Shopify Lite Uncovered: A Guide to Getting Started with eCommerce on a Budget

Since discovering Shopify Lite's affordable pricing model, you've been eager to start selling online with their platform. However, upon further research, you find Shopify Lite is no longer open for new merchants to join.

This guide will explore the top alternatives to Shopify Lite in hopes of finding your new go-to pricing plan. We'll examine affordable options that may have impressive feature sets to meet your business goals and budget. 

Let's dive into the details!

Everything about the Shopify Lite Plan

What is the Shopify Lite Plan?

The Shopify Lite plan is ideal for small businesses who want to sell products without the entire online shop. This package is best suited for people who already have a website or social media presence and wish to integrate eCommerce features smoothly.

Learn more: Shopify Tutorial: Everything For Success [2024]

The Shopify Lite plan offers a cost-effective solution for businesses looking to integrate eCommerce functionality. (Source: Webinopoly) 

Pricing Details

The Shopify Lite plan requires a monthly subscription fee of $9 and includes transaction fees for each sale made through the platform. Here are more details:

• 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction for online sales through Shopify Payments.
• 2.7% for in-person sales using the Shopify POS app.
• An additional 2% fee applies if using a third-party payment provider instead of Shopify Payments.

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Main Features

Here are the main features of the Shopify Lite plan:

1. Shopify Buy Button

The Shopify Buy Button is a versatile tool that allows merchants to sell products directly from their existing websites or blogs. (Source: Shopify)

One handy feature of Shopify Lite is it lets you promote sales right from your existing website or blog. With just a quick embed code, you can add a shiny "Buy Now" button that lets customers purchase products without leaving your pages.

This is tremendously useful if you've already attracted an audience through content marketing. Rather than making people visit a whole new online store, you can facilitate direct sales from within your blog or site's familiar environment. It saves visitors time and friction.

Learn more: Shopify Pages 101: A Beginner's Guide to Creating a Killer Online Store

Another handy selling channel supported by Shopify Lite is social media. It integrates exceptionally smoothly with Facebook - your product info across Facebook automatically stays in sync with your main Lite store. So pricing, descriptions and inventory will always match up no matter where your customers view items. You won't have to worry about certain listings getting out of date.

Tip: Shopify Lite was perfect for selling on social media or existing websites.

3. Point of Sale (POS) Capabilities

Shopify Point of Sale (POS) is a comprehensive system designed to facilitate in-person sales for retailers. (Source: Shopify)

Another standout feature is its seamless integration with Shopify Lite POS, allowing users to manage both online and in-person sales through a unified system. This integration provides several benefits:

• Accept payments in person with the Shopify POS app on supported devices like tablets or mobile phones
• Track inventory levels in real-time across different locations.
• Utilize staff management features to assign roles and permissions to team members.
• Offer a variety of payment options to customers, including cash and credit card payments.
• Access advanced reporting and analytics tools for critical business insights.

Pro tip: Evaluate Features vs. Cost: Compare the transaction fees, reporting tools, and customization options to ensure you're not paying for features you don't need at your current stage.

With the Shopify Lite plan, you can access various reports covering multiple aspects of your business. Here’s a closer look:

• Sales Performance Reports: Monitor sales over time, identifying trends and patterns for marketing strategies and inventory purchases. 
• Inventory Reports: Provide data about stock levels, which is valuable to manage the inventory effectively and avoid stockouts or overstock situations.
• Customer Behavior Insights: Offer insights into customer purchasing patterns, preferences, and demographics to refine the target audience and enhance their marketing strategies.
• Financial Reports: Access detailed financial reports that summarize their earnings, expenses, and transaction fees. 
• Real-Time Analytics: The Live View feature allows real-time store performance data, including current sales and visitor activity. 

Learn more: How to Set Up Google Analytics 4 (GA4) for Your Shopify Store

With Shopify Lite supplying a single staff account, the owner keeps a close eye on all business activities. This setup allows the owner to assign specific permissions to the staff member, ensuring that they can perform necessary tasks while safeguarding sensitive information. 

Shopify Lite vs Alternative Plans

Let's break down how Lite compares to their Basic and Starter plans so you can choose the right fit as your needs change over time.

Key differences:

• Shopify Lite is $9/month with a 2.9% + $0.30 transaction fee, while Starter is $5/month with a 5% transaction fee and Basic is $25/month with a 2.9% + $0.30 transaction fee.
• Shopify Lite and Starter do not include a custom domain, discount codes, or access to the Shopify App Store, while Basic does.
• Shopify Lite and Starter do not have a website builder or theme customization options, while Basic does.

Pro tip: Why choosing a suitable Shopify plan, it is essential to assess your business size. For small or new businesses, the Starter plan is ideal for social media sales.
Consider Long-term Growth: As your business scales, higher-tier plans like Shopify or Advanced Shopify provide advanced features such as better reporting, more staff accounts, and lower transaction fees, which can reduce costs over time.

Conclusion

In reviewing these Shopify Lite alternatives, it's clear there are several good options for merchants seeking an affordable yet fully-featured eCommerce solution. We hope evaluating these top alternatives empowers you to identify the best fit based on your products, sales volume, and budget. 

To take your store to the next level, consider GemPages. As the ultimate Shopify page builder that can create a complete sales funnel — from pre-sales pages to post-purchase upsells — GemPages helps you optimize the buying journey and boost key metrics like ROI, AOV, and revenue.

Not ready to commit but still want to kick the tires?

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FAQs about Shopify Lite Alternatives

Can new merchants sign up for the Shopify Lite plan?

Unfortunately, Shopify Lite has no longer been accepting new merchants since its discontinuation. If you were hoping to use that affordable plan, you may be wondering what options are available instead, such as Starter or Basic Plan.

How does Shopify Lite compare to Basic Shopify?

Compared to Basic Shopify, which costs $25 per month, Shopify Lite is much less expensive. Small sellers that wish to incorporate eCommerce into pre-existing platforms can use Shopify Lite, but Basic Shopify offers a complete online shop experience with features like abandoned cart recovery and unlimited product listings.

What is the difference between Shopify Starter and Shopify Basic plans?

When you sign up for the Shopify Basic plan, you will have access to a complete online store that includes unlimited product listings, blogging capabilities, and advanced features like abandoned cart recovery. On the other hand, if you intend to sell through pre-existing channels without a specialized eCommerce store, you would benefit more from the Starter plan.

What are the transaction fees associated with Shopify plans?

The transaction cost for the Shopify Starter Plan is 5% plus 30¢ for each transaction. In contrast, the transaction cost for online sales under the Basic plan is 2.9% plus 30¢. Before selecting a plan based on your sales volume and business style, we advise considering these fees.