The overseas stores of Nonfiction, YG SELECT, SMTOWN, Andar, Bodyluv, Kundal, and Medicube, which were introduced in " The Hottest Brands Right Now on Cafe24! " on the Cafe24 homepage, are actually built with Shopify . Cafe24 also supports global stores, so why are these brands operating on a separate platform called Shopify?

Let's think about it for a moment. Can you think of any successful examples of Cafe24's global stores? Probably not. If there were, Cafe24 would have actively promoted them. So why aren't there any overseas success stories of Cafe24?

Hello. I'm Jaeik Lee from 300CBT, a company that has been providing global store building services through the Shopify platform since 2017.

70% of the construction meetings we conduct involve businesses that previously operated domestic stores on Cafe24 and then chose Shopify for their overseas stores. 20% are businesses that operated marketplaces like Amazon but have experienced limitations and are now preparing to launch their own online stores on Shopify.

Having held over 1,000 global store building meetings, the question most frequently asked by practitioners was the difference between Cafe24 and Shopify.

Cafe24 is undoubtedly the most widely used builder in Korea. Best of all, it's free to start, and it's constantly updated to reflect the Korean e-commerce environment and requirements, so it doesn't pose any significant inconvenience to domestic businesses.

However, if you're considering selling overseas through Cafe24, there are some issues you must consider. These issues apply not only to Cafe24 but also to other domestic builders like MakeShop, NHN Godomall, I'm Web, and Sixshop.

This article compares Cafe24 and Shopify across 30 criteria, based on 300cbt's experience building North American, Japanese, and global target stores for numerous brands. We hope this article will serve as a practical guide for brand practitioners considering global expansion or considering Shopify adoption.

*This article was written as of June 2025, and some features of each platform may be updated over time.

1. Main target market

The biggest difference between Shopify and Cafe24 lies in their target markets.

Cafe24 is based on the UX/UI used only in Korea. All of the Korean-style front-end and internally developed functions, such as communication through bulletin boards, non-member order inquiry, and agreement to terms and conditions upon registration, are applied uniformly to all sites through Cafe24. Therefore, all functions that are not used by the operator are exposed to the admin (back-end), which may make the management screen appear complicated.

In summary, the Korean builder only supports a few languages and some international payment methods by adding URLs, making it unsuitable for targeting overseas markets. On the other hand, Shopify is a platform optimized for the global market.

Merchants (sellers) from any country can easily operate targeting their desired country, and localization and external system integration are also free.

Starting out primarily in North America (English-speaking countries), it is now used in over 175 countries worldwide. Designed with English as the default language (local language settings are available), Shopify enables stable global sales in various regions, including the US, Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.

The backend (operator screen) language can be set to the local language for each user, making collaboration with overseas staff easy, and management permissions can also be set for each staff member.

Additionally, with robust global payment, shipping, exchange rate, and multilingual features, it's the most recommended store builder for brands considering entering the global market.

2. Language environment

One of the most important factors in running an online store is language.

The language in which you can manage your site and the language in which your customers can shop will both have a major impact on your platform choice.

Cafe24 is a Korean-based platform, offering everything from the admin interface to customer support and official documentation in Korean. This makes it accessible to both domestic store operators and new entrepreneurs. While some multilingual features are supported, the basic structure revolves around Korean.

Shopify, on the other hand, is a global platform primarily designed for English. While the admin interface, official documentation, and app descriptions are all natively in English, translations into various languages, including Korean, are currently expanding.

Additionally, features like Shopify Markets allow you to run your store in multiple languages, which is a huge advantage for brands looking to sell to a global audience.

3. Management Screen UI

The space that operators encounter every day is the administrator screen.

No matter how many functions there are, if you can't easily find and set them up, it's bound to be inconvenient in practice.

Cafe24 provides a UI tailored to the needs of domestic users.

Familiar terminology and menu structures, including bulletin boards, product registration, and promotion settings, are well-organized, ensuring operators familiar with existing domestic store platforms can use the platform without significant discomfort. However, the extensive menu options may be somewhat complex for some beginners, and the structure may be difficult for overseas employees to use.

