Switching from Shopify

How to transfer your store to your own e-commerce system

Shopify is a popular international SaaS platform for launching online stores. It allows you to quickly create an online store, use ready-made templates, accept payments, connect applications and manage sales without your own server infrastructure. But the SaaS model means that the business operates within the rules, tariffs, technical capabilities and commercial policies of the platform.

For some companies, Shopify can be a convenient start. But when a business grows, operates in Ukraine, wants more control over the website, SEO, payments, integrations, B2B direction, or plans to develop its own digital commerce infrastructure, there is a need to switch to a platform that can be more deeply adapted to business processes.

EvoCommerceallows you to migrate from Shopify to your own e-commerce platform for a B2C store, B2B portal, or a combined B2C+B2B model.

Why Shopify is a SaaS platform

Shopify operates on a subscription model: a store is built on Shopify's infrastructure, and the customer uses the platform according to the chosen pricing plan. The official Shopify pricing page lists Basic, Grow, Advanced, and Plus plans with monthly payments; for example, the pricing table lists monthly prices for different plans, with Shopify Plus starting at a separate higher price.

For businesses, this means that the store is not a completely independent system. You are using a service that operates under its own pricing, rules, API restrictions, checkout capabilities, available payment instruments, and app policies.

Main limitations of Shopify for Ukrainian businesses

Shopify is a strong global platform, but it wasn’t built specifically for the Ukrainian market. This can create several practical limitations for a Ukrainian company.

1. Shopify Payments is not available for Ukraine

Shopify Payments only works in countries that are officially supported by Shopify. Shopify's help notes that if a country is not listed on the supported list, you must use a third-party payment provider. The list of supported countries on the Shopify Payments page includes the EU, the US, Canada, the UK, and others, but Ukraine is not on that list.

This is important because part of Shopify's financial and international capabilities is tied to Shopify Payments.

2. Additional transaction fees with third-party payment providers

If your store uses third-party payment providers, Shopify may charge additional transaction fees. Shopify's official pricing page lists third-party transaction fees as 2%, 1%, 0.6%, or 0.2%, depending on your plan.

This is especially important for Ukrainian businesses, as the unavailability of Shopify Payments may force a company to work through third-party payment solutions. In this case, you need to consider not only the payment provider's fee, but also possible additional platform fees.

3. Customization and development limitations

Shopify has a lot of features, but some of the deeper customization depends on the plan. Shopify's pricing table states that checkout customization is limited on basic plans, while full customization is available on Plus; API limits and headless storefronts capabilities also vary.

For a company that needs complex order logic, non-standard checkout, B2B functionality, integration with BAS/1C, CRM, ERP, warehouse, internal business processes, or its own client account logic, this may become a limitation.

4. App addiction

Shopify has a large app ecosystem. This is convenient, but critical functionality is often bundled with separate app solutions. For businesses, this means additional monthly costs, reliance on third-party developers, compatibility limitations, and the need to monitor how apps impact speed, data, checkout, SEO, and analytics.

5. Imperfect adaptation to Ukrainian processes

Ukrainian businesses often need local integrations: Nova Poshta, LiqPay, Monobank, WayForPay, BAS/1C, PRRO, CRM, warehouse accounting, Ukrainian document flow scenarios, order processing by managers, wholesale price lists, personal conditions for dealers and partners.

In Shopify, these tasks are usually solved through third-party applications, custom development, or workarounds. In EvoCommerce, these things can be designed as part of your own trading system.

Why you should switch from Shopify to EvoCommerce

Switching to EvoCommerce is advisable when a company wants more control over its e-commerce infrastructure.

EvoCommerce allows you to create not just a store, but your own trading platform that can work under a specific business model: B2C, B2B or B2C+B2B.

The platform provides system work with the catalog, products, properties, categories, prices, currencies, import and export of goods. It also provides modules for orders, payments, delivery, statuses, integration of payment systems, delivery methods, and synchronization with the Nova Poshta API.

For Ukrainian businesses, this means that the platform can be adapted to the company's real processes, and not to the limitations of a SaaS service.

What can be transferred from Shopify to EvoCommerce

Switching from Shopify is technically straightforward and can be done in stages. Shopify allows you to export products to a CSV file, especially for data migration or product backup. Shopify also allows you to export orders to CSV from the admin panel to get general order information.

Typically, you can transfer from Shopify to EvoCommerce:

• goods;
• categories or collections;
• product names;
• descriptions;
• prices;
• items;
• product options;
• characteristics;
• remains;
• SEO title and SEO description, if they were filled in;
• product images;
• customer data, if legally and technically correct;
• order history;
• content pages;
• blog materials;
• redirects;
• the basic directory structure.

It's important to note that when exporting products from Shopify, images are not included directly in the CSV file; Shopify notes that images are generated during import as long as they remain accessible via public links. Therefore, it's important to not close your old store during migration until the media transfer is complete.

Instructions for migrating from Shopify to EvoCommerce

1. Audit your current Shopify store

At the first stage you need to check:

• directory structure;
• collections;
• product cards;
• product options;
• SEO data;
• current URLs;
• pages that have traffic;
• connected applications;
• payment methods;
• delivery methods;
• integration;
• analytics;
• client data;
• order;
• current checkout;
• marketing tools.

The goal of the audit is to understand what exactly needs to be transferred, what should be improved, and what is better not to transfer in its old form.

2. Prepare the structure of a new store on EvoCommerce

After the audit, a new platform structure is formed:

• catalog;
• categories;
• filters;
• product cards;
• brand pages;
• information pages;
• basket;
• checkout;
• personal account;
• B2B offices, if needed;
• SEO structure;
• language versions;
• currencies;
• integration;
• analytics.

EvoCommerce supports the public part of the site with categories, filters, product cards, shopping cart, checkout, SEO settings, personal account, search, product comparison, and subscriptions.

