Systeme.io and Shopify both let you sell online, but they are built for different products. Shopify is an ecommerce platform for stores, with plans from $39 a month ($29 billed yearly), unlimited products, shipping tools, point of sale and a 3-day free trial, plus a 2% fee on Basic if you skip Shopify Payments. Systeme.io is an all-in-one funnel platform with a free plan, paid plans from $17 a month, sales funnels, unlimited email sends, courses and 0% transaction fees.
The short answer: choose Shopify if you sell physical products from a catalog and need serious ecommerce tools. Choose Systeme.io if you sell courses, coaching, digital products or a few physical items through funnels and email.
Systeme.io vs Shopify at a Glance
| Systeme.io | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Creators, coaches, digital sellers | Physical product stores |
| Free plan | Yes, no end date | No; 3 days free, then $1/mo for 3 months |
| Entry plan | $17/mo (Startup) | $39/mo (Basic), $29 yearly |
| Transaction fees | 0% on every plan | 2%, 1%, 0.6% or 0.2% with third-party payments |
| Products | 3 on Free's store page; up to unlimited | Unlimited on every plan |
| Sales funnels and upsells | Built in | Apps needed |
| Email marketing | Unlimited sends | 10,000 free a month, then $1 per 1,000 |
| Online courses | Built in | Third-party apps |
| Shipping tools | Shipping rules by weight, price or location | Label buying, discounts, calculated rates |
| Point of sale | No | Yes |
| App ecosystem | Zapier, API and built-in integrations | Shopify App Store |
| Support | Email, 7 days a week | 24/7 live chat |
In This Article
- Systeme.io vs Shopify at a Glance
- What Is Systeme.io?
- What Is Shopify?
- Pricing Compared
- Features Head to Head
- Best Fit by Business Type
- Using Shopify and Systeme.io Together
- Switching From Shopify to Systeme.io
- Pros and Cons
- Which Should You Choose?
- Common Mistakes When Choosing
- Our Verdict
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Systeme.io?
Systeme.io is an all-in-one platform for selling online. It combines sales funnels, a website builder, email marketing, online courses, communities, an affiliate program, a booking calendar, CRM pipelines, webinars and physical products in one account. The company says it is "Powering 500,000+ entrepreneurs," which is its own claim.
The free plan includes 2,000 contacts, 3 funnels, 1 course and unlimited email sends, with a $10,000 lifetime sales cap. See our Systeme.io review for the full breakdown.
What Is Shopify?
Shopify is a hosted ecommerce platform. Every plan includes an online store with themes, unlimited products, checkout, inventory, social and marketplace selling, in-person sales, customer profiles, email campaigns and marketing automations, plus Sidekick, its AI assistant.
Shopify is built around the store catalog. Funnels, upsells and courses come from the Shopify App Store. For how Shopify compares with a dedicated funnel builder, see ClickFunnels vs Shopify.
Pricing Compared
Systeme.io Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual (Per Month) | Contacts | Funnels | Store Pages (Products) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 2,000 | 3 | 1 (3) |
| Startup | $17 | $14.17 | 5,000 | 10 | 3 (15) |
| Webinar | $47 | $39.17 | 10,000 | 50 | 10 (50) |
| Unlimited | $97 | $80.83 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Every plan includes unlimited email sends, 0% transaction fees and unlimited sub-accounts. Full limits are in our Systeme.io pricing guide.
Shopify Pricing
| Plan | Pay Monthly | Pay Yearly (Per Month) | Online Card Rate | Third-Party Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $39 | $29 | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2% |
| Grow | $105 | $79 | 2.7% + 30¢ | 1% |
| Advanced | $399 | $299 | 2.5% + 30¢ | 0.6% |
| Plus | From $2,300 | n/a | 2.25% + 30¢ | 0.2% |
Shopify's pricing page says "There are no setup fees on any of our plans." Grow adds up to 5 staff accounts and Advanced up to 15. POS Pro costs an extra $89 a month per location, and a $0 Agentic plan covers selling only in AI channels.
Monthly list prices from each pricing page, November 2026. Shopify Plus starts at $2,300 a month.
Transaction Fees Explained
Shopify's card rates apply when you use Shopify Payments. If you use another provider instead, Shopify adds a third-party transaction fee on top of that provider's own fees: 2% on Basic.
Systeme.io takes no platform cut on any plan. You connect Stripe, PayPal or another supported gateway and pay only that processor's fees. Systeme.io lists Stripe, Apple Pay, PayPal, Razorpay, Flutterwave, Mercado Pago, Paystack, Xendit and cash on delivery.
Email Costs
Shopify lets you send "up to 10,000 manual or automated emails for free" each month, then charges $1 per 1,000 additional emails. Systeme.io includes unlimited sends, so the gap grows with your list.
