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V-Copter Falcon Mini: one-minute review

From ZeroZero Robotics, the drone company responsible for the impressive HoverAir X1 Pro and ProMax selfie drones, comes another interesting model: the V-Copter Falcon Mini. This is a sub-250g version of the V-Copter Falcon, which was released in 2020 and weighed 26.8oz / 760g. The original Falcon was admired for its unique design, and gained a cult following, but it never quite made it into the mainstream.

With the launch of the more regulator-friendly sub-250g Falcon Mini, with availability on Amazon on the horizon, it looks like this new model has greater potential than its predecessor. You may be wondering what makes these drones interesting, and it’s the simple fact that they’re bi-copters rather than quadcopters, so they only have two motors and two sets of rotors, rather than the standard four.

The advantage here is that the Falcon Mini is extremely agile and quiet compared to standard quadcopters. You can even install the propellers upside down to fly the drone upside down in Reverse Flight mode, which is a bit gimmicky, but is possible due to the rotors having tilt mechanisms that help to keep the drone steady in a hover and during flight.

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This is a drone that’s more about flight than image capture, in my opinion. Sure, the Falcon Mini has a camera, and can capture up to 4K 30fps video and shoot 12MP JPEGs, but the camera is completely automatic. With no manual control, not even exposure adjustments, you're beholden to how the camera’s light meter responds to what’s in front of it. So, nipping around upright and in Reverse Flight mode are the order of the day.

(Image credit: James Abbott)V-Copter Falcon Mini: price and release date

• Available at Amazon US by the end of February 2026
• European launch by the end of March 2026
• Standard kit and Fly More Combo available

The Falcon Mini will officially launch at the end of February 2026, after a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo raised $519,461 from 1,338 backers. The drone will be available at Amazon US at this time, with two kits available: Standard and the Fly More Combo.

The Standard kit will cost $379 in the US, while ZeroZero Robotics says the European launch will follow by the end of March, with a retail price of £379. The Fly More Combo will cost $399 / £399, respectively.

The Standard kit is the single-battery option, while the Fly More Combo includes a couple of extra batteries, a two-battery charging hub and a carry bag. This option, as with all drones, is going to be the best option for most people because of value, and the simple fact that more batteries increase flight times.

I'll update this page with links for purchase once the product is available to buy.

• Price score: 3/5

V-Copter Falcon Mini: specsV-Copter Falcon Mini specs

Camera:

12MP 1/2.3-inch CMOS

Video resolution:

4K

Frame rates:

4K 30fps / 2.7K up to 50fps / 1080p 50fps

Video transmission range:

Up to 1.5 miles

Flight modes:

Normal, Sport, Turbo

Battery:

2330mAh; up to 34 minutes flight time

Charger type:

USB-C / battery charging hub

Weight:

8.78oz / 249g

Dimensions:

Folded: 7.24 x 3.74 x 2.36 inches / 183.9 x 95 x 59.9mm

Unfolded 5.91 x 8.98 x 5.12 inches / 150.1 x 228.1 x 130mm

V-Copter Falcon Mini: Design

• Unique bi-copter design
• Folding propeller arms
• Tilting rotors

The one thing you cannot get away from is the Falcon Mini's unique design: it’s a bi-copter rather than a quadcopter, like we’re used to. Not only does this drastically change the way the drone looks, but it also makes the Falcon Mini surprisingly quiet in flight when compared to quadcopters. To compensate for having just two rotors, there are proprietary tilt-rotor controls and twin servo motors that precisely adjust the angles of the propellers to create balance and stability during flight. These also allow for fast acceleration by tilting the propellers.

Moving back to the basic design, as the name suggests, the V-Copter Falcon Mini creates a unique V shape in the sky. At certain angles, only having two propeller arms makes it tricky to see in the sky because it's such a compact drone.

Folded, the Falcon Mini is just 7.24 x 3.74 x 2.36 inches / 183.9 x 95 x 59.9mm, and it extends to 5.91 x 8.98 x 5.12 inches / 150.1 x 228.1 x 130mm when unfolded, with a weight of 8.78oz / 249g. You can buy the Falcon Mini in two colors: Matte Black and Canary Yellow.

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If you opt for the Fly More Combo you’ll benefit from a two-battery charging hub. This is, of course, much quicker for charging batteries than doing it individually in the drone. However, it’s strange that ZeroZero opted for just two battery slots when the Fly More Combo includes three batteries.

