open_bazaar vs Shopify
A short comparison for merchants weighing the two.
Where it runs
Shopify: Shopify’s cloud.
open_bazaar: Your own server.
Cost
Shopify: A monthly plan, plus a cut of every card payment.
open_bazaar: One license payment. No fees on sales.
Payments
Shopify: Cards through Shopify Payments. Crypto only through third-party apps.
open_bazaar: Monero, Bitcoin and other crypto, paid to your own wallet.
Customer accounts
Shopify: Email address required.
open_bazaar: An account number only.
Customer data
Shopify: Kept on Shopify’s servers.
open_bazaar: Deleted when the order closes.
Tracking
Shopify: Analytics and ad pixels on by default.
open_bazaar: None.
Apps
Shopify: Thousands of third-party apps with access to your store.
open_bazaar: None.
Closure
Shopify: Shopify can suspend your store.
open_bazaar: There is no account to suspend. You hold the code and the data.