ClickFunnels vs Shopify: Which Platform Is Better For Your Online Store?

Welcome to my ClickFunnels vs Shopify showdown.

I spent 30 days building online stores on both platforms. In this review, I’ll show you exactly which one deserves your hard-earned money.

Pick the wrong platform, you’re leaving serious money on the table. Period. Your online store needs the RIGHT FOUNDATION. The last thing you want is to invest months building your business on a platform that can’t grow with you.

You’ve probably heard this:

ClickFunnels focuses sales funnels and digital products, while Shopify is for e-commerce stores.

That’s outdated!

ClickFunnels 2.0 now lets you create entire online stores selling physical products with different variables and connect with shipping partners.

But does that make it a better choice than Shopify? Not exactly.

In this article, I’ll show you why Shopify remains the superior platform for most online store needs and exactly when the rare exceptions might apply to your business.

I’ll compare everything from funnel building tools, templates, pricing plans, to shipping options and their customer management system so you can make the right call.

Ready? Let’s settle this debate once and for all.

How Do ClickFunnels and Shopify Approach E-commerce?

While we’ll break down what each platform does in more detail later, here’s how they differ in their core philosophy toward e-commerce.

ClickFunnels is a sales funnel builder created by Russell Brunson and Todd Dickerson in 2014. It started as a conversion-focused tool for creating sales funnels and landing pages. With the release of ClickFunnels 2.0, they’ve expanded into e-commerce with store functionality, allowing users to sell physical products alongside digital ones.

ClickFunnels’ key strengths:

• All-in-one marketing tools help you build and grow your online business.
• Funnel-first approach focused on maximizing conversions.
• One-click upsells, order bumps, and cross-sells
• Built-in email marketing and membership capabilities
• Sales-focused page builders
• Recently added full store features in version 2.0

Shopify launched in 2006 as a dedicated e-commerce platform. Created by Tobias Lütke when he couldn’t find suitable software for his snowboard shop, Shopify has grown into the world’s leading e-commerce platform, powering over 1.7 million businesses.

Shopify’s key strengths:

• Purpose-built for retail and physical products
• Extensive app store (6,000+ apps)
• Powerful inventory, shipping, and tax tools
• Extensive shipping and payment integrations
• Scalable from solo entrepreneurs to large enterprises

If you want conversion-optimized funnels with some e-commerce capabilities, ClickFunnels might appeal to you. If you want a complete e-commerce solution, Shopify is the answer.

Quick Verdict: ClickFunnels Or Shopify Better For Your Ecommerce Store?

Shopify wins for almost every online store scenario.

There’s a reason why Shopify is the #1 e-commerce platform in the world. For building an online store, no matter what ClickFunnels does, Shopify simply does BETTER.

The evidence is overwhelming:

Shopify’s themes are beautiful and adapt to fit every business size and type. The platform connects directly with major shipping carriers like DHL, FedEx, and UPS. In contrast, ClickFunnels requires integration with shipping software.

Shopify’s app store offers thousands of integrations with suppliers for dropshipping, while ClickFunnels ONLY works with Zendrop.

The best part?

Shopify is also 4X CHEAPER, starting at $25/month (or $19/month when billed yearly) compared to ClickFunnels’ $97/month entry point.

It sounds like I oversell Shopify, but I’m not.

First, I’m NOT a Shopify affiliate. I love Clickfunnels, the team behind and what they deliver. But, when it comes to building and managing online stores, Shopify is simply UNBEATABLE.

ClickFunnels is useful for building a simple online store and creating online sales funnels for specific products.

For example, if you’re an author selling books with upsells to coaching programs, ClickFunnels might be perfect. However, for clothing stores, shoe stores, and most retail businesses, Shopify is the clear winner.

5 Reasons I Recommend Shopify Over ClickFunnels

After testing both platforms and their marketing tools, I’ve found that Shopify consistently outperforms ClickFunnels for a serious e-commerce store.

Here’s why Shopify wins:

1. Shopify Gives You EVERYTHING You Need To Build, Market, and Scale Your Online Store

When you sign up for Shopify, you get a complete e-commerce system right out of the box. ClickFunnels might have added store features, but they feel bolted-on rather than built-in.

