This article was originally published on LinkedIn in November 2025. Platform pricing and features may have changed since then.
TL;DR for Busy E-Commerce Merchants
If you're just starting out, selling primarily in CZ/SK, and international expansion is more of a "maybe someday" — Shoptet or Upgates often make more sense.
If you have ambitions to grow into multiple markets, build a brand, and don't want a painful migration in 2–5 years — consider Shopify from the start.
The decision shouldn't rest on monthly fees alone, but on total cost of ownership (TCO), pace of innovation, and ease of expansion.
Shopify today handles localization for CZ/SK, including payments, carriers, and multi-market setup (Shopify Markets), while also keeping pace with global innovations that local platforms simply cannot match at scale.
The platform itself won't save anyone. But if you already know today that your business is heading above €1–3M annually and you want to grow beyond CZ/SK, Shopify is very hard to beat in the long run.
Introduction: Why This Article Exists
Jaroslav Chrapko in his post (by the way, Jaroslav, thanks for it 🙌) very aptly described the dilemma most new e-commerce merchants face:
"Which platform should I choose?"
And he summarized his view as follows:
"Som presvedčený, že pre 97.9 % všetkých nových eshoperov dáva 'eshop na prenájom' perfektný zmysel."
This is very easy to agree with: quick start, low upfront costs, localization, support. As someone who lives and breathes Shopify and works daily on projects ranging from small brands to large migration projects, I'd like to add a more strategic perspective:
How to think about the platform decision over a 3–10 year horizon, not just based on the price for the next three months.
When Shoptet / Upgates is absolutely the right choice.
And when, on the other hand, it's a mistake to dismiss Shopify because it "looks expensive" or "is global, not local". Original post by Jaroslav.
1. An e-shop is not a commodity. It's infrastructure.
One of the biggest traps is choosing an e-commerce platform like you'd pick a lease car:
"Just make sure it's cheap."
"Just make sure it runs somehow and doesn't look terrible."
But an e-shop is not a car that "just runs".
An e-shop is critical business infrastructure that:
influences how much you actually sell,
how quickly you can change your product range, prices, and promotions,
how well you can work with customers (loyalty, referrals, repeat purchases),
how easily you can connect additional systems (ERP, WMS, marketing tools, B2B portal, POS…).
That's why the buying process for an e-commerce platform should be more like selecting a key business software than picking a car:
less "What's the lowest monthly fee?"
more "Who will be my technology partner for the next 3–10 years?"
Pace of Innovation as a Key Parameter
If you know you don't want to stay with a simple e-shop, but:
plan to expand into other countries,
want to build a brand, not just sell a product,
will need personalization, automation, AI, B2B, POS…,
then it's not worth betting on technology that has no chance of keeping up with global competition in the long run.
Shopify invests enormous amounts in development every year and releases new features at a pace that local platforms simply cannot replicate. This isn't a criticism of Shoptet or Upgates — they do excellent work in their segment — but a straightforward statement of the difference in scale.
Migration as the Silent Killer
Many companies save money at the start by choosing a solution that looks "good enough". After a few years they find that:
they're hitting the limits of customization,
some integrations are cumbersome or impossible,
the platform can't keep up with what the business needs.
And then migration arrives: costs, risks, rebuilding the front-end from scratch, rewriting integrations, a temporary dip in performance. In an ideal world, you migrate only once, not every few years.
Shopify is designed to:
support everything from a small brand to a global enterprise,
allow seamless transitions between plans (including Shopify Plus) without replatforming,
keep merchants continuously at the cutting edge of technology.
2. Is Shopify Really "the Most Expensive"? Let's Talk About TCO
On the surface it's simple:
Shoptet / Upgates → lower monthly fee
Shopify → higher monthly fee
And from that, the label "Shopify = the most expensive platform" is easily born. But price ≠ TCO (total cost of ownership).
