# Self-sown vs Shopify (2026)

*Full disclosure: we build Self-sown, so yes, we're biased. We're going to tell you who each platform is actually right for — including when it isn't us.*

Shopify is the default answer to "how do I sell online," and for a lot of businesses it's the right one. But the question a farmer or food maker is really asking is narrower: how do I sell eggs, beef, jam, or soap to my community without paying rent on a store that's mostly empty?

Here's the short version. From $39/mo (Basic) plus card processing; 2% extra per sale if you don't use Shopify Payments. Self-sown is free — unlimited listings, no mandatory transaction fees, ever. Our optional Herd plan ($21/mo) adds custom domains, email flows, and shipping labels. The tradeoffs are real in both directions, so let's be specific.

|  | Self-sown | Shopify |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost | Free (Herd $21/mo optional) | From $39/mo, before apps |
| Transaction fees | None from us, ever | Card processing ~2.9% + 30c; 2% extra per sale off Shopify Payments |
| Payments | Bitcoin (Lightning/Cashu), cards via Stripe or Square, Venmo/Zelle/cash | Their processor, their rules |
| Who owns the store | You — listings live on Nostr relays you control | Theirs — a policy change or frozen account ends your store |
| Best for | selling local food and artisan goods with zero platform fees | a general-purpose store with a huge app ecosystem |

## Where Shopify honestly wins

Shopify's ecosystem is unmatched. Thousands of apps, hundreds of themes, 24/7 support, and a checkout that has been optimized by literally millions of merchants. If you're building a national brand with a warehouse, a fulfillment service, and a marketing team, Shopify will carry you further than we will — we won't pretend otherwise.

Its app store also means an answer exists for almost any niche requirement. Need loyalty points, wholesale portals, and subscription bundles on day one? Someone built that.

## Where Self-sown wins

Cost and ownership. A Shopify Basic store with a couple of necessary apps runs $60-100/mo before you sell a single dozen eggs. Self-sown is free: list everything, pay nothing to the platform. Payments go straight to you — Bitcoin over Lightning or Cashu, cards through your own Stripe or Square account, or manual fiat like Venmo, Cash App, and Zelle.

And because Self-sown is built on Nostr, your listings and your customer relationships live on open relays, not in our database. We can't freeze your store, restrict your category, or hold your payout — and if you ever leave, your shop comes with you.

## The question that actually matters

If your customers are local — a farmers market crowd, a CSA list, a neighborhood — you're paying Shopify for infrastructure you'll never use and getting nothing local in return. If you're shipping a brand nationally at volume, Shopify earns its fee. Pick based on which business you actually are.

## Our pick

Selling local food or handmade goods to your community: start free on Self-sown. There's no monthly bill to justify, and migrating later is easy because your listings aren't locked in.

Building a venture-scale CPG brand: use Shopify. That's what it's for, and it's excellent at it.

## Questions

**Can I move my Shopify store to Self-sown?**

Yes — there's a built-in Shopify migration that imports your products. Search the onboarding flow for "migrate from Shopify."

**Does Self-sown have Shopify's app ecosystem?**

No, and that's deliberate. The features local sellers actually need — listings, orders, pickup/shipping, email flows, custom domains — are built in. If you need a loyalty-points gamification app, you want Shopify.

**Is Shopify ever cheaper than Self-sown?**

No. Shopify's floor is about $39/mo plus processing; Self-sown's floor is $0. The honest trade is features and ecosystem, not price.

**Can I use both?**

Plenty of producers do: Shopify for a national brand, Self-sown for the local market crowd. Because Self-sown costs nothing, there's no reason not to run both.

## Related

- [Best Shopify alternatives](https://self-sown.com/alternatives/shopify)
- [Best online marketplace for farmers](https://self-sown.com/best/online-marketplace-for-farmers)
- [Best online store for market vendors](https://self-sown.com/best/online-store-for-farmers-market-vendors)

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*We checked prices and features for everything on this page in October 2026, against each vendor's own pricing page. This stuff changes constantly, so double-check before you commit.*

[Start selling](https://self-sown.com/onboarding/new-account)