Shopify offers an intuitive and minimal UI, befitting a global SaaS.

It's structured around core functions, free of unnecessary information or complex menus, allowing even first-time operators to quickly adapt. Furthermore, it's optimized for nearly all management functions via the mobile app, enabling management anytime, anywhere and facilitating seamless collaboration among team members.

4. Store construction period

Cafe24 offers free templates that allow you to quickly build a basic store without the need for separate design.

However, since there are many store components and Korean-style functions such as bulletin boards and member management are included as standard, it may take additional time to refine it into a complete structure.

On the other hand, Shopify allows you to open a store in less than an hour with the basic setup, from account creation → theme selection → product registration → domain connection.

As a global SaaS platform, its simple initial setup and intuitive interface make it easy for anyone to quickly launch. It's an ideal choice for startups and teams looking to begin test sales.

5. Freedom of customization

The stronger the brand identity, the more likely it is that the store will have its own unique atmosphere.

What's important here is how freely customizable it is.

Cafe24 offers the ability to modify the HTML structure, but the overall structure is quite complex, making it challenging to enter if you're not familiar with template branching or include structures. Furthermore, even if you utilize paid templates through the Design Center, you'll often need the assistance of an outsourced developer to achieve the highest level of completion.

Shopify, on the other hand, is a very flexible platform in terms of customization.

Based on a proprietary template language called Liquid, front-end developers can edit HTML, CSS, and even JavaScript, offering significant freedom. The introduction of a "section-based editor" allows operators to easily edit large portions of the code using drag-and-drop, without any code modifications.

6. Server/Hosting Management

As a store operator, one of the most common issues you want to avoid is server issues.

A site slowdown or server downtime due to a surge in traffic can be devastating, leading to missed sales opportunities. Therefore, the reliability of hosting and server management is a crucial factor in selecting a site.

Because both Cafe24 and Shopify are SaaS (Software as a Service)-based platforms, users don't need to build or maintain their own servers; all infrastructure is automatically managed by the platform.

Cafe24 operates on a self-managed SaaS architecture. Hosting is provided immediately upon site launch, without the need for a separate server contract. This provides a stable service focused on domestic traffic. But what about international traffic?

Shopify uses a global Content Delivery Network (CDN)-based infrastructure to ensure borderless stability and scalability.

Shopify automatically responds to store traffic spikes, eliminating the need to worry about server capacity. This stability is why global DTC brands trust and choose Shopify. Furthermore, an SSL certificate is automatically set up when connecting your domain, ensuring visitor data encryption and a secure connection.

*SSL certificates enhance security by encrypting data between your site and visitors, and display https:// and a lock icon in the browser address bar.

7. Traffic response

When events, campaigns, influencer exposure, and ad performance align well, your store can experience a temporary surge in traffic.

If your site slows down or crashes at this point, it can go beyond simple inconvenience and lead to lost sales and damage to your brand image.

One of our clients once asked us this at the end of a project:

"Who do I call if Shopify's servers are down?"

He said that every time Cafe24 ran a sale promotion, the site would inevitably crash.

Cafe24 is SaaS-based, so basic traffic processing is handled automatically. However, when there are large events or a large number of external links, the site often crashes due to a surge in concurrent users.

On the other hand, Shopify, a global SaaS platform, leverages its CDN-based infrastructure to handle hundreds of thousands of real-time connections without a hitch. With millions of stores operating simultaneously around the world, its architecture is designed to withstand high traffic conditions. In fact, even during peak traffic periods like Black Friday, Shopify maintains stable performance.

You can also check the server status in real time on the Shopify Status page for more reliability.

8. Design Template Diversity

The first impression of a store is determined by its design.

The ease and versatility with which templates can be utilized are also important factors in choosing a platform.

Cafe24 offers a variety of paid and free templates through its Design Center . However, since its primary users are store operators targeting Korea, most are tailored to the Korean store style. Furthermore, paid templates vary greatly in quality depending on the creator, and some even offer mobile responsiveness as a separate paid option. Therefore, careful review is necessary before purchasing.

