Compare / ShirtMap vs Shopify
ShirtMap vs Shopify
A straight comparison for small apparel businesses. Where each option genuinely wins, we say so.
Pricing and fees on this page are as of July 13, 2026 and may change.
ShirtMap
ShirtMap is a discovery platform. You list your shirts, get a shop page and a pin on a map people browse to find local and independent apparel, and optionally sell right on the site. There is no storefront to design or maintain.
Shopify
Shopify is a hosted store builder. You get your own branded storefront with deep control over design, apps, and checkout, but Shopify does not bring you customers. Traffic is your job.
Side by side
| Feature | ShirtMap | Shopify | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Discovery platform + optional storefront. You get a shop page and a map pin. | Store builder. You get a blank branded storefront to design and fill. | Depends |
| Cost to start | Free for 1 listing. Premium is $10/mo (or $96/yr) for up to 10 listings. | Basic plan is $39/mo ($29/mo billed annually). A cut-down Starter plan is $5/mo. | ShirtMap |
| Per-sale fee (platform) | 5% platform fee on marketplace sales. Selling through ShirtMap is optional. | 0% extra with Shopify Payments; 2% surcharge on Basic if you use an outside gateway. | Depends |
| Card processing | Standard Stripe processing on sales (you keep the rest). | 2.9% + 30¢ per online order on Basic with Shopify Payments. | Depends |
| Shipping | Discounted, prepaid shipping labels built in. No carrier account to set up; the buyer pays shipping at checkout. | You configure carriers and rates. Shopify Shipping offers discounted labels, but the setup is yours. | Depends |
| Setup effort | Upload a shirt and location. Live in minutes. No design work. | Pick a theme, build pages, configure apps, set up shipping and checkout. | ShirtMap |
| Who brings the customers | ShirtMap's map and search bring browsers to you. | You do — through ads, social, email, and SEO you run yourself. | ShirtMap |
| Local & map discovery | Core feature. People browse a map to find shirts near them. | Not built in. A store is a store; being found locally is on you. | ShirtMap |
| SEO work | Done for you. Every listing and shop page is search-optimized with a sitemap and structured data. | Solid SEO foundations, but the ongoing keyword and content work is yours. | ShirtMap |
| Design control & branding | A clean, branded shop page. Less control than a full store. | Near-total control over look, layout, and functionality. | Shopify |
| Ownership of the channel | You share a discovery platform with other makers. | Your own domain and store that you fully own and control. | Shopify |
ShirtMap is best for
Small apparel makers who want to be found without building and marketing a whole website, and who like that the discovery and SEO are handled for them.
Shopify is best for
Brands that already have an audience (or a marketing budget to buy one) and want a fully branded store they control end to end.
The bottom line
If you want a store you fully own and you have a plan to drive your own traffic, Shopify is a strong, flexible choice. But most small apparel makers do not struggle to build a store. They struggle to get found. ShirtMap flips the model: instead of paying to build a storefront and then paying again to send people to it, you get a search-friendly page and a spot on a map people are already browsing, starting free and topping out at $10/mo.
🎉 Limited-time launch offer
The monthly Premium subscription is waived right now, so Premium has no monthly cost. Get your shop page, more listings, and a premium map pin without the monthly fee while the offer lasts.
Common questions
Is ShirtMap cheaper than Shopify?+
To start, yes. ShirtMap is free for your first listing and $10/mo (or $96/yr) for up to 10 listings, while Shopify's Basic plan is $39/mo ($29/mo billed annually) as of July 13, 2026. The bigger difference is that ShirtMap also brings you discovery traffic, which on Shopify you pay for separately through marketing.
Can I sell shirts directly on ShirtMap like on Shopify?+
Yes. You can sell right on ShirtMap with checkout powered by Stripe, and ShirtMap keeps a 5% platform fee on each sale. Selling is optional. Many businesses just use their listing and shop page to get discovered and send people wherever they want.
Do I need a Shopify store to use ShirtMap?+
No. ShirtMap works on its own. If you already have a Shopify store, ShirtMap can act as an extra discovery channel that points shoppers to it.
Which is better for a small apparel brand?+
Shopify is better if you want complete control over a store you own and you can drive your own traffic. ShirtMap is better if being found matters more to you than owning the storefront, and you would rather not build and market a website from scratch.
ShirtMap is a small business, like you
We are independently run, not a corporation. We would rather grow alongside makers with cool apparel than lock them into expensive plans. Listing your first shirt is free.
Put your shirts on the map