Why Indian sellers choose SitesPlaced over Shopify
Shopify is the world's best-known store platform — but in India it adds an extra transaction fee, has no free plan, and leans on paid apps for things Indian sellers need every day. Here are the real reasons sellers pick SitesPlaced instead, with the honest case for when Shopify still wins.
By Manan Agrawal, Founder · Updated June 10, 2026
Choose SitesPlaced over Shopify if you're an Indian seller who wants to keep more of every sale and skip the app stack. SitesPlaced is free to build and publish, with 0% platform fee and Razorpay (UPI + cards), COD, WhatsApp checkout, Shiprocket, inventory and GST invoices all built in. Shopify starts at ₹1,994/month, adds up to 2% in extra India transaction fees (because Shopify Payments isn't available here), and needs paid apps for COD, reviews and upsells. You only pay SitesPlaced ₹499/month for your own domain, badge removal and AI.
Real stores, live on SitesPlaced
Not mockups — real sellers running live stores on SitesPlaced with their own domains, UPI and COD. Open any of them in a new tab.
The House of Urmila
A handcrafted jewellery label running its full catalogue on its own domain — UPI & COD checkout built in.
Visit live site
UNSORTED
A bold streetwear label with a full catalogue, blog and order tracking — live on its own domain.
Visit live site
Steve Corbin Jr.
A social-media specialist's portfolio that turns a decade of earned attention into inbound clients.
Visit live siteShopify is powerful — here's the catch in India
Shopify is a genuinely great platform: a deep theme system, a huge app marketplace and strong tools for scaling brands. For a large merchant with the budget and the team, it is hard to beat — and this page won't pretend otherwise.
The maths just changes for an Indian seller. Shopify Payments — the in-house processor that waives Shopify's surcharge in the West — isn't offered in India, so you connect a third-party gateway and Shopify charges an extra fee on top: up to 2% per order. Add the paid apps most Indian stores need for COD, reviews, upsells and WhatsApp, and a “₹1,994/month” plan can quietly become ₹15,000–₹40,000+/month. That gap is exactly why sellers choose SitesPlaced.
6 reasons to choose SitesPlaced over Shopify
1. You keep more of every sale
Because Shopify Payments isn't in India, Shopify adds up to 2% on every order on top of your gateway. SitesPlaced adds 0% — you pay only your gateway's normal MDR.
2. No app tax
On Shopify, COD verification, reviews, upsells and WhatsApp are paid apps that scale with your orders. On SitesPlaced they're included, so your bill stays flat and predictable.
3. India-native checkout
UPI, Cash on Delivery, Razorpay and WhatsApp are first-class on every SitesPlaced store. Customers pay the way they already trust, which lifts conversion.
4. Free to start, flat to run
Shopify has no free plan and a ₹1,994/month floor. SitesPlaced is free to build and publish — you only pay ₹499/month when you want your own domain, badge removal and AI.
5. It's done for you
A real person migrates your products, connects Razorpay and Shiprocket and gets you live — usually in a day. No blank dashboard, no agency invoice.
6. Built for how India sells
SitesPlaced is made for selling from Instagram, over WhatsApp, on a phone, with UPI at checkout — not retrofitted onto a global template.
SitesPlaced and Shopify, side by side
| Feature | SitesPlaced (Naari) | Shopify (in India) |
|---|---|---|
| Price to start | Free to build & publish | No free plan — 3-day trial, then from ₹1,994/mo (Basic) |
| Platform fee on every sale | 0% — no platform cut | 0.5–2% extra in India + your gateway's MDR |
| Online payments | Razorpay (UPI + cards) included | 3rd-party gateway only — Shopify Payments isn't in India |
| UPI / Cash on Delivery | ✓ Both, India-native | UPI via gateway; real COD/RTO needs paid apps |
| WhatsApp checkout | ✓ Built in | ✗ Not native — needs an app |
| Shiprocket shipping | ✓ Built in | App / separate setup |
| Apps for India basics | None — included | 6–8 paid apps typical (~₹15k–₹40k+/mo) |
| Themes | 14 vertical storefronts, free | Free themes limited; premium ₹8k–₹33k one-time |
| AI product copy | ✓ Built in | Paid apps |
| Order, inventory & GST invoices | ✓ All included | Core orders; invoicing/India tax via apps |
| Done-for-you setup | ✓ A real person sets it up | Self-serve or hire an agency |
| Cost to publish | Free — ₹499/mo only for own domain + AI | ₹1,994+/mo + apps + fees |
Reflects SitesPlaced Naari's Ecommerce plan and Shopify's publicly documented India pricing and fees as of June 2026. Check shopify.com for current plan prices before you decide.
See the storefronts (not mockups — live demos)
These are real SitesPlaced storefronts you can open and click through — the same templates high-intent sellers use for jewellery, fashion, beauty, food and more.
JewelleryMaison — Luxury Store
Editorial, gallery-grade storefront. Used by the Aura Jewels demo — ideal for jewellery, watches and premium accessories.
View live demo
SareesThreadlore — Heritage Sarees
Warm, textile-first storefront tuned for sarees, lehengas and handloom — variant swatches, zoom, COD and UPI built in.