Shopify offers dozens of basic themes (free and paid), and in addition to the Shopify theme store, you can purchase and use thousands of templates (themes) through various marketplaces ( such as ThemeForest ).

All themes are responsive by default and support section-based editing, allowing you to easily adjust most layouts without any code. Overall, the themes feature simple, minimalist designs with a global feel, making them ideal for reinforcing your brand identity.

9. Responsive web support

A significant number of customers today start their shopping on mobile devices.

Especially as social media traffic increases, the proportion of mobile users will significantly increase compared to desktop users. Therefore, responsive web support that works seamlessly on all devices is not an option, but a necessity.

Cafe24 often doesn't support mobile responsiveness, especially for some free templates or older designs. In these cases, you'll need to create separate designs for desktop and mobile, or purchase a paid responsive option, which can reduce operational efficiency. We've all experienced searching on portals like Google on our PCs only to be immediately redirected to the mobile version of the site.

On the other hand, all of Shopify's built-in themes are fully mobile responsive (Responsive Web Design).

Operators can view and edit desktop, tablet, and mobile screens in real time, and all themes are designed to naturally express brand identity even in mobile environments. This is incredibly convenient for operators, as the default setting is fully compatible with both PC and mobile devices without requiring any additional settings.

10. App Ecosystem

Each brand has different targets and operational requirements.

Therefore, an app ecosystem that allows for easy implementation of desired features is crucial for improving operational efficiency. Think of it as a system where users can easily download and install necessary features without requiring separate development, similar to the iPhone's App Store, and immediately begin operating the app.

Cafe24 provides most of its features in the form of built-in or external integration.

Although it has its own app store called ' Cafe24 Store ', since its main user base is Korean store operators, most of the app's features are specialized for the Korean store .

On the other hand, Shopify, as a global SaaS platform, operates an app store with over 10,000 apps registered.

A variety of features, including reviews, points, rewards, marketing, customer management, translation, and subscriptions, are immediately available upon installation. Most of these features feature no-code installation and UI integration, allowing for rapid implementation without additional development. Furthermore, seamless inter-app integration allows for easy automation, such as linking data collected from a review app with an email marketing app.

SamBaekCBT provides installation and optimization services for 15 free and paid apps to improve operational efficiency and automation when building a store.

11. Marketplace Integration

The days of simply running one's own store are over.

Now, securing a wider customer touchpoint by linking with external channels such as Google Shopping, Instagram Shop, and TikTok Shop, as well as global marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, has become a core strategy.

As marketplaces diversify, how well they connect with your online store (your own online store) becomes a crucial practical factor. In particular, inventory and shipping processing require integrated management.

Cafe24 is a platform specialized in integrating with domestic marketplaces.

Integration with major domestic sales channels such as Naver Smart Store, Coupang, 11st, Gmarket, WeMakePrice, and ZigZag is possible, and by utilizing our own integrated tool, ‘ Market Plus ,’ you can register products from multiple channels at once and manage orders in an integrated manner.

As a global platform, Shopify officially supports integrations with major overseas channels, including Amazon, eBay, TikTok Shop, Google Shopping, Walmart, Etsy, and Target Plus.

Installing apps for each channel allows for easy product integration and order collection. Integrations with Meta, Google, and TikTok can be set up within Shopify with virtually one click. YouTube Shopping integration has also been recently added, allowing for rapid expansion of content-based commerce.

Additionally, you can manage Rakuten, Qoo10, Shopee, Lazada, and other platforms that feature many Korean brands through apps or integrated OMS.

12. Payment method linking

The final step in the purchase funnel is the payment (checkout) page.

To keep customers engaged at checkout, providing convenient and familiar payment methods is paramount.

Cafe24 is based on domestic PG companies, and also supports some overseas PG integrations such as PayPal, Eximbay, and Paymentwall.

Shopify offers a variety of global payment methods, centered around its proprietary payment system , Shopify Payments . Credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Shop Pay, and PayPal are available as standard, and you can also integrate with country-specific payment gateways .

However, since Korean corporations cannot use Shopify Payments, to operate domestically, they must sign a separate contract with an external PG company such as KG Inicis or Portone and link it to the app.

