Shopify is a world-class consumer storefront priced in USD, with B2B added through apps. Catafy is a catalogue-first platform priced in INR with buyer-specific pricing, MOQ, OTP access and WhatsApp automation built in — and zero transaction fees.
No card required. INR plans from ₹499/month. Zero transaction fees. Built in India.
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Catafy is a catalogue-first B2B platform: public, private or semi-private catalogues, price lists per buyer, MOQ and MOA, OTP access with approval, live visitor tracking, notifications on WhatsApp, SMS, email and push, a B2C storefront, POS and invoicing — all included, priced in INR.
Comparison
Shopify is a storefront-first e-commerce platform with a huge app ecosystem. It is excellent for consumer brands, but B2B pricing, minimums and WhatsApp selling are added through apps or the Plus tier, and plans are billed in USD.
Customer-specific pricing, minimums and approval flows come through apps or the Plus tier — each with its own cost and configuration.
A plan in dollars, several apps, gateway charges and exchange-rate movement make the real monthly cost hard to predict.
Most Indian B2B sales start in a chat. Shopify’s centre is the storefront; WhatsApp is an app bolted on.
You get traffic and conversion, not which trade account looked at which product and dropped off.
Retailer, distributor and export rates on one product master, behind OTP — included on every plan.
Minimums per product and per order enforced when the buyer orders, no app required.
Public, private or semi-private per catalogue, with seller approval on the locked ones.
Catalogue link from a chat, OTP, two-tap order, confirmations from your own number via Whaaty — plus SMS, email and push.
See which trade buyer is on which product right now, plus sessions, drop-offs and abandoned-cart value.
Plans from ₹499/month with no transaction fees, a theme builder, custom domain with SSL, and white-label Android / iOS / web apps.
01
Shopify is one of the best general e-commerce platforms in the world. That is not the question. The question is whether an Indian wholesaler, manufacturer or distributor — whose buyers are businesses, whose sales start on WhatsApp, and whose prices differ by account — is better served by a USD-priced storefront stack that needs apps for B2B, or by an INR-priced platform built around the trade catalogue from day one. For that seller, Catafy is the more direct answer. For a consumer brand that wants a global storefront and a large app ecosystem, Shopify remains the stronger choice.
| If you need… | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A consumer storefront with a global app ecosystem | Shopify | Thousands of apps, themes and integrations |
| Buyer-specific trade pricing without add-ons | Catafy | Price lists per buyer group behind OTP, included |
| MOQ / minimum order amount at checkout | Catafy | Included on every plan; Shopify typically needs an app or Plus |
| Sales that start and close on WhatsApp | Catafy | Catalogue links, OTP, and automation from your own number via Whaaty |
| Predictable cost in INR with no transaction fees | Catafy | Flat plans from ₹499/month, 0% fees |
| To know which trade buyer viewed which product | Catafy | Live visitor tracking by buyer |
| POS billing and invoicing on the same stock | Either | Both offer POS; Catafy includes it on Scale |
02
Shopify is a storefront-first platform. The centre of the product is a public shop with a cart and checkout, extended by an app store for almost everything else — including B2B features such as customer-specific pricing, minimums and net terms, which are either apps or part of the higher-priced Plus tier. Pricing is in USD, and Indian sellers usually add a payment gateway with its own charges.
Catafy is a catalogue-first platform. The centre of the product is a shareable catalogue that can be public, private or semi-private, with price lists per buyer group, MOQ and minimum order amount, OTP access with approval, live visitor tracking, and order automation on WhatsApp, SMS, email and push. A B2C storefront, POS and invoicing run from the same inventory. Pricing is in INR with zero transaction fees, and there is no app store because the trade features are built in.
The honest framing: Shopify is broader; Catafy is more direct for Indian B2B. Which matters more depends on who your buyers are.
03
A wholesaler on Shopify usually ends up with a public store showing retail prices, a B2B app or Plus subscription for customer-specific pricing and minimums, a separate wholesale channel or password page, and a WhatsApp integration to bring the conversation back in. It works, but it is assembled — and each part carries its own cost and configuration.
04
Manufacturers releasing a new range to approved dealers need private visibility, dealer-specific rates and a way to see which dealer engaged. On Catafy that is a private catalogue with seller approval, a dealer price list, live tracking, and automatic catalogue-access messages on WhatsApp. On Shopify it is a combination of password protection, customer tags, a B2B app and an analytics tool — achievable, but a project rather than a setting.