View live demo
BeautyGlow Studio — Cosmetics
Bright, conversion-focused beauty storefront with shade selectors and bundles. Built for cosmetics and skincare sellers.
View live demo
SkincareApothic — Skincare
Calm apothecary aesthetic with ingredient storytelling and routine bundles. For skincare, wellness and self-care brands.
View live demo
GiftingFlorine — Florist & Gifting
Soft, seasonal florist storefront with same-day delivery slots and gift notes. For flowers, hampers and gifting.
View live demo
FoodCacao Noir — Chocolate
Premium dark-mode storefront for chocolate, bakes and gourmet food, with grams/box variants and festive bundles.
View live demoWhat is the real 1-year cost?
Shopify's headline plan price is only the start. Add the India transaction surcharge, the paid apps a real store needs, and a premium theme, and the gap widens fast. SitesPlaced is free to publish, with one flat plan when you want your own domain:
| Cost over 12 months | SitesPlaced (Naari) | Shopify (active India store) |
|---|---|---|
| Plan / subscription | ₹0 to publish — ₹4,990/yr (₹499 × 10) for own domain + AI | From ~₹23,928/yr (Basic ₹1,994 × 12) + 18% GST |
| Platform fee on sales | ₹0 | 0.5–2% extra (Shopify Payments not in India) |
| Apps for India basics | Included — ₹0 | Typically ₹15,000–₹40,000+/mo |
| Payments & shipping | Razorpay + Shiprocket included | Gateway + apps, set up separately |
| Theme | 14 storefronts, free | Premium themes ₹8,000–₹33,000 one-time |
| Setup & migration | Free, done for you | Self-serve / agency |
Illustrative ranges from publicly reported Shopify app and theme costs, June 2026. Your exact bill depends on the apps you install.
To be fair: when Shopify is still the right call
Choose SitesPlaced if you…
- • Sell on Instagram or WhatsApp and want UPI, COD and Razorpay built in
- • Don't want to lose 3.5–5% of every order to stacked transaction fees
- • Would rather not pay ₹15k+/month in apps for basic features
- • Want a flat, predictable bill — free to publish, ₹499/mo for your own domain
- • Want someone to set it up and migrate your products for you
- • Are a small-to-mid Indian seller, not a multi-country enterprise
Shopify might still fit if you…
- • Are a large, scaling D2C brand or exporter with thousands of SKUs
- • Sell internationally and need multi-currency and multi-channel at scale
- • Have the budget for a deep app stack and a developer or agency
- • Want the largest third-party app ecosystem in ecommerce
Move from Shopify to SitesPlaced — free migration
Build and publish your storefront for free, with 0% platform fee — pay ₹499/month only when you want your own custom domain, the badge removed and AI. Our team recreates your products, connects Razorpay and Shiprocket, and gets you live, usually in a day.
Start your store on SitesPlaced →Looking specifically for a budget Indian option? See our Shopify alternative for India.
For the wider view, read our Shopify alternative for India and best ecommerce website builders in India.
Frequently asked questions
Why should I choose SitesPlaced over Shopify?
For most Indian sellers, three reasons: cost, payments and effort. SitesPlaced is free to build and publish with 0% platform fee, while Shopify has no free plan, starts at ₹1,994/month, and adds an extra transaction fee of up to 2% in India because Shopify Payments isn't available here. SitesPlaced has UPI, COD, Razorpay and WhatsApp built in, where Shopify needs paid apps for COD, reviews and upsells. And a real person sets SitesPlaced up and migrates you across, instead of leaving you with a blank dashboard.
Is SitesPlaced better than Shopify for Indian sellers?
For Instagram sellers, home businesses and small-to-mid Indian stores, yes — it's cheaper, India-native and easier. Shopify is genuinely better if you're a large, scaling D2C brand or exporter with thousands of SKUs, multi-currency needs and a budget for the app stack and a developer. The honest dividing line is scale: SitesPlaced for sellers who want to keep more of each sale; Shopify for enterprises that can absorb the costs.
Does Shopify really charge extra fees in India?
Yes. Shopify Payments — the processor that waives the surcharge in the US, UK and Europe — is not available in India. So you use a third-party gateway like Razorpay, and Shopify adds its own transaction fee on top: 2% on Basic, 1% on the mid plan, 0.6% on Advanced. Stacked on the gateway's own MDR, a Basic-plan seller can lose roughly 3.5–5% of every order. SitesPlaced adds no platform surcharge.
Can I move my Shopify store to SitesPlaced?
Yes, and migration is free on the Ecommerce plan. Our team recreates your products — names, descriptions, photos, variants and prices — sets up Razorpay, COD, WhatsApp and Shiprocket, and connects your custom domain so customers never notice a gap. Most sellers are live again within a day.
When is Shopify still the better choice?
If you're a large, multi-country brand with a big catalogue, need multi-currency and multi-channel selling at scale, and have a budget for a deep app stack and a developer or agency, Shopify's ecosystem is hard to beat. SitesPlaced is built for Indian sellers who want a real branded store with India-native checkout, without losing 4–5% per sale or paying ₹15k+/month in apps.