What You Would Pay: Three Examples
These examples use list prices and simple arithmetic, before payment processor fees, which apply on both platforms.
| Scenario | Systeme.io | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Coach selling a $300 program, $3,000 a month, paid through Stripe | $17 (Startup) | $39 Basic + $60 third-party fee = $99 |
| Digital seller, 8,000 subscribers, 4 emails a month | $47 (Webinar, 10,000 contacts) | $39 Basic + $22 email = $61 |
| Store with 200 physical products in a browsable catalog | Unlimited ($97) for unlimited store pages, though not what Systeme.io is built for | $39 Basic with Shopify Payments |
The email example sends 32,000 emails: 10,000 free plus 22,000 at $1 per 1,000. The coach example avoids the 2% fee if Shopify Payments is available and used, in which case Shopify's card rates apply instead.
Key Takeaway
Systeme.io usually costs less for digital products, courses and coaching. Shopify becomes the better value once you run a real physical catalog, because its ecommerce tools are included in every plan.
Features Head to Head
Physical Products and Inventory
Shopify is built for this. Every plan includes unlimited products, inventory management across up to 10 locations on Basic, shipping label buying with discounts, returns, and selling on social channels and marketplaces.
Systeme.io supports physical products with variants, automatic SKU generation, real-time inventory tracking and shipping fees based on weight, price or location. Its own page says it is "not designed for large-scale retail e-commerce that requires deep catalogue management, complex warehouse integrations, or the inventory tools Shopify or WooCommerce offer."
Winner: Shopify.
Digital Products, Courses and Coaching
Systeme.io hosts courses on every plan, with modules, lessons, drip release, student access and communities. It sells digital downloads, coaching and memberships through funnels with subscriptions, payment plans and trials.
Shopify sells digital files through its free Digital Downloads app, which sends download links after purchase. Courses, memberships and communities need third-party apps.
Winner: Systeme.io.
Sales Funnels, Upsells and Order Bumps
Systeme.io is a funnel builder first. You build opt-in pages, sales pages, checkouts with order bumps, one-click upsells and thank-you pages, with A/B tests and coupons.
Shopify uses a store layout with product and collection pages and its own checkout. Pre-purchase offers, post-purchase upsells and long-form sales pages generally come from apps.
Winner: Systeme.io.
Email Marketing and Automation
Systeme.io includes unlimited email sends, sequences, broadcasts, tags, automation rules and a visual workflow builder. The free plan allows 1 automation rule and 1 workflow.
Shopify includes email campaigns, customer segments, marketing automations and abandoned checkout recovery, with 10,000 free sends a month. For a store, abandoned checkout recovery is an important built-in.
Winner: Systeme.io for list-based selling; Shopify for store recovery flows.
Store Design and Themes
Shopify offers themes and templates, and says you can "Spin up your store from a simple prompt or with a pre-built template."
Systeme.io's templates focus on funnel pages and simple websites. It is quicker to launch a sales page, but less suited to a large browsable catalog.
Winner: Shopify for stores; Systeme.io for sales pages.
Selling in Person and on Marketplaces
Shopify includes in-person sales with a phone or card reader, plus social, marketplace and AI chat selling. Systeme.io has none of these channels.
Winner: Shopify.
Apps and Integrations
Shopify says you can "Integrate with 1000s of apps" through the Shopify App Store. Systeme.io has fewer integrations: Google Sheets, Google Calendar, Google Meet, Zoom, ActiveCampaign, SendGrid, Twilio for SMS, a public API and Zapier.
Winner: Shopify.
Support and Ease of Use
Shopify lists 24/7 live chat support on Basic. Systeme.io supports by email seven days a week, with an average reply time of about 2 hours, per its help center, and no phone or chat.
For a single digital offer, Systeme.io is faster to set up because funnels, email and courses share one dashboard. Shopify is easier for a catalog store because its setup is built around products and shipping.
Winner: Shopify for live help; Systeme.io for simple digital setups.
Best Fit by Business Type
Course Creators and Coaches
Systeme.io fits best. Courses, email sequences, checkout and a community share one account, and the Startup plan at $17 a month covers 5,000 contacts and 5 courses. On Shopify, the same setup means paying for course and upsell apps on top of the plan.
Digital Product Sellers
Systeme.io usually wins for ebooks, templates and downloads sold through a funnel, because order bumps and upsells raise order value without extra apps. Shopify works well when digital files sit beside physical products in one store.
Physical Product Brands
Shopify fits best. Unlimited products, inventory across locations, shipping labels, returns and point of sale are all included, and its app ecosystem covers most store needs.
Creators Selling Merch and Courses
Either can work. A creator with a handful of shirts and a flagship course can run both on Systeme.io. A creator with a growing merch line usually runs the store on Shopify and the course on Systeme.io, connected with Zapier.
Local Shops Selling In Person
Shopify, clearly. In-person selling with a phone or card reader is included on every plan, and the POS Pro add-on ($89 a month per location) adds in-store inventory management and in-store pickup. Systeme.io has no point of sale.
Using Shopify and Systeme.io Together
You can keep both. Zapier lists ready-made templates that connect them, such as "Create or update systeme.io contacts and grant course access for new paid Shopify orders" and "Create new Shopify orders from new systeme.io sales."
