At a glance
The short version
What we liked
- The deepest feature set and app ecosystem in the category, by a distance
- Genuinely easy to set up and run a professional storefront
- Shopify Payments in Singapore, with PayNow available through Stripe since July 2024
- Financially solid platform that will still exist in five years
Where it falls short
- Not yet hands-on tested by us, research based for now
- No Shopify Payments in Malaysia: gateway fees plus Shopify’s own third-party transaction fee stack
- Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop sync is third-party apps only, never native
- Malaysia is billed in US dollars, so your ringgit cost moves with the exchange rate
Bottom line If your business sells on its own website, Shopify is the strongest platform available here and the safe recommendation, especially in Singapore where Shopify Payments works and PayNow is an option. If your sales actually happen on Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop, a regional tool like EasyStore or SiteGiant syncs those channels natively and takes no cut. Malaysian sellers should read the fees section before deciding: the stack is real.
The verdict
What Shopify is, and who it is for
Shopify is the default answer to "how do I sell online" for a good part of the planet, and most of its reputation is earned. You get a professional storefront without hiring a developer, a checkout that converts, and an app store that has an answer for almost anything you will ever want to bolt on. Nothing else in this region matches that depth, and its documented setup flow is the smoothest in the category.
The regional picture is where an honest review earns its keep, because it splits sharply by country. In Singapore, Shopify Payments is available, card rates are published (3.2 percent plus S$0.50 on Basic), and PayNow has been available through a Stripe integration since July 2024. A Singapore seller gets close to the full Shopify experience. In Malaysia, Shopify Payments does not exist. A Malaysian merchant must plug in a third-party gateway such as Curlec, HitPay or Billplz for FPX and cards, pay that gateway’s processing fee, and then pay Shopify’s additional third-party transaction fee of 2 percent on Basic (1 percent on Grow, 0.6 percent on Advanced) on top. That stacking is the single most repeated complaint in a decade of Malaysian forum threads about Shopify, and it is not a misunderstanding. It is how the pricing works.
The second regional gap is marketplaces. Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop carry a large share of real SEA retail, and Shopify reaches them only through third-party apps, with the quality and fees that implies. Regional platforms treat those channels as the product.
So the verdict splits. For a brand whose storefront is its own website, Shopify is the best tool sold in this region and an easy recommendation, particularly in Singapore. For a marketplace-first seller, it is the wrong shape. And a Malaysian seller choosing it should do so having read the fee stack with clear eyes. This is our research based read from verified pricing and documentation; we will confirm it hands-on and update the review.
Pricing
What Shopify actually costs in SG and MY
Verified against Shopify’s own Singapore and Malaysia pricing pages, July 2026. Singapore is billed in SGD; Malaysia is billed in US dollars.
| Plan | Singapore | Malaysia | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| BasicStart here | S$39/mo | US$25/mo | Most small businesses starting a real store. S$29 and US$19 on annual billing. |
| Grow | S$132/mo | US$65/mo | Growing teams that need more staff accounts and lower card rates. S$99 and US$49 annually. |
| Advanced | S$531/mo | US$399/mo | High-volume stores chasing the lowest fees. S$399 and US$299 annually. |
The fee stack matters more than the subscription. In Singapore, Shopify Payments handles cards at 3.2 percent plus S$0.50 on Basic (3.1 and 3.0 percent on higher tiers). In Malaysia there is no Shopify Payments, so you pay your gateway’s own processing fee and Shopify’s third-party transaction fee: 2 percent on Basic, 1 percent on Grow, 0.6 percent on Advanced. On thin retail margins that stack is the real price of the platform.
A US$5 Starter plan exists for link-in-bio and chat selling with a one-page store, shown on the Malaysian pricing page. It is not a real storefront plan. At the other end, Shopify Plus starts at US$2,300 a month and is enterprise territory.
SG & MY compliance
The local checks that matter
Who it is for
Buy it, consider it, or skip it
Buy it if
- Your own website is your storefront
- You want the deepest app ecosystem
- You are in Singapore with Shopify Payments
- You want a platform that will not disappear
Great fit for
- D2C brands and content-led stores
- SG sellers taking PayNow and cards
- Businesses outgrowing Instagram selling
- Anyone who values polish and uptime
Skip it if
- Shopee and Lazada are your real sales floor
- You are in MY and margin-sensitive to fee stacking
- You want native local marketplace sync
- You only need link-in-bio selling
Alternatives
If Shopify is not the one
EasyStore
E-commerce
The regional answer. Native Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop sync with no transaction fee; support is its known weakness.
SiteGiant
Multichannel
Malaysia’s marketplace-operations specialist. Strong Shopee and Lazada tooling, unpublished pricing.
Xero
Accounting
Where the sales need to land for GST. Our top pick for the books behind the store.
FAQ
Questions buyers ask us
How much does Shopify cost in Singapore?
Can I use Shopify in Malaysia?
Does Shopify support PayNow?
What percentage does Shopify take per sale?
Does Shopify sync with Shopee and Lazada?
Shopify or EasyStore?
Researched and written by
Wei Chun
Founder & Editor
How this stays free: some links on this page are affiliate links, and we may earn a commission if you sign up through one, at no extra cost to you. This is a research based assessment, not a hands-on test yet, and we say so above. Our verdict is honest and never for sale. Full terms in our editorial policy and affiliate disclosure.