*Please note that if you use a third-party payment method other than Shopify Payments, a separate transaction fee will be charged depending on your plan .

13. Payment Fee Structure

One of the key metrics to manage when running a store is payment fees.

These fees, which are incurred every time a customer makes a payment, directly impact your bottom line as your sales grow. Therefore, when choosing a platform, it's important to check what payment fees are incurred in addition to the monthly fee.

Cafe24's platform usage fee is basically free, and payment fees are determined through a separate contract with the PG company.

Credit card fees typically range from 2.0% to 3.5%. Fees for simple payment services like Kakao Pay, Naver Pay, and Toss are higher or require separate negotiation. Once set, these fees remain unchanged for as long as you use Cafe24, even if your sales increase.

Shopify has a basic monthly subscription plan and transaction fee structure.

Plans are divided into tiers: Basic ($25), Grow ($65), and Advanced ($399). When using Shopify Payments, the card fee is approximately 2.4-2.9%. However, if you use an external payment gateway (PG) instead of Shopify Payments, an additional 0.5-2% transaction fee will be charged.

You can adjust the fees for each PG company based on your expected sales volume. If your monthly sales exceed approximately 400 million won, you can switch to Shopify Plus to reduce transaction fees and scale up more stably.

14. Settlement Cycle

In store operations, the settlement cycle is directly related to the turnover rate of operating funds.

If there is a delay between when sales are made and when the money actually comes in, it can make marketing, inventory management, and personnel expenses difficult, so it is important to check in advance.

Cafe24 supports D+5 days when using Cafe24 Payment, and other payments vary depending on PG selection.

Shopify offers settlement within 2-5 business days in countries that use its proprietary payment system, Shopify Payments.

In the case of PayPal, there is no separate settlement waiting period because the amount is added to the PayPal balance immediately when the customer makes a payment, and when a withdrawal request is made, the money is deposited into the company's account 2-3 days later.

Another advantage is that you can withdraw your funds at a favorable time depending on the exchange rate.

15. Global sales function

If you're targeting a global market, your store must be flexible enough to accommodate multiple languages, currencies, exchange rates, and taxes.

Simply being able to ship internationally doesn't mean you have global operations.

Cafe24 offers basic international shipping and multilingual settings, but has limitations in setting country-specific custom policies or automatic localization.

Shopify, on the other hand, has very powerful features for global selling.

With Shopify Market , you can set country-specific language, currency, tax, and shipping policies from a single admin screen, and automatically display customized content based on your customers' access location.

You can also set up various localization features, such as real-time exchange rate conversion, translation apps, and global channel integration, without separate development.

16. Delivery system integration

Shipping is the final step in your store's operations, but it's one of the most important customer experiences.

Customer satisfaction and repeat purchase rates depend on how quickly and accurately your items arrive after purchase.

Cafe24's integration with domestic courier companies is relatively easy, but its global fulfillment capabilities are limited.

On the other hand, since Shopify operates globally, it is easy to integrate with global shipping companies such as DHL, UPS, and FedEx, and you can also utilize a variety of fulfillment apps such as ShipStation , Easyship , and WiseCommerce Cross-border .

17. Customer Review System

Customer reviews are key content that increase product reliability and reduce pre-purchase hesitation.

The usability of your review system is crucial, especially since the number and quality of reviews are key factors in increasing conversion rates.

Cafe24 offers basic review features, but its ability to expand functionality and automate features through the app is somewhat limited.

On Shopify, Judge.me , Yotpo , You can install various review apps such as Loox to add review features in the form you want.

You can implement various features through the app, such as photo reviews, rating filters, and automated review requests, and you can also customize the design to fit your brand image.

SamBaekCBT also provides a service to safely migrate existing reviews registered on marketplaces like Amazon to Shopify when building a store.

18. Membership/Points System

Many brands operate loyalty and membership programs to retain loyal customers and encourage repeat purchases.

Having a system in place to efficiently set up and manage this is critical to your long-term operational strategy.

Cafe24 offers basic rewards and coupon features, but has limitations when it comes to managing membership levels or building customized rewards programs using points.