Where the manufacturer also runs a consumer brand with international ambitions, Shopify’s storefront and app depth are a genuine advantage. Some businesses keep Shopify for D2C and use Catafy as the trade front-end; both can run from the same product data.
05
Distributors need multiple catalogues from one inventory, collections per route or season, team seats for reps, per-segment pricing and automated confirmations. Catafy provides these without add-ons: plan-based team seats, per-segment catalogues, shareable collections, live visitor tracking across the team, and notifications on WhatsApp, SMS, email and push from one settings screen. A distributor rarely needs a global consumer storefront, which is where most of Shopify’s strength sits.
06
What Catafy includes, and what to verify — including which app or tier is required — on Shopify. Shopify’s plans and app pricing change; check their current pages directly.
| Feature | Catafy | What to verify in Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Consumer storefront | ✓ included | ✓ — core strength; compare themes and app ecosystem |
| Catalogue modes | Public, private, semi-private | Password page or B2B channel — which tier? |
| Buyer-specific price lists | ✓ per buyer or group, included | Requires a B2B app or Plus? |
| MOQ and minimum order amount | ✓ enforced at checkout, included | Requires an app? |
| OTP access with seller approval | ✓ | Customer accounts + approval flow — how? |
| Live visitor tracking by buyer | ✓ | Aggregate analytics, or per-customer? |
| WhatsApp automation from your own number | ✓ via Whaaty | Which app, and from whose number? |
| Notifications: SMS, email, push | ✓ centrally configured | Which are native, which are apps? |
| Pricing currency and fees | INR, 0% transaction fees | USD plans; transaction fee unless using their gateway? |
| Payments | Razorpay, PayU, PhonePe, PayPal, Ziina + proof upload | Which Indian gateways, and at what fee? |
| Shipping | ✓ Shiprocket | Shiprocket app available — any fee? |
| Theme builder / landing page builder | ✓ | ✓ — theme editor; compare depth |
| Custom domain with SSL | ✓ self-serve, free SSL | ✓ |
| Android, iOS and web app | ✓ white-label | Requires a mobile app builder app? |
| POS and invoicing | ✓ Scale plan | ✓ — Shopify POS; check India availability and pricing |
| Video product cataloguing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Screenshot protection | ✓ | Available? |
| Bulk Excel import with images | ✓ | CSV import — images by URL |
| Team seats | 1 / 5 / unlimited | Staff accounts per plan? |
| AI product photo enhancement | ✓ AI Studio | Via apps? |
| Free trial | 7 days, no card | Trial length and card requirement? |
07
The sticker price is only the start on Shopify. Add a B2B pricing app, a minimum-order app, a WhatsApp app, a mobile app builder, payment gateway charges and — for Indian sellers — exchange rate movement, and the monthly cost is often several times the plan price. Catafy’s plans are flat, in INR, and include the trade features, with zero transaction fees from Catafy.
Work out the total annual cost for your real setup — plan, every app you would need, gateway fees at your volume — and compare that number, not the headline plan price.
08
Most Indian B2B sales start in a chat. Catafy is built for that motion: a catalogue link that opens from WhatsApp, OTP verification, a two-tap order, and confirmations sent from your own WhatsApp Business number through the Whaaty API — with SMS, email and push as additional channels. Shopify can be connected to WhatsApp through apps, but the storefront, not the chat, remains the centre of the experience.
09
A Shopify store gives a consumer a polished shopping flow. A Catafy trade catalogue gives a retailer a direct buying flow: open the link from WhatsApp, verify by OTP, see their own rate card, order sets and quantities with MOQ warnings inline, and receive an automatic confirmation. Both run in the browser; the Catafy branded app is optional. Ask a real trade buyer to place a test order on both.
10
Shopify’s CSV export makes product migration straightforward. The work is defining the trade pricing that Shopify handled through apps, then moving buyers to the catalogue link. The onboarding call included on every Catafy plan covers the mapping.
Use the products CSV export; collect image URLs or files and note variants and collections.
Write down retailer, distributor and export segments with their rate card and MOQ — the part Shopify needed apps for.
Map the CSV columns, import with images and attributes, and check variants and sets on a sample.
Publish a public storefront and OTP-gated wholesale catalogues from the same inventory; approve trade buyers as they verify.
