A Shopify studio telling you not to use Shopify sounds like a contradiction. But “Shopify for everything” is the wrong default. Here are the specific cases where it isn’t the right call, and what we’d actually recommend instead.
1. You’re a content-first business with a side hustle
You’re a publication, a YouTube channel, a Substack, or a content brand — and you want to sell some merch. You’ll do maybe $1k–$5k/mo in sales.
Why Shopify is overkill: $40/mo minimum + apps. Setup is non-trivial. Maintenance falls on you.
Better: Beehiiv has built-in commerce. Substack Notes Shop. Lemon Squeezy for digital goods. Big Cartel ($10/mo) if you want a basic standalone store.
If your commerce is going to stay under $5k/mo and isn’t your business focus, Shopify is too much store for too little revenue.
2. You’re selling primarily one digital product
A course. A PDF. A piece of software. A Notion template. Memberships.
Why Shopify is the wrong shape: Shopify is built for physical commerce. Digital sales work, but the experience is bolted-on. Refund handling, license keys, drip releases — all clunky.
Better:
- Courses: Teachable, Kajabi, Podia
- Digital downloads: Lemon Squeezy, Gumroad, Stan Store
- SaaS: Stripe + your own front-end
- Memberships: Memberful, Patreon, Circle
Use Shopify when physical products are at least 60% of your business.
3. You’re a marketplace (multiple sellers)
You want to let other people list products on your site, take a cut, manage payouts.
Why Shopify is the wrong shape: Shopify assumes one seller. Multi-vendor apps exist (Multi-Vendor Marketplace, Shipturtle) but they’re hacks layered on a single-vendor model. They break in subtle ways.
Better: Sharetribe, CS-Cart, or a custom build on Stripe Connect. Marketplaces have specific complexity (vendor onboarding, KYC, split payments, dispute handling) that’s worth a purpose-built platform.
4. You’re B2B-only with very custom catalogues
Net 90 terms, customer-specific catalogues with thousands of SKUs, PO-driven ordering, complex approval workflows, EDI integrations.
Why Shopify (even Plus) struggles: Plus B2B has improved, but the customer-specific catalogue model has limits. EDI is custom. Approval flows aren’t native.
Better: BigCommerce B2B, NetSuite, or a custom build. Shopify Plus B2B is great for “B2C plus a wholesale channel” — it’s harder for “B2B-first with B2C as a side.”
5. You’re publishing-heavy and commerce-light
A magazine, a publication, a content site that sells some products on the side.
Why Shopify is wrong: Shopify’s blog and pages are limited. No real CMS. Editorial workflows are awkward.
Better: WordPress + WooCommerce, Webflow + Shopify Buy Button, or a Shopify storefront with content pulled from Sanity / Contentful. The publishing experience matters more here than the commerce one.
6. You’re in a regulated industry
CBD, kratom, certain firearms accessories, vape products in some regions, alcohol in some regions.
Why Shopify might not work: Shopify Payments doesn’t process most regulated products. You’ll need a high-risk payment processor (Authorize.net, NMI, etc.). Shopify accepts the store but cuts off Shopify Payments — many merchants don’t realise until launch.
Better: Shopify still works, but:
- Verify your category isn’t on Shopify’s restricted list
- Have a high-risk payment processor lined up
- Or use a platform built for high-risk verticals (some CBD-specific platforms exist)
7. You’re under $30k revenue and not yet sure of the product
You haven’t proven product-market fit. You’re testing a hypothesis. You’ll know in 3 months whether the brand exists.
Why Shopify is overkill: $40+/mo + apps + theme + setup time. Real money before real revenue.
Better: A free Shopify trial gets you 14 days. Or a Stan Store / Beehiiv / Squarespace Commerce $15/mo lets you test for almost nothing. Validate product-market fit, then graduate to Shopify.
When Shopify is the right answer
For everything else — physical-first DTC, retail with online presence, multi-product catalogues, growth-stage brands — Shopify is the right answer. The platform is mature, the app ecosystem is unmatched, the talent pool is deep, and the unit economics work.
We use Shopify for our own clients ~95% of the time. The 5% where we don’t: one of the cases above.
The honest take
Shopify is the right answer most of the time. “Shopify or nothing” is the wrong default for the cases above. Pick the platform that matches the shape of the business — not the one with the biggest marketing budget.