Shopify includes essential e-commerce features that ClickFunnels either lacks or implements poorly:

• A comprehensive inventory management system that tracks stock across multiple locations
• Advanced product variants that handle complex product options (ClickFunnels limits you to just 3 variants)
• Automated tax calculations based on your customer’s location
• Built-in SEO tools that help customers find your products
• POS system integration for selling in-person and online

Clickfunnels’ ecommerce feature might sound good on the surface, but you will hit a wall soon when you’re growing your product catalog. What took custom workarounds in ClickFunnels was standard functionality in Shopify.

For store owners, this means you spend less time worrying about technical limitations and more time growing your online business.

2. They Offer More Beautiful Website and Store Templates

Shopify’s theme store features over 254 professionally designed and customizable templates that make your store look legitimate from day one. These aren’t just pretty – they’re built on e-commerce best practices.

ClickFunnels offers fewer template options and lacks the same level of e-commerce-specific design features.

Even if you just use Shopify’s FREE theme, the design is still better than Clickfunnels.

Shopify themes also offer:

• Mobile-responsive designs that look perfect on any device
• Industry-specific layouts for fashion, electronics, furniture, etc.
• Product zoom and gallery options
• Professional navigation systems customers instantly understand
• Built-in features like wishlist, quick view, and filters
• Speed-optimized coding for faster loading

These design advantages translate directly to customer trust.

In my testing, stores built with Shopify’s premium themes consistently outperformed ClickFunnels stores in terms of time spent on site and conversion rates.

3. Dropshipper? Easily Connect with Many Suppliers via Shopify

For Dropshippers, Shopify blows ClickFunnels out of the water. 

While ClickFunnels only integrates with Zendrop, Shopify connects to a massive ecosystem of suppliers through apps like:

• Oberlo (for AliExpress products)
• DSers (for mass order fulfillment)
• Spocket (for US and EU suppliers)
• MODALYST (for luxury brands)
• And dozens more specialized options

The good news is that both Clickfunnels and Shopify help you set up dropshipping seamlessly. Everything you need is:

1. Install your preferred dropshipping app
2. Connect to suppliers
3. Import products with one click
4. Customize product details
5. Start selling

The products sync automatically, handling inventory updates so you never sell out-of-stock items. When orders come in, fulfillment happens with a single click.

The practical impact is huge—dropshippers using Shopify can test more products, source from more suppliers, and scale their businesses more effectively than those limited to ClickFunnels’ single integration.

4. Start With Shopify 4X Cheaper Compared To ClickFunnels

Cost matters, especially when you’re launching a new store.

Shopify is surprisingly affordable. You get a complete ecommerce solution for your marketing strategies at unheard-of low prices.

The math is simple—Shopify gives you more for less.

At $25/month, Shopify Basic provides all the core features needed to run a successful store. ClickFunnels starts at $97/month and still requires additional tools for complete functionality.

For the price of ClickFunnels’ starter plan, you could get Shopify’s Grow plan ($65/month) with features like:

• 5 Staff Account
• Advanced reporting
• Lower transaction fees (1%)

Even with a few premium Shopify apps, you’ll still pay less than ClickFunnels while getting more functionality.

When you’re ready to grow, Shopify’s scaling costs remain more reasonable than ClickFunnels’ higher-tier plans, making it the fiscally responsible choice for most e-commerce businesses.

For more details, check my full breakdown of ClickFunnels Pricing.

5. You Get 24/7 Support at A Rock-Bottom Price

When your store goes down at 2 AM before a big promotion, Shopify’s 24/7 support is priceless. Every Shopify plan includes live chat support around the clock.

ClickFunnels only offers email support, which can mean waiting hours (or days) for help with urgent issues.

Imagine, on Black Friday, your Shopify store has payment issues, you get live help within minutes, and save the promotion.

The value of immediate support cannot be overstated. When technical issues arise or you need guidance on store setup, Shopify’s support team is always available to help, regardless of your time zone or day of the week.

Besides direct support, Shopify offers:

• Extensive help documentation
• Active community forums
• Large ecosystem of experts and developers
• Regular webinars and training

The peace of mind from knowing help is available anytime makes Shopify’s lower price an even better value.

Now, you understand why Shopify takes the crown for most online stores.

Before going deep into head-to-head comparisons, let’s take a moment to understand what ClickFunnels and Shopify are all about!

What Is Clickfunnels?

ClickFunnels was created by Russell Brunson and Todd Dickerson in 2014 and has grown to serve over 100,000 users. In 2022, it underwent a major update to ClickFunnels 2.0, which added e-commerce store functionality to its core sales funnel capabilities.

