Comparing BASE and Shopify in 2026: Differences in Fees, Features, and Payments, and How to Choose

Note: This article covers BASE, an e-commerce platform available only in Japan. This will not be relevant if you are not evaluating platforms for the Japanese market.

When opening an online store, both BASE and Shopify are strong options. However, because they differ in pricing structure, ease of use, feature extensibility, and more, many people wonder which one is the right fit for their shop.

This article compares the characteristics, pricing, and features of each platform. It helps you find the best option for the size and goals of your business.

*This article contains affiliate links for Shopify.

BASE or Shopify: Which should you choose?

BASE can be started with a ¥0 setup fee and a ¥0 monthly fee, and because you pay fees according to sales, it suits individuals and small businesses that want to start small. Social media integration is easy, and you can also expect to attract customers from BASE's shopping app, "PAY ID".

Shopify charges a monthly fee, but in return the payment processing fee is lower, and as sales grow it becomes more advantageous than BASE's Standard plan on total fees. It is highly extensible, including adding features through apps and support for multiple languages and currencies, and it suits businesses that want to grow and businesses considering overseas expansion.

From here, we compare BASE and Shopify on important points such as SEO, customer acquisition, fees, and design.

Comparing SEO

On Shopify, you can edit the title tag, meta description, URL, and image alt text for each page from the admin, and you can also add features with SEO apps. If you connect Google Analytics and Search Console, you can keep improving based on data.

BASE, on the other hand, is easy to use, and attracting customers through social media integration is a strength, but the settings related to SEO are limited.

Customizable items

※BASE's "×" means there is no standard setting in the admin. With the "HTML Editing App (HTML編集 App)", you can edit HTML directly in themes you create yourself or buy.

Comparing customer acquisition

BASE's strength in attracting customers is social media integration and the shopping app "PAY ID". PAY ID is a BASE app for buyers with more than 20 million cumulative registered IDs, and products from shops opened on BASE can also be found in the app (orders through the app incur a fee that differs from the usual fee). With Instagram integration, people can go directly from a post to a product page, so the path from growing awareness on social media to a purchase is set up smoothly.

Source: The shopping service for buyers, "PAY ID," surpasses 20 million cumulative registered IDs! (BASE Inc., August 17, 2026)

BASE also has features that support customer acquisition, such as a blog, an email newsletter, and coupons.

Shopify does not have a buyer-facing marketplace app like PAY ID. Instead, you connect sales channels such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Google, and build your own way of attracting customers. It suits businesses that want to take on full-scale marketing with ads and social media.

Tools you can use for customer acquisition

*Because Shopify has a wide selection of 16,000 or more apps, please check the Shopify website for details.

Comparing fees and costs

Shopify's strength is that there is no transaction fee when you use Shopify Payments. By contrast, BASE is easy to get started with a ¥0 setup fee and a ¥0 monthly fee, but on the Standard plan a payment processing fee and a service fee are charged according to sales. The more you sell, the more fees are added, so depending on your sales the cost can be higher than with Shopify.

Comparison of operating costs

*Pricing and fees are as of September 2026. Please check each service's official website for the latest information.

Cost estimate by monthly sales: At what monthly sales does Shopify become less expensive?

The pricing table alone makes it hard to judge which is less expensive for your own shop, so we estimated the total of the monthly fee and the other fees for each level of monthly sales.

[Assumptions for the estimate]

• Average order value of ¥5,000 (monthly sales ÷ ¥5,000 = number of orders)
• Payments with domestically issued Visa, Mastercard, and JCB (standard rates of 3.55% for Shopify Basic and 3.4% for Grow)
• The monthly fee is the monthly equivalent of annual billing
• App and paid theme costs, shipping fees, BASE's extra 1% for PayPay and similar methods, and orders through the PAY ID app are not included

The estimate shows the following three points.

