Bloqpage vs Shopify
The Shopify alternative for small South African shops, with no extra fee on your sales.
Every Pro feature free for 14 days. No card needed.
At a glance
| Bloqpage | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Basic, R149 a month | Basic, $19 a month yearly (about R315) |
| Extra fee on each sale | None | 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow |
| Billed in | Rand | Dollars |
| Free to start | 14-day Pro trial, no card | 3 days, then $1 a month for 3 months |
The short answer
Pick Shopify if you run a large catalogue, need many integrations or plan to sell across several countries. Pick Bloqpage if you run a small South African shop and want to keep more of each sale: Shopify Payments is not available in South Africa, so Shopify adds its own fee of 2% on Basic (1% on Grow) to every order paid through a local provider. Bloqpage adds nothing.
We make Bloqpage, so weigh our view accordingly. Facts about Shopify were checked on 14 November 2026 and link to their sources below.
When to choose each
Choose Bloqpage if
- You want customers to pay with Paystack, PayFast or PayPal without installing anything
- You would rather pay a fixed price in rand than a dollar price that moves with the exchange rate
- You want a website, blog and shop in one place, with pages that look like a business site and not only a catalogue
Choose Shopify if
- You sell hundreds of products or need advanced inventory, wholesale or multi-currency tools
- You rely on a specific Shopify app, theme or point-of-sale setup
- You plan to sell in many countries from one store
Why South African businesses move from Shopify
- 01
A fee on top of the payment fee
Shopify Payments does not sign up South African businesses, so local stores connect Paystack, PayFast or another provider. Shopify then charges its third-party fee on each order, on top of the provider's own fee. On R20,000 of sales a month that is about R400 on Basic.
- 02
Apps add up
Many Shopify stores pay for several apps on top of the plan, often billed in dollars. Bloqpage builds in the common ones, such as WhatsApp chat, bookings, sign-up pop-ups, analytics and courier rates.
- 03
More than a catalogue
Small businesses often need a services page, a blog and a booking form as much as a shop. Bloqpage builds all of those with the same blocks.
Feature by feature
| Bloqpage | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|
| Prices billed in rand | Yes | No |
| Extra fee from the platform on each sale | None | 2% Basic, 1% Grow |
| Paystack, PayFast and PayPal | Built in | Through third-party providers |
| Courier rates at checkout | Bob Go, built in | Bob Go app |
| Website pages and blog | Yes | Yes |
| AI writes your first draft | Bloq AI, whole site | AI help for product text |
| Large catalogues and inventory tools | Small shops | Yes |
| Size of app market | Small, core apps built in | Very large |
What a year costs
One year for a shop selling R20,000 a month, paying yearly, before payment provider fees (both pay those) and your domain.
Bloqpage
- Basic, billed yearly: R1,490
- Fee from Bloqpage on R240,000 of sales: none
- Total: R1,490
Shopify
- Basic, billed yearly: $228 (about R3,760)
- 2% fee on R240,000 of sales: R4,800
- Total: about R8,560, before apps
Shopify's fee applies when you use a provider other than Shopify Payments, which is the case for South African stores. Dollar prices are converted at about R16.50 to the dollar and rounded, so treat rand figures for them as a guide.
Moving from Shopify to Bloqpage
- Export your products from Shopify as a CSV file and keep it as your list while you add them to Bloqpage. Bloqpage has no CSV import yet, so products are added in the dashboard; it suits shops with tens of products more than thousands.
- Build the new site while the Shopify store stays open. Then add redirects in Website settings, for example /products/* to /shop/*, so old product links keep working, and point your domain to Bloqpage.
- Connect PayFast, Paystack or PayPal and Bob Go in Bloqpage before you switch, and place a test order.
Questions
Does Shopify charge a transaction fee in South Africa?
Yes, when you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments, which South African businesses cannot sign up for. Shopify's pricing page lists 2% on Basic and 1% on Grow, on top of your provider's fee.
Does Bloqpage take a cut of my sales?
No. You pay the plan price and your payment provider's own fee. Bloqpage adds nothing per order.
Is Shopify better for big stores?
Yes. Shopify is built for large catalogues, inventory across locations, wholesale and selling in many countries, and it has a far bigger app market. Bloqpage suits small shops that also want a full business website.
Can I use Bob Go with both?
Yes. Bob Go is built into Bloqpage checkout, and Shopify stores can install the Bob Go app.
Keep reading
Sources
Checked on 14 November 2026. Plans and prices change, so check Shopify's own pages before you decide.
Build your site in rand, with local payments ready
Start from a template or let Bloq AI write your first draft. Publish on yourname.bloq.page today and connect your own domain when you choose a plan.