- 1Create a Zapier account and connect Shopify and Systeme.io
- 2Choose a Shopify trigger such as a new paid order
- 3Add a Systeme.io action to create the contact and add a tag
- 4Optionally grant course access or subscribe the buyer to a campaign
- 5Test with a real order before going live
This setup suits a merch store that also sells a course, or a Systeme.io funnel that needs Shopify for fulfilment. You pay for both tools and Zapier.
Switching From Shopify to Systeme.io
Systeme.io's Shopify page describes the process. Export your product catalog and customers from Shopify as CSV files, import contacts into Systeme.io, then recreate products and rebuild pages in Systeme.io's editor.
It warns that "complex Shopify setups (many variants, advanced shipping rules, specific apps) will require more time to replicate." Systeme.io's migration team handles the move for free on the Unlimited monthly plan or any annual plan. Note that Systeme.io's Free and Startup plans allow 50 and 100 product variants.
Pros and Cons
Systeme.io
Pros
- Free plan with no end date
- 0% transaction fees on every plan
- Funnels, upsells and order bumps built in
- Unlimited email sends
- Courses and communities included
Cons
- Not built for large catalogs
- No point of sale or marketplace selling
- Fewer integrations
- No live chat support
- Free plan capped at $10,000 in sales
Shopify
Pros
- Full ecommerce tools on every plan
- Unlimited products
- Shipping, POS and marketplace selling
- Large app ecosystem
- 24/7 live chat support
Cons
- No permanent free plan
- Third-party payment fee of up to 2%
- Funnels and courses need apps
- Email beyond 10,000 a month is billed
Which Should You Choose?
| Choose Systeme.io If You | Choose Shopify If You |
|---|---|
| Sell courses, coaching or digital products | Sell physical products from a catalog |
| Want funnels with upsells and order bumps | Need shipping labels, POS or marketplaces |
| Email a large list often | Plan to grow a team with staff accounts |
| Want to start for $0 | Want the largest app ecosystem |
| Sell a few physical items alongside digital offers | Expect many variants and complex shipping |
Common Mistakes When Choosing
- Building a course business on a store platform. You will pay for apps that Systeme.io includes.
- Running a large store on a funnel builder. Catalog, shipping and inventory needs outgrow Systeme.io.
- Forgetting Shopify's third-party fee. Using Stripe or PayPal instead of Shopify Payments adds 2% on Basic.
- Ignoring email volume. Shopify bills sends beyond 10,000 a month.
- Skipping the trial math. Shopify's 3 days free and $1 a month for 3 months is a short test; Systeme.io's free plan has no end date, so you can build and test a funnel before paying.
- Forgetting variant limits. Systeme.io's Free and Startup plans allow 50 and 100 product variants, which a clothing line with many sizes and colors can reach quickly.
For more options, see Systeme.io alternatives, Systeme.io vs WordPress or ClickFunnels vs Systeme.io.
Our Verdict
Systeme.io is the better choice for creators, coaches and info-product sellers. It includes funnels, unlimited email and courses with 0% transaction fees, and you can start for free.
Shopify is the better choice for physical product brands. Its catalog, shipping, POS and app ecosystem justify the higher price once inventory is the center of your business.
Start Free With Systeme.io
Funnels, email, courses and a blog with a free plan for up to 2,000 contacts. Paid plans start at $17 a month with 0% transaction fees.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Systeme.io Better than Shopify?
Systeme.io is better for selling courses, coaching and digital products through funnels and email. Shopify is better for physical product stores with large catalogs, shipping, point of sale and marketplace selling.
Is Systeme.io Cheaper than Shopify?
Yes, on list price. Systeme.io has a free plan and paid plans at $17, $47 and $97 a month. Shopify has no permanent free plan; Basic costs $39 a month or $29 a month billed yearly, after a 3-day free trial and $1 a month for 3 months.
Does Shopify Charge Transaction Fees?
Shopify charges a third-party transaction fee of 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced and 0.2% on Plus when you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments. Systeme.io advertises 0% transaction fees on every plan; processor fees still apply on both.
Can I Sell Physical Products on Systeme.io?
Yes. Systeme.io supports physical products with variants, automatic SKUs, inventory tracking and shipping rules. Systeme.io itself says it is not designed for large-scale retail ecommerce, where Shopify is stronger.
Can I Sell Digital Products on Shopify?
Yes. Shopify's free Digital Downloads app sends download links after purchase. Courses and memberships need third-party apps, while Systeme.io includes course hosting on every plan.
Can Systeme.io Integrate with Shopify?
There is no native integration listed, but Zapier connects them. Zapier templates can add Shopify buyers to Systeme.io contacts, tag them and grant course access, or create Shopify orders from Systeme.io sales.
How Many Emails Can I Send on Shopify and Systeme.io?
Shopify lets you send up to 10,000 emails a month for free, then charges $1 per 1,000 additional emails. Systeme.io includes unlimited email sends on every plan, within each plan's contact limit.
Launch Your First Funnel on Systeme.io for Free
Build a sales funnel with order bumps, upsells and unlimited email on the free plan, with 0% transaction fees, and keep Shopify for a large physical catalog if you need one.
Start Free With Systeme.io
