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Publishing · head to head

GIMP vs Shopify

GIMP logo

GIMP

Publishing

Free and open-source image editor

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Shopify logo

Shopify

Publishing

The most trusted ecommerce platform to start, grow, and scale your business

From
$24/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only GIMP has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: GIMP gPLv3 licence requires derivative works to be open-source and freely distributed; 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: GIMP covers Photo editing, Shopify covers Hosted ecommerce platform.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GIMP and Shopify actually diverge.

Attributes where GIMP and Shopify differ
AttributeGIMPShopify
Starting priceFree$24/month
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsGNU/Linux, macOS, WindowsWeb
Founded19952006

Identical on both: 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 GIMP

  • Photo editing
  • Digital painting
  • Image processing
  • Batch editing
  • Filters
  • Color correction
  • Layer support
  • Script-fu automation

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.

GIMP

  • Photo editing and retouching with professional colour managementnot Shopify
  • Digital art creation with power and flexibility for image transformationnot Shopify
  • Icon and UI element design for application developmentnot Shopify
  • Batch image processing through Python, C, C++, and Scheme scriptingnot Shopify

Shopify

  • Running a hosted ecommerce store with payments and fulfilmentnot GIMP
  • Selling across online, in person and social channels from one cataloguenot GIMP

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

GIMP

  • GPLv3 licence requires derivative works to be open-source and freely distributed
  • Community-driven development with no commercial support tier
  • No native CMYK support for professional print workflows
  • Ecosystem depends on community plugins and scripts for advanced features

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

GIMP

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the GIMP 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 GIMP if

  • You need photo editing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on GNU/Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want digital painting.
GIMP review

Choose Shopify if

  • You need hosted ecommerce platform.
  • You also want payment processing.
Shopify review

Questions people ask

Is GIMP or Shopify better?
Neither clearly leads. GIMP starts at Free and Shopify at $24/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GIMP or Shopify?
GIMP has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for GIMP and $24/month for Shopify.
Does GIMP or Shopify run on more platforms?
GIMP runs on GNU/Linux, macOS, Windows. Shopify runs on Web.
Can I use GIMP for free?
Yes. GIMP has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Shopify starts at $24/month.
What is GIMP best used for?
GIMP is most often used for photo editing and retouching with professional colour management, digital art creation with power and flexibility for image transformation, icon and ui element design for application development, batch image processing through python, c, c++, and scheme scripting. Of those, photo editing and retouching with professional colour management and digital art creation with power and flexibility for image transformation are not what Shopify is typically brought in for.
What can GIMP do that Shopify cannot?
GIMP covers Photo editing, Digital painting, Image processing, Batch editing. Shopify covers Hosted ecommerce platform, Payment processing, Inventory management, Order tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

GIMP: How much does GIMP cost?

GIMP is completely free to use and distribute. The software is released under the GNU General Public License v3 (GPLv3), an open-source license that guarantees freedom to use, modify, and distribute.

Source
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.

Source
GIMP: Can I modify and distribute GIMP?

Yes, GIMP's source code is available for modification and redistribution according to the terms of the GPLv3 license.

Source
Shopify: Does Shopify offer a free trial?

Yes, Shopify offers 3 days free, then $1/month for 3 months without requiring a credit card.

Source
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
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