Side-by-side comparison · Website & App Builders
Bubble vs Shopify
Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.
Comparing 2 tools. Add one more if you like.
At a glance
Pick it if: Founders and small businesses building a serious app or software product without a developer, who are happy to spend time learning a visual editor.
Pick it if: Anyone selling physical or digital products online, from first-time sellers to established brands.
Overview
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | Bubble | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 3.6 | 4.4Winner |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 3.0 | 4.5 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together. | 4.5 | 5.0 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 3.0 | 4.0 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 3.5 | 4.5 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | Bubble | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | ||
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop app | No | – |
| Browser extension | No | – |
| API access | Yes | Yes |
| Teams & business | ||
| Team workspace | Yes | Yes |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | Yes | Yes |
| Connects to other apps | Yes | Yes |
| Open source or self-hosted | No | No |
| AI abilities | ||
| Works with your files | Yes | Yes |
| Understands images | Yes | Yes |
| Makes images | Yes | Yes |
| Makes video | No | No |
| Writes code | No | Yes |
| Runs agents or automations | Yes | Yes |
| Learns your brand or style | No | Yes |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes |
| Capabilities score | 11/ 17 | 12/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | Bubble | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Plans | Free $0 Building and testing before launch. | BasicOur pick $29/mo billed yearly, or $39 monthly New and solo sellers. |
StarterOur pick $32/mo billed yearly Launching your first app. | Grow $79/mo billed yearly, or $105 monthly Small teams with steady sales. | |
Growth $119/mo billed yearly Apps with paying users and a second editor. | Advanced $299/mo billed yearly, or $399 monthly Bigger stores selling internationally. | |
Team $349/mo billed yearly Teams shipping a bigger product together. | Plus From $2,300/mo High-volume and complex businesses. | |
Enterprise Custom Companies needing dedicated servers and SSO. | ||
| Which plan to pick | Build on Free until your app works, then move to Starter to launch. Paying monthly costs up to 20% more than yearly. Watch your workload units in the first few months, and only move to Growth when you need a second editor or more capacity. | Start on Basic; Sidekick and the core store are the same on every plan. Move to Grow when you add staff or your monthly sales are high enough that its lower card rates cover the price difference. |
Key features
Pros and cons
| Attribute | Bubble | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
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| Cons |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | Bubble | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Best for |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, Bubble or Shopify?
Shopify scores highest overall in our ratings (Bubble 3.6/5 and Shopify 4.4/5). Bubble is best for launching a software product without a developer and Marketplaces, booking systems and client portals. Shopify is best for launching an online store and running products, orders and stock in one place.
Which is cheaper, Bubble or Shopify?
Bubble: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $0. Shopify: There's no free plan. Paid plans start at $29/mo.
Which is easier to use, Bubble or Shopify?
Shopify rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Anyone selling physical or digital products online, from first-time sellers to established brands.
How we compare
Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.
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