ClickFunnels vs Shopify
Last updated: 2026-07-11
ClickFunnels and Shopify are both for selling online, but with completely different approaches. ClickFunnels is a sales funnel builder — landing pages, order forms, upsells, and email marketing in one. Shopify is a dedicated e-commerce platform — storefront, payment processing, inventory, and shipping. ClickFunnels is for selling through funnels; Shopify is for running an online store.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | popular ClickFunnels | best Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $97/mo | $39/mo |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial | 3-day free trial, then $1/mo for 3 months |
| Best for | Marketers and course creators | E-commerce businesses of all sizes |
| Free plan | ✗ | ✗ |
| Starting paid price | $97/mo (Launch), $197/mo (Scale), $297/mo (Optimize) | — |
| Funnel templates | 100+ pre-built funnels | — |
| Page builder | Drag-and-drop | — |
| Email marketing | Built-in (Actionetics on Pro) | — |
| CRM | Built-in | — |
| Course hosting | ✓ | — |
| Payment processing | Stripe, PayPal | Shopify Payments + 100+ gateways |
| Affiliate management | Backpack add-on | — |
| Support | Chat + email + community | 24/7 chat + email + phone |
| Starting price | — | $39/mo (Basic), $105/mo (Grow), $399/mo (Advanced) |
| Storefront builder | — | Drag-and-drop + Liquid |
| Inventory | — | Unlimited products |
| App store | — | 8,000+ apps |
| Themes | — | Free + paid (premium) |
| Abandoned cart | — | Standard plan+ |
| SSL + PCI | — | Included |
ClickFunnels Pros & Cons
Pros
- All-in-one platform — funnels, email, courses, CRM in one tool
- Pre-built funnel templates for every type of sales funnel
- No coding required — drag-and-drop page builder
- Built-in order forms and payment processing (Stripe, PayPal)
- Affiliate management system included (backpack add-on)
- Active community and extensive training resources
Cons
- Expensive — $97/mo for Launch plan, $197/mo for Scale, $297/mo for Optimize
- Page builder can be slow with complex funnels
- Limited blog functionality (not a replacement for WordPress)
- Email marketing features basic compared to dedicated platforms
- Steep learning curve for funnel strategy beginners
Shopify Pros & Cons
Pros
- All-in-one e-commerce — store, payments, shipping, marketing
- Shopify Payments — no need for third-party payment processor
- Massive app store (8,000+ apps) for extending functionality
- Excellent themes — free and paid (designed for conversion)
- Reliable and fast — hosted on Shopify's infrastructure
- Built-in SSL, security, and PCI compliance
Cons
- Transaction fees if not using Shopify Payments (0.5-2%)
- App costs add up — many essential features need paid apps
- Limited blog functionality (not a WordPress replacement)
- Customising themes requires Liquid (Shopify's templating language)
- Abandoned cart recovery only on Grow plan ($105/mo)+
Final Verdict
If you're selling a single product or a few products through sales funnels (courses, ebooks, coaching), ClickFunnels is the better tool — it's built for funnel marketing. If you're running a traditional online store with a catalogue of products, inventory management, and shipping, Shopify is the clear winner. For most e-commerce businesses, Shopify is the right choice. For marketers selling digital products, ClickFunnels.
Our pick: Shopify (online store) / ClickFunnels (sales funnels)
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I build an online store with ClickFunnels?
You can sell products through ClickFunnels funnels, but it's not a full e-commerce platform. It lacks inventory management, product variants, shipping calculations, and the storefront experience that Shopify provides. For a real online store, use Shopify.
Is ClickFunnels or Shopify cheaper?
Shopify starts at $39/mo. ClickFunnels starts at $97/mo. However, ClickFunnels includes email marketing, CRM, and course hosting — features that would require paid Shopify apps. Compare total costs, not just base price.
Can I use both ClickFunnels and Shopify?
Yes. Some businesses use Shopify for their main store and ClickFunnels for specific sales funnels (product launches, promotions). ClickFunnels integrates with Shopify via Stripe or PayPal. This gives you the best of both worlds but costs $136/mo minimum.
Ready to try?
Start with a free trial and see which tool fits your workflow.