Shopify does not include a points system in its basic features, but it does have Joy Loyalty , Apps like Smile.io make it easy to implement a variety of programs, including membership levels, point accumulation, birthday benefits, social sharing, and review rewards.

Additionally, the flexible inter-app integration allows for sophisticated customer retention strategies when combined with marketing automation.

19. Discount/Coupon Function

Discounts and coupons are the most direct means of inducing customers' purchasing decisions.

The flexibility with which operators can set discount terms and adapt them to their campaigns has a significant impact on increasing sales and driving repeat purchases.

Cafe24 also offers basic discount and coupon features, but there are some limitations in terms of flexibility and automation.

Shopify allows you to easily create a variety of promotions, including flat-rate discounts, fixed-price discounts, conditional discounts, and auto-apply discounts, through the Discounts menu in your admin.

The app also allows you to offer customized discounts based on purchase frequency or customer groups, and integrates with Shopify Flow to automate the discount process.

20. Subscription

Subscriptions are a model that can turn a single inflow into long-term sales. Especially in product categories with high repeat purchases, such as food, beauty, and household goods, subscriptions can quickly become a core business.

Cafe24 does not provide a subscription feature by default, requiring separate custom development or integration with external solutions.

Shopify has its own subscription app called ' Shopify Subscriptions ', and if you need more advanced features, you can use Appstle , Dedicated subscription apps like Recharge make it easy to implement a variety of features, including recurring payments, shipping cycles, and subscription discounts.

Additionally, customers can directly handle subscription changes, suspensions, and cancellations, which increases operational efficiency.

21. B2B Operations Functions

In addition to B2C sales to consumers, a growing number of brands are also operating B2B sales to wholesale and corporate customers.

This requires different features than a regular store, such as price differentiation, minimum order quantities, and quote requests.

Cafe24's B2B-specific features are limited and require separate custom development or integration with external solutions.

Shopify supports specialized B2B features with its Shopify Plus plan, allowing you to run both B2B and B2C businesses simultaneously on a single store. Even if you're not on the Plus plan, you can add B2B-specific features through third-party apps.

22. SEO Optimization

No matter how good a product is, if it doesn't appear in search results, it won't reach customers.

Therefore, search engine optimization (SEO) becomes a key strategy for attracting customers when operating a store. Therefore, when choosing a store builder, it's crucial to consider how well the platform supports SEO-friendly structures.

Cafe24 allows you to input meta tags, image alt text, etc., but URL structure or code-based SEO optimization is very limited.

Additionally, since it does not support Google Rich Snippets, it is bound to be more vulnerable in overseas Google search environments.

Shopify offers structured SEO settings for all your content, including URLs, meta titles, descriptions, alt tags, automatic sitemap.xml, and robots.txt, for products, collections, pages, and blogs.

It's also a platform that allows for detailed optimization to ensure exposure to Google rich results through SEO apps or structured data markup.

23. Blog function

Customers who visit your store aren't just interested in products; they're also interested in content like your brand philosophy and usage tips.

This information plays a crucial role in building brand trust and driving organic search traffic, making blogs a key content channel for store operations.

Cafe24 does not provide a separate blog function, but you can set up a bulletin board, which is a customer communication method mainly used in Korea .

On the other hand, Shopify has a built-in blog feature, so you can organize and run content like brand news, user guides, and reviews by category in addition to product pages.

It also has SEO optimization settings, making it highly useful as a content marketing channel.

24. Marketing Integration

Ultimately, the growth of a store depends on marketing.

A variety of channels and platforms, including advertising, email, SMS, and retargeting, must be organically connected to simultaneously drive new traffic and repeat visits.

Cafe24 integrates seamlessly with domestic marketing channels, including Naver Ads, KakaoTalk channels, text messaging, and KakaoTalk notifications. Easily sending notifications and integrating ads allows for optimized marketing operations for the domestic market. However, integration with global platforms is very limited.

Shopify integrates with global marketing tools like Google Ads, Meta (Facebook/Instagram), TikTok, Omnisend , Klaviyo , and Mailchimp . Simply installing the app allows you to easily set up pixels, track conversions, segment customers, and even run automated email campaigns, making it ideal for building a digital marketing automation structure.

