// pocketsflow vs shopify
Pocketsflow vs Shopify: built for digital products, not a store plan plus an app.
Shopify is a store platform with a monthly plan (Basic is listed at $39 a month billed monthly), and digital downloads need an app on top. Pocketsflow is 4.7% + $0.30 per sale, estimated, with card processing and tax handling included, and no monthly fee.
Pricing checked October 2026, see sources
At a glance
// fee per sale
// monthly fee
// sales tax and vat
// what you keep
What you keep each month.
$50 sales to US buyers, one-time purchases. For Shopify we use whichever of its plans open at that volume leaves you the most that month. Same math as the fee calculator: try your own numbers there.
| Monthly sales | Pocketsflow keeps | Shopify keeps | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,00020 sales | $947.00fees $53.00 | $926.00Basic · fees $74.00 | +$21.00 with Pocketsflow |
| $10,000200 sales | $9,470.00fees $530.00 | $9,611.00Basic · fees $389.00 | +$141.00 with Shopify |
| $50,0001,000 sales | $47,350.00fees $2,650.00 | $48,211.00Basic · fees $1,789.00 | +$861.00 with Shopify |
| $1,000: +$21.00 with Pocketsflow | |||
| $10,000: +$141.00 with Shopify | |||
| $50,000: +$861.00 with Shopify | |||
From about $2,200 a month in $50 sales, Shopify's Basic plan leaves you more than our per-sale fee does. Selling $50,000 or more a month? The Volume plans lower the platform fee to 1% or 0.5%. Card processing on Shopify uses the rate it publishes. Marketplace sales, PayPal surcharges, refunds and currency conversion are left out.
// feature by feature
Side by side, grouped by job.
Pocketsflow's column shows the cheapest plan with each feature (see plans). Shopify's column only shows what its own public pages say.
| Feature | Pocketsflow | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| // Sell | ||
| Digital downloads | Yes,All plans | YesThrough the Digital Downloads app |
| Online courses | Yes,All plans | Not listed |
| Coaching and services | Yes,All plans | Not listed |
| Subscriptions and memberships | Yes,All plans | Not listed |
| License keys | Yes,All plans | Not listed |
| Custom domain | Yes,From Starter | Yes |
| Payment plans | Yes,From Growth | Not listed |
| // Grow revenue | ||
| Upsells and order bumps | Yes,From Growth | Not listed |
| Discount codes | Yes,All plans | Yes |
| Affiliate program | Yes,From Growth | Not listed |
| Email campaigns and automations | Yes,From Starter | Not listed |
| Abandoned checkout emails | Yes,From Growth | Yes |
| Sales funnels | Yes,From Growth | Not listed |
| A/B tests on price and pages | Yes,From Pro | Not listed |
| // Keep customers | ||
| Members area and community | Yes,From Pro | Not listed |
| Failed payment recovery | Yes,From Pro | Not listed |
| Loyalty points and store credit | Yes,From Growth | Not listed |
| // Run it with AI | ||
| Run the store from Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor (MCP) | Yes,All plans | Not listed |
| Public API and webhooks | Yes,All plans | Yes |
| // Payouts and tax | ||
| Sales tax and VAT collected and paid for you | Yes,All plans | NoShopify calculates tax; you file it yourself |
| A plan with no monthly fee | Yes,All plans | NoFrom $39 a month |
| Card processing included in the fee per sale | Yes,All plans | NoCard processing on top |
Offered Not offered (or not on the plan noted)Not listed We could not find it on Shopify's public pricing or feature pages. Check with them.
// move from shopify
Move from Shopify in minutes.
There is no one-click Shopify connection. Upload CSV files instead: the importer matches columns by name and you map the rest by hand. Setup takes minutes; the import itself runs in the background.
// what comes over from any other platform
- ProductsCSV
- Product filesIf linked
- CustomersCSV
- Purchase historyCSV
- Email subscribersCSV
// good to know
- Columns are matched by name. Anything we do not recognise, you map by hand: the importer never guesses a column.
- Products start unpublished. Purchase history is kept as history and never counts as new sales.
- Your email list keeps each contact's consent, and nobody is emailed.
- The importer is part of the Volume plan ($500 a month), where our team can run it for you. On any plan, you can import your email list from a CSV.
// the honest part
When Shopify is the better fit.
Pocketsflow is not for everyone. Shopify may suit you better if one of these is true.
From about $2,200 a month in $50 sales, Shopify's Basic plan leaves you more than our per-sale fee does.
Computed from the fees above
You also sell physical products: Shopify is built for inventory, shipping and a full online store.
You want a large app and theme ecosystem to customize the store.
// faq
Common questions.
Is Pocketsflow cheaper than Shopify?
It depends on how much you sell. With $50 sales to US buyers, at $1,000 a month you keep $947.00 with Pocketsflow and $926.00 with Shopify (Basic); at $10,000 a month you keep $9,470.00 with Pocketsflow and $9,611.00 with Shopify (Basic); at $50,000 a month you keep $47,350.00 with Pocketsflow and $48,211.00 with Shopify (Basic). From about $2,200 a month in $50 sales, Shopify's Basic plan leaves you more than our per-sale fee does. Pocketsflow's 4.7% + $0.30 is an estimate that includes card processing and tax handling; the exact amount is itemized on every order.
Can I move my Shopify store to Pocketsflow?
Yes, with CSV files. There is no one-click Shopify connection: upload CSV files of your products, customers, purchases or email subscribers, and the importer matches the columns by name. Products start unpublished, purchase history never counts as new sales, and nobody on your list is emailed. The importer is part of the Volume plan, where our team can also run it for you.
Who handles sales tax and VAT?
On Pocketsflow, we do: Pocketsflow is the merchant of record, so sales tax and VAT are collected and paid for you. On Shopify, it is not handled for you: shopify calculates tax; you file it yourself.
Is there a monthly fee?
Not to sell. The Free plan has no monthly fee: you pay 4.7% + $0.30 per sale. Paid plans from $15 a month add email campaigns and growth tools. Shopify: Basic $39 a month billed monthly; discounts for yearly billing.
Is Pocketsflow affiliated with Shopify?
No. Shopify is a trademark of its owner, named here only to compare published prices and features. Every fact on this page links to the page it came from, checked in October 2026. Prices change, so check Shopify's own pages before you decide.
// more comparisons
Compare with the others.
Every comparison uses the same fee math and the same rules: published prices only, sources linked. Or see them all on one page.
// sources, checked October 2026
Shopify is a trademark of its owner, named only to compare published prices and features. Pocketsflow is not affiliated with Shopify. Logos are trademarks of their owners; shown for comparison only.
// start free
Keep more of every sale.
No monthly fee, no setup fee. 4.7% + $0.30 a sale, tax handled.
