I run two tiny worlds.
One sells real stuff you can hold. The other sells lessons and a little hope.
- My candle shop lives on Shopify. We keep 12 scents, two sizes, and a few bundles.
- My coaching and workshop stuff runs through ClickFunnels. Think: one page, one story, one clear “yes.”
Same person. Two tools. Very different jobs.
For a deeper side-by-side feature breakdown, I’ve charted both platforms (plus a dozen others) on WebsiteBuilderTools so you can spot the right fit in under a minute.
If you’d like an even more comprehensive analysis of how ClickFunnels and Shopify stack up in terms of features, pricing, and use cases, you can dive into this detailed comparison for extra context.
Want the full, unfiltered diary of how each platform treated me day-to-day? I jotted it all down in this honest breakdown after a month of bouncing between tabs.
What I Actually Built
- Shopify: A clean store with product pages, a cart, a checkout, a blog, and email sign-ups. I used the free Dawn theme at first, then bought a paid theme later. I track orders, inventory, taxes, and shipping labels in one place.
- ClickFunnels: A funnel for a 90-minute workshop about “holiday pop-ups that don’t flop.” One page to explain. One checkout with a small add-on. Then a one-click upsell for the VIP Q&A replay.
Sounds neat, right? It mostly was. But let me explain how it felt. If you’d rather skim my late-night log of tiny wins and bigger stumbles, you can peek at my real-world take from long nights to big wins.
Setup: The Week That Chewed Me Up (Then Paid Me Back)
Shopify took me a weekend to look decent. It looked like a “real store” even before I added fancy apps. I set up Shopify Payments, added tax rules, and plugged in Pirate Ship for cheaper labels. Not fun, but it made sense after a cup of coffee and a few sighs.
ClickFunnels was faster for pages. I had a landing page live in an afternoon. The drag-and-drop builder felt like Lego. But getting my domain pointed, email sending, and Stripe tied in—yeah, that took a little patience. I kept asking, “Why is this button gray?” Then I found the setting. Classic.
Real Numbers From My Two Worlds
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Candle shop on Shopify:
- Month 1: 2.4% checkout conversion. AOV (average order value) was $36.
- After I added a small “Add a $6 wick trimmer?” on the thank-you page using ReConvert, AOV climbed to $42.
- A holiday bundle page, built with PageFly, bumped conversion to 3.1%. Small change, big grin.
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Workshop funnel on ClickFunnels:
- 482 visitors over 3 days from Instagram and my tiny list.
- 41% joined the waitlist page. 7.2% bought the base ticket at $39.
- 28% of buyers grabbed the $9 add-on at checkout (a worksheet set).
- 17% took the $29 VIP replay upsell.
- Final AOV: $47. Not bad for one page and a simple story.
Different paths. Different wins.
Design and Speed: Pretty vs Punchy
Shopify felt sturdy. The product pages looked clean, and the cart worked on every phone we tested. My paid theme ($320) added nice sections and quick view. Page speed stayed fine when I kept apps light. When I added too many, pages slowed and my bounce rate crawled up. So I trimmed.
ClickFunnels pages load fast enough, but some blocks felt heavy on older phones. Still, for short funnels, the speed was fine. And the editor made testing headlines easy. Example: “Stop guessing at your pop-up table” beat “Holiday pop-ups that sell” by 19% clicks to checkout. The catchy line won. I’ve also tested WordPress funnels in the past; if you’re weighing that route, my gritty ClickFunnels vs WordPress comparison lays out what actually moved the needle for me.
Speed-obsessed? I even pitted ClickFunnels against Unbounce in a landing-page sprint—see the blow-by-blow here if milliseconds matter to you.
Payments, Taxes, and The Boring Stuff That Matters
- Shopify: Shopify Payments was simple. Sales tax rules by state set themselves once I turned them on. Shipping zones took me 30 minutes, with coffee and a cookie. Labels printed clean from the dashboard.
- ClickFunnels: I used Stripe and PayPal. It handled digital delivery and a members area just fine. Taxes were easy since it was mostly U.S. services. No boxes to ship, so no label mess. That was a relief.
Upsells and Add-Ons: Where The Money Hides
This part is why I keep both.
- ClickFunnels: Order add-ons and one-click upsells are baked in. They’re bold and simple. I made back my ad spend with the upsell alone one weekend.
- Shopify: You can do upsells too, but you’ll likely use an app. I used ReConvert for post-purchase and added Zipify OCU for one-click. It worked, but every app adds cost and a bit of weight to your store.
Some readers ask if Builderall can pull off the same upsell tricks. My hands-on Builderall vs ClickFunnels story shows where each one shines (and where they trip).
If you're exploring an adults-only niche where discretion, storytelling, and community building are critical—think of a daring blog or membership that celebrates the “slut wife” lifestyle—you can peek at fucklocal.com/slut-wife to see a real-world example of how spicy content creators weave narrative, foster loyal fans, and monetize through premium access and upsells. Looking for a boots-on-the-ground view of how location-based service providers craft attention-grabbing classifieds that funnel readers into private conversations? Check out the detailed listings on Arcadia’s Backpage alternative to study concise headlines, persuasive copy, and clear calls-to-action you can swipe for your own offer pages.
Email and Follow-Up
- Shopify Email is fine for simple blasts. For serious flows (welcome series, abandoned cart, VIPs), I moved to Klaviyo. My candle “scent quiz” feed tags and sends the right notes. Result: more repeat buys.
- ClickFunnels has email built in. It’s okay for basic sequences. I ran a 5-day “warm-up” before the workshop and it did the job. For fancier segments, I still like Klaviyo or ConvertKit. If you’re eyeing an all-in-one tool with deeper automation (think Kartra), check out my ClickFunnels vs Kartra deep dive before you decide.
Apps and Extras (Where Your Wallet Groans)
- Shopify monthly: $39 for Basic when I started, plus apps. My stack was about $71 extra per month: Page builder, upsells, reviews, and shipping. Worth it once sales grew, but it sneaks up on you.
- ClickFunnels monthly: Mine was $147. It felt high, but remember it includes hosting, the page builder, checkout, upsells, some email, and a basic course area. For single-offer launches, it paid for itself fast.
Prices change, but the pattern holds. Shopify is cheaper at first. ClickFunnels is pricey, but it’s built to sell one thing hard.
Support, Learning, and “Please Help Me”
- Shopify chat got me answers fast. Theme help varied, but the core help was steady.
- ClickFunnels support was fine, and the templates taught me a lot. The community groups gave me real tips, like headline swaps that actually moved sales.
When I Pick Which One
- If I sell many SKUs, manage stock, ship boxes, and want clean product pages: I pick Shopify.
- If I sell one hero offer, run a challenge, or push a timed launch: I pick ClickFunnels.
- If I need both? I link them. Funnel for the big sell. Shopify for the long tail and repeat buyers.
For an in-depth comparison that zeroes in on each platform’s core strengths and weaknesses, this resource digs even deeper.
A Quick Cheat Sheet
- You love catalogs, filters, and smooth checkout: Shopify.
- You want one page, one story, bigger AOV from upsells: ClickFunnels.
- You want email flows that tag buyers by scent, size, or season: Shopify + Kl