Sharetribe vs Shopify (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Sharetribe if

• Fits if you want to launch a marketplace of your own with sellers and buyers
• Works for founders who can test before paying for Live

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want a normal online store, since this builds marketplaces
• Pricey if you go live: $199 a month on yearly billing, $259 monthly
• Watch out: usage over 1M credits a month is billed extra, and custom code needs hosting you pay for
• Watch out: no refunds by default, and pausing on the Hold plan costs $49 a month

Pick Shopify if

• Fits if you sell online and at markets or pop-ups and want one stock count for both
• Works for sellers who'll use Shopify Payments and its discounted shipping labels

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if you want your own payment provider, as Basic adds 2% to each of those sales
• Not for you if you want a few weeks to try it, since the free trial is 3 days
• Tight if you run a shop counter, as POS Pro is $89 a month per location
• Watch out: syncing more than 50 marketplace orders a month costs 1%, up to $99 a month
• Watch out: the next steps up are Grow at $79 and Advanced at $299, and Plus needs a 1- or 3-year term

Sharetribe

• Usage above the included 1M credits a month is billed separately, from 7 cents down to 0.5 cents per 1,000 credits.
• Live is $199 per month only when billed yearly; monthly billing is $259.
• Custom features need code hosted separately by the marketplace owner; Render's $19 plan is the one suggested.
• No refunds by default; pausing on the Hold plan costs $49 per month.

Shopify

• Using a payment provider other than Shopify Payments adds a fee of 2% per sale on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced and 0.2% on Plus.
• The free trial lasts 3 days; Basic, Grow and Advanced then cost $1 a month for 3 months before the regular price.
• POS Pro for physical shops costs $89 a month per location, and syncing more than 50 marketplace orders a month costs 1%, up to $99 a month.
• Plus is sold only on a 1- or 3-year term, starting at $2,300 a month on the 3-year term.

Sharetribe

No-code marketplace setup

Listings, content, layout and branding are configured in a console without code, with pre-built integrations for the essentials.

Full code access and API

The Build plan includes full code access, and the API is available in test mode; Live adds the API on the live marketplace.

Online payments through Stripe

The default payment system runs on Stripe, so Stripe's own per-transaction fee applies; Sharetribe charges no transaction fee.

Usage-based credits

Each API action costs credits, for example 1 for a simple read and 30 for an image upload. Each plan includes 1M credits a month, then extra is billed.

White-label platform

On the Live plan there is no Sharetribe branding anywhere on the marketplace.

Shopify

Store builder and themes

Build the storefront from a theme (Shopify lists more than 200) or from a written prompt, with hosting, SSL and a custom domain on every plan and no cap on products.

Checkout and Shopify Payments

Shopify's own checkout and payment processing are built in, with fraud analysis, local currencies and local payment methods where Shopify Payments is offered.

Inventory, orders and shipping

Track stock across up to 10 locations (200 on Plus), buy and print discounted shipping labels, with live third-party carrier rates included from Advanced up.

Selling in person and on other channels

Sell at pop-ups from the mobile app or a card reader, and sync products to marketplaces and social channels. A separate $0 Agentic plan lists products in AI chats.

Marketing email and automations

Email campaigns, customer segments, abandoned checkout recovery, discount codes and gift cards come with every plan; SMS campaigns are paid per send.

Sidekick AI assistant and apps

Sidekick answers questions and takes actions in the admin, and the Shopify App Store lists more than 13,000 apps for features the core plans lack.

Sharetribe

• Build$39

  per month, billed monthly

  For building and testing before launch: no-code tools, code access, test payments, unlimited test users, 1M usage credits a month.

• Live$199

  per month, billed yearly ($259 billed monthly)

  Real users, listings and payments, white-label, full API access, no transaction fees, 1M usage credits a month.

Shopify

• Basic$29

  per month, billed yearly ($39 billed monthly)

  For solo sellers: online and in-person sales, card rates from 2.9% + 30¢ online, and a 2% fee on sales taken through another payment provider.

• Grow$79

  per month, billed yearly ($105 billed monthly)

  Up to 5 staff accounts, card rates from 2.7% + 30¢ online and a 1% fee on sales through other payment providers.

• Advanced$299

  per month, billed yearly ($399 billed monthly)

  Up to 15 staff accounts, live third-party shipping rates, card rates from 2.5% + 30¢ and a 0.6% fee with other payment providers.

• Plus$2,300

  per month and up, billed yearly on a 3-year term

  On a 1- or 3-year term: unlimited staff, a fully customizable checkout, card rates from 2.25% + 30¢ and a 0.2% fee with other providers.

Sharetribe

• Annual discount

  Live plan $199 a month with yearly billing

  The Live plan costs $259 a month on monthly billing and $199 a month when billed yearly, per the pricing FAQ.

• Nonprofit

  25% off for registered non-profits

  Registered non-profits and steward-owned companies get a 25% discount on both plans, requested by contacting Sharetribe.

Shopify

• Annual discount

  Pay yearly to save about 25%

  Basic costs $29 a month billed yearly against $39 billed monthly, Grow $79 against $105, and Advanced $299 against $399.

• Other savings

  $1 a month for the first 3 months

  After the 3-day free trial, the Basic, Grow and Advanced plans cost $1 a month for the first 3 months, then the regular price.