Publishing · head to head
Adobe InDesign vs Shopify
Adobe InDesign
Publishing
Industry-standard desktop publishing and page layout
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Shopify
Publishing
The most trusted ecommerce platform to start, grow, and scale your business
- From
- $24/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Adobe InDesign subscription only, with no perpetual licence, which remains the most common complaint about it; Shopify using any payment provider other than Shopify Payments adds a transaction fee on top of the card rate, at 2% on Basic falling to 0.2% on Plus
- They diverge on capability: Adobe InDesign covers Master pages and styles, Shopify covers Hosted ecommerce platform.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Adobe InDesign and Shopify actually diverge.
| Attribute | Adobe InDesign | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | $24/month |
| Pricing model | Subscription only, single app or Creative Cloud; published on the vendor site | subscription |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Web |
| Founded | Unknown | 2006 |
Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Publishing).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Adobe InDesign
- Master pages and styles
- Typographic control
- PDF/X export
- Data merge
- Creative Cloud integration
- EPUB export
Only in Shopify
- Hosted ecommerce platform
- Payment processing
- Inventory management
- Order tracking
- Marketing automation
- Apps and integrations
- Multi-channel selling
- SSL certificate
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Adobe InDesign
- Commercial print work where the printer expects InDesign filesnot Shopify
- Long documents needing styles and master pages across hundreds of pagesnot Shopify
- Catalogues built from a data source through data mergenot Shopify
Shopify
- Running a hosted ecommerce store with payments and fulfilmentnot Adobe InDesign
- Selling across online, in person and social channels from one cataloguenot Adobe InDesign
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Adobe InDesign
- Subscription only, with no perpetual licence, which remains the most common complaint about it
- Files are not reliably backward compatible, so a newer version can produce a file an older one cannot open
- Heavy application with a steep learning curve for occasional users
- Collaboration is weak compared with browser-based design tools; it is still a single-file desktop model
Shopify
- Using any payment provider other than Shopify Payments adds a transaction fee on top of the card rate, at 2% on Basic falling to 0.2% on Plus
- That fee makes the cheapest plan the most expensive place to use an outside processor, which is the opposite of how plans usually work
- Card rates also improve with the plan, from 2.9% on Basic to 2.7% on Advanced
- Amex is charged at a higher rate than other cards on every plan below Plus
- Plus starts at $2,300 a month
- The advertised lower monthly prices require paying a year up front
Pricing, plan by plan
Adobe InDesign
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Adobe InDesign review.
Shopify
$24/month- Basic$24/month
- For solo entrepreneurs
- $32/month on monthly billing
- 2.9% + AED1.00 transaction fee (standard cards)
- Grow$69/month
- For small teams
- $92/month on monthly billing
- 2.8% + AED1.00 transaction fee (standard cards)
- Advanced$299/month
- For global reach
- $399/month on monthly billing
- 2.7% + AED1.00 transaction fee (standard cards)
- Plus$2300/month
- For complex businesses
- most competitive transaction rates
Which should you pick?
Choose Adobe InDesign if
- You need master pages and styles.
- You work on Windows, macOS.
- You also want typographic control.
Questions people ask
- Is Adobe InDesign or Shopify better?
- Neither clearly leads. Adobe InDesign starts at On request and Shopify at $24/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Adobe InDesign or Shopify?
- Adobe InDesign starts at On request and Shopify at $24/month.
- Does Adobe InDesign or Shopify run on more platforms?
- Adobe InDesign runs on Windows, macOS. Shopify runs on Web.
- What is Adobe InDesign best used for?
- Adobe InDesign is most often used for commercial print work where the printer expects indesign files, long documents needing styles and master pages across hundreds of pages, catalogues built from a data source through data merge. Of those, commercial print work where the printer expects indesign files and long documents needing styles and master pages across hundreds of pages are not what Shopify is typically brought in for.
- What can Adobe InDesign do that Shopify cannot?
- Adobe InDesign covers Master pages and styles, Typographic control, PDF/X export, Data merge. Shopify covers Hosted ecommerce platform, Payment processing, Inventory management, Order tracking.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Adobe InDesign: Can I buy InDesign outright?
No. It is subscription only, either as a single app or within Creative Cloud. Perpetual licences ended years ago.
Shopify: How much does Shopify cost?
Shopify's Basic tier is $24/month (or $32/month monthly), Grow is $69/month (or $92/month monthly), Advanced is $299/month (or $399/month monthly), and Plus starts at $2,300/month. Annual subscriptions include 25% discount versus monthly billing.
SourceAdobe InDesign: Why do printers ask for InDesign files?
It is the professional standard for print production, and its PDF/X output and colour handling match what commercial presses require.
Shopify: Does Shopify offer a free trial?
Yes, Shopify offers 3 days free, then $1/month for 3 months without requiring a credit card.
SourceAdobe InDesign: What is the free alternative?
Scribus is open source and produces press-ready CMYK and PDF/X output, though it cannot open InDesign files and its typography is weaker.
Shopify: What payment processing fees does Shopify charge?
Transaction rates vary by plan: Basic charges 2.9% + AED1.00 (standard cards), Grow charges 2.8% + AED1.00, Advanced charges 2.7% + AED1.00, and Plus offers the most competitive rates. American Express charges 0.1% higher across all plans.
Source