Short on time? Here’s the quick answer:
Shopify is the better platform if you’re serious about building a brand, growing through SEO, and scaling globally. Dukaan is only a fit if you’re starting a simple store in India and want something basic and fast with minimal features.
Choosing the right eCommerce platform can define how easily you launch, market, and grow your business.
If you’re weighing up Shopify vs Dukaan, you’re likely trying to decide between a robust, global system and a fast, India-focused alternative.
In this breakdown, we’ll walk you through all the major points: ease of use, pricing, design, SEO capabilities, scalability, and more — so you can make the smartest move for your business.
Overview: What are Shopify and Dukaan?
Let’s start with a quick breakdown of both platforms.
| Feature | Shopify | Dukaan |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2006 | 2020 |
| Origin | Canada | India |
| Focus | Global eCommerce | Fast store setup (India-centric) |
| Users | Over 4.8 million live stores | 2 million+ (claimed) |
| Pricing (start) | $29/month | $5/month (₹399) |
- Shopify is one of the most powerful eCommerce platforms globally. It supports everything from product pages and payments to international shipping and marketing automation.
- Dukaan began as a no-code tool for small Indian businesses to launch a basic store via WhatsApp. It’s developed rapidly, but it’s still quite limited when compared to Shopify.
Ease of Use and Setup
Both platforms aim to be beginner-friendly, but they approach simplicity differently.
Dukaan: Built for Speed
Dukaan was designed to help small retailers go digital fast. Within 30 minutes, you can launch a store with products, a basic theme, and Indian payment gateways.
- Minimal onboarding steps
- Works well on mobile
- Easy interface — ideal for non-tech users
However, this simplicity comes at a cost. The tools are shallow. You get just enough to start, but not enough to scale.
Shopify: Clean Interface, More Features
Shopify has a slightly steeper learning curve than Dukaan, but it’s still very manageable. The tradeoff? You get much deeper functionality once you’re inside the platform.
- Drag-and-drop builder for pages and products
- Full control over your domain, checkout, and settings
- 24/7 live chat and knowledge base to guide setup
If you’re serious about building a real brand, Shopify gives you more long-term flexibility — even if it takes an extra hour to set up.
Pricing Comparison (USD)
Pricing matters — especially when you’re just getting started. Here’s how Shopify and Dukaan stack up.
| Plan Tier | Shopify (USD) | Dukaan (USD Equivalent) |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $29/month | ~$5/month |
| Professional | $79/month | ~$20/month |
| Advanced | $299/month | ~$50/month |
- Shopify offers a 3-day free trial followed by a $1/month intro deal for 3 months on Basic.
- Dukaan offers a 7-day free trial, then pushes for an annual plan.
Value for money?
Shopify costs more — but includes advanced tools like:
- Built-in analytics
- Multi-language support
- Fraud analysis
- Inventory management
- App integrations
Dukaan is cheaper and simpler — ideal if your budget is tight and you’re focused on Indian buyers only.
Design & Customisation
This is one of the biggest differences between the two platforms.
Shopify: Hundreds of Themes + Full Code Access
Shopify has over 100 themes available (free and paid). Most are optimised for conversion, mobile responsiveness, and load speed.
- Free themes include “Dawn”, “Craft”, and “Refresh”
- Paid themes cost $150–$350 one-time
- Access to Liquid, HTML, CSS for custom tweaks
Dukaan: Basic Templates, No Deep Control
Dukaan provides pre-built templates, but you can’t change much. You’re stuck with the layout unless you’re on a high-tier plan — and even then, there are limitations.
- No real control over page structure
- Design limited to colour and image changes
- Not ideal for brand-heavy businesses
If you’re building a brand that people remember, Shopify gives you more freedom and tools to customise.
SEO Capabilities
If you’re building an online store and want organic traffic, SEO isn’t optional — it’s foundational.
Shopify: Full SEO Toolkit
Shopify gives you full control over your store’s search visibility.
- Edit meta titles and descriptions
- Customise image ALT tags
- Clean, indexable URLs
- Built-in sitemap.xml and robots.txt
- SEO-focused apps like Yoast, Plug in SEO, and Smart SEO
- You can even use Shopify App Detector to see what your competitors are using
Shopify also supports structured data, schema markup, canonical URLs, and integration with tools like Google Search Console.