Currently, Clickfunnels is an all-in-one marketing platform for online businesses.

It’s designed for entrepreneurs, coaches, consultants, and businesses focused on selling products through optimized sales funnels.

Its specialty is creating high-converting customer journeys that maximize sales through specific psychological triggers.

What makes ClickFunnels special is its focus on the entire customer journey (from the marketing funnel to the sales pipeline).

Rather than just selling products, it helps you create step-by-step paths that lead customers through awareness, interest, decision, and action stages.

With the launch of ClickFunnels 2.0, the platform now includes e-commerce capabilities, allowing users to build online stores with product collections, variants, and shipping integrations. This expansion has positioned ClickFunnels as a potential alternative to dedicated e-commerce platforms.

Key ClickFunnels features:

• Sales funnel builder with tested templates
• Membership site, course, and community creation
• One-click upsells and order bumps
• A/B testing tools
• Email marketing automation
• Sales pipeline (opportunity)
• Affiliate program management
• Message Hub
• Basic e-commerce store functionality (in 2.0)

The biggest benefit of ClickFunnels for online sellers is its ability to maximize customer value through strategic upsells and cross-sells.

For example, if you sell fitness programs, ClickFunnels makes it easy to offer premium nutrition plans or personal coaching as add-ons after the initial purchase – something that’s proven to boost average order values dramatically.

Read more:

• Clickfunnels 2.0 Review: My Experience After 2 Years

What Is Shopify?

Shopify is the world’s leading e-commerce platform, founded in 2006 by Tobias Lütke. The platform powers over 1.7 million businesses worldwide, processing over $200 billion in sales. Notably, major brands like Gymshark, Allbirds, and MVMT Watches built their empires on Shopify.

Unlike ClickFunnels, Shopify was created specifically for online retail, with every feature designed to support selling physical products at scale.

The platform follows a store-centric approach, with all tools and features built around managing products, processing orders, and delivering excellent customer experiences.

Shopify serves a wide range of users:

• Traditional retailers expanding online
• Direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands
• Dropshippers and print-on-demand sellers
• Multichannel sellers (online and offline)
• Enterprise-level retailers

What makes Shopify special is its complete e-commerce ecosystem. It’s not just a website builder—it’s a comprehensive business management system with everything from inventory tracking to shipping label generation built right in.

Key features include:

• Professional store templates and design tools
• Unlimited product listings with variants
• Integrated payment processing
• Comprehensive inventory management
• Order processing and fulfillment tools
• Abandoned cart recovery
• Marketing and SEO tools
• Shopify POS system for in-person selling
• Customer management system

The greatest benefit for store owners is Shopify’s ability to grow with your business. Whether you’re starting with a simple Shopify store selling pet accessories or scaling up to over $2 million in annual revenue, Shopify can accommodate your needs.

It can handle anywhere from 10 products to over 500 SKUs with ease and efficiency.

Clickfunnels Vs Shopify: Head-to-Head Comparison

Let’s break down exactly how these platforms compare in the features that matter most for your e-commerce success.

E-commerce Store Builder

If you’re serious about building an online store that looks great, works flawlessly, and converts visitors into buyers – Shopify is hands-down the better tool.

Yes, both Clickfunnels and Shopify technically let you build e-commerce stores with product collections and variants. But when you actually use them side by side, the difference in flexibility, usability, and professionalism becomes crystal clear.

I tested both by building a shoe store similar to the Famousfootwear.com website. I want to set up Men’s and Women’s sizes separately, each with 10+ size options.

Customers see only the relevant sizes based on gender—clean, and intuitive.

I built it with Shopify with no hassle.

But in Clickfunnels, it limits you to just 7 values per variant option, which breaks this setup entirely.

You can’t offer full-size ranges for both Men and Women in one product.

Worse, there’s no way to dynamically change available options when customers switch between Men’s and Women’s.

That’s a HUGE conversion-killer for any product with complex SKUs.

The builder experience isn’t much better.

Shopify gives you a sleek drag-and-drop interface that makes store design feel easy.

ClickFunnels forces you to work with placeholders like {{product_collection.name}}, making everything feel technical and clunky—even for simple tasks.

Navigation is another sore spot.

Shopify lets you add filters by price, color, size, and more—so your customers find what they want instantly.

ClickFunnels offers basic text links. It works for small catalogs, but not for real stores.

