Deciding Whether or Not to Purchase a Domain Name Through Shopify

If you found this article then you’re already aware that you must have a domain name when building an online store with Shopify. You can either purchase your domain name via Shopify or through a domain registrar such as GoDaddy or Namecheap.

Like so many Shopify owners, you are stuck between buying your domain name through Shopify or not. Fret not! We’ve got the necessary information in this article to help you make the right decision.

First and foremost, let's discuss money.

The Cost of Purchasing a Domain Through Shopify

More expensive than most other third-party registrars, purchasing a domain from Shopify would cost you about $14 annually, and you'll have to renew it before it expires.

However, the price of domain names on Shopify starts at $11 annually but the exact fee is dependent on the TLD (Top Level Domain) extension you pick. For the exact cost of your domain name, as well as its availability, you need to check out Shopify’s domain name generator.

It’s important to note that you cannot change your domain’s URL after purchases and it is non-refundable.

Renewals cost more than your registration rates and are dependent on the kind of domain you choose like .biz, .com, or .ca. You can expect your domain renewal fee to be between $18 to $25.

Your renewals, edit of domain settings, subdomain creations, and payment for your domain name can all be done in your Shopify admin on the domains page.

Other Cons

Aside from costliness, purchasing your domain from Shopify will also tie it to Shopify’s hosting. You should want to separate your businesses and domain from your e-commerce platform as you may want to change your domain from Shopify in the future, which will be more difficult if you've tied it to Shopify's.

You are also unable to register certain domain names with particular endings. For instance, if you need a local domain that ends with .es or .de or something fancy, you have to opt for third-party services.

Pros

The major benefit of purchasing your domain via Shopify is that the setup process is seamless. Everything involved in the process is done by Shopify for you. So if you’re looking for ease of configuration and use then getting it from Shopify should be your choice.

Then, there’s the ease of email forwarding as well. If you buy your domain from Shopify, you don’t have to integrate any other software as would be required if you purchased your domain from a third-party registrar.

If you get a Shopify domain you can create email accounts for each one for free, whereas domain name registrars would require that you pay them a meager fee to create email accounts.

The Bottom Line

Getting your domain through Shopify or third-party registrars is more of a personal choice than a business one. Both options are great for different reasons. You can go for cost-effectiveness alongside full control and the technical task of setting up your domain or sacrifice control and money for a seamless, hands-off option.

For example, if you need to have your domain set up urgently and don't have the time to bother about codes and what-not, then it’ll make sense to purchase it through Shopify. Whereas if you have some time to spare, the knowledge to do so, and want to save money, using a third-party registrar would be more beneficial.