📦

Shopify

📦

Sanity

Shopify vs Sanity

Shopify vs Sanity: which is right for your project? Shopify is leading hosted e-commerce platform. Sanity is real-time collaborative headless cms with customizable studio. We compare features, performance, and pricing.

Start Migration

TL;DR — Our Recommendation

It depends — Shopify and Sanity serve different use cases well. Choose Shopify for E-commerce businesses of any size that want a managed, reliable store. Choose Sanity for Developer-led teams wanting maximum flexibility in content modeling and editing experience.

Official docs: Shopify Developer Docs · Sanity Documentation

Feature by Feature Comparison

Feature	Shopify	Sanity
Ease of Use	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐
Performance	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Flexibility	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cost Value	⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐
Scalability	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ecosystem	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐

Pros & Cons

Shopify

Pros

Complete e-commerce solution — payments, shipping, inventory
Largest app ecosystem (8,000+ apps) for any e-commerce need
Handles Black Friday-level traffic without configuration
Shopify Payments eliminates third-party gateway complexity

Cons

Transaction fees on non-Shopify Payments orders
Liquid templating language is proprietary and limited
Content management beyond products is very basic
Monthly costs escalate with apps and higher plans

Sanity

Pros

GROQ query language is more powerful and flexible than GraphQL
Real-time collaborative editing (like Google Docs)
Fully customizable React-based Studio admin panel
Portable Text format gives structured rich text (not raw HTML)

Cons

GROQ is a custom query language with its own learning curve
Studio customization requires React development knowledge
Per-user pricing gets expensive for large editorial teams
Steeper setup curve than GUI-first headless CMS options

Platform Details

Detail	Shopify	Sanity
Language / Stack	Liquid (templating) / Proprietary	JavaScript/TypeScript (React-based Studio)
Type	ecommerce	headless cms
Pricing	$39-399/month	Free / $15+/month per user
Open Source	No	Yes
Best For	E-commerce businesses of any size that want a managed, reliable store	Developer-led teams wanting maximum flexibility in content modeling and editing experience
Export Method	CSV export or Admin API (GraphQL/REST)	GROQ API, GraphQL API, or Sanity CLI export

When to Choose Each Platform

Choose Shopify if…

You need e-commerce businesses of any size that want a managed, reliable store
Your team is comfortable with Liquid (templating) / Proprietary
You want a low learning curve for non-technical team members

Choose Sanity if…

You need developer-led teams wanting maximum flexibility in content modeling and editing experience
Your team is comfortable with JavaScript/TypeScript (React-based Studio)
You want an open-source solution with full code ownership

Which Should You Pick?

The right choice between Shopify and Sanity depends on three things: your team's technical skills, your project timeline, and your long-term content strategy.

These platforms take fundamentally different approaches. Shopify is a ecommerce built with Liquid (templating) / Proprietary, while Sanity is a headless cms built with JavaScript/TypeScript (React-based Studio). That architectural difference shapes everything from daily content editing workflows to deployment and hosting costs. Both platforms require some technical comfort — consider which tech stack aligns better with your team's existing skills.

From a cost perspective, Sanity is open-source (Free / $15+/month per user), while Shopify ($39-399/month) carries ongoing license costs. Factor in plugin or extension costs, developer rates for each tech stack, and whether you need managed hosting or can self-host.

Whichever you choose, migrating between them is straightforward. LeaveWP supports migration between 60+ platforms, so you're never locked in regardless of which you pick today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Shopify better than Sanity?

They're closely matched (23/30 vs 24/30). Shopify is best for E-commerce businesses of any size that want a managed, reliable store, while Sanity excels for Developer-led teams wanting maximum flexibility in content modeling and editing experience. Your choice should depend on your team's skills and project requirements.

Can I migrate from Shopify to Sanity?

Yes. Export your Shopify content via CSV export or Admin API (GraphQL/REST), then import it into Sanity. LeaveWP can help automate this process while preserving your SEO metadata and URL structure.

What are the main differences between Shopify and Sanity?

Shopify is leading hosted e-commerce platform, while Sanity is real-time collaborative headless cms with customizable studio. Key differences: ease of use (Shopify: 4/5, Sanity: 3/5), pricing ($39-399/month vs Free / $15+/month per user), and ecosystem size (Shopify: 5/5, Sanity: 3/5).

How much does Shopify cost compared to Sanity?

Shopify: $39-399/month. Sanity: Free / $15+/month per user. Sanity is open-source and free to self-host, while Shopify is a paid platform.

Which is easier to learn, Shopify or Sanity?

Shopify is easier to pick up (4/5 vs 3/5). Complete e-commerce solution — payments, shipping, inventory. Sanity GROQ is a custom query language with its own learning curve.

Which performs better, Shopify or Sanity?

Sanity has the performance edge (5/5 vs 4/5). Sanity has strong performance characteristics. Shopify may require additional optimization for high-traffic sites.

Related Comparisons

Explore more comparisons featuring Shopify or Sanity

SanityvsContentful

Compare Sanity and Contentful headless CMS platforms. See which is best for your content needs.

WordPressvsShopify

WordPress vs Shopify: which is right for your project? WordPress is php-based cms powering 43% of the web. Shopify is leading hosted e-commerce platform. We compare features, performance, and pricing.

WordPressvsSanity

WordPress vs Sanity: which is right for your project? WordPress is php-based cms powering 43% of the web. Sanity is real-time collaborative headless cms with customizable studio. We compare features, performance, and pricing.

DrupalvsShopify

Drupal vs Shopify: which is right for your project? Drupal is enterprise php cms for complex content architectures. Shopify is leading hosted e-commerce platform. We compare features, performance, and pricing.

DrupalvsSanity

Drupal vs Sanity: which is right for your project? Drupal is enterprise php cms for complex content architectures. Sanity is real-time collaborative headless cms with customizable studio. We compare features, performance, and pricing.

JoomlavsShopify

Joomla vs Shopify: which is right for your project? Joomla is php cms balancing power and usability. Shopify is leading hosted e-commerce platform. We compare features, performance, and pricing.

View all comparisons