👑 Bottom line:

Shopify wins if you want a scalable, shopper-friendly storefront that feels like a real e-commerce brand. ClickFunnels is fine for selling single products through a funnel or a small store.

Product Management and Inventory Systems

Shopify offers a comprehensive inventory management system for retail businesses, and this is evident in every aspect of its product handling.

Shopify also excels with inventory management across sales channels.

If you sell on Instagram, Facebook, Amazon, and your website, Shopify keeps everything in sync. ClickFunnels treats these as separate entities, requiring manual inventory adjustments.

With Shopify, you can track stock levels across multiple locations, set up automatic reordering, and receive notifications when inventory runs low.

ClickFunnels’ inventory system feels tacked-on rather than integral to the platform.

Adding and managing large numbers of products is cumbersome, and the variant limitations make it unsuitable for products that need multiple options.

Note:

• Each product in Clickfunels you can has maximum three options.
• You can only add 7 values per option
• This allows you to create a total of 343 unique combinations.

Shopify’s superior product management capabilities translate to more efficient operations and better customer experiences for businesses with growing product lines or complex inventory needs.

Creating Sales Funnels

ClickFunnels hands-down beats Shopify when it comes to building sales funnels—after all, that’s what the platform was made for.

ClickFunnels provides dozens of ready-to-use sales funnel templates for specific goals, such as product launches or webinar sign-ups.

With these templates, you can set up a high-converting sales funnel in minutes without technical skills.

What really sets ClickFunnels apart is how it handles upsells after someone buys. You get two powerful options:

1. You can show customers a collection of related products (like Amazon’s “People also bought” or “You might also like” sections). This works great for traditional store-style recommendations.
2. You can send customers through a series of dedicated upsell pages with complete sales copy and special offers. This option follows the classic funnel approach, where each page presents one targeted offer at a time.

Both methods drive up your average order value, but the second approach typically converts better because you write compelling sales copy and design offers especially for people who buy that specific product.

One of my projects concerns a piano store.

My client sells pianos, music sheets, and lesson books. When a customer buys a music sheet about a Ghibli song, on the checkout page, I offer a collection of related Ghibli songs that they can add to their order.

If the customer buys the easy version after completing the purchase, we direct them to the upsell page about the piano courses that will help them play piano at home.

And it works great for us.

Shopify can also create funnels, but you’ll need to install apps like Zipify Pages or CartHook, which add costs and complexity to your setup.

I’ve tested identical funnels on both platforms, and ClickFunnels consistently wins for upsells and cross-sells. 

👑 Bottom line:

If your business relies on maximizing customer value through strategic sales sequences, ClickFunnels provides better tools out of the box. That said, many successful Shopify stores add funnel features through apps and get great results, too.

Payment Processing and Checkout

Shopify Payments saves you money by eliminating pesky transaction fees and offering better rates on credit card payments.

It’s super easy to set up and lets you connect with over 100 payment providers worldwide.

This means your customers can pay however they want, no matter where they live.

You’ll get your money faster, see all your sales in one place, and give shoppers a smooth checkout experience.

Bottom line? More sales, fewer hassles, and more money in your pocket at the end of the day.

On the other hand, in Clickfunnels, you need to connect with their own app called Payments AI.

You’ll reach customers in 195 countries and accept payments through methods people actually use in their home countries – like SEPA Direct Debit in Europe or AliPay in China.

Your shop instantly handles 100+ currencies, making foreign sales a breeze instead of a barrier.

Need options?

Payments AI lets you connect all the big payment players – Stripe, PayPal, Coinbase, Klarna, and NMI – giving your customers the freedom to pay their way.

Yes, Shopify integrates with more payment providers, but you don’t need all of them for your store. Which one works better depends on your specific needs and strategy.

From my experience, I haven’t had ANY issues with either Shopify or Clickfunnels payments and checkout.

Shipping And Fulfillment Management

Shopify connects directly with major shipping services like UPS, USPS, DHL, or FedEx, allowing you to calculate accurate shipping rates, print labels, and track shipments without leaving your dashboard.

The platform also offers significant shipping discounts through Shopify Shipping, reducing your operational costs.

To achieve similar functionality, ClickFunnels requires integration with third-party shipping software like Shippo or ShipStation.

This adds both cost and complexity to your workflow.

With Shopify, you can set up shipping rules based on weight, price, or location, and offer multiple shipping options at checkout.

