Comparison
Different tools for different jobs.
Shopify is a superb general-purpose storefront. Onix is a fulfilment engine for GSM services. This page helps you pick honestly — including when Shopify is the better choice.
Choose Onix when…
- You sell IMEI checks, unlocks, credits or digital services
- You buy from supplier APIs and fulfilment is your bottleneck
- Your margins must track supplier costs automatically
- Resellers with balances, tiers and API access matter to you
- You want service orders delivered without an operator touching them
Shopify still wins when…
- You sell physical products that ship in boxes
- You want the largest theme and app ecosystem in e-commerce
- Your retail goes far beyond GSM services
- You rely on a big network of agencies and integrations
If you sit in both columns, run both — the table below is about the service side of your business.
Side by side
What's built in, what's bolted on.
| Capability | Onix | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Primary job | GSM service fulfilment | General-purpose e-commerce |
| Supplier API routing & failover | Built in | Not a native concept |
| IMEI/unlock auto-fulfilment | Built in | Via third-party apps, where available |
| Margins that track supplier costs | Built in | Manual or app-based |
| Reseller balances & price tiers | Built in | Apps or custom builds |
| Reseller API access | Included | Custom development |
| White-label storefront | Included | Huge theme ecosystem |
| Physical goods & shipping | Not the focus | Excellent |
| App & agency ecosystem | Purpose-built, deliberately small | Vast |
| Fraud & balance guards for service orders | Built in | General-purpose tools |
| Hosting & updates | Included | Included |
| Pricing | $99/yr or $999 once | Subscription plans — see shopify.com |
Capability summary as of July 2026, based on each platform’s out-of-the-box positioning; ecosystems change — verify specifics for your use case. Shopify is a trademark of Shopify Inc. Onix is not affiliated with or endorsed by Shopify.
The difference, on screen
This is the part a storefront can't fake.
A paid order picks its supplier by price, speed and success rate — and fails over on its own when a source goes quiet. That routing engine is the reason Onix exists; everything else is built around it.
Switching questions.
Can I run both?
Yes, and some sellers do: Shopify for physical retail, Onix for the service side. They serve different jobs and don't conflict.
Can I migrate my service store from Shopify to Onix?
Your service catalogue, customers and pricing can move — the free migration assessment maps it before you commit. See the migration page for how the parallel-run works.
Why not just add apps to Shopify?
You can get partway there. The difference is that supplier routing, failover and margin tracking are Onix's core engine, not bolt-ons — the automation works out of the box and is supported as one product.
Is Onix a Shopify replacement?
Only if your business is GSM/digital services. For general retail, Shopify is the better tool — this page is about picking correctly, not winning an argument.