Price vs. Value
A Typical Scenario:
A) "Cheaper" platform →
basic features OK,
but you end up paying extra for a lot of things through add-ons,
or paying for custom development because something isn't supported at all.
B) Shopify →
some features are native,
some available through a competitive app store (more apps, greater pressure on quality),
custom development is typically easier to maintain and better scalable.
Result: What looks "cheap" on the monthly fee can in reality be more expensive when you factor in:
development,
maintenance,
integrations,
team time.
Example: Shoptet Premium vs. Shopify Advanced
On a range of projects, Shoptet users run into the fact that:
they have to move to higher tiers just to get API access,
even then there are limitations in customization possibilities for both frontend and backend logic,
more complex integrations (ERP, WMS, B2B logic, loyalty…) are complicated.
On Shopify Advanced / Shopify Grow:
API access is standard,
both frontend and backend can be extended in a predictable way,
there is an ecosystem of specialists and apps that often cut development time by dozens of hours.
TCO on Shopify often ends up comparable or even better, even though the "license price" looks higher at first glance.
Checkout Conversion
Shopify has long positioned itself as a platform with a very strong checkout — it's an area it invests massively in. On a global scale this makes sense: even small improvements in conversion quickly make a difference at transaction volumes of this scale.
In the Czech Republic and Slovakia the discussion is more nuanced due to local specifics, but if you're planning expansion, it's sensible to rely on a checkout that is battle-tested across markets.
3. Localization and Cross-Border: Where Shopify Stands Today vs. Local Players
For a long time it was true that Shopify was "only global, and not at all local" and Shoptet/Upgates had the advantage in the CZ/SK market.
This was a valid criticism once, but it no longer holds to the same degree as a few years ago.
What Shopify Can Do Today for CZ/SK
Localization
Payment Gateways
Carriers and Logistics
Shopify Markets
Shopify Markets essentially responds to what Jaroslav describes as Upgates' strong point for cross-border. Shopify thereby flips the argument from a "disadvantage" into a strategic advantage.
Upgates: Great Multi-Store, But Has a Ceiling
Upgates does excellent work in that it:
simplifies multi-store and expansion,
is affordably priced and relatively quick to launch.
But from practical experience we see that:
with more complex loyalty programs,
with referral systems,
with highly specific UI/UX or more complex integrations
merchants often reach the point where they've outgrown the platform. And at this point, Shopify often becomes the logical next step.
4. Response to Jaroslav's Scenarios (A/B/C)
Jaroslav defined three typical situations. Let's look at them through the lens of long-term strategy and TCO.
A) An Early-Stage Entrepreneur with Ambitions to Sell in Multiple Markets
"Ak som menší/ začínajúci podnikateľ a chcem predávať môj produkt na viacerých trhoch?"
My recommendation:
If expansion into other countries is part of a concrete strategy — not just a vague "maybe someday" — it makes a lot of sense to start directly on Shopify Basic / Shopify Grow:
one system for multiple markets,
built for growth,
lower risk of having to migrate again in a few years.
If your reality is more like:
90–95% of your revenue will come from CZ/SK,
expansion is more of a "dream" than a concrete plan,
you're primarily focused on starting quickly and cheaply,
then Upgates is more than sufficient for the first 2–5 years of growth.
B) An Established Business (up to €1M) Migrating from Outdated Technology
"Ak som zabehnutá firma do 1M, mám viac trhov a potrebujem zmigrovať zo zajatia zastaranej technológie / neflexibilného vývoja?"
Here you need to look at several things:
What percentage of your revenue comes from abroad vs. CZ/SK?
What is the ratio of B2C / B2B / retail and how is it expected to evolve?
Do you primarily want to maintain a stable business, or grow aggressively?
What specific features/integrated processes do you need: right now and in the next 2–3 years?
In this category, the following often holds:
Shoptet / Upgates → excellent choice if:
you don't need an extremely sophisticated frontend,
you don't need complex integrations,
expansion is either limited or gradual.
