SitesPlaced vs Shopify — which is better in 2026?
Shopify: The global commerce platform — powerful at scale, but in India it means a ₹1,994/month floor, extra transaction fees and paid apps for UPI, COD and WhatsApp. Here is a plain, row-by-row comparison with SitesPlaced — price, free plan, commission, payments, shipping and the integrations that matter to an Instagram or WhatsApp seller — and how to switch in one paste.
By Manan Agrawal, Founder · Updated August 23, 2026
Short answer: Shopify is brilliant at scale and overbuilt for how most Indian sellers sell. SitesPlaced bundles what you would add to Shopify through paid apps — UPI, COD, WhatsApp checkout, Razorpay, Shiprocket, GST-ready invoices — free with 0% commission, and charges a flat ₹499/month for a custom domain, AI copy, Meta CAPI and WhatsApp API alerts. Stay on Shopify if you are going global with a developer budget.
At a glance
| SitesPlaced | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest way to publish a store | ₹0 — free plan, unlimited products | No free plan — Short free trial (3 days per our comparison), then paid |
| Cheapest paid plan | ₹499/month early-bird (₹999 after the first 30 stores) | From ~$29/month (~₹1,994 Basic in India; ~$39 in some regions) + apps |
| Commission on sales | 0% | 0.5–2% extra on external gateways unless Shopify Payments |
| Category | Free store builder for Instagram & WhatsApp sellers | Global commerce platform |
Details are from our earlier published comparisons (2026 listings); plans change, so confirm on their pricing page.
SitesPlaced vs Shopify: feature by feature
The table lists what each platform includes and on which plan. SitesPlaced facts mirror the pricing page; Shopify facts are taken from the comparisons already published on this site, with “not listed” where we could not find a clear answer.
| Feature | SitesPlaced | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Razorpay / online payments | Free — UPI, cards, net banking, wallets in your own Razorpay account | Third-party gateway you connect; Shopify Payments is not available in India |
| Cash on delivery | Free, with an optional COD charge you set | Real COD/RTO handling usually needs paid apps |
| WhatsApp checkout | Free | Not native — needs an app |
| Shipping integration | Shiprocket + Shipmozo, free (AWB + live tracking) | Shiprocket via app / separate setup |
| Invoices | PDF invoices, free | GST invoicing via paid apps |
| Custom domain | ₹499/month plan (one-click DNS) | Buy separately; connect to your plan |
| WhatsApp Business API alerts | ₹499/month plan — from your own number, BYOK | Not native; usually a paid app (per our comparison) |
| Meta Pixel + Conversions API | ₹499/month plan — server-side Purchase events, BYOK | not listed |
| AI copy | ₹499/month plan | Paid apps |
| Store importer | Free — Instagram, website URL, PDF, dm2buy, Shopexer | not listed |
| Edit from ChatGPT / Claude | Free — edit from ChatGPT or Claude via MCP | not listed |
| Merchant app | Android (Google Play); iOS not yet | not listed |
| Commission on sales | 0% | 0.5–2% extra on external gateways unless Shopify Payments |
| Themes | 17 store themes, all free | Free themes limited; premium themes ₹8k–₹33k one-time |
Details are from our earlier published comparisons (2026 listings); plans change, so confirm on their pricing page.
What Shopify does well
A fair comparison names the other side’s strengths. These are the things Shopify lists that a seller might genuinely pick it for:
- ✓The most capable commerce platform for multi-country, multi-channel brands at scale.
- ✓A huge app ecosystem and developer/agency market.
- ✓Rock-solid checkout, inventory and multi-currency.
Who should switch — and who should stay
Switch to SitesPlaced if you…
- • Your monthly bill — plan plus apps plus transaction fees — is above ₹3,000 for a small store.
- • You want UPI, COD, WhatsApp checkout, Shiprocket and GST invoices without an app stack.
- • You want to publish free and pay a flat ₹499/month only for a domain and AI.
- • You want Meta Pixel + Conversions API included rather than configured through apps.
Stay on Shopify if you…
- • You are a large, multi-country brand with a big catalogue and a budget for apps and developers.
- • You need multi-currency, multi-channel selling and a deep app stack.
How to move from Shopify to SitesPlaced
Moving is mostly a paste. The importer is free, there is no product cap on the free plan, and nothing goes live until you hit publish — so you can build the new store alongside the old one and switch your Instagram bio link when it looks right.
Import your catalogue
Paste your Shopify store URL at /import. Products, prices, images, variants and categories are rebuilt as a SitesPlaced store and images are rehosted.
