Shopify vs Hostinger 2025: Choosing your Website Builder

Shopify and Hostinger are two ecommerce website builders catering to very different kinds of users — but which one is right for your online store?

To find out, I compared both platforms side by side across critical areas like pricing, features, ease of use, and SEO.

After testing and reviewing the tools hands-on, the verdict is clear: Shopify is the better choice for building and scaling a serious online store.

Hostinger (formerly Zyro) may be simpler and cheaper, but it falls short if you’re aiming to grow.

This comparison was updated on 08/18/25. Here’s what’s changed:

Shopify's pricing is now updated to reflect August 2025 rates
Hostinger has merged deeper into Hostinger’s platform
AI tools and payment integrations reviewed with current usage trends

Shopify vs Hostinger: Quick Verdict

Shopify – Best overall for selling online and growing your store

Hostinger – Best for beginners or side projects with basic ecommerce needs

In this review, I’ll walk you through exactly how Shopify and Hostinger compare in pricing, sales tools, templates, payments, SEO, and more — so you can decide which one fits your business.

Quick Comparison: Shopify vs Hostinger

Here’s a snapshot of how both ecommerce platforms compare at a glance:

Feature	Shopify	Hostinger
Best For	Serious ecommerce businesses	Beginners and small side projects
Pricing	$39–$399/mo	$3.49–$15.99/mo
Trial Period	3-day free trial	30-day money-back guarantee
Templates	100+ (13 free)	100+ (AI-focused)
App Marketplace	8,000+ integrations	Limited third-party apps
SEO Features	Advanced (structured data, blogs)	Basic metadata
AI Tools	Shopify Magic	Built-in AI writer, logo maker
Payment Gateways	100+ options + Shopify Payments	PayPal, Stripe only
Dropshipping Support	Full integrations (DSers, etc.)	Minimal
Support	24/7 live chat and help center	Live chat, no phone support

Best for Pricing: Hostinger

When it comes to affordability, Hostinger is the winner — especially for beginners who want a low-cost, low-risk entry into ecommerce.

Shopify Pricing

Plan Name	Monthly Price (USD)
Basic	$39/month
Shopify	$105/month
Advanced	$399/month

Shopify’s 3-day free trial lets you test the platform briefly before committing.
You can get the first 3 months for $1/month on any paid plan.
Shopify Payments reduces transaction fees, but third-party gateways come with a 2% fee on the Basic plan.

Hostinger Pricing

Plan Name	Monthly Price (USD)
Website Plan	$3.49/month
Business Plan	$15.99/month

Hostinger gives you 30 days to try the platform with a money-back guarantee.
Hosting and a free domain for one year are included in all paid plans.
There are no transaction fees on Hostinger.

If you’re budget-conscious or only need a basic online store, Hostinger is the cheaper way to go.

But if you're aiming for long-term growth, Shopify offers better value despite the higher cost.

Best for Selling Online: Shopify

If your goal is to build a store with real sales functionality and long-term potential, Shopify offers a much more powerful platform.

Sales Features

Both Shopify and Hostinger offer ecommerce basics like:

Inventory management
Product catalogs
Discount codes
Checkout pages

But Shopify goes much further with features like:

Abandoned cart recovery
Gift cards
Multi-language and multi-currency support
In-depth customer segmentation
Shopify Magic (AI product descriptions)
Seamless dropshipping integrations

Hostinger includes tools like an AI product writer, heatmaps for site optimization, and basic ecommerce management — but these are best suited to very small stores.

If you’re looking to build an ecommerce brand, not just a store, Shopify is the better choice.

Best for Templates and Design: Shopify

Both builders provide clean, modern themes — but Shopify’s templates are more flexible and designed for ecommerce-first businesses.

Shopify Design Tools

13 free themes, 100+ premium themes (priced $100–$400)
Mobile-optimized and customizable layouts
Drag-and-drop section editor
Access to theme code (HTML/CSS)
Industry-specific design categories

Shopify’s themes aren’t just about aesthetics — they’re built to support ecommerce functionality, such as product filtering, dynamic product pages, and optimized checkout flows.

These small design elements add up when you’re trying to create a smooth shopping experience that increases conversions.

Hostinger Design Tools

Over 100 templates with responsive design
AI logo builder and image tools
Drag-and-drop editor (more visual, less technical)
No access to source code
Fewer customization options

Hostinger's builder is more beginner-friendly and faster to launch, but Shopify’s templates offer more depth for users who want to refine branding and layout.

While Hostinger's templates look clean, there’s less room for layout changes or advanced elements like product filters, variant swatches, or personalized homepage sections.

Best for Payments: Shopify

Shopify accepts over 100 payment gateways — including credit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay — giving you maximum flexibility at checkout.

Shopify Checkout

Shopify Payments: Reduces transaction fees
PayPal, Stripe, Amazon Pay supported
Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) options
Multi-currency support
Custom checkout apps for upsells

Shopify also allows store owners to configure taxes, shipping zones, and payment routing directly from the admin dashboard.

It’s ideal if you want to localize checkout experiences or offer specific payment methods based on a customer’s region, which is essential when expanding to international markets.

Hostinger Checkout

PayPal and Stripe only
No custom checkout options
No upsell integrations
No BNPL tools or express checkout options

Shopify’s checkout flow is optimized for conversions and offers more ways to accept payment. If you want global customers and a streamlined checkout experience, Shopify wins.

Hostinger's checkout works well for small stores, but lacks the flexibility needed for high-volume sales or international scaling.

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Best for Dropshipping: Shopify

Shopify is widely recognized as the best platform for dropshipping due to its integrations and tools that make automation simple.

