Shopify Alternative for India: ARSAVO vs Shopify
Shopify is a strong product, but its pricing was not designed around Cash on Delivery, UPI and GST. This page lays out what Shopify costs an Indian store, where ARSAVO does things differently, and when Shopify is still the better choice.
The short version
- Shopify charges a monthly plan fee plus a 0.2% to 2% fee on every order paid through a third-party gateway.
- ARSAVO charges a flat monthly subscription and 0% commission on sales. COD verification on WhatsApp, UPI checkout and GST invoices are built in.
- ARSAVO is new. Private beta starts January 2027 with 15 founding merchants. Shopify is available today and has a far larger app and theme ecosystem.
What Shopify costs in India
Shopify's India plans, as listed on its pricing page:
| Plan | Monthly price | Third-party payment fee |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | ₹1,499 | 2% |
| Grow | ₹5,599 | 1% |
| Advanced | ₹22,680 | 0.6% |
| Plus | from ₹1,75,000 | 0.2% |
The third-party payment fee is charged by Shopify on orders paid through a gateway other than Shopify Payments. It comes on top of whatever your gateway (Razorpay, PayU, Cashfree and so on) charges. Check Shopify's current terms for which payment methods it applies to in your case.
What the fee adds up to
Shopify's third-party fee per month at different sales levels, before the plan price and gateway charges:
| Monthly online sales | Basic (2%) | Grow (1%) | Advanced (0.6%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ₹2,00,000 | ₹4,000 | ₹2,000 | ₹1,200 |
| ₹5,00,000 | ₹10,000 | ₹5,000 | ₹3,000 |
| ₹10,00,000 | ₹20,000 | ₹10,000 | ₹6,000 |
| ₹25,00,000 | ₹50,000 | ₹25,000 | ₹15,000 |
A store on Basic doing ₹5 lakh a month pays ₹10,000 in fees against a ₹1,499 plan. For most growing stores the percentage, not the plan price, is the real cost of the platform.
ARSAVO vs Shopify, feature by feature
| Area | ARSAVO | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Private beta from January 2027, 15 founding merchants | Available now, mature platform used worldwide |
| Platform fee on sales | 0%. Flat monthly subscription only | 0.2% to 2% on third-party gateway orders, by plan |
| COD order verification | Built in. Automatic WhatsApp confirmation of order and address before dispatch | Through third-party apps from the Shopify App Store, priced separately |
| UPI checkout | Built in, with deep links to UPI apps and optional prepaid discount | Through your payment gateway's checkout |
| GST invoices | Built in, with HSN codes and CGST/SGST/IGST split | GST tax rates supported; GST-format invoices typically need an app |
| Shipping | Shiprocket integration. Delhivery and Bluedart on the roadmap | Wide choice of courier and aggregator apps |
| In-store POS | Planned for 2027, free for founding merchants | Available now. POS Pro is ₹7,000 per month per location |
| Apps and themes | Small, focused feature set built for Indian sellers | Thousands of apps and themes |
| International selling | India-first | Multi-currency and multi-market tools |
When Shopify is the better choice
- You need to launch this month. ARSAVO's beta opens in January 2027.
- You sell mainly outside India and need multi-currency storefronts.
- You depend on a specific Shopify app or a heavily customised theme.
- You need in-store POS today.
When ARSAVO fits better
- Most of your orders are from India and a large share is Cash on Delivery.
- RTO is eating your margin and you want order verification without paying for another app. Work out what RTO costs you.
- You want a predictable monthly bill that does not grow with your sales.
- You sell on WhatsApp and Instagram as much as on your website. See how to sell on WhatsApp Business.
- You want to talk to the founder directly while the product is being shaped.
Moving from Shopify to ARSAVO
For the 15 founding merchants, the ARSAVO team migrates products, images, variants and customer lists from Shopify at no charge. You can keep your existing domain: point it to ARSAVO with a DNS change and SSL is issued automatically.
Frequently asked questions
Does ARSAVO charge any transaction fee?
No. ARSAVO charges a flat monthly subscription and takes 0% of your sales. Your payment gateway still charges its own processing fee, as it does on any platform.
How much does ARSAVO cost?
Founding merchants get the first 3 months free. Subscription pricing will be published before the beta opens in January 2027.
Can I use ARSAVO today?
Not yet. Applications for the first 15 founding spots are open now and the private beta starts in January 2027.
Can I keep my domain if I switch?
Yes. You can connect any .in, .com or other domain you already own.
Apply for a founding merchant spot
15 spots in Batch 01. Every application is reviewed by the founder.