ZeroZero claims that the 2330mAh batteries provide up to 34 minutes of flight time, but during testing this was much shorter in real-world flying conditions. Flight times were around 20 minutes until batteries reached 20% and indicated that performance had been limited, and that the drone should be landed. Battery testing took place on a mild winter day in temperatures of around 50F / 10C, so battery life should improve slightly during warmer months, although I can't see that it would ever reach 34 minutes.

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The controller is simply designed and looks quite minimalist, although you have all the direct-access controls you need, including standard control sticks, a Return to Home/Stop button, a flight mode button, a photo button and a video button.

The phone holder folds back and stows away alongside the control sticks, and it’s rotated over to the front to hold your phone above the control sticks for use. With the vertical mode switched on, rotating your phone to portrait orientation sets the Falcon Mini to capture upright photos and videos.

• Design score: 4/5

V-Copter Falcon Mini: Features and performance

• Three flight speeds
• Reverse flight (upside-down)
• Agile flight

The Falcon Mini flies just like a standard quadcopter, although it’s considerably quieter. ZeroZero claims that it’s 50% quieter than a quadcopter, which makes sense since it has 50% the propellers and motors. Noise has been measured to be 62 decibels at two meters by ZeroZero, and it’s fair to say that the drone is noticeably quieter than the many quadcopters I've flown.

Flight, as previously mentioned, doesn’t feel dramatically different to a quadcopter despite only having two rotors. To compensate for less motors, the rotors tilt forward to boost airflow and generate thrust, with each rotor moving independently to allow for sharper turns. This, combined with the tilting rotors, does mean that the Falcon Mini can accelerate quickly when in its faster flight modes.

Normal mode allows for speeds of up to 8.9mph, Sport up to 26.8mph and Turbo up to 35.8mph. Sport is the mode that you’ll probably use the most, since it’s like Normal on other drones. Normal and Sport are accessed using a button on the controller, while Turbo is accessed via the V-Copter app. This option sits alongside Orbit and Zoom Out automated flight modes and the Reverse Flight Mode. Reverse Flight enables you to fly the Falcon Mini upside down, where it looks like it’s skating in mid-air rather than simply flying.

To do this, you have to refit the propellers upside down and use the Reverse Flight Kit, which is a plastic bracket that locks the propeller arms in their extended/unfolded position. Reverse Flight makes the drone even more agile in some respects, and with the propellers facing down you have to use hand take-offs and landings, which isn’t as bad as it sounds because you can grab the drone's airframe with your fingers, well away from the propellers.

For Reverse Flight, you’ll definitely need to be outside in an open area to reduce the risk of crashing. When you’re indoors, due to the lack of GPS signal the Falcon Mini goes into an indoor flight mode, in which the drone flies slower and is less responsive. It’s useful, but this isn’t the type of drone you’d typically want to fly indoors, unlike the HoverAir X1 Pro/ProMax with their built-in propeller guards.

Video transmission is 1.5 miles, which suggests the signal isn’t as strong as drones that offer transmission over six miles or more. What I did find during testing is that even when flying the Falcon Mini just a few hundred meters away from me in open space, I did occasionally receive low-signal warnings, and there was sometimes a lag in the camera view on the app screen.

Flight seems to be where the Falcon Mini Excels, thanks to its fast acceleration and agility. Plus, let’s not forget Reverse Flight, which is a bit of a gimmick, but it is unique and takes advantage of the drone’s innovative design. For me, this drone is about as fun as you can get with a camera drone in terms of flight, before you have to move on to FPV drones like the DJI Avata 2 to enjoy the most thrilling flights.

• Performance score: 4/5

V-Copter Falcon Mini: Image and video quality

• Fully automatic camera
• Up to 4K 30fps video
• Photos captured in JPEG only

(Image credit: James Abbott)

The Falcon Mini certainly sits within the camera drone category, and surprisingly comes with an extremely basic camera; this is what makes me think that this is a drone designed more for fun and flying than it is for image creation. The camera features a 12MP 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor, which appears to be the same spec as the original V-Copter, but it could be a different, newer sensor.

This can capture video in 4K at 30fps, 2.7K up to 50fps and 1080p at 50fps, while vertical video is captured in 2.7K at 30fps. Photos can only be captured in JPEG format, which is a shame because raw files provide more editing flexibility. You capture photos in landscape and portrait format.