• Once monthly sales exceed about ¥95,000, Shopify Basic becomes less expensive than BASE Standard
• In the range of about ¥100,000 to ¥2,000,000 in monthly sales, Shopify Basic is the least expensive
• Once monthly sales exceed about ¥2,000,000, BASE Growth, with a payment processing fee of 2.9%, becomes less expensive than Shopify Basic

However, because Shopify is set up so that you add the features you need through apps, monthly app fees are added on top in actual operation. Add the cost of the apps you plan to use when you compare. Also, the lower the average order value, the heavier BASE Standard's "¥40 per order" burden becomes, so the monthly sales level at which Shopify becomes less expensive goes down.

The reason to choose Shopify when monthly sales have grown is extensibility, such as adding features through apps, selling overseas, and connecting with physical stores, rather than lower fees.

Comparing the payout cycle for sales proceeds and the transfer fee

On BASE, you submit a transfer request from the admin to receive your sales proceeds. Normally, the money is transferred to your designated account 10 business days after the request date, and a transfer fee of ¥250 is charged per request. If the transfer request amount is under ¥20,000, an administrative fee of ¥500 is added. If you use "Fastest Transfer (最速振込)", 3% of the transfer request amount is charged, but you can receive the transfer as soon as the same day, including Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.

On Shopify, when you use Shopify Payments, sales proceeds are paid automatically to your registered account according to the schedule you set. You can choose a weekly or monthly payout schedule. The period from when a payment is confirmed until it becomes available for payout is 5 business days, and the number of days until the payout date is added to that. In addition, it may take about 1 to 3 days for the bank to actually process the deposit. With Shopify Payments, there is no transfer fee for a payout to a bank account.

BASE lets you request a transfer of sales proceeds when you need to, but a fee is charged for each transfer. Shopify Payments requires no transfer request and charges no transfer fee, so it is easier to keep down the effort and cost of receiving sales proceeds.

Comparing design and customizability

BASE and Shopify differ greatly in customizability and in features.

BASE's appeal is that it is simple and easy for beginners to use, but there are limits to customizing the design and the features. Shopify, on the other hand, lets you freely customize the appearance and the features by using 1,200 or more themes and 16,000 or more apps.

Comparing support

BASE's support is centered on online guides, an FAQ, and support through a contact form (email), and a certified partner program, "BASE Partners", that helps with store operations is also available.

Shopify, on the other hand, offers a help center with Japanese-language support and chat support that is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. You can also use the community and up to 60 minutes of free design support (support by email and phone is limited to plans such as Plus).

Recommended platforms by type

Based on the comparison so far and the estimates by monthly sales, we explain which platform fits which types of businesses.

BASE is recommended: Individuals and small businesses starting with monthly sales under ¥100,000

BASE suits people who want to produce and sell small quantities of original products, such as handmade goods.

According to the BASE Owners Survey 2025, 90% or more of the stores on BASE are run by 4 or fewer people, and more than 70% of the stores are run by one person. As for the products they carry, about 80% of the shops sell original products.

BASE has no monthly fee, and you can start an online store without a setup fee. While monthly sales are under ¥100,000, total fees are also lower than on Shopify, which charges a monthly fee. Payment methods such as convenience store payment and deferred payment are available from the start, and you can expect customers from the PAY ID app, so it suits people who want to run an online store as a side business and people trying online sales for the first time.

Source: A roundup of BASE case studies: We interviewed shop owners

BASE's features and how to get started are explained in the following article.

What Is BASE? A Thorough Guide to Its Pros and Cons, Pricing, Features, and How to Get Started
A thorough explanation of how to set up an online store with BASE. We cover costs, features, and the pros and cons of using the platform in detail. A must-read guide for anyone who wants to start selling online with confidence.
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Shopify is recommended: Businesses that want to grow once monthly sales exceed ¥100,000

Shopify suits businesses that want to grow their online store as a business. Once monthly sales exceed ¥100,000, total fees are lower than on BASE Standard even after you pay the monthly fee, so the stage when sales have started to grow is the time to consider switching.

Because support for multiple languages and currencies lets you take on overseas sales as well, it also suits businesses that want to present their own design and worldview, such as fashion brands and lifestyle products.

