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Shopify vs Nuvemshop: what is the real difference?
Shopify is a global platform built for businesses that want to grow at scale and sell in multiple countries. Nuvemshop is a Latin American platform, very strong in Brazil, with local payment methods and shipping integrated from day one.
Both are SaaS platforms: you pay a subscription, never manage a server and get automatic updates. The difference is the ceiling. While Nuvemshop makes getting started simpler, Shopify offers more depth in apps, customization, international markets and automation as your business matures.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer. There is the right platform for your stage, your audience and your growth plan. That is what we will break down below.
How much does each platform cost, and how does billing work?
Both charge a monthly fee and may charge a fee on each sale, depending on the payment method you use. Prices change often, so always check the official websites before you decide.
Nuvemshop's pricing model
Nuvemshop has a free entry plan and paid plans with more features. It charges a fee on every completed sale, which varies by plan. Orders paid through Nuvem Pago, the platform's own payment solution, are exempt from this fee: you only pay the payment processing fee.
Shopify's pricing model
Shopify charges a monthly or annual subscription, with no permanent free plan. Here is what many people miss: Shopify Payments, the platform's own payment gateway, is not available in Brazil. As a result, Brazilian stores use third-party providers and pay a Shopify transaction fee, which drops on higher plans.
In practice, Shopify's total cost tends to be higher at the start, while revenue is still low. As the store grows, upgrading your plan lowers the transaction fee and the relative weight of the subscription shrinks.
Do not compare the monthly fee alone. Add up the subscription, the platform's per-sale fee, the gateway fee, paid apps and the theme. Run the numbers with your current revenue and with the revenue you want to reach in 12 months. The cheapest platform today can be the most expensive tomorrow, and vice versa.
What are checkout and payments like?
Nuvemshop delivers a checkout already tailored to Brazilian shoppers, with Pix (Brazil's instant payment system), boleto (a bank payment slip popular in Brazil) and installment payments through Nuvem Pago. Shopify has a global checkout that is heavily tested and optimized, but in Brazil it relies on partner gateways for Pix and installments.
On Shopify, you install the app for your chosen payment provider, and checkout then offers that provider's payment methods. It works well, but it requires choosing a gateway with a solid integration and configuring everything carefully.
On Nuvemshop, the path is shorter: turn on Nuvem Pago and you are ready. If you want to start selling in Brazil quickly without much setup, that is a real advantage.
Which one has more apps and integrations?
Shopify has one of the largest app ecosystems in e-commerce, with solutions for almost any need: reviews, subscriptions, upsells, loyalty, B2B, marketplaces and automation. Nuvemshop has a smaller app store, but it is focused on Brazilian integrations such as ERPs, shipping and local marketplaces.
This matters a lot if you plan to scale. On Shopify, there is almost always a ready-made app, a native integration or a well-documented API to connect your store to automation tools like n8n. On Nuvemshop, access to code and advanced features depends on your plan.
If you want to automate operations, also read our article on n8n automations for e-commerce.
Which one allows more design customization?
Shopify offers more freedom. Its themes use a system of editable sections and blocks, and a developer can change practically anything in the theme code. Nuvemshop has polished, ready-made layouts, with more limited customization on entry plans.
For brands that want a premium experience, with rich product pages, storytelling and a strong visual identity, Shopify gives you more room. If you need a good-looking, functional store without investing in development, Nuvemshop's layouts do the job well.
Which one is better for performance and SEO?
Both let you edit titles, meta descriptions, URLs and alt text, the basics you need to rank. Shopify has the edge in technical flexibility, with more control over page structure, structured data and content per market.
When it comes to performance, results depend more on the theme and the number of apps than on the platform itself. A store with a heavy theme and dozens of scripts will be slow anywhere. Choose a lightweight theme, optimize your images and remove apps you do not use.
SEO also depends on content. Original product descriptions, well-written collections and an active blog make more of a difference than the choice between these two platforms.
Which one is better for selling to other countries?
Shopify is clearly superior for international sales. With Shopify Markets, you can set up local currencies, languages, domains, prices, catalogs and import duties by country, all from the same admin.
Nuvemshop lets customers choose their language and currency, but it has limitations for global operations. According to the platform's own help center, PayPal is the only integrated payment method that accepts international transactions, and the origin postal code (CEP) can only be registered in the countries where Nuvemshop operates (Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Chile and Colombia).
If your strategy includes the United States, Europe or several Latin American countries at once, Shopify is the safer choice.
What are support and the ecosystem like?
