its own card rates. The total cost of accepting even simple service payments is much higher than advertised.
At $29–$299/mo for the main plans, Shopify is priced for businesses with meaningful transaction volume. A local plumber who just needs to be found on Google and get calls is paying $348+/yr for e-commerce infrastructure they will never use. Artefact's Core plan is $18/mo — and includes everything a service business actually needs.
Shopify is designed around the product page → cart → checkout flow. Features that service businesses need — appointment booking, service area maps, WhatsApp enquiry buttons, lead capture forms — require third-party apps at additional cost. These are first-class features in Artefact.
| Shopify $29–$299/mo + transaction fees | Artefact $18/mo (Core) | |
|---|---|---|
| Designed for service businesses | — | |
| No transaction fees | — | |
| AI-generated site from description | — | |
| Contact form + lead inbox | App required | |
| WhatsApp enquiry button | — | |
| Product cart and checkout | — | |
| Inventory management | — | |
| Custom domain | ||
| Starting price | $29/mo | Free |
The bottom line
If you sell physical or digital products and need a proper cart, checkout, and fulfilment workflow — use Shopify. It is the best-in-class tool for that specific job. If you're a service business that needs to look professional online and convert visitors into enquiries, Shopify is the wrong tool and Artefact is the right one.
Try Artefact free — no credit card →It depends on the balance. If selling products is your primary revenue stream and you need a cart and checkout, Shopify is the right foundation — you can add a services page. If you primarily offer services and occasionally want to sell a product or gift voucher, Artefact is a better fit with far lower overhead.
Artefact supports simple product showcases and can include links to external payment pages or booking tools. It does not include a full shopping cart, inventory management, or checkout flow. For a true online store, Shopify or WooCommerce are the right tools.
Yes — restaurants are a core use case for Artefact. Menu sections, location, opening hours, contact details, and reservation links are all built in. Shopify is not designed for restaurants; Artefact is.