Shopee to Shopify: Should Singapore Sellers Make the Move?
Singapore sellers should move to Shopify when marketplace fees are consuming 15–25% of every sale and they already have enough repeat customers or brand demand to drive their own traffic. Sellers should stay on Shopee while the marketplace is still their main source of new-customer discovery — because Shopify gives you margin and customer data, but no built-in audience.
This guide sets out the actual 2026 Singapore numbers on both sides, the decision criteria, and the honest case for staying put. Soodo is a Singapore-based Shopify agency founded in 2022 by Jessica Bong, who runs her own six-figure Shopify brand, Patch & Bagel — so the comparison below reflects selling on both marketplace and owned-store channels.
What does Shopee actually charge Singapore sellers in 2026?
Shopee Singapore charges non-Mall sellers a commission of roughly 7.6–12% and Shopee Mall sellers up to about 15%, plus a 3.27% GST-inclusive transaction fee on every successful order. Sellers who join the Promo Xtra Programme — which replaced the Coins Cashback Programme on 18 May 2026 — pay an additional service fee of 3.27–5.45%. Shopee restructured its rates on 1 January 2026, and total fees now commonly land between 15% and 25% of the selling price.
What does Lazada charge Singapore sellers in 2026?
Lazada Singapore raised commissions by 3% across both Marketplace and LazMall from 9 February 2026, with sellers enrolled in the SPA programme exempt from the increase. Non-SPA Marketplace rates are now 9.27% GST-inclusive on core electronics and baby & pet categories and 10.90% on groceries and all other categories, capped at S$30–S$60 per order depending on category. Lazada also charges a payment processing fee of 3.0% before GST, or 3.27% GST-inclusive, on every transaction.
What does Shopify cost by comparison?
Shopify’s Singapore plans cost S$39 per month on Basic, S$132 on Grow and S$531 on Advanced, with Shopify Payments online card rates of 3.2%, 3.1% and 3.0% respectively plus S$0.50 per transaction. On a S$50 order that is roughly S$2.10 in payment fees on Basic, against S$7.50–S$12.50 in total marketplace fees on Shopee. Estimate your own numbers with the Shopee and Lazada fee calculator or the Shopify cost calculator.
Shopee vs Shopify for Singapore sellers: side by side
| Factor | Shopee | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Fees per sale | ~15–25% all-in (2026) | 3.2% + S$0.50 on Basic |
| Monthly cost | None | From S$39/month |
| Built-in traffic | Yes — large existing audience | No — you drive all traffic |
| Customer data | Held by the platform | Owned by you |
| Brand control | Limited, templated listings | Full design control |
| Price competition | Direct, side-by-side | None on your own store |
| Setup cost | Near zero | From SGD $6,000 with an agency |
When should a Singapore seller move to Shopify?
The move makes financial sense when your fee savings exceed the cost of buying the traffic Shopee was giving you for free. In practice, sellers who benefit most have a repeat-purchase rate above roughly 20%, a recognisable brand name, or a product with healthy margins that marketplace price competition is eroding. If customers already search for your brand by name, you are paying Shopee a commission on demand you created yourself.
When should you stay on Shopee?
Stay on Shopee if the marketplace is still your primary discovery engine and you have no working channel for acquiring customers independently. A Shopify store with no traffic strategy will underperform a Shopee listing every time, and paid acquisition in Singapore can easily cost more per order than the 15–25% Shopee takes. Sellers with low average order values, commodity products, or no email and social audience should keep building on the marketplace first.
Is running both channels the better answer?
Most established Singapore sellers run Shopee and Lazada for discovery alongside a Shopify store for repeat customers, rather than switching off the marketplace. This keeps marketplace traffic while shifting your highest-margin, most loyal buyers onto a channel where you own the customer relationship. Inventory can be kept in sync across all three with multi-channel listing tools. Soodo covers this approach in adding Shopee and Lazada to Shopify and Shopify vs Shopee and Lazada.