The platform also integrates with fulfillment services like Shipwire and Amazon Fulfillment, giving you flexibility as your business grows.

Both Clickfunnels and Shopify get the job done. But Shopify integrates with more carrier options and shipping software.

App Ecosystem & Third-Party Tools

Shopify’s app store is UNMATCHED.

With over 6,000 apps covering every aspect of e-commerce, from marketing and SEO to inventory management and customer service. Whatever functionality you need, there’s likely a Shopify app for it.

This flexibility allows you to build a custom solution that fits your specific business requirements.

Need advanced product reviews? There are dozens of options. Want to create loyalty programs? Choose from multiple specialized apps.

ClickFunnels offers integrations with popular tools, but the selection is much more limited. For many specialized functions, you’ll need to use workarounds or manual processes.

The quality difference is also notable.

Shopify apps undergo a review process and include user ratings and reviews, helping you select reliable solutions. The integration process is typically seamless, with one-click installation and configuration.

For businesses that need specialized functionality beyond basic e-commerce, Shopify’s extensive app ecosystem provides significantly more flexibility and potential for customization.

Email Marketing Integration & Automation

ClickFunnels beats Shopify in this area with its built-in email marketing system, though Shopify offers good options through apps.

ClickFunnels includes built-in email marketing and automation tools that work perfectly with its funnel system.

You can create email sequences triggered by specific actions, segment your audience, and track performance without needing extra tools.

With Shopify, you must connect with Shopify Flow (free) or third-party email marketing platforms to send emails and set up automation.

Beginners often find Shopify Flow more complicated than the ClickFunnels setup.

What I really love about Shopify Flow is their prebuilt workflow templates for many scenarios, like:

• Email notifications when product inventory runs low
• Payment reminders sent after due dates
• Automatic cancellation of high-risk orders
• Internal emails when B2B orders come in
• And many more

Watch the video below to understand how Shopify automation works.

For basic email marketing and funnel-based sequences, ClickFunnels wins with its native capabilities.

But for advanced e-commerce email marketing (personalized product recommendations, complex segmentation, and predictive sending), both platforms need integration with advanced email marketing tools.

ClickFunnels takes the win here.

Scaling Your E-commerce Business

When it comes to scaling, Shopify takes the lead despite what many people think.

Both Clickfunnels and Shopify handle unlimited products, contacts, and marketing automation. And let’s be honest – despite what some reviewers say about ClickFunnels struggling with high traffic, a company making hundreds of millions in revenue clearly handles traffic just fine.

But when we look closer, Shopify offers real advantages for serious store owners who want to grow:

Team collaboration shows the biggest difference. ClickFunnels limits you to just 3 team members (Starter plan) or 10 members (Pro plan).

With Shopify, you can add unlimited collaborator accounts (for your designers, developers, and marketing experts) to your store.

They make it even better by giving you 15 staff accounts on the Advanced plan and UNLIMITED accounts on Shopify Plus.

This limitation becomes a daily headache once your team grows beyond a few people.

Shopify’s enterprise features blow ClickFunnels away when you’re ready to expand globally:

• Localized selling with custom markets
• Country-specific pricing for products or variants
• Custom checkout experiences for different regions
• Better handling of traffic spikes and sales events
• 500% higher API call limits for custom integrations

These might seem like technical details until you actually need them.

🧠 Keep in mind: Shopify’s higher-tier plans cost more than ClickFunnels, from $399 to $2,300 monthly for Shopify Plus. But stores growing beyond $1M in yearly revenue typically find this investment pays off through increased capabilities.

Conclusion

Shopify is a clear winner for most e-commerce businesses.

Its purpose-built store features, superior inventory management, extensive app ecosystem, and scalability make it the ideal choice for anyone serious about building a sustainable online retail business.

Besides all of the advanced features above, Shopify is cheaper than Clickfunnels.

For traditional e-commerce businesses selling multiple products, Shopify provides a more complete and scalable solution.

So, when does Clickfunnels make sense?

If your business model revolves around selling a small number of products through optimized funnels with upsells and order bumps, ClickFunnels could be right for you.

Clickfunnels has been updated and changed a lot by adding many advanced features and customization. 

But for now, Shopify is a leader for serious online store owners.

FAQ – Shopify Vs ClickFunnels

These questions come up repeatedly when store owners compare ClickFunnels and Shopify. I’ve addressed the most common concerns to help you decide.