Nuvemshop offers support in Portuguese, with channels that vary by plan, including WhatsApp and an account manager on higher plans. Shopify has its own support and a huge global ecosystem of agencies, developers, partners and content.
In practice, merchants using Shopify in Brazil usually rely on a partner agency for implementation, local integrations and ongoing store growth. That ecosystem is an asset: you are never locked into a single source of solutions.
Comparison table: Shopify vs Nuvemshop
A summary of the most important criteria, based on official information from both platforms.
When should you choose each one?
Choose Nuvemshop if you are starting lean and selling only in Brazil. Choose Shopify if you want to scale, invest heavily in brand and paid traffic, automate processes or sell to other countries.
Nuvemshop makes more sense when
- You are validating a product and want to spend as little as possible at the start.
- Your operation is 100% in Brazil, with no plans to sell abroad.
- You want Pix, boleto and domestic shipping working with minimal setup.
- Your team is small and prefers support in Portuguese directly from the platform.
Shopify makes more sense when
- Your store already sells consistently and the goal is to grow fast.
- You want a premium brand experience with custom design.
- You plan to sell in other countries, currencies and languages.
- You need advanced integrations, automations and specific apps.
- Your paid traffic investment is significant and every conversion point counts.
How to migrate from Nuvemshop to Shopify without losing sales
A well-executed migration carries over products, customers and orders, and preserves SEO with redirects. The most common mistake is switching platforms without mapping URLs and losing rankings on Google.
- Audit your current store: list products, variants, collections, pages, apps in use and the URLs that bring in the most organic traffic.
- Define the new structure: organize collections, filters and navigation with conversion and SEO in mind.
- Migrate your data: import products, images, customers and order history, spot-checking samples manually.
- Set up payments and shipping: choose a gateway with Pix and installments, and test checkout end to end.
- Create 301 redirects: every old URL should point to its equivalent in the new store.
- Fine-tune your SEO: review titles, descriptions and structured data, and submit the new sitemap to Google Search Console.
- Reconnect tracking: pixels, conversions and ad integrations need to be working before the switch.
- Flip the switch and monitor: track sales, 404 errors and organic traffic over the following weeks.
If paid traffic is a major part of your sales, also check out our guide ROAS: what it is and how to calculate it to measure the new store's impact on your ad returns.
How SCALE helps you choose and implement
SCALE is a Shopify Partner and prioritizes the platform for businesses that want to scale. We also work with Nuvemshop when it is the best fit for where the client is today. Our recommendation comes from a diagnosis, not a preference.
Our method starts by understanding the business: revenue, product mix, audience, sales channels and goals. From there, we recommend the platform, design the store structure and handle implementation, integrations and paid traffic.
If you already have a store on another platform, we migrate it to Shopify, carrying over its structure and data and fine-tuning SEO, so the switch does not cost you the traffic you have already earned. Since 2020, we have served more than 250 clients and delivered 200 projects, in Portuguese, English and Spanish.
Torn between the two or thinking about migrating? Talk to SCALE and let's map out the best path for your store together.
Frequently asked questions
Does Shopify charge a fee per sale in Brazil?
Yes. Because Shopify Payments is not available in Brazil, Brazilian stores use third-party gateways and pay a Shopify transaction fee on top of the gateway's own fee. Shopify's fee is lower on higher plans, so it is worth checking the official pricing page.
Is Nuvemshop free?
Nuvemshop has a free entry plan with limited features, plus paid plans with more functionality. It charges a per-sale fee that varies by plan, but orders paid through Nuvem Pago are exempt from that fee and pay only the processing fee.
Which platform is better for selling abroad?
Shopify is more complete for international sales. With Markets, it lets you set currencies, languages, domains, prices and duties by country. Nuvemshop lets customers choose language and currency, but it has payment and shipping limitations outside the countries where it operates.
Can I migrate from Nuvemshop to Shopify without losing SEO?
Yes, as long as the migration is planned. You need to carry over products, customers and orders, create 301 redirects for every old URL and review titles, descriptions and the sitemap. Without redirects, the store can lose the rankings it has earned on Google.
Does Shopify accept Pix and installment payments?
Yes, through partner payment gateways installed as apps. The available methods, such as Pix, boleto and credit card installments, depend on the provider you choose, so compare fees and integration quality before deciding.
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Sources
- Shopify Help Center: Shopify Payments supported countries
- Shopify Help Center: Third-party payment providers
- Shopify Brazil: Pricing and plans
- Shopify Help Center (Portuguese): Getting started with Markets
- Nuvemshop: Plans and pricing
- Nuvemshop Help Center: What are the per-sale fees
- Nuvemshop Help Center: How to make international sales