25. Setting up advertising pixels

Pixel integration is essential to properly analyze ad performance.

Pixels are a key tool for collecting customer behavioral data, tracking conversions, and enhancing the precision of retargeting ads. The ease with which stores can integrate these features is crucial for marketers.

Cafe24 offers some advertising pixel integration features, but advanced settings and detailed management for each platform are somewhat limited.

Shopify's pixel integration with global platforms, including Meta Pixel, TikTok Pixel, and Google Tag Manager (GTM), is very simple.

Simply enter the pixel ID in your admin to automatically install it, and you can easily set up advanced event tracking through the app, making marketing automation and performance analysis a breeze.

26. Email Marketing

Even customers who don't purchase on their first visit can return and complete their purchase with just one email.

Therefore, email marketing is a key strategy for customer retention and repeat purchases. The more meticulously a platform can be designed, from automation and delivery timing to content quality, the more powerful the marketing campaign becomes.

Cafe24 has its own automatic notification service, which is a SMS/email sending tool.

While automated app features and customer segment-specific targeting are relatively simple, sophisticated scenario design may require integration with external marketing tools.

Shopify provides ' Shopify Email ' by default, and also supports Omnisend , Klaviyo , It also easily integrates with global marketing automation apps such as Mailchimp .

It's ideal for brands seeking rapid growth, as it allows you to configure detailed automated campaigns based on scenarios, including customer segmentation, shopping cart abandonment emails, and birthday coupons.

27. Setting administrative rights

As the number of operational personnel increases, the ability to segment administrative privileges according to each person's role becomes increasingly important.

It is also an essential element for preventing human error or information leakage and improving team operational efficiency.

Cafe24 allows basic administrator rights, but access rights for each detailed item are limited.

Shopify allows you to precisely set user access permissions for specific items, including products, orders, marketing, apps, reports, and customers.

In particular, the Shopify Plus plan allows you to create unlimited employee accounts, and its authorization and access log management features allow even large enterprises to build an optimized operating environment.

*For more information, see Shopify Plus Organization Management Features .

28. Data Migration

One of the most important tasks when migrating to a new platform or renovating an existing store is data migration.

The accuracy and security of your critical data—products, customers, orders, reviews, and more—determines the continuity of your operations.

Cafe24 can transfer some data via Excel or CSV, but the complex data structure makes mass migration somewhat limited.

Shopify offers flexible data migration options via CSV file uploads, the Admin API, and dedicated migration apps.

If you have a developer, you can customize it yourself, and there are a variety of professional migration services available from Shopify partners, giving you a wide range of options.

29. Technical Support

When unexpected issues arise during store operation, the speed and accuracy with which you can receive support is directly related to operational stability.

Especially in an environment where sales occur in real time, the speed and quality of technical support response are very important.

Cafe24 operates a customer center focused on weekday business hours, so real-time response to urgent issues is somewhat limited.

Shopify offers 24/7 global customer support, with quick assistance available via chat and email.

Shopify Plus users have access to a dedicated support center for added reliability.

Additionally, Shopify partners like SamBaekCBT and the global community offer a variety of solutions to address issues, which is a huge benefit for teams accustomed to global operating environments.

30. Success stories

Global brands like Kylie Cosmetics, KITH, Supreme, Stussy, Allbirds, Fashion Nova, and Glossier are all using Shopify. Cafe24, on the other hand, hasn't yet achieved significant success.

Conclusion: Which platform is right for which brand?

For Korean brands, domestic expansion is no longer an option, but a necessity. Therefore, we strongly recommend building a store on Shopify, optimized for overseas markets. If you're interested in SamBaekCBT's store development services, please request a meeting and we'll be happy to provide you with detailed information.

Added: List of 300CBT clients who operate only domestic sites with Cafe24 and all overseas sites with Shopify.

• SAMO ONDOH
• COCODOR
• BLACKUP
• AXIS-Y
• BLUE ELEPHANT
• LAGOM
• celimax
• wiggle wiggle
• Dimito
• Andersson Bell
• KKOKDAM
• Anua
• VARI:HOPE and many others