Both of my businesses live online, so the platform I sell on isn’t a small decision — it’s the storefront, the cart, the checkout, the thing customers trust with their card. I build both Kind Loom and My Dabba on Shopify (my affiliate link), and after actually running stores on it, I’d make the same choice again.

What it does

Shopify is an all-in-one e-commerce platform. It gives you a hosted online store — product pages, cart, secure checkout, payments, shipping settings, and a back office to manage orders and inventory — without you having to stitch together a website and a payment system yourself. You pick a theme, add your products, connect a payment method, and you can be taking real orders. There’s also a big app store for extending what your store can do.

Who it’s best for

People who want to sell physical products online and would rather spend their time on the business than on wrestling with code. It’s ideal for product founders, makers, and small brands who want something reliable that scales as they grow. If you only sell the occasional item or you’re purely a services business, a simpler or cheaper setup might be enough — Shopify shines when selling online is the actual engine of your business.

What I use it for

I run both Kind Loom and My Dabba on Shopify. For Kind Loom it holds my imported bedding catalogue, handles the checkout, and manages orders as they come in. For My Dabba, the gift-box side, it lets me present products the way I want and take payment cleanly. Having both businesses on the same platform means I’m not relearning a new system for each — I know where everything is, and I can focus on products and customers instead of plumbing.

What I like

• Setup is genuinely doable without a developer — I built my stores myself.
• Checkout is polished and trusted, which matters when a stranger is deciding whether to enter their card.
• The app ecosystem lets me add features (reviews, email, shipping tools) as I need them.
• It scales — the same platform that handled my first sale handles my busy periods.
• Themes let a small brand look legitimate from day one.

Limitations

• Costs add up — the monthly plan is just the base, and paid apps and premium themes can quietly grow your bill.
• Some customization needs more technical effort (or a paid app) than you’d hope.
• If you use a payment provider other than Shopify’s own, there can be additional transaction fees — worth checking against your margins.

Canadian notes

Shopify is a Canadian company — which as a Canadian founder I’ll admit I like — and it works smoothly for selling here, including collecting the right sales tax and using Canadian payment options. Plan prices, transaction fees, and app costs all vary and change over time, so please check current pricing on Shopify’s site instead of trusting a number from me. From my experience, budget for the plan plus a few apps rather than the plan alone, and you’ll have a realistic picture of the monthly cost.

Alternatives

If Shopify isn’t your fit, WooCommerce (WordPress) gives you more control and can be cheaper, but you manage more of the tech yourself. Squarespace is a strong option if you want a beautiful site with lighter e-commerce needs. And Wix offers an easy drag-and-drop builder with store features for smaller catalogues.

If you’re serious about selling products online, I’d spin up a store on Shopify and add a product or two just to feel the flow — that’s how I knew it was right for me. You can build before you commit long-term.

This is my own experience — not financial, tax, or legal advice. Fees, features, and availability change, so confirm current details on the provider’s site before you decide.