Axnify vs Shift4Shop

Free without the payment-processor lock-in.

Shift4Shop's headline is 'End-to-End Ecommerce, 100% Free'. The fine print: that's only in the US, only when you use Shift4 Payments, and only with their card-processing rates. Axnify is genuinely free with whichever processor you want.

TL;DR

Shift4Shop has a legitimate free tier but the bundled payment processor is the catch. If you want lower card-processing rates (or you're outside the US), you're paying $29-229/month. Axnify is free everywhere with Stripe direct charges.

Start free — no card required See full pricing

Axnify

Free, no processor lock-in.

Pricing

Free · £19 · £59 · £299

Best for

Merchants who want to keep payment flexibility.

Where it shines

Stripe Direct Charges — keep your processor of choice
Free plan works globally, not just US
53 features in the free plan
EU-hosted with VAT-compliant invoicing

Shift4Shop

Free if you use Shift4 Payments (US only).

Pricing

Free (US + Shift4 Payments) · $29 · $79 · $229

Best for

US merchants comfortable with Shift4's payment-processing rates.

Where it shines

Free plan with all features (with payment lock-in)
Mature platform — formerly 3dcart since 1997
B2B features included on paid tiers
POS integration with Shift4 retail hardware

Feature comparison

Built-in (yes) vs not available (no) vs limited (caveat) vs paid add-on (price shown). Prices reflect typical published pricing.

Feature	Axnify	Shift4Shop
Payment & pricing reality
Free plan globally
Choose your payment processor		Free plan: Shift4 only
Stripe Direct Charges supported		Paid tiers only
Card-processing rate	Stripe standard ~1.4%+20p	Shift4's rates apply
Commerce features
Reviews
Multi-currency
Multi-language		Storefront translation; limited admin
Subscriptions
Gift cards
B2B quotations		Higher tiers
Production / BOM
VAT-compliant invoicing		Manual / US tax focused
Platform
REST API on every plan		Higher tiers
Webhooks
Multi-store under one account
Hosted in EU

Real cost depends on your geography and processor

Shift4Shop is great if you're a US merchant with no strong preference on payment processor. Otherwise the headline 'free' doesn't apply.

Axnify

Total

£19/month

Axnify Pro
£19

Shift4Shop stack

Total

$79/month

Shift4Shop Plus (any payment processor)
First tier that unlocks Stripe / other gateways
$79

Honest section

Where Shift4Shop wins

We're not pretending we're the right tool for every store. Here's where the alternative is genuinely stronger.

US payment processing rates

If you're a US merchant comfortable with Shift4 Payments, the free tier is genuinely free. Hard to beat $0/month if the processor lock-in doesn't matter.

Maturity

Shift4Shop traces back to 3dcart in 1997. Lots of historical accretion: niche integrations, payment gateways, and shipping carriers we don't all match.

Built-in US POS integration

Shift4 retail hardware works natively with the online store. We don't currently have POS hardware integration.

Why merchants move to Axnify

Wanted Stripe Direct Charges without paying for Plus
Outside the US — the 'free' plan didn't apply
Wanted EU-hosted with GDPR-compliant infrastructure
Needed multi-store under one account

Shift4Shop → Axnify

1
Shift4Shop product export via CSV
2
Customer export via CSV / Admin export
3
Order history exported as archive (live re-import limited)
4
Theme rebuild in Axnify visual editor

Frequently asked

Is Shift4Shop really free?

Yes, if you're a US merchant using Shift4 Payments. If you want a different processor (Stripe, Adyen, etc.), or you're outside the US, the lowest plan is $29/month.

Can I use Stripe with Shift4Shop?

Yes — on the Plus tier ($79/month) and above. The free tier and the Pro tier are restricted to Shift4 Payments.

What about chargeback handling?

Stripe's chargeback automation tools apply through Axnify since we use Stripe Direct Charges. Shift4Shop has its own chargeback workflow tied to Shift4 Payments.

Can you help me move my data from another platform?

Absolutely. Email support@axnify.com with the export file from your current platform — we accept Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, Squarespace, Big Cartel, Gumroad, Sellfy and most other common formats. Our team handles the migration of your products, variants, customers and orders end-to-end, free of charge for standard imports.