V-Copter Falcon Mini video

The camera is fully automatic – you just aim the camera and shoot – so it’s easy to use, but this does mean you have no control over exposure at all. It’s best to shoot with the sun behind the drone to avoid overexposure or underexposure, which does limit creativity somewhat.

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Vertical shooting can be initiated by rotating the camera holder on the controller to portrait orientation. This is cropped vertical rather than natively captured vertical, as on the DJI Mini 5 Pro, but it’s still useful for capturing social media-ready footage. You simply have to activate the feature in the app menu, and it appears to use your phone’s accelerometer rather than the position of the phone holder.

Despite having only 50% of the rotors of ‘standard’ camera drones, the Falcon Mini’s 3-axis mechanical gimbal keeps footage smooth and lets you adjust the camera's angle depending on what you’re shooting, as with most drones.

There’s also a Night Mode for shooting at Night which, in a nutshell, optimizes the automatic camera for night capture. It works well, and I found most photos and videos captured at night to be satisfactory, but you can see heavy image processing in both cases, and the results are far from professional quality.

• Image and video quality score: 3/5

V-Copter Falcon Mini: testing scorecardDJI Mini 5 Pro

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Price

The drone isn't expensive, but it should be cheaper than the direct competition.

3/5

Design

The design is undoubtedly unique, and works surprisingly well.

4/5

Performance

The Falcon Mini Flies well, and has the Reverse Flight mode trick up its sleeve.

4/5

Image and video quality

Image quality and camera functionality are what let this fun-to-fly drone down.

3/5

Should I buy the V-Copter Falcon Mini?Buy it if...

You'd like fun-to-fly drone
The Falcon mini is more about fun flight than it is for quality image capture – if you like to smile as you fly, this is about as fun as you can have outside of FPV drones.

You don’t need the best image capture
If you’d like a camera that can capture 4K video and photos with a fully automatic and worry-free camera, that's what you get with the Falcon Mini.

You want to turn heads
Being a bi-copter alone is enough to turn heads, but you’ll definitely do it with Reverse Flight, which enables you to fly upside down.

Don't buy it if...

You’d like obstacle avoidance
The Falcon Mini, like most sub-250g drones, doesn’t offer obstacle avoidance, so you have to take greater care when flying close to obstacles.

You want great image quality
If you're looking for the best image quality currently available in a sub-250g camera drone, the DJI Mini 5 Pro is your best bet by a long shot.

You'd prefer more features
The Falcon Mini is unique in its design and can even be flown upside down, but beyond this, its features are basic compared to those of some other mini drones.

V-Copter Falcon Mini: also consider

DJI Neo 2

The DJI Neo 2 is a selfie drone that can also be flown like a camera drone and an FPV drone with the required accessories. It offers obstacle avoidance, which is useful when flying the Neo like a camera drone or as a selfie drone. Video can be captured up to 4K, while photos can be captured in JPEG format, all for an impressively affordable price.

See our DJI Neo 2 reviewView Deal

DJI Mini 5 Pro

If you’d like a camera drone that's the best sub-250g model available, the DJI Mini 5 Pro is what you’re looking for. This impressive drone features a rotating camera with a 1-inch sensor and impressive image quality and features. This is a drone that’s perfect for beginners and professionals alike, thanks to its great image quality, safety features, build quality and more.

See our DJI Mini 5 Pro reviewView Deal

(Image credit: James Abbott)How I tested the V-Copter Falcon Mini

• I tested the drone over a period of several weeks
• I tested all of its features, including image and video capture
• I assessed flight performance in its various modes

I tested the V-Copter Falcon Mini over several weeks, trying out all of the features and functionality, including Reverse Flight (upside-down flight). The drone was used in the same way as other camera drones to assess both flight performance and camera performance. The Falcon Mini was flown through a range of maneuvers to see how smooth and stable flight is with just two sets of rotors.

• First reviewed: January 2026
• Read more about how we test

The V-Copter Falcon Mini is a unique and innovative bi-copter drone — but while fight is a lot of fun, the camera is far from the best I’ve seen.

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Shopify is one of the most dominant ecommerce platforms globally, powering millions of online stores. The platform has evolved significantly in 2026 with its AI design tools and a revamped pricing structure.