Shopify Grow / Advanced → makes sense if:
you know you'll be adding more markets,
you want to build a unique UX,
you want simpler connectivity with your marketing stack, B2B, POS, etc.,
you don't want to be looking for another platform again in a few years.
C) An Established Business with Revenue Above €1–3M
"Ak som zabehnutná firma s obratom nad 1M–3M?"
At this point it's not just about "what it runs on", but primarily:
how quickly you can experiment and iterate,
how willingly the platform will support your plans (new markets, new business models, B2B, retail…),
how easily you can scale your team, agencies, and integrations.
At this stage, it often already makes sense to look at Shopify as the default.
Once you reach €5–6M+ annually, Shopify Plus also starts to make a lot of sense:
unlocks all enterprise features,
connects e-commerce, B2B, and POS into one ecosystem,
remains SaaS — upgrading is not a replatforming, just a plan switch.
And importantly: moving between Shopify plans is seamless — you don't pay for new development just because you've grown. That's not a given with other types of solutions.
5. The Platform Isn't Everything. But It Can Help a Lot.
As someone who loves Shopify and has advocated for it for a long time, I also have to say this:
The platform alone rarely determines the success of an e-shop!
In today's saturated e-commerce market, what matters is:
the product,
the service,
the brand,
trust,
the customer experience.
The platform is "just" a tool that allows you to:
do these things faster, more efficiently, and at greater scale,
reduce friction for the business when changes are needed.
That's exactly why I often tell smaller potential clients:
"Honestly? Stay on Shoptet, or go with Upgates. You'd be overpaying for Shopify because you wouldn't be using its potential."
When you know that:
you'll be running "just" a simple e-shop,
you don't want or won't need more complex automations, expansion, multi-market, B2B, POS, AI,
you prefer maximum simplicity and low upfront costs,
then it's perfectly fine to stay where you are.
On the other hand, if:
you know you want to build a long-term brand,
you don't want to migrate again in a few years,
you're dealing with expansion, B2B, retail, or something more complex,
then I am deeply convinced that Shopify will gradually take on the same position in the Czech Republic and Slovakia that it holds globally — namely, the leader not only for DTC/B2C, but also for B2B and retail.
And incidentally: the recent arrival of major companies with billion-dollar revenues on Shopify only shows that it is not a platform "for small e-shops", but a scalable solution from startup to enterprise.
Conclusion and an Invitation to Debate
The platform itself won't save anyone. But a poorly chosen platform can:
slow growth,
make integrations more expensive,
mean that in a few years you're facing a costly migration.
Shopify is certainly not for everyone — and I'm not claiming it's the universal answer to everything. But for ambitious brands that:
want to grow beyond CZ/SK,
are looking for a stable technology foundation for many years,
don't want to migrate again in 3–5 years,
Shopify is in my view the most logical strategic choice.
If you're wrestling with the dilemma of:
Shoptet vs. Upgates vs. Shopify,
to migrate or not to migrate,
is Shopify worth it now, or only later,
feel free to reach out. One of the most important parts of my work is also saying "Shopify doesn't make sense for you right now" when that's genuinely the case.
P.S. A Small Disclaimer
Yes, of course I know that Shopify is still "just" a platform — and a global one at that. And that from the CZ/SK market perspective, there are things that today seem almost absurd — for example, that a fully featured pickup point selector directly in the checkout is only available on Shopify Plus, or how card payment fees are structured. Personally I don't see these as dealbreakers. Partly because in practice with several clients we don't see as negative an impact as might seem at first glance, and partly because Shopify is constantly evolving. What isn't possible today often arrives tomorrow as a native feature in an even better form. And from recent conversations and discussions within the Shopify community (I hope none of them are reading this in Czech 😄), there's a sense that in the coming years, even the approach to regional pricing may change so that Shopify becomes more competitive across EMEA as a whole.
Recently, a company with annual revenue exceeding $15 billion also chose Shopify.
Shopify POS is available in the Czech Republic too.
Get started with Shopify.
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