bzar vs Shopify for event vendors and makers
Shopify is an online store builder for shipping products, sold as a monthly plan plus card fees. bzar is free for vendors and is built around events: bookable service packages, deposits and contracts, applications to markets, and pre-orders for pickup at your booth. Choose Shopify to run a shipping store; choose bzar for events and markets.
Updated
When to choose each.
Choose bzar if
- You don't want a monthly subscription: bzar is free for vendors, and Pro is included when you take bookings.
- You want a public storefront with your packages, photos and prices that you can link from Instagram.
- You want customers to pick a package, request a date and pay a deposit online.
- You also sell at markets and pop-ups and want to apply and pay booth fees in the same place.
- You want shoppers to pre-order from you before a market and pick up at your booth.
Choose Shopify if
- You sell physical products (merch, prints, baked goods that ship, makers' goods) at scale and want your own branded online store with inventory, shipping and a custom domain.
- You also sell at pop-ups and events and want POS that shares inventory with the online store.
- You plan to grow into multi-channel selling (social, marketplaces, wholesale/B2B) and need a platform with a large app and theme ecosystem.
Features: bzar and Shopify.
"Not listed" means we couldn't find it on their website, not that it definitely doesn't exist.
| Feature | bzar | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Public storefront page | Yes | YesThemes and templates, custom domain, website builder. |
| Customers find you there | Not yet | Not listedShopify builds your own store and lists selling on social channels and marketplaces as a feature; no page read says it sends customers to you. |
| Online booking | Yes | Not listedNo appointment booking on the pricing page; Shopify's app store is outside the scope of what was read. |
| Deposits | Yes | Not listed |
| Contracts and e-signature | Yes | Not listed |
| Quotes and invoices | Yes | Not listed |
| Client list | Yes | Not listed |
| Online product checkout | Not yet | YesFull-featured online store, unlimited products, checkout, inventory, shipping discounts up to 87%. |
| Apply to markets and events | Yes | Not listedMentions 'casual, in-person sales at pop-ups and events' via POS, not market or event applications. |
What each one costs you.
bzar
Vendors pay no subscription; bzar Pro is included free for vendors who take bookings. When a customer pays for a booking by card, they pay a service fee on top of your price, and bzar covers card processing from it.
Full details on the vendor page.
Shopify
Basic $39/mo ($29/mo billed yearly); Grow $105/mo ($79/mo yearly); Advanced $399/mo ($299/mo yearly); Plus from $2,300/mo. Page headline: 'Try 3 days free, then $1/month for 3 months.' Online card rates 2.9% + 30¢ (Basic), 2.7% + 30¢ (Grow), 2.5% + 30¢ (Advanced), 2.25% + 30¢ (Plus).
- Online standard card rate (Shopify Payments): 2.9% + 30¢ Basic / 2.7% + 30¢ Grow / 2.5% + 30¢ Advanced / 2.25% + 30¢ Plus
- In-person card rate: 2.6% + 10¢ Basic / 2.5% + 10¢ Grow / 2.4% + 10¢ Advanced / 2.3% + 10¢ Plus
- Third-party payment gateway transaction fee: 2% Basic / 1% Grow / 0.6% Advanced / 0.2% Plus
- Premium card, international, PayPal Wallet: Premium cards 3.5% + 30¢ (Basic); international +1%; PayPal Wallet from 3.49% + 49¢
- POS Pro (physical retail add-on): +$89/mo per location
- Lead or listing fees: None; Shopify is a store builder, not a marketplace (it lists selling on social channels and marketplaces as a feature)
Moving from Shopify.
- Create a free vendor account and set up your storefront.
- Add your packages with what each one includes and its price.
- Put your storefront link in your Instagram bio and on your website.
- Point new inquiries to bzar, and finish bookings already in progress where they started.
Common questions.
How much does Shopify cost compared with bzar?
Shopify: Basic $39/mo ($29/mo billed yearly); Grow $105/mo ($79/mo yearly); Advanced $399/mo ($299/mo yearly); Plus from $2,300/mo. Page headline: 'Try 3 days free, then $1/month for 3 months.' Online card rates 2.9% + 30¢ (Basic), 2.7% + 30¢ (Grow), 2.5% + 30¢ (Advanced), 2.25% + 30¢ (Plus). bzar: Vendors pay no subscription; bzar Pro is included free for vendors who take bookings. When a customer pays for a booking by card, they pay a service fee on top of your price, and bzar covers card processing from it.
When is Shopify the better choice?
You sell physical products (merch, prints, baked goods that ship, makers' goods) at scale and want your own branded online store with inventory, shipping and a custom domain. You also sell at pop-ups and events and want POS that shares inventory with the online store. You plan to grow into multi-channel selling (social, marketplaces, wholesale/B2B) and need a platform with a large app and theme ecosystem.
Can I move from Shopify to bzar?
Yes. Create a free vendor account and set up your storefront. Add your packages with what each one includes and its price. Put your storefront link in your Instagram bio and on your website. Point new inquiries to bzar, and finish bookings already in progress where they started.
Does bzar charge vendors a subscription?
Vendors pay no subscription; bzar Pro is included free for vendors who take bookings.
Where these facts come from.
Competitor details come from each company’s own website, checked on 2026-10-11. Details change; tell us at hello@bzar.app if something here is out of date.
Get booked from your storefront.
Vendors pay no subscription; bzar Pro is included free for vendors who take bookings.