We rigorously test the best ecommerce platforms across many criteria. All together, our reviewers have hands-on experience with more than 80 of the best website builders.

Read my full Shopify review to see why I still rate it as the best website builder for online stores.

Shopify pricing and plans

Shopify's pricing strikes me as reasonable for what you get, though the value proposition varies significantly across tiers. I appreciate the 25% discount when paying annually, but the jump between plans feels steep. Transaction fees on third-party payment processors can also eat into margins, especially on the lower tiers.

Plan

$/mo (paid monthly)

$/mo (paid annually)

Basic

$39

$29

Grow

$105

$79

Advanced

$399

$299

Plus

$2,300+

$2,300+

Pricing last verified: 13/02/2026

Shopify plans: Explained

Best for solo entrepreneurs
Starting at: $29/mo

The Basic plan gives you everything needed to launch your first store . You get 10 inventory locations, 24/7 chat support, and up to 77% shipping discounts .

However, you won't get any staff accounts, which surprised me.​View Deal

Best for small teams
Starting at: $79/mo

I found the Grow plan offers the sweet spot for growing businesses. You get 5 staff accounts, better transaction rates (2.7% + 30¢), and enhanced shipping discounts up to 88%.

The lower transaction fees on third-party processors (1% vs 2%) make a real difference.​View Deal

Best for scaling operations
Starting at $299/mo

The Advanced plan targets businesses hitting capacity limits on Grow. You get 15 staff accounts, 10x checkout capacity, and third-party calculated shipping rates.

The price jump feels justified only when you're consistently bumping against Grow's limitations.​View Deal

Best for enterprise businesses
Starting at $2,300+/mo

Shopify Plus starts at $2,300/month on a 3-year commitment . You get 200 inventory locations, unlimited staff accounts, fully customizable checkout, and B2B capabilities.

I'd only recommend this for businesses exceeding $5 million in monthly revenue.​View Deal

Getting started with Shopify: Reviewer's experience

Step 1: Onboarding

You can pick from an email, Google, Apple, or Facebook login. (Image credit: Shopify)

Creating my Shopify account took less than two minutes. I entered my email, created a password, and chose a store name. This launched a Setup guide that guided me through initial configurations.

It asked about my business goals upfront, which helped tailor subsequent recommendations.​

Step 2: Store dashboard

Shopify's dashboard utilizes plenty of white space, making it simple to navigate. (Image credit: Shopify)

Everything felt logically organized with clear navigation paths in the dashboard. The left sidebar grouped related functions together, with options like Products, Orders, Customers, and Analytics.

I never felt lost during my testing, which speaks volumes about the interface design.​

Step 3: Adding products

Uploading products is a breeze. For bulk uploading you can use a CSV file, saving you a bunch of time. (Image credit: Shopify)

Setting up my first product took about five minutes.

The product creation form included all necessary fields with tooltips explaining each option. I could add multiple images, set inventory levels, and configure variants among other things.

Step 4: Themes, design, and customization

Shopify comes with plenty of free themes, but serious stores may want to opt for a paid theme to get that premium look. These cost in the region of $140 to $500. (Image credit: Shopify)

Choosing and customizing a theme was straightforward because I wasn't looking to build anything fancy. Shopify's Theme Store offers both free and premium options.

I selected the free Horizon theme and launched into the theme editor. It let me rearrange sections, change colors, and upload my logo without touching code.​

Step 5: AI content generator

Shopify's AI helper 'Sidekick' can help you create new pages and content with just a short prompt. (Image credit: Shopify)

Then, I tested the AI layout builder by describing a product page I wanted. Within seconds, Shopify generated a complete layout that I could customize further. The AI content generator helped me draft product descriptions quickly, though the output needed refining.​

Shopify's business tools

Shopify offers the following business tools:

• Point of Sale (POS) system​
• Inventory management and tracking​
• Order processing and fulfilment​
• Payment processing via Shopify Payments​
• Multi-location warehouse management​
• Tax and duty calculator

Shopify's business toolkit is vast yet practical. I found most essentials built right in, but for everything that isn't, you have third-party apps.​

Read more about Shopify's business tools ▼

Point Of Sale (POS) system

Shopify makes it easy to integrate online and in person sales with its POS system. (Image credit: Shopify)

Setting up Shopify POS on an iPad takes about 10 minutes.