Pick one of 17 store themes
Every theme is free, and every heading, hero image, footer column and menu is editable. You can also edit the store by chatting with ChatGPT or Claude through the SitesPlaced MCP server.
Connect payments and shipping
Connect your own Razorpay account (UPI, cards, net banking, wallets), switch on cash on delivery and WhatsApp checkout, and connect Shiprocket or Shipmozo. All free, 0% commission.
Publish free, upgrade when you want a domain
Your store goes live on a sitesplaced.com URL with a small badge. The Ecommerce plan — ₹499/month early-bird (₹999 after the first 30 stores) — adds your custom domain, branding removal, AI copy, analytics, Meta Pixel + Conversions API and WhatsApp Business API alerts.
What the ₹499/month plan adds
Everything needed to sell is free. The Ecommerce plan — ₹499/month early-bird (₹999 after the first 30 stores) — is for the things that make the store look and track like a brand:
- ✓Your own custom domain with one-click DNS for most Indian registrars
- ✓SitesPlaced branding removed
- ✓AI copy for product descriptions and sections
- ✓Store analytics and custom head code (GA4, Clarity, any tag)
- ✓Meta Pixel + Conversions API — server-side Purchase events from the order record, deduplicated, your own credentials
- ✓WhatsApp Business API order alerts — owner alert + customer confirmation from your own number via Meta Cloud API, your own credentials
Razorpay, Shiprocket, Shipmozo and Meta are integrated; their own fees apply where they charge them. Full detail on the pricing page.
Razorpay, Shiprocket, Shipmozo, WhatsApp API, Meta CAPI: all built in.
Razorpay, cash on delivery, WhatsApp checkout, Shiprocket and Shipmozo are on the free plan. The ₹499/month Ecommerce plan adds the Meta integrations: Pixel + Conversions API and WhatsApp Business API alerts, bring your own credentials, plus your own domain, branding removal, AI and analytics. No app store, no per-integration fees.
Payments
- Free
UPI, cards, net banking and wallets at checkout. SitesPlaced takes 0% commission; Razorpay's standard gateway fee applies.
- Free
COD at checkout with an optional COD charge you set.
- Free
Order via WhatsApp for buyers who prefer to chat before paying.
Shipping
- Free
Push orders to Shiprocket, get AWB numbers back, and show live tracking on your Track Order page.
- Free
ShipmozoNew
Courier selection, pickup scheduling and tracking status synced back to each order.
Messaging
- ₹499
Every new order sends you an alert and the customer a confirmation, from your own WhatsApp Business number via Meta's Cloud API. Bring your own credentials.
Marketing
- ₹499
Meta Pixel + Conversions APINew
Your own Pixel on the storefront plus server-side Purchase events from the order record, deduplicated, so Instagram and Facebook ads report real sales. Bring your own credentials.
- ₹499
Custom head code
Paste Google Analytics, Clarity or any tag into your live site.
Growth
- ₹499
yourbrand.com with one-click DNS setup for most Indian registrars.
- Free
Create and edit your store by chatting with your AI assistant.
- Free
Bring a catalogue in from Instagram, your existing website, a PDF, dm2buy or Shopexer.
Frequently asked questions
Is SitesPlaced really cheaper than Shopify?
Usually, once you count everything. SitesPlaced is free to publish with 0% commission; ₹499/month adds a domain and AI. Shopify has no free plan, starts around ₹1,994/month in India per our comparison, adds 0.5–2% on external gateways because Shopify Payments is not in India, and typically needs paid apps for UPI, COD, WhatsApp and GST invoices. Confirm on their pricing page.
Can I move my Shopify store to SitesPlaced?
Yes. Paste your store URL at /import and the products, prices and images are rebuilt; connect Razorpay and Shiprocket, point your domain and publish. Done-for-you migration is included on the paid plan.
Does SitesPlaced support UPI and Cash on Delivery natively?
Yes — Razorpay UPI, COD with an optional COD charge, and WhatsApp checkout are built into every store, including the free plan.
Is Shopify ever the better choice?
Yes — for large brands going global with complex needs and a budget for apps and developers, Shopify's ecosystem is hard to beat. For Indian Instagram, WhatsApp and small-business sellers, SitesPlaced is simpler, cheaper and more native.
Leave Shopify behind in one paste
Build and publish a real store for free — unlimited products, 0% commission, Razorpay, COD, WhatsApp checkout, Shiprocket and invoices included. Pay ₹499/month only when you want your own domain, AI copy, Meta CAPI and WhatsApp API alerts.
Import my store free →Prefer to talk first? Message us on WhatsApp. Android merchant app on Google Play.