- Salla and Zid both start at SAR 99 a month, take no commission on sales and come with mada, Apple Pay, Tabby, Tamara and COD built in.
- Shopify Payments isn't available in Saudi Arabia, so Saudi Shopify stores pay an extra 0.6–2% on card and BNPL orders. In the UAE, that fee disappears.
- At SAR 50,000 a month in card sales, a Saudi store pays about SAR 83 a month on Salla or Zid, against roughly SAR 700–1,070 on Shopify before apps.
- Shopify wins on apps, design freedom and multi-country selling. Zid wins for shops with physical branches. Salla is the easiest start.
- You can start on Salla or Zid and move to Shopify later. Migrations take about 2–4 weeks for a standard store.
Opening your own online store in the Gulf has never been easier.
Picking the platform usually comes down to three names. Salla and Zid are the two big Saudi store builders. Shopify is the global giant.
Salla is the Arabic-first default for Saudi sellers. Zid is its close rival, built for shops that also sell in person. Shopify is the most powerful of the three, and the most work to set up for Saudi Arabia.
My verdict: for a store that sells mainly in Saudi Arabia, Salla or Zid will cost you less and launch faster. For a UAE brand, or anyone selling across several countries, Shopify is the stronger home.
Below, I compare all three on cost, payments, Arabic, shipping, apps and growth. Notes for specific seller types come at the end.
Shopify vs Salla vs Zid at a glance
| Salla | Zid | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes (no online card payments) | Yes (bank transfer and COD only) | No (3-day trial) |
| First paid plan | SAR 99/month or SAR 990/year | SAR 99/month or SAR 990/year | KSA: $27/month or $19/month yearly; UAE: $32 or $24 |
| Extra platform fee on sales | None | None | 0.6–2% in KSA (none with Shopify Payments in the UAE) |
| Arabic dashboard and checkout | Arabic storefront via an RTL theme; checkout text translated by hand | ||
| mada, Apple Pay, STC Pay | Built in | Built in (Zid Payments) | Through a local gateway app |
| Tabby and Tamara | Built in | Built in, plus MISPay, Emkan, Madfu | Official apps |
| ZATCA e-invoicing | Built in | Built in | Third-party app |
| Apps | 550–900+ | 400+ | 8,000+ |
| Multi-country selling | GCC focus | GCC focus | Best (Shopify Markets) |
| Typical launch time | 1–2 days | 2–5 days | 1–2 weeks |
Who is Salla best for?
Salla is the safe, simple choice for most Saudi sellers:
- First-time sellers in Saudi Arabia who want a store live this week.
- Arabic-first brands, because everything from the dashboard to the SMS notifications is in Arabic.
- Small teams on a budget, thanks to the free plan and a SAR 990 yearly plan.
- Anyone who wants the biggest local ecosystem of apps, themes and agencies.
Who is Zid best for?
Zid suits Saudi businesses that sell in more than one place:
- Shops with physical branches, thanks to Zid Cashier and shared stock across locations.
- B2B and wholesale sellers, who need customer-specific pricing and purchase orders.
- Brands that also sell on marketplaces, through Zid's links to Amazon, Trendyol and Jahez.
- Sellers who want monthly billing with no yearly commitment.
Who is Shopify best for?
Shopify fits brands thinking beyond one country:
- UAE-based brands, because Shopify Payments works there.
- Foreign brands entering the Gulf alongside the US, Europe or Asia.
- Design-led brands that want premium themes and custom features.
- Fast-growing stores that need deep apps, automation or a headless build.
1. Cost: Salla and Zid win for Saudi stores
On sticker price, all three look close. The real gap is a fee most Saudi sellers only notice on their first invoice.
Here are the plans side by side:
| Plan tier (ex-VAT) | Salla | Zid | Shopify (KSA price) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Basic | Starter | – |
| Entry | Plus: SAR 99/mo or 990/yr