According to Shopify, POS sales grew 31% year-over-year globally over the most recent Black Friday, leading to the platform launching a host of new POS features in early 2025.

The interface syncs up with your online inventory, centralizing all data. However, the POS Lite plan feels limited. You don't get detailed reports or staff permissions. POS Pro costs $89/month per location.

Inventory management

Inventory management is crucial to online store success, especially for those with multiple locations or a large volume of products. Shopify's built in inventory management tool can help with this. (Image credit: Shopify)

The inventory system tracks stock across multiple locations in real-time. I could monitor 10 locations on the Basic plan, which seems generous. The interface shows stock levels clearly with color-coded alerts.​

If I sold a product through POS, my online storefront would update instantly. However, advanced forecasting requires either the Stocky app or third-party solutions.​

Order processing and fulfilment

Order processing is straight forward on Shopify, reducing potential stress and saving time on fulfilment. (Image credit: Shopify)

Processing felt snappy throughout my testing. Shopify’s dashboard displays orders chronologically with clear status indicators. I could fulfill orders, print shipping labels, and send tracking info without leaving the platform.​

Shopify's pre-negotiated carrier rates claim it saves up to 77% on shipping. Label printing works smoothly with both desktop and mobile. But carrier-calculated rates at checkout cost extra on Basic.​

One downside to Shopify's order management is the limited ability it offers when it comes to editing orders. For example, if a customer asks to swap products after the order has been placed, change their payment method, or edit a 'fulfilled' order, you cannot. Often this means orders need to be cancelled and placed again, adding unneeded work to often busy online store owners plates.

Shopify Payments

Alongside its own dedicated Shopify Payments option, you can pick from over 100 payment providers, helping you offer customers easier ways to pay. (Image credit: Shopify)

Setting up Shopify Payments took less than five minutes. It supports credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Shop Pay.

I'd recommend sticking with Shopify Payments unless you have specific needs.​ Transaction fees are competitive: 2.9% + 30¢ on Basic. But using third-party processors adds 2% extra, which quickly eats profits.

Multi-location warehouse management

Businesses with multiple locations can benefit from this dedicated tool, helping better manage stock and reduce friction. (Image credit: Shopify)

I set up three test warehouses and assigned inventory to each.

Shopify automatically routes orders to optimal locations based on proximity.​ Stock transfers between locations happen through a simple interface. However, automated transfer recommendations require third-party apps.

Tax and duty calculator

For online stores managing tax is dull, time consuming, but essential. This tool can take a lot of the leg work, minimizing the time you spend on calculating tax. (Image credit: Shopify)

Shopify's tax calculator now works across all plans. I tested international orders and found the duty calculations accurate. The system displays full costs at checkout, preventing surprise fees for customers.​

One caveat: Shopify charges a 0.5% transaction fee when duties are calculated. You'll also need duty-prepaid labels from third parties to avoid double-charging customers.​

Shopify's marketing tools

Shopify offers the following marketing tools:

• Email marketing via Shopify Email​
• Abandoned cart recovery​
• SEO optimization tools​
• Social media integration​
• Discount and coupon creation​
• Marketing automation with Shopify Flow​
• Analytics and reporting

Shopify's marketing features cover the basics well. I appreciated the email, workflow automation, and SEO tools. But advanced automation requires add-ons, which was a bit disappointing.​

Read more about Shopify's marketing tools ▼

Shopify Email

Built in email marketing can help you re-engage potential customers, bringing them back to your site and driving sales. (Image credit: Shopify)

Shopify Email integrates into your admin panel. I created my first campaign in 15 minutes using pre-built templates. The editor lets you drag product images straight from your catalog.​

You get 10,000 free emails monthly, which helps small businesses. Beyond that, it's $1 per 1,000 emails sent. The segmentation options felt basic compared to Klaviyo, but adequate for simple campaigns.​ ​

Abandoned cart recovery

Abandoned carts offer a prime opportunity to close a sale. (Image credit: Shopify)

Abandoned cart emails work automatically once enabled.

I set mine to send 10 hours after checkout abandonment. The system includes the cart contents and a direct checkout link.​ Setup took less than five minutes. I also liked how Shopify checks for email consent before sending to avoid compliance issues.