Link Razorpay, PayU or PhonePe, connect Shiprocket, and connect your WhatsApp Business number via Whaaty.
Map your custom domain to Catafy with free SSL, announce to buyers on WhatsApp, and close the Shopify plan after two weeks.
11
Catafy pricing is flat and public. Every plan includes unlimited orders, online payments with zero transaction fees from Catafy, and a 7-day free trial with no card required. Prices below are per month on annual billing, exclusive of 18% GST. Mobile, email and WhatsApp OTP login options for buyers are included on Growth and Scale; Starter uses a single login type.
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | ₹499 / month | 10 catalogues, 500 products, unlimited orders, 1 team member, single login type, private cataloguing, basic analytics, free onboarding call |
| Growth | ₹1,199 / month | 20 catalogues, 1,200 products, unlimited orders, 5 team members, mobile / email / WhatsApp OTP login, product variations, advanced analytics, dedicated support |
| Scale | ₹2,199 / month | Unlimited catalogues, products and team members, invoicing + POS, advanced analytics, dedicated support |
Shopify’s plans are priced in USD and the B2B features most Indian wholesalers need typically sit in apps or the Plus tier. Check Shopify’s current pricing and app costs directly, then compare the total against a flat Catafy plan.
Full plan details and the feature matrix are on the Catafy pricing page.
12
If you are a consumer brand selling internationally, need a specific app or integration, or want the deepest theme and checkout customisation available, Shopify is the better platform and the higher cost is justified. Catafy’s B2C storefront is capable, but it is not trying to be a global D2C stack.
13
Yes to most of the first seven: Catafy. Yes to the last one above all: Shopify.
| Feature | Catafy | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Storefront-led commerce | Included | ✓ |
| App ecosystem and integrations | Built-in features | ✓ |
| Buyer-specific price lists (no add-on) | ✓ | App or Plus |
| MOQ and MOA at checkout (no add-on) | ✓ | App |
| Public / private / semi-private catalogue modes | ✓ | Limited |
| OTP access with seller approval | ✓ | Needs extra setup |
| WhatsApp-first catalogue sharing | ✓ | Limited |
| WhatsApp automation from your own number (Whaaty) | ✓ | App |
| SMS, email and push notifications | ✓ | Partly via apps |
| Live buyer analytics by trade account | ✓ | Limited |
| INR pricing with 0% transaction fees | ✓ | ✗ |
| Razorpay, PayU, PhonePe + payment-proof upload | ✓ | Check gateway fees |
| Branded Android, iOS and web app | ✓ | App builder required |
| Theme builder and landing page builder | ✓ | ✓ |
| POS and invoicing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Screenshot protection | ✓ | ✗ |
| 7-day free trial, no card | ✓ | Check plan |
Shopify is the broader platform and the right choice for a consumer brand that needs its app ecosystem. Catafy is the more direct choice for an Indian wholesaler, manufacturer or distributor: trade pricing, minimums, OTP access and WhatsApp automation built in, priced in INR with no transaction fees.
For Indian B2B sellers, yes. Catafy includes buyer-specific pricing, MOQ, OTP access and WhatsApp automation that Shopify adds through apps or Plus, and prices in INR with zero transaction fees. For a global consumer brand, Shopify remains the broader platform.
Yes. A public B2C storefront with payments and Shiprocket shipping runs from the same inventory as your trade catalogues.
Through apps or the Plus tier. Verify which app or plan you would need and its cost before comparing against Catafy, where it is included.
Catafy plans are flat in INR from ₹499/month with no transaction fees. Shopify plans are in USD, plus apps for B2B features, plus gateway charges. Compare the total annual cost for your real setup.
Yes. Export the products CSV, then use Catafy’s bulk import with images and attributes. Onboarding help is included on every plan.
Every plan includes a 7-day free trial with the full feature set. No card required.
Share a catalogue link from a chat; the buyer verifies by OTP and orders in two taps. Confirmations go out from your own WhatsApp Business number via Whaaty, with SMS, email and push as extra channels.
Yes. Some businesses run Shopify for their consumer brand and Catafy as the wholesale front-end from the same product data.
Razorpay, PayU, PhonePe, PayPal and Ziina, plus an upload-payment-proof option for bank transfers. Zero transaction fees from Catafy.
Import your products, set buyer-specific prices and share an OTP-locked catalogue on WhatsApp this week. 7-day free trial, no card, no transaction fees.
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