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Switching from Shopify: no refunds, a 60-day domain lock and what moves
Updated Oct 10, 2026
Export your products, customers and orders as CSV files, move or repoint your domain, import into the new platform, then cancel the plan yourself. Shopify gives no refunds, so cancel near the end of a billing cycle. A Shopify-bought .com can face a 60-day transfer lock. BigCommerce's Shopify importer is free for up to 500,000 records; WooCommerce's costs $79 a year.
The steps
- Step 1 · An order export of fewer than 100,000 items might take under an hour; 400,000 items around 4 hours · No fee stated
Export products, customers and orders
Shopify exports products, customers and orders as CSV files. Order exports can include transaction history, but not authorization data.
source - Step 2 · not stated on its pages · No fee stated
Download your theme file
A purchased theme is licensed only to the Shopify store you bought it for. Download a backup before you close the store.
source - Step 3 · not stated on its pages (BigCommerce's launch services average four months or less) · $79 a year (WooCommerce extension); free (BigCommerce app)
Import into the new platform
WooCommerce sells a Shopify importer extension; BigCommerce's Data Migration app is free for up to 500,000 records; Wix uses its product CSV template.
source - Step 4 · not stated on its pages · No fee stated
Ask customers to set new passwords
Customer passwords don't move: BigCommerce says passwords cannot be migrated, and WooCommerce's extension doesn't import them.
source - Step 5 · Up to 7 days; relocks if not finished within 30 days · No Shopify transfer fee stated; domain renewals aren't cancelled when you cancel the store
Move or repoint your domain
A Shopify-bought .com, .net or .org isn't eligible for transfer until 60 days after certain domain actions listed on Shopify's page. Until then, point its DNS to the new host. Starting the transfer unlocks the domain, and you give the new provider an authorization code.
source - Step 6 · Ends at the end of the current billing cycle · No refund, prorated or otherwise
Cancel your Shopify plan
Deactivate the store yourself: the help centre says Shopify Support can't do it for you, though Shopify's Terms still say to contact Support. Apps are uninstalled and pending charges billed; the subscription ends at the end of the billing cycle.
source - Step 7 · Store information kept 2 years · not stated on its pages
Know what Shopify keeps
Shopify guarantees your store's information for 2 years, so you can reopen without rebuilding. You can ask it to delete customers' personal data sooner.
source
Carries over
- Products, customers and orders export as CSV files
- Importers exist at WooCommerce and BigCommerce for products and orders
- A Shopify-bought domain can transfer out with an authorization code
- Shopify keeps your store information for 2 years if you return
What you lose
- No refund on cancelling, prorated or otherwise
- A purchased theme is licensed to the Shopify store only
- Customer passwords can't be migrated
- A domain bought or transferred in the last 60 days can't move yet
- BigCommerce's app and CSV import skip web pages and blog posts
Where to switch to
| Destination | Price from | Visit |
|---|---|---|
| WooCommerce No affiliate relationship | $0 per month | Visit WooCommerceOn woocommerce.com |
| BigCommerce No affiliate relationship | $29 per month | Visit BigCommerceOn bigcommerce.com |
| Wix No affiliate relationship | $0 per month | Visit WixOn wix.com |
Leaving Shopify takes three jobs: getting your data out, moving your domain, and closing the plan at the right moment. Everything below comes from the companies' own pages, read Sep 30, 2026.
What you can take with you
Shopify's help centre tells you to export CSV files to save your store information before closing. Products, customers and orders each have an export. Orders can include transaction history, but not authorization data, and an export with fewer than 100,000 items "might complete in under an hour". SEO titles and descriptions export blank unless you edited them by hand.
Two things stay behind. A theme you bought is licensed only to the store you originally bought it for; download a backup anyway. Customer passwords don't move to any platform: BigCommerce says passwords cannot be migrated, and WooCommerce's Shopify extension doesn't import them. Plan to ask customers to set new ones.
Moving your domain
If you bought the domain through Shopify, a .com, .net or .org isn't eligible for transfer until 60 days after certain domain actions, which Shopify's transfer page lists. Until then you can edit its DNS to point it at the new host. When it's eligible, start the transfer: the domain unlocks, and you give the new provider a domain authorization code. A transfer can take up to 7 days, and if it isn't finished within 30 days the domain locks again. Shopify's page names no transfer fee.
Shopify's HSTS policy stays on the domain for 90 days after you leave. Domain renewals also keep running: they aren't cancelled when you cancel the store.
Cancelling, refunds and what Shopify keeps
You cancel yourself; the help centre says Support can't deactivate your store for you. Shopify's Terms of Service still say to contact Support. The pages conflict, so plan on doing it yourself. The subscription ends at the end of the billing cycle. All apps are uninstalled and any pending charges are billed.
There are no refunds. The terms say you won't get any refund of fees "pro rata or otherwise", and the help centre adds that this holds during promotional pricing too. So cancel near the end of a billing cycle, after the new store is live. For scale, Shopify's Basic plan is $39 a month, or $29 a month billed yearly.
After you close, Shopify says your store's information is guaranteed for 2 years, so you could reopen without rebuilding. Customers can still see their order details on the Order status pages.
Where to move
- WooCommerce. The plugin is free, with no monthly subscription, but you pay for hosting: its pricing page gives $25 to $350 a month for most stores. The Migrate & Import Shopify to WooCommerce extension costs $79 for a 1-year plan and imports products, categories, orders, coupons, blogs and pages through Shopify's API. There is also a built-in product CSV importer. Woo offers dedicated migration assistance only for qualifying high-volume stores, with no price stated.
- BigCommerce. Its Data Migration app is free and handles up to 500,000 records across products, customers and orders. Web pages and blog posts don't come across by the app or by CSV. A managed Data Migration Services team is available; the page gives no price. BigCommerce's launch services page says customers launch in four months or less on average. Its Core plan is $39 a month, or $29 billed annually.
- Wix. There's no Shopify-specific tool. Wix's guide for stores from another platform has you export from Shopify and fit the data to Wix's product CSV template. Wix's Core plan is $29 a month billed yearly.
Prices from Shopify's, WooCommerce's, BigCommerce's and Wix's pricing pages, read Sep 25, 2026 (BigCommerce's page re-read Oct 9, 2026).
Who should switch now, and who should wait
Switch now if your billing cycle is about to end and your domain is more than 60 days old. Wait if you just bought or transferred the domain: point it at the new host and transfer later. Wait too if you prepaid a long cycle, since none of it comes back. Compare the platforms in our ecommerce platform ranking and see how we score them in the methodology.