SEO tools

Optimizing your site and product pages for search engines is essential in helping customers find you, but can also take up a lot of time. Shopify's built in SEO tools can help speed this process up. (Image credit: Shopify)

The built-in SEO features cover fundamentals well. I could edit meta titles, descriptions, and URLs for each product. It also generates a sitemap automatically and submits it to Google.​

However, I noticed some limitations during testing. URL structures aren't fully customizable, which bothered me. Duplicate content issues can occur with product variants.​ Blog functionality also feels basic. Advanced SEO work requires apps like Booster SEO or TinyIMG.​

Social media integration

Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram help you sell your products in spaces where your customers are already active. Shopify lets you easily sell via these on one central platform. (Image credit: Shopify)

Connecting Facebook and Instagram took about three minutes. I synced my product catalog and created shoppable posts directly from Shopify.

Orders from social platforms flow into the same dashboard as web orders.​ The integration supports TikTok, Pinterest, and YouTube Shopping too. But what I missed was native social media scheduling.

Discount and coupon creation

Discounts and coupons can drastically increase sales. However, monitoring and managing them can be tricky. This is where Shopify's dedicated discount tool comes in handy. (Image credit: Shopify)

Creating discounts felt straightforward throughout my testing. I set up percentage discounts, fixed amounts, free shipping, and buy-one-get-one offers. The interface also lets you set start/end dates and usage limits.​

You can also create unique codes for specific customers or campaigns. But advanced features like tiered discounts require apps. The native system handles basics well but won't satisfy complex promotional strategies.​

Shopify Flow

Shopify Flow takes some time to set up and master, but can automate many repetitive tasks, saving considerable resources in the long run. (Image credit: Shopify)

Shopify Flow was a pleasant surprise for a native automation tool.

I created workflows that trigger based on inventory levels, customer tags, and order values. I set up a workflow that notified me via Slack when inventory dropped below 20 units. It then automatically drafted a purchase order and offered to email my supplier. However, mastering it requires time.

Analytics and reporting

Shopify's analytics give excellent insight into what is and isn't working. Use the data here to shape your strategy for products, marketing, and website improvements. (Image credit: Shopify)

The analytics dashboard provides a clear sales overview.

I could track revenue, traffic sources, and customer behavior at a glance. The real-time data updates helped me make quick decisions during testing.​ Basic reporting felt adequate, but advanced reports like customer cohorts and forecasting lock behind higher tiers.

Reviewer's experience: Shopify support

Shopify support is comprehensive, but can be a little slow. Our testing found support agents to be knowledgeable enough to answer basic questions, although help for more advanced issues needed to be escalated. (Image credit: Shopify)

Shopify offers 24/7 support via live chat across all plans. Phone support is reserved for Shopify Plus customers. Email responses typically take 2-4 days.​

I tested the live chat during my review. The initial wait time was about 14 minutes, despite a 5-minute estimate. Once connected, the agent was polite and helpful, though responses felt somewhat scripted. They resolved my basic question about inventory management but couldn't address a more technical theme-related issue without escalation.​

That said, user opinion on support is decidedly mixed.

On Capterra, Shopify scores 4.5/5 from over 6,500 reviews, with many praising ease of use. G2 shows a similar 4.4/5 rating from nearly 4,500 business users. However, Trustpilot tells a different story with a 1.3/5 rating from over 4,000 reviews.

Common complaints include billing disputes, payment holds, and difficulty reaching knowledgeable support staff. Reddit users frequently mention that support quality has declined, with offshore teams providing inconsistent answers and reluctance to escalate issues.​

Test results: Shopify

Attribute

Notes

Rating

Value for money

Solid pricing for what you get, but app costs add up quickly. Third-party payment fees hurt margins. Similar entry-level price to other website builder ecommerce plans.

★★★★☆

Ease of use

Intuitive dashboard and setup process. Minimal learning curve for beginners.

★★★★★

Design

Professional themes with decent customization. Limited free options require premium purchases.

★★★★☆

Business tools

Comprehensive POS, inventory, and payment systems. Advanced features need higher plans.

★★★★☆

Marketing tools

Covers basics well but lacks depth. Advanced automation requires third-party solutions.

★★★☆☆

Support

24/7 chat available, but wait times vary. Quality inconsistent based on user feedback.