Dukaan: Basic On-page SEO Only
Dukaan lets you edit meta tags and slugs, but that’s about it.
- No sitemap control
- No structured data
- No 301 redirect options
- No support for advanced SEO plugins
If SEO is part of your strategy, Dukaan will feel very limiting.
App Ecosystem and Integrations
Apps are what turn an average store into a powerhouse.
| Feature | Shopify | Dukaan |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Apps | 8,000+ | ~50 |
| Popular Apps | Klaviyo, Judge.me, Yotpo | Razorpay, Google Analytics |
| Reviews Integration | Multiple options | Only 1-2 basic plugins |
| Abandoned Cart Recovery | Full automation | Only via email (limited) |
Shopify’s app store is massive. You can integrate everything from email marketing to AI chatbots to upsells.
Dukaan’s integrations are improving, but still limited to Indian tools and some basic add-ons.
Scalability and Performance
If you plan to grow your store — traffic, products, and orders — the platform has to scale with you.
Shopify: Built to Scale Globally
- Supports international domains and currencies
- Enterprise version available (Shopify Plus)
- Easily handles large product catalogs (10,000+ SKUs)
- Fast load times globally via Shopify CDN
Thousands of high-growth brands use Shopify — including Gymshark, Allbirds, Heinz, and Kylie Cosmetics. That’s no accident.
Dukaan: Local Use, Local Limits
Dukaan is a great tool for micro-businesses or niche stores targeting Indian audiences. But it’s not built to scale globally.
- Limited server infrastructure outside India
- App limitations become bottlenecks quickly
- Payment options don’t support global currencies
If you plan to stay small and local — Dukaan works. But if you want growth — Shopify is more future-proof.
Payment Gateways and Currencies
| Feature | Shopify | Dukaan |
|---|---|---|
| Global Gateways | 100+ supported | Razorpay, Cashfree, PayU |
| Currency Support | Multi-currency | INR only (officially supported) |
| Shopify Payments | Yes (no extra fees) | Not available |
Shopify lets you accept payments in dozens of currencies. Dukaan is focused only on Indian payment providers.
Also, with Shopify Payments, you don’t need to set up third-party processors in most countries.
Support & Community
Support can be a game-changer when something breaks during launch or promotion.
Shopify
- 24/7 live chat and phone support
- Massive documentation library
- Developer forums
- Agency support ecosystem
- Partner network
Dukaan
- Email support only
- Telegram/WhatsApp community
- Limited documentation
You’ll find way more tutorials, YouTube walkthroughs, and expert freelancers for Shopify than Dukaan.
When Does Dukaan Make Sense?
Let’s be fair — Dukaan isn’t a bad platform. In fact, for certain situations, it works great.
- Small businesses in India that want a fast digital storefront
- No need for advanced design or global selling
- Minimal marketing needs beyond WhatsApp or Instagram
- Low monthly budget
It’s like a Shopify Lite — quick, simple, no-frills. But it hits a wall once you want to grow.
Why Shopify is Worth the Price
Even though Shopify costs more, it gives you:
- Full ownership of your store
- A professional-looking website
- Access to thousands of apps
- Marketing automation and analytics
- Scalable infrastructure
- Global reach
Plus, it has better support, better SEO control, and endless tools to increase conversions.
Final Verdict: Shopify vs Dukaan
| Criteria | Winner |
|---|---|
| Ease of Use | Dukaan |
| Customisation | Shopify |
| SEO Tools | Shopify |
| App Ecosystem | Shopify |
| Payment Options | Shopify |
| Pricing | Dukaan |
| Scalability | Shopify |
| Support | Shopify |
If you’re just starting out in India and want something basic, Dukaan is fine.
But if you’re serious about long-term brand building, traffic, automation, or global sales — Shopify is the clear winner.
Bonus Tool: Try Our Shopify App Detector
Curious what apps your competitors are using on their Shopify stores?
Use our Shopify App Detector to instantly find out what powers their product pages, reviews, upsells, SEO tools and more.
Perfect for reverse-engineering winning stores.
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