In addition, Shopify supports sales channels such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Google, and with apps you can also sync product information and inventory with marketplaces such as Amazon. With Shopify POS for physical stores, you can manage in-store and online inventory and customers in one place, so it also suits companies that take a strategy combining online and offline.

The steps for switching from BASE to Shopify are explained in the following article.

Complete Guide to Migrating from BASE to Shopify | A Thorough Explanation of the Migration Process and Benefits
For those considering migrating to Shopify, this article explains Shopify's strengths through a comparison with BASE, offering tips for choosing a platform that supports your business's growth.
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If monthly sales are around ¥2,000,000 and simple features are enough, BASE Growth is also a candidate

Once monthly sales exceed roughly ¥2,000,000, the BASE Growth plan, with a payment processing fee of 2.9%, has lower total fees than Shopify's regular plans. If you do not need overseas sales or complex feature expansion, and you want to make use of BASE's ease of use and customer acquisition from PAY ID, switching to the Growth plan while staying on BASE is also an option.

Conversely, if you need overseas sales, a connection with physical stores, or detailed features added through apps, it is realistic to choose Shopify, putting extensibility ahead of the difference in fees.

BASE vs Shopify: Introducing store examples

From here, we introduce examples of shops that make the most of the strengths of BASE and Shopify.

A successful store example on BASE: FANTASISTA CLIMBING

Image source: FANTASISTA CLIMBING

FANTASISTA CLIMBING is an online shop launched alone by its owner, who is a climber. Using BASE, they sell original climbing gear and apparel. They chose BASE because its operation is simple, and even beginners can easily launch an online shop.

By handling specialized climbing items, the shop has earned the support of many climbers and runs a successful business.

Source: "I was worried whether what I think is good would be accepted" Starting a one-person business from scratch

A successful store example on Shopify: Kakimori

Image source: Kakimori

Kakimori is a stationery brand that delivers the joy of writing through made-to-order notebooks and original stationery.

In a 2020 interview published by Shopify, Kakimori said that before the COVID-19 pandemic, international customers accounted for 20% of all customers at its store. Building on this popularity overseas, Kakimori uses Shopify to sell original products online and to expand toward customers overseas.

You can read Kakimori's store interview in the following article.

[Store Interview, Part 1] From an EC Setback to Value You Can't Create Online — The Origins of Kakimori: Hotaka Co., Ltd. CEO Takuma Hirose
An interview digging into the origins and growth of Kakimori. CEO Takuma Hirose of Hotaka Co., Ltd. talks about the value of writing, building a store, the challenges of running an EC business, and a brand philosophy that refuses to be bound by industry convention.
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Summary: BASE if monthly sales are up to ¥100,000, Shopify if you want to grow the business

BASE can be started with a ¥0 setup fee and a ¥0 monthly fee, and it is designed for "starting small" by paying fees according to sales. In the estimate, while monthly sales are roughly under ¥100,000, BASE Standard is the least expensive, and features such as attracting customers from PAY ID are in place from the start.

Once monthly sales exceed ¥100,000, total fees are lower on Shopify Basic. Shopify is highly extensible, including adding features through apps, support for multiple languages and currencies, and a connection with physical stores, so it is an easy platform to choose at the stage of growing the business.

If monthly sales grow to around ¥2,000,000 and simple features are enough, BASE Growth can also be less expensive. Compare not only the fees but also the cost of the apps you plan to use and the payment methods and features you need, and please choose the platform that fits your business.

The blog article below introduces how to go from creating a Shopify account to launching a store.

[2026 Latest] How to Get Started with Shopify (Setup Guide) | From Sign-Up to Launching Your Store
A guide to launching an e-commerce site on Shopify! We explain in detail the concrete steps for even beginners to easily build an online store. From signing up, to registering products, to setting up a payment method, we walk through all the necessary setup in an easy-to-understand way. Right now, there's a 3-month, ¥150 campaign running! If you want to build your own store, be sure to check it out.
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