- Pick it if you are:
- Ebook and template sellers with original work; Course creators with a small audience
- Top complaint:
- Payhip store closed or deleted without warning
- Price:
- Free plan, paid from $29/mo
- Pick it if you are:
- Beginners launching first store; Growing brands wanting simplicity
- Top complaint:
- Phone support discontinued in 2025 - AI chatbot barriers
- Price:
- From $39/mo
Score Comparison
Signals Comparison
Payhip
- Payhip store closed or deleted without warning(9/10)
- Payhip bans PLR and resale-rights products(8/10)
- Stripe or PayPal freezes funds after a Payhip sale(8/10)
Shopify
- Chargebacks favor customers - merchants lose goods AND money(9/10)
- Data and reporting issues - conversion rates often wrong(7/10)
- Trustpilot rating 1.5/5 vs G2 4.4/5 - massive discrepancy(6/10)
- Shopify Payments payouts on hold or funds reserved for months(9/10)
Payhip
- Payhip support is email only and some sellers get no reply(7/10)
- Payhip not available in every country(6/10)
- Refunds are handled by the seller, not Payhip(5/10)
Shopify
- Phone support discontinued in 2025 - AI chatbot barriers(9/10)
- Years-old issues remain unresolved(6/10)
- Locked out of account after losing two-step authentication(7/10)
Payhip
- Payhip 5% fee on the free plan plus PayPal or Stripe fees(6/10)
- Payhip fee on VAT: you pay 5% of the tax too(5/10)
- Fees can still be charged after a refund(5/10)
Shopify
- Transaction fees on top of monthly subscription(8/10)
- Essential features locked behind expensive apps(8/10)
- No refunds on fees when orders are cancelled(8/10)
- No refunds on subscription plans, including promo-period charges(6/10)
- Annual plan price test: Grow and Advanced briefly raised then reverted(4/10)
Payhip
- Payhip PayPal not connecting or payments failing(7/10)
Shopify
- Social media connectivity could be improved(5/10)
- Google & YouTube app products disapproved or not syncing(6/10)
Payhip
- Limited store design customization(5/10)
- Payhip checkout cannot be translated into every language(5/10)
- Payhip custom domain stuck connecting or on SSL(6/10)
Shopify
- Inventory management is clunky and limited(6/10)
Payhip
- Payhip marketplace does not bring much traffic(5/10)
Shopify
No signals
Payhip
No signals
Shopify
- Limited customization without expensive development(7/10)
Payhip
No signals
Shopify
- No due diligence on merchants - fraud concerns(7/10)
Payhip
No signals
Shopify
- Why is my Shopify store so slow? Apps leave scripts behind(6/10)
Pricing Comparison
Payhip
Users: Unlimited products and revenue
Limits: 5% fee on every sale; no annual pricing; recurring billing needs Stripe and covers memberships, courses, coaching and bundles only
Users: Unlimited products and revenue
Limits: Still takes 2% per sale; monthly price only on the pricing page
Users: Unlimited products and revenue
Limits: $99/month regardless of sales
Shopify
Users: Not specified
Storage: Unlimited
Limits: Basic reports only, 2 staff accounts, limited checkout customization
Users: Not specified
Storage: Unlimited
Limits: Basic reports only, 2 staff accounts, limited checkout customization
Users: Not specified
Storage: Unlimited
Limits: Still lacks advanced customization, checkout modifications limited
Users: Not specified
Storage: Unlimited
Limits: Still lacks advanced customization, checkout modifications limited
Users: Not specified
Storage: Unlimited
Limits: Still requires apps for many features, expensive for small businesses
Users: Not specified
Storage: Unlimited
Limits: Still requires apps for many features, expensive for small businesses
Users: Unlimited
Storage: Unlimited
Limits: Requires significant investment, complex for small operations
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Payhip | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Products | ||
| Digital downloads | ||
| Online courses | ||
| Memberships Recurring billing requires Stripe | ||
| Coaching and bundles | ||
| Physical products Seller handles shipping | ||
| Print on demand Integration available per help center | ||
| E-commerce | ||
| Online store builder All plans | ||
| Duties/taxes calculation Advanced plan only | ||
| Payments | ||
| Payment processing Shopify Payments | ||
| Merchant of record Sales go through the seller's own PayPal or Stripe account | ||
| Sales | ||
| Multi-channel selling All plans | ||
| Shopify POS In-person sales | ||
| Design | ||
| Mobile themes Responsive | ||
| Integrations | ||
| App ecosystem Thousands of apps | ||
| Store | ||
| Custom domain A record for root domain, CNAME for subdomain; SSL automatic | ||
| Full checkout translation Unsupported languages cannot be translated | ||
| Security | ||
| SSL certificate Included | ||
| Marketing | ||
| Coupons and affiliates | ||
| Abandoned cart recovery All plans | ||
| Cart abandonment emails Off by default | ||
| Tax | ||
| EU/UK VAT handling Automatic by default | ||
| US and Canadian sales tax Collection began July 1, 2026 | ||
| Pricing | ||
| Transaction fee refunds No longer offered | ||
| No monthly fee option 5% per sale on the free plan | ||
| Annual pricing Only monthly prices are listed | ||
| Customization | ||
| Checkout customization Plus only ($2,300+) | ||
| Support | ||
| Phone support Email only | ||
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