Head-to-head comparison

CMC POS vs Shopify — real costs revealed.

Shopify looks cheap until you add POS Pro ($89/location), transaction fees, email marketing, and scheduling apps. CMC POS bundles everything — and adds a 0% processing option Shopify can't match.

No hidden fees

vs Shopify's transaction surcharge

$2,000–$5,000+

saved per year at mid-volume

Everything included

no paid POS Pro add-on needed

Processing cost comparison

Shopify's rates assume Shopify Payments (US). Third-party processor adds 0.5–2% more.

Monthly VolumeShopify FeesCMC POS FeesAnnual Savings
$10,000/mo$261–$339$183$936–$1,872/yr
$25,000/mo$652–$848$458$2,328–$4,680/yr
$50,000/mo$1,305–$1,695$0 (Fee Saver)$15,660–$20,340/yr
$100,000/mo$2,610–$3,390$0 (Fee Saver)$31,320–$40,680/yr

Processing fees only. Does not include Shopify POS Pro add-on ($89/location/mo) or marketing app costs. Fee Saver passes processing fees to customer — your cost is $0.

Feature-by-feature comparison

Feature
CMC POS
Shopify POS
Monthly software fee
From $50/mo
From $39/mo (Basic) to $399/mo (Advanced)
In-person transaction fee
1.83% (0% with Fee Saver)
0.5–2% third-party fee + 2.6–2.7% processing
Zero-fee processing option
✓ Fee Saver available
✗ Not available
Third-party payment fee
✗ No extra fees
0.5–2% if not using Shopify Payments
Physical POS hardware
Works with most hardware
Shopify POS Pro ($89/location/mo extra)
B2B / wholesale pricing
✓ Built-in customer group pricing
Shopify Plus only ($2,000+/mo)
In-person POS features
✓ Full POS included
POS Lite (free) vs POS Pro ($89/mo extra)
Inventory management
✓ Multi-location included
✓ Available across plans
E-commerce website
✓ Included with POS sync
✓ Strong platform
Email & SMS marketing
✓ Included
Shopify Email (limited free / paid)
Invoice generation
✓ Included + automation
Basic draft orders only
Appointment scheduling
✓ Included
✗ Third-party app required
ACH / bank transfer payments
✓ Included
B2B only on Shopify Plus
Contract / lock-in
Month-to-month
Month-to-month (or annual discount)

Why retail businesses switch from Shopify POS to CMC POS

Shopify's POS Pro is expensive

Full Shopify POS functionality requires POS Pro at $89/month per location — on top of your Shopify plan. CMC POS includes full POS capabilities in your monthly subscription.

No third-party transaction fees

Using a non-Shopify processor? Add 0.5–2% extra per transaction. CMC POS never charges transaction fees on top of your processor rate.

B2B wholesale without going Plus

Shopify B2B pricing requires Shopify Plus at $2,000+/month. CMC POS includes customer group pricing, net terms, and private wholesale portals at a fraction of the cost.

Everything bundled, nothing bolt-on

Marketing, scheduling, invoicing, analytics — all included. Shopify charges separately for each. CMC POS is one price for your entire business.

Common questions about switching from Shopify

Is CMC POS better than Shopify POS for physical retail?+
For independent physical retailers, CMC POS offers lower effective fees, included marketing and scheduling tools, and a zero-fee option (Fee Saver) that Shopify doesn't provide. Shopify excels at large-scale e-commerce; CMC POS is purpose-built for in-person businesses.
Does Shopify charge extra transaction fees?+
Yes. If you use a payment processor other than Shopify Payments, Shopify charges an additional 0.5–2% transaction fee on every sale, on top of your processor's rate. CMC POS does not charge extra transaction fees.
Can I migrate my products and customers from Shopify to CMC POS?+
Yes. CMC POS supports product catalog and customer data import from Shopify via CSV export. Our onboarding team assists with the migration at no charge.
What is the total cost of Shopify POS vs CMC POS?+
Shopify Basic starts at $39/mo but adds POS Pro at $89/location/mo for full POS features, plus 2.6% processing — totaling $2,000–$4,000+ per year before marketing or scheduling add-ons. CMC POS bundles everything for a single monthly rate with lower processing fees.

Ready to cut the Shopify POS costs?

Switch to CMC POS for lower fees, more features, and zero-fee processing. Migration is free.

Switch from Shopify — Free Migration