What actually transfers from Shopee to Shopify?
Shopee does not export a full customer database, so a marketplace-to-Shopify move is normally a fresh store build plus a product-catalogue import rather than a technical migration. Your product titles, descriptions, images, SKUs and pricing can be carried across; your buyer contact details, reviews and search ranking cannot. Sellers keep their Shopee reviews on Shopee, which is another reason to keep the marketplace listing live rather than closing it.
How much does the move cost in Singapore?
A Shopify store built by a Singapore agency typically starts around SGD $6,000, and Soodo builds Shopify stores for Singapore SMEs from SGD $6,000 with six months of WhatsApp support included. Soodo optimises existing Shopify stores from SGD $1,000 and migrates stores from other platforms from SGD $4,000. Eligible Singapore SMEs may also access the Productivity Solutions Grant, which subsidises up to 50% of a pre-approved e-commerce package, capped at S$30,000 per company each financial year. Full breakdown in the Shopify development cost guide.
How long does it take to launch?
A theme-based Shopify build in Singapore usually takes four to eight weeks from kickoff to launch, and a heavily customised build runs two to four months. Most of that timeline is content, photography and product data rather than development, so sellers who arrive with a clean product catalogue launch faster. See Soodo’s Shopify build service and the step-by-step Singapore setup guide.
When Soodo is not the right fit
Soodo is a founder-led boutique that works directly with SME and bootstrapped founders, so it is not the right choice for every seller. A seller who only needs a basic storefront and has time to build it themselves will do fine on a Shopify theme without an agency, and a large enterprise running a Shopify Plus programme with a dedicated account team should speak to a Shopify Plus Platinum Partner instead. Compare the options in Best Shopify Agencies in Singapore (2026) and how to choose a Shopify agency.
Frequently asked questions
Should I move my Shopee store to Shopify?
Move to Shopify when marketplace fees are eating 15–25% of every sale and you have enough repeat customers or brand demand to drive your own traffic; stay on Shopee while it is still your main source of new-customer discovery. Most Singapore sellers do best running both rather than switching off the marketplace overnight.
How much does Shopee take per sale in Singapore in 2026?
Shopee Singapore charges non-Mall sellers roughly 7.6–12% commission and Shopee Mall sellers up to about 15%, plus a 3.27% GST-inclusive transaction fee, with an optional Promo Xtra service fee of 3.27–5.45%. Total fees commonly land between 15% and 25% of the selling price after the 1 January 2026 restructure.
Is Shopify cheaper than Shopee for Singapore sellers?
Shopify is cheaper per order but not free: Basic costs S$39 per month with Shopify Payments online card fees of 3.2% plus S$0.50 per transaction, against Shopee’s 15–25% all-in take. The savings only materialise if you can bring your own customers.
How much does it cost to move from Shopee to Shopify in Singapore?
A Shopify store built by a Singapore agency typically starts around SGD $6,000, and Soodo builds Shopify stores for Singapore SMEs from SGD $6,000 with six months of WhatsApp support included. Because Shopee does not export a full customer database, the move is usually a fresh build plus a catalogue import.
Can I sell on Shopee and Shopify at the same time?
Yes, and most established Singapore sellers do exactly that, using Shopee and Lazada for discovery and Shopify for repeat customers, higher margins and owned customer data. Inventory can be kept in sync with multi-channel listing tools.
Sources
- Shopee Seller Education Hub — fee types and fee calculation (updated 1 December 2025)
- OneCart — Shopee seller fees 2026
- SGPayNowQR — Lazada seller fees Singapore 2026
- GemPages — Shopify plan pricing by country
Jessica Bong
Jessica Bong is the founder of Soodo, a Singapore-based Shopify development and CRO agency. She built and scaled her own eCommerce brand before starting Soodo, and has since audited 60+ Shopify stores. Jessica also teaches eCommerce at Equinet Academy. Her hands-on experience running a live brand gives Soodo an edge most agencies lack.