★★★☆☆

Competitor comparison: Shopify

Below we show you how Shopify compares to BigCommerce and Wix, two of its closest competitors:

Platform

Best for

Our overall rating

Free plan

Paid plans start at

Ease of use

Support

Shopify

Growing online stores

★★★★☆

Trial only

$29.00 USD/month

★★★★☆

Live chat, email, community

BigCommerce

Large product catalogs

★★★★☆

Trial only

$29.00 USD/month

★★★★☆

Live chat, phone, email

Wix

Beginners and hobbyists

★★★★½

Yes

$17.00 USD/month

★★★★★

Live chat, phone, tickets

You can read our Shopify vs BigCommerce comparison to learn more about how the two stack up. To see how it compares to Wix you can check out our Wix vs Shopify guide.

Other options can also be found in our guide to Shopify alternatives.

How we tested Shopify

I built multiple test stores on Shopify to evaluate every aspect of the platform. My hands-on testing covered setup speed, design flexibility, business tools, marketing capabilities, and support quality. I assessed how well Shopify performs for different user types, from solo entrepreneurs to scaling businesses.​

At TechRadar, we conduct thorough, real-world testing of every website builder we review. We build actual websites, test features extensively, and compare our findings against marketing claims.

You can read our full guide to how we test website builders to learn more.

Shopify review: FAQsIs Shopify good for beginners?

Yes, Shopify is accessible for beginners, though simpler platforms exist.

You get an intuitive dashboard, guided setup wizard, and drag-and-drop design tools. You don't need coding knowledge to launch a professional store. AI-powered features help generate layouts and content quickly.

However, costs can escalate as you add apps and upgrade plans.​

How much does Shopify really cost?

Shopify starts at $29/month when paid annually. However, total costs vary significantly based on your needs.

You'll face transaction fees (2.7% + 30¢ on Basic), app subscriptions, and potentially theme purchases. Third-party payment processors add extra 2% fees. Budget $50-150/month realistically for a functional store with essential apps.​

Can I sell on Shopify without inventory?

Yes, Shopify supports dropshipping and print-on-demand business models.

You can connect with suppliers through apps like DSers, Printful, or Spocket. Digital product sales work seamlessly too.

The platform handles order routing to suppliers automatically. This eliminates upfront inventory costs and storage concerns.​

Does Shopify take a percentage of sales?

Yes, if you use third-party payment processors, Shopify charges 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, and 0.6% on Advanced.

Using Shopify Payments eliminates these fees. Standard credit card rates apply: 2.9% + 30¢ on Basic, 2.7% + 30¢ on Grow, and 2.5% + 30¢ on Advanced. The duty calculator adds 0.5% when calculating international taxes.​

What are Shopify's biggest limitations?

Shopify's main limitations include limited free themes, restrictive URL structures, and plan-locked features. Basic plans restrict staff accounts severely. Advanced customization requires liquid coding knowledge.

Transaction fees on third-party processors hurt margins. App costs accumulate quickly, inflating monthly expenses beyond base subscription rates.​

Is Shopify good for agencies?

Yes, Shopify is one of the best website builders for agencies.

Its robust ecommerce platform offers a wide range of features and customization options, making it suitable for building and managing online stores for clients. Additionally, Shopify's partner program provides agencies with resources and tools to streamline client management and boost their businesses.

We're embarking on a whole new era for Formula One – and not just on track. Here's how to watch F1 on Apple TV in 2026.

Thanks to the RAM crisis, buying a new monitor is now one of the most affordable PC upgrades you can make – as these great deals prove.

Samsung has explained the clever QD-OLED Penta Tandem technology that means its 2026 OLEDs will be much brighter and last longer

Russia has completely blocked access to Telegram, WhatsApp, and YouTube. Citizens keep looking for ways around, but VPNs are also being targeted.

Under pressure over potential surveillance, Amazon's smart home division has backtracked on the partnership.

These are the Xbox controllers that I can personally recommend after my hands-on testing.

Commentary: A New York Times report reveals that discussions on the widespread use of facial recognition are underway.

The God of War trilogy remake is coming, and jumping into the Sons of Sparta 2D action game to see Kratos' real beginning brings a new perspective to the series.

GoDaddy's Agent Name Service and the ANS Registry and the world's first agentic AI trust layer.

A $13 soil sensor helped rescue some of my ailing houseplants. Here's how I used it.

A new 'next gen' update for Kingdom Come: Deliverance has been released, adding new feature for modern consoles.