Top Dropshipping Features in Shopify:

DSers integration (replaces Oberlo)
Print-on-demand services (Printful, Printify)
One-click product import
Automated order fulfillment
Inventory syncing
Order tracking for customers

Shopify also gives dropshippers access to product research tools, niche discovery apps, and supplier integrations that help streamline sourcing.

These tools aren’t just plug-and-play — many come with built-in analytics to identify top-performing products and suppliers with reliable shipping speeds.

Hostinger does not support native dropshipping apps, and any fulfillment is manual. For that reason alone, Hostinger is not recommended for dropshipping businesses.

Best for SEO: Shopify

Shopify has more built-in and customizable SEO tools than Hostinger – which is essential if you’re serious about driving organic traffic.

Shopify SEO Tools

Edit page titles, URLs, meta descriptions
Automatic sitemaps
Mobile-optimized pages
Structured data (via apps)
Ecommerce Booster app (with Semrush integration)
Blogging features and customizable content structure

One standout feature of Shopify is the ability to create SEO-friendly collections and blog categories.

This makes it easier to build internal linking structures, which improves crawlability and topical relevance in the eyes of search engines — a key tactic for growing organic traffic over time.

Hostinger SEO Tools

Edit basic metadata (titles, descriptions)
Auto-generated sitemaps
Image alt text
No blogging platform
No schema or structured data support

Shopify is better equipped to help your site rank on Google. It’s built with ecommerce SEO in mind and integrates directly with tools like Google Search Console and Semrush.

Hostinger's SEO tools cover only the basics, and without a blog or structured data, long-term content strategies are harder to execute.

Best for Ease of Use: Hostinger

If you’re new to ecommerce and just want to get a site online quickly, Hostinger's onboarding and dashboard are simpler than Shopify’s.

Hostinger onboarding experience:

Clear step-by-step setup
Visual builder with AI content suggestions
Faster time-to-launch for new stores

Shopify onboarding experience:

Guided setup with store and product questions
Learning curve if you're unfamiliar with ecommerce
More robust dashboard for managing orders, analytics, and apps

Hostinger is especially helpful for those who feel intimidated by ecommerce tools. Its onboarding flow includes AI-generated content suggestions, guided walkthroughs, and simplified settings.

This makes the learning curve more manageable for complete beginners or non-technical users launching their first store.

That said, Shopify's dashboard becomes much more useful once you get past the initial setup. Its app ecosystem and customer management tools far surpass Hostinger.

If you’re planning to scale, it’s worth investing the time to get comfortable with Shopify’s interface.

Best for Marketing and Multichannel Selling: Shopify

Shopify supports marketing and sales across multiple platforms and marketplaces, which is crucial for scaling.

Shopify marketing tools:

Sell on Amazon, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and more
Shopify Email for email campaigns
Analytics dashboard with marketing attribution
Google Shopping integration
Apps for popups, upsells, loyalty programs

Shopify also gives users access to advanced marketing features like customer journey reports, sales attribution modeling, and retargeting ad integrations.

These insights are especially useful if you're running ad campaigns or want to double down on what's driving conversions.

Hostinger marketing tools:

AI product descriptions
Basic Facebook and Google integrations
Heatmaps and session data
No email marketing tools built in

Shopify is built to help you grow — not just launch. If you’re running ads, email campaigns, or influencer promotions, Shopify gives you the flexibility to manage everything from one place.

Hostinger provides a basic set of tools for solo creators, but lacks the depth needed for full-scale marketing strategies.

Best for Support: Shopify

Support is essential — especially when your store is live and orders are coming in. Shopify takes the lead here.

Support Type	Shopify	Hostinger
24/7 Live Chat	Yes	Yes
Phone Support	Yes (Shopify Plus only)	No
Email Support	No longer available	Yes (via contact form)
Help Center/Docs	Extensive	Moderate
Community Forums	Yes	No

Shopify also has a large ecosystem of agencies, developers, and freelancers ready to help — something Hostinger simply doesn’t offer yet.

There are also dozens of free resources, blogs, YouTube tutorials, and official courses to help new users get the most out of Shopify — whether it's designing a store or optimizing it for SEO.

Hostinger's support works well for straightforward issues, and its live chat is responsive, but you’ll likely find fewer tutorials or in-depth guides when troubleshooting more advanced ecommerce questions.

Shopify vs Hostinger: Final Verdict

If you’re trying to choose between Shopify and Hostinger, here’s the bottom line:

Choose Shopify if:

You want a serious ecommerce business
You need advanced features like dropshipping, multichannel selling, and SEO
You plan to grow your store over time
You want access to thousands of apps and integrations

Choose Hostinger if:

You’re launching your first store and want simplicity
You only need a basic website with ecommerce functionality
You’re on a strict budget and prefer all-in-one pricing
You don’t plan to scale aggressively

While Hostinger might look more attractive on the surface for its price, it doesn’t come close to Shopify when it comes to functionality, long-term growth, or ecommerce performance.

How I Tested Shopify and Hostinger

I signed up for both platforms, built sample stores, and evaluated them based on the following categories:

Category	Weight
Sales Features	40%
Website Functionality	15%
Support and Help	12%
Design and Templates	10%
Ease of Use	10%
Customer Ratings	8%
Value for Money	5%

Shopify outperformed Hostinger in almost every area — especially where it matters most: selling online.

The Winner: Shopify

Shopify is the stronger ecommerce platform in nearly every category. It’s ideal for businesses that want to grow, access advanced features, and build a long-term online store.

Hostinger is better for simpler, smaller websites, but most sellers will outgrow it quickly.