How we compare, without the marketing
Every platform on this page can sell things. What separates them for a UAE retailer is narrower than the feature lists suggest: what you pay on each order, whether tax invoices come out right, and whether “your own app” means an app with your name on it.
Shopify Payments is not available in the UAE
That is not a criticism of Shopify — it is a fact of the market. But it has a consequence most UAE merchants only see on the invoice: with Shopify Payments unavailable, you must use a third-party gateway, and that is exactly the case where Shopify applies an additional transaction fee on top of what your gateway already charges.
USD 39/month, 2% on third-party gateways AED 143 AED 4,000 AED 4,143
USD 105/month, 1% on third-party gateways AED 386 AED 2,000 AED 2,386
AED 399/month, no cut of sales AED 399 AED 0 AED 399
Dollar plans converted at the pegged rate of AED 3.6725 to the dollar. Percentages are Shopify’s published third-party gateway fees at the time of writing; check their current pricing before you decide anything on this table. The point is not the exact dirham — it is that one of these numbers grows with your sales and the other does not.
What each one gives a UAE seller
Compiled from each platform’s published documentation and pricing. Anything a platform can do through a paid third-party app is marked as an add-on rather than as included, because that is how it shows up on your bill.
| FlexiCommerce | Shopify | Salla | Zid | WooCommerce | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cut of your sales | None | 2% / 1% / 0.6% on third-party gateways | None | None | None |
| Prices quoted in | AED | USD | SAR | SAR | n/a — self-hosted |
| VAT-inclusive display prices | Built in | Configurable | Built in | Built in | Configurable |
| UAE TRN tax invoice, all FTA fields | Built in | Add-on | Gulf-focused | Gulf-focused | Add-on |
| Tabby and Tamara | Built in | Free app, gateway fee applies | Built in | Built in | Plugin |
| Cash on Delivery with reconciliation | Built in | Add-on | Built in | Built in | Plugin |
| Delivery zones by emirate and area | Built in | Postcode-shaped | Gulf-shaped | Gulf-shaped | Plugin |
| Your own app on both app stores | Included on Business | Third-party service | Separate product | Separate product | Build it yourself |
| Seller and delivery apps for staff | Included on Business | No | No | No | No |
| Multi-vendor marketplace | Included on Business | Paid app | No | No | Paid plugin |
| Arabic storefront | Yes | Yes | Arabic-first | Arabic-first | Yes |
| You manage hosting and security | No — we do | No | No | No | Yes, you do |
| Free trial | 14 days | Trial offered | Trial offered | Trial offered | n/a |
Platforms change their plans often. Treat this as a starting point for your own comparison rather than the last word, and check anything that would change your decision directly with the vendor.
Head to head
The table above is the short version. Each of these goes further — including a section on when the other one is the better choice.
vs Shopify
Shopify Payments is unavailable in the UAE — what that costs you.
Read it →vs Salla
Arabic-first and Saudi-dominant. Which market are you selling into?
Read it →vs Zid
Riyadh-built, strong analytics, Saudi-first. Where each fits.
Read it →vs WooCommerce
Free plugin, but hosting, plugins and security become yours.
Read it →vs Wix
Easiest to build. Where that stops being the deciding factor.
Read it →vs Magento
Enormously capable, enormously expensive to run.
Read it →vs marketplaces
Reach versus margin. Why most brands should run both.
Read it →When you should not pick us
A comparison page that finds no reason to choose anyone else is an advertisement. These are the cases where we would genuinely point you elsewhere.
You need a huge app ecosystem
Shopify’s app store is enormous and nothing in this market comes close. If your business depends on a niche integration that already exists there, that is a real reason to pay the transaction fee.
Saudi Arabia is your main market
Salla and Zid are built around Saudi first — ZATCA e-invoicing, local logistics, Arabic-native support. If Riyadh matters more to you than Dubai, start there rather than here.
You want to own and host everything
WooCommerce gives you the code and the database. That is genuine freedom, and it comes with hosting, updates, backups and security becoming your job. Some teams want exactly that.
A branded app is part of the plan, not a project
On most platforms, “we have a mobile app” means customers browse your shop inside the platform’s own app, or that a third-party service will build you one for a separate monthly fee.
On Business, your app is submitted to the App Store and Google Play under your developer account, with your icon, your name and your colours. Push notifications go out from your store, not from someone else’s brand.
- Published under your own developer accounts, so the listing stays yours
- Your icon and name on the customer’s home screen
- Seller app for staff, delivery app for riders
- Updates rebuilt and resubmitted for you
What people ask when switching
Can I bring my products across from Shopify or WooCommerce?
What happens to my SEO if I move?
Is Shopify actually more expensive for a UAE store?
Do you support Arabic as well as Salla does?
Can I try it without leaving my current store running?
Run both for two weeks
Import your catalogue, place a few real orders, look at the invoice and the app. Comparing screenshots is guesswork; comparing your own products is not.
No card needed · Free catalogue import · 0% of your sales, ever