3. Export products, customers, and orders

From Shopify, you need to prepare an export:

• goods;
• customers;
• orders;
• redirects;
• content;
• if necessary, information from applications.

Shopify allows you to export products to CSV, as well as export orders to CSV. For customers and some other data, you can use the standard Shopify tools or additional export tools.

4. Transfer images and media files

Since images are not included directly in the product CSV, you need to prepare a separate media migration. It is advisable to leave your old Shopify store open during the migration so that the images remain accessible and can be correctly migrated to the new platform.

5. Configure URLs and redirects

To avoid losing SEO traffic, you need to collect a list of current URLs from Shopify and create a compliance map for the new site on EvoCommerce.

Shopify allows you to create and manage URL redirects to redirect traffic from old pages to new ones. Shopify also has limitations: you can't redirect some system URLs, such as those starting with/cart,/orders,/services,/shop, and the fixed paths/products,/collections,/collections/all.

• When switching to EvoCommerce, you need to:
• save important URLs where possible;
• set up 301 redirects;
• move SEO title and description;
• update sitemap;
• check robots.txt;
• set up Google Search Console;
• check the pages with the most traffic.

EvoCommerce provides SEO settings, SEO rule templates, robots.txt editing, Google Tag Manager, and sitemap generation.

6. Customize the design and frontend

EvoCommerce allows you to create a design that matches your brand, niche, market, and customer behavior. This is important because migrating from Shopify is not just about transferring data, but about improving the user experience.

You need to think about:

• home page;
• catalog;
• product card;
• basket;
• checkout;
• personal account;
• pages for B2B clients;
• trust blocks;
• comparison;
• recommended products;
• application forms;
• pages for SEO.

7. Connect Ukrainian integrations

On the new platform, you need to configure those integrations that your business really needs:

• BAS/1C;
• CRM;
• ERP;
• New Post Office;
• Ukrposhta;
• LiqPay;
• Monobank;
• WayForPay;
• PRRO/fiscalization;
• Google Merchant Center;
• Meta Pixel;
• Google Analytics 4;
• email newsletters;
• chatbots;
• warehouse accounting;
• analytics systems.

EvoCommerce can be used as a basis for building a trading system in which the website, catalog, orders, payment, delivery, CRM, and accounting work not separately, but in a single process.

8. Configure B2B functionality

For companies that work with wholesale customers, dealers, partners, or corporate buyers, switching from Shopify to EvoCommerce can be an opportunity to create a full-fledged B2B portal.

Such a portal may include:

• offices for wholesale customers;
• personal prices;
• separate price lists;
• customer groups;
• special delivery and payment conditions;
• repeat orders;
• documents;
• requests for commercial offers;
• approval of orders;
• integration with BAS/1C or ERP;
• analytics for clients and managers.

This is especially important for businesses that Shopify no longer provides enough flexibility for a complex B2B model.

9. Test a new store before launching

Before switching your domain, you need to check:

• correctness of the catalog;
• product cards;
• prices;
• remains;
• photo;
• basket;
• checkout;
• forms;
• payments;
• delivery;
• personal account;
• redirects;
• SEO data;
• mobile version;
• speed of work;
• analytics;
• transmission of events in GA4;
• transferring orders to CRM or accounting system.

10. Switch domain and launch EvoCommerce

After testing, the new site is launched:

• domain connection;
• SSL verification;
• checking redirects;
• sitemap update;
• sending sitemap to Google Search Console;
• indexation check;
• 404 error monitoring;
• checking orders;
• control of advertising campaigns;
• SEO traffic analysis after launch.

After launching a Shopify store, you shouldn't immediately close it without checking all data, images, redirects, orders, and SEO metrics.

Shopify vs. EvoCommerce Comparison

Key benefits of switching from Shopify to EvoCommerce

1. More control over the platform.Businesses get their own trading system that can be adapted to their strategy, processes, and market.
   

2. Less dependence on SaaS restrictionsThe company is not limited by Shopify policies, pricing, apps, API limits, and Shopify Payments availability.
   

3. Better adaptation to Ukraine.You can connect local payments, delivery, BAS/1C, CRM, warehouse, PRRO and other tools important for Ukrainian business.
   

4. The ability to avoid additional platform feesallows you to build a sales model without relying on third-party transaction fees from Shopify.
   

5. Full-fledged B2B portalWholesale customers, dealers and partners can get personal accounts, prices, price lists, documents and repeat orders.
   

6. EvoCommerce's flexible integrationscan be linked to CRM, ERP, BAS/1C, payments, shipping, warehousing, analytics, and marketing.
   

7. SEO structure improvementsDuring the transition, you can view URLs, metadata, sitemap, robots.txt, categories, and content structure.
   

8. Modern design and UXA new website can be created for a brand, niche, customer behavior, and a specific commercial strategy.
   

9. B2C and B2B development in one system.The company can work with retail buyers, wholesalers, partners, and corporate clients in one platform.
   

10. Preparing to scaleEvoCommerce can grow with your business: add new integrations, modules, AI tools, marketing, and analytics.
    

Conclusion

Shopify is a strong SaaS platform for a quick start to online sales. But for a Ukrainian business that wants more control, local integrations, B2B functionality, its own SEO strategy, no additional platform fees, and deeper adaptation to its processes, switching to EvoCommerce may be a more profitable and strategically sound decision.

EvoCommerceallows you to migrate your store from Shopify, save important data, improve your catalog structure, set up Ukrainian integrations, create a modern B2C store or B2B portal, and develop your own e-commerce platform without undue dependence on the global SaaS ecosystem.

Switching from Shopify to EvoCommerce is a step from a rented SaaS store to your own digital commerce infrastructure that can be developed according to your business needs.