# Shopify, what it is and how websites use it.

One of the largest cloud-based e-commerce platforms in the world. Offers a complete online selling solution including hosting, payment gateway, and hundreds of apps from its own marketplace.

- **Status:** Modern. Actively developed with its own Hydrogen framework (React) for headless commerce and the Liquid templating system.
- **Category:** [E-commerce Platforms](https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce)
- **First release:** 2006
- **License:** Proprietary
- **Official website:** https://www.shopify.com
- **Documentation:** https://shopify.dev/docs
- **GitHub:** https://github.com/Shopify
- **Page:** https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce/shopify

## Shopify on audited websites

248 of the 16,845 websites audited by be1st run Shopify (1.5%). That ranks it #2 of the 12 technologies in E-commerce Platforms we have seen in audits.

### Websites running Shopify vs all websites

- **Web score:** 66 (all websites 72)
- **SEO:** 75 (all websites 79)
- **Security:** 64 (all websites 59)
- **Performance:** 44 (all websites 72)
- **AI Readiness:** 39 (all websites 31)

### Most used in E-commerce Platforms

1. [Shoptet](https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce/shoptet): 1.6% (273)
2. [Shopify](https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce/shopify): 1.5% (248)
3. [WooCommerce](https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce/woocommerce): 1.4% (239)
4. [Eshop-rychle.cz](https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce/eshop-rychle): 1.1% (187)
5. [PrestaShop](https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce/prestashop): 1.0% (169)
6. [BiznisWeb.sk](https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce/biznisweb): <1% (162)
7. [Magento (Adobe Commerce)](https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce/magento): <1% (100)
8. [OpenCart](https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce/opencart): <1% (95)
9. [Upgates](https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce/upgates): <1% (45)
10. [Shoper](https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce/shoper): <1% (43)

## Google searches for “shopify”

About 5,000,000 searches a month worldwide (Google Ads estimate). The bars show the 12 months from Oct 2025 to Sep 2026.

- 2025-10: 5,000,000
- 2025-11: 5,000,000
- 2025-12: 5,000,000
- 2026-01: 5,000,000
- 2026-02: 5,000,000
- 2026-03: 5,000,000
- 2026-04: 5,000,000
- 2026-05: 5,000,000
- 2026-06: 5,000,000
- 2026-07: 5,000,000
- 2026-08: 5,000,000
- 2026-09: 5,000,000

Open in search trends: https://be1st.ai/analytics/trends?kw=shopify&direction=all

## Other technologies in E-commerce Platforms

- [Packeta](https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce/packeta): 1.1% of websites
- [Medusa.js](https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce/medusa-js): <1% of websites
- [Webareal](https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce/webareal): <1% of websites
- [Stripe (e-commerce toolkit)](https://be1st.ai/technologies/payment/stripe)

[All 14 in E-commerce Platforms](https://be1st.ai/technologies/ecommerce)

## Questions about Shopify

### What is Shopify?

One of the largest cloud-based e-commerce platforms in the world. Offers a complete online selling solution including hosting, payment gateway, and hundreds of apps from its own marketplace. The be1st catalog lists Shopify under E-commerce Platforms. License of Shopify: Proprietary.

### How many websites use Shopify?

248 of the 16,845 websites audited by be1st run Shopify (1.5%), as of 8 Nov 2026.

### When was Shopify first released?

Shopify was first released in 2006.

### Is Shopify still a modern choice?

Yes. Shopify counts as a modern technology. Actively developed with its own Hydrogen framework (React) for headless commerce and the Liquid templating system.

### What are the alternatives to Shopify?

Technologies that do the same job as Shopify include Shoptet, WooCommerce, PrestaShop, Magento (Adobe Commerce), and OpenCart.

Numbers: latest audit of each of 16,845 websites audited by be1st, as of 8 Nov 2026.