The verdict in 30 seconds
Shopify is the world's most complete ecommerce platform — unmatched app ecosystem, built for scale, priced for it (₹1,994/month on annual billing + 18% GST + payment-gateway fees + apps; most Indian stores land between ₹4,000 and ₹15,000/month all-in).
Manva is an AI business platform built for Indian small businesses: it generates your whole website (₹999 one-time), and an AI assistant runs it with you on WhatsApp — in Hindi, Hinglish and regional languages, with UPI/COD/GST/Shiprocket standard.
And there's a third answer: if you already run Shopify and it works, keep it — Manva can connect to your existing Shopify store and give you the WhatsApp assistant on top (photo → Shopify product, sales questions answered in chat).
Side by side
| Manva | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|
| Website creation | AI generates a complete multi-page site unique to your business — content, store, blog, SEO included | You pick a theme and build/customise it (or pay a designer); AI features assist inside the template |
| Entry price (India) | Website ₹999 one-time · assistant plans from ₹149/mo (7-day trial) | Basic ₹1,994/mo on annual billing + 18% GST (as of Aug 2026) |
| Payments in India | Your own Razorpay account (UPI, cards) — Manva never touches your money. COD built in | No Shopify Payments in India — you integrate Razorpay/PayU etc. and pay their fees on top |
| GST | GST fields and GST invoices built in | Achievable via settings/apps; 18% GST also applies to your Shopify bill |
| Shipping | Shiprocket integration built in | Strong — Shiprocket and many others via apps |
| Core of the product: an assistant that manages products, orders, stock, coupons and marketing FROM WhatsApp, in your language | Via third-party apps (Interakt, Zoko, etc.), typically ₹999–₹2,500+/mo extra, customer-messaging focused | |
| Social media marketing | Built in — captions, scheduling, festival campaigns, 11 languages | Via apps / external tools |
| Languages (owner-side) | Hindi, Hinglish, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi + more | Admin in English (storefront translatable) |
| App ecosystem | Small — the platform covers the essentials itself | Unbeatable — 8,000+ apps for nearly anything |
| Scale ceiling | Built for SMBs; growing | Effectively none — powers global brands |
| Analytics & nudges | Recommendations with measured outcomes, morning digest on WhatsApp | Excellent dashboards; more DIY on the "what should I do" layer |
Shopify details checked 12 August 2026 from public pricing/coverage; confirm current numbers on shopify.com/in before deciding.
The real monthly cost, in rupees
The sticker price is never the real price. A typical small Indian store on each platform:
| Cost line | Manva | Shopify Basic |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | ₹999 one-time (site) + ₹149–999/mo (assistant tier) | ₹1,994/mo (annual billing) |
| GST on the bill | Included in listed pricing | + ₹359/mo (18%) |
| Payment gateway | Your Razorpay rates (you'd pay these anywhere) | Your Razorpay/PayU rates + no native option |
| WhatsApp tooling | Included | + ₹999–2,500/mo typical app cost |
| Theme / design | Included (AI-generated) | Free themes exist; paid themes $100–350 one-time; designers extra |
| Realistic first-year | ≈ ₹2,800–13,000 (site + 12 mo assistant) | ≈ ₹28,000–1,80,000 depending on apps/theme |
Choose honestly
Choose Shopify if…
- You have a large catalog (hundreds of SKUs) or sell internationally.
- You need specific apps — subscriptions, complex bundles, ERP connections.
- You have a team (or agency) to run it and the ₹4,000–15,000/month all-in budget.
Choose Manva if…
- You're a small Indian business and want to be selling THIS WEEK, not configuring.
- You want your website designed for you, not a theme to wrestle.
- You'd rather manage your shop from WhatsApp, in your own language.
- Your budget is hundreds per month, not thousands.
Or take both: connect your existing Shopify store to Manva and use the WhatsApp assistant on top of it — photos become Shopify products, and your Shopify sales answer questions in chat. Nothing in your store is changed or removed, and you can disconnect any time.
See your own website before you decide
Describe your business and watch Manva design it — free to try, ₹999 one-time to publish.
Start free — build your site in minutesFrequently asked questions
Is Manva better than Shopify?
For different people. Shopify is stronger for large catalogs, international selling and its app ecosystem. Manva is stronger for Indian small businesses that want the website generated for them, ₹ pricing, UPI/COD/GST out of the box, and a WhatsApp assistant that runs daily operations in their language. This page lays out both honestly.
Can I use Manva and Shopify together?
Yes. Manva connects to an existing Shopify store: product photos you send on WhatsApp become Shopify products, and the assistant answers questions from your Shopify sales data. Disconnect any time; your store is never modified without you.
Does Shopify work with UPI and COD in India?
Yes, but not through a native Shopify Payments option (unavailable in India as of August 2026) — you integrate an Indian gateway like Razorpay or PayU and pay its fees. COD is supported. On Manva, UPI runs through your own Razorpay account and COD is built in.
What does Shopify really cost per month in India?
Basic is ₹1,994/month on annual billing, plus 18% GST, plus payment-gateway fees, plus apps (WhatsApp, reviews, etc.). Indian agencies consistently document real totals of roughly ₹4,000–15,000/month. See our full pricing breakdown.
Can I move from Shopify to Manva later?
Yes — export your products as CSV and import them, or send product photos to the WhatsApp assistant and let it rebuild your catalog. Your custom domain points to the new site the same day.