Mahallat or Shopify: an honest comparison for a shop in Lebanon.
Shopify is an excellent platform used by shops all over the world, at its best with card payments. Here is how the two compare for a shop that sells in Lebanon, as of October 2026.
Swipe the table to compare
| Feature | Mahallat | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Whish Money at checkout | Built in, proof and one-tap confirm | Not built in: a custom manual method |
| Cash on delivery | Built in, USD and LBP, cash per delivery partner | A manual payment method |
| Prices in LBP at your rate | Through an app or theme changes | |
| Lebanese addresses, landmark, GPS pin | Standard address form; landmark or pin through apps | |
| Order updates | Email, plus WhatsApp in one tap | Email, WhatsApp through apps |
| Point of sale | Coming soon; today, record in-store sales on the same stock | Included in paid plans; POS Pro is a paid add-on |
| Setup | Done for you, or a quick setup | Self-serve, or hire a partner |
| Paying the subscription | Whish, in USD | A credit card, or PayPal in some regions |
| Online card payments in Lebanon | Not offered | Through a third-party provider: Shopify Payments is not available in Lebanon |
| Transaction fees | None | None on manual methods like COD; a fee with third-party providers |
| App store and themes | No app store: the features are built in | Thousands of apps, free and paid themes |
| Selling worldwide with cards | Not yet | Strong, with a card provider available to you |
The Shopify column summarises Shopify's public help center and pricing pages as of October 2026 (checked 2026-10-05), not a quote. Shopify's plans, prices, fees and availability vary by country and change over time; check shopify.com for the current terms.
Why Lebanese shops choose Mahallat
It speaks Whish and cash
The two ways your customers pay are built into checkout, the dashboard and the sales you log in the shop.
Addresses drivers understand
Governorate, area, landmark and a GPS pin, instead of a postal code nobody uses.
Everything in one subscription
Store, stock, in-store sales, analytics and order emails, without stacking apps.
Built for you, by people you can message
We build your store from your Instagram and answer on WhatsApp.
When Shopify is the better choice
- You sell mostly abroad and take card payments through a provider available to you.
- You need a specific app from the Shopify App Store.
- You want a large choice of themes, designers and developers who know the platform.
- You have a developer and want to build a fully custom store.
Questions, answered
Can I move from Shopify to Mahallat?
Yes. Export your products from Shopify as a CSV and import the file in Mahallat: the importer reads Shopify's product columns as they are. Or send us the link and we do it for you.
Is Mahallat cheaper than Shopify?
It depends on what you need. Every Mahallat plan includes order emails, Whish, cash on delivery and LBP prices, with no transaction fees, and Pro adds stock counts, feeds and automatic discounts. For Shopify, add the plan you would pick to the apps you would need for LBP prices, Lebanese addresses and WhatsApp messages, and compare both price pages on the day you decide.
Can I keep Shopify for international sales?
Yes. Some shops keep both: Mahallat for Lebanon and the shop, another platform for card sales abroad.
Your store, ready by the end of the week.
Start your 14-day free trial, or let us build the store for you. Then from $20 a month, paid by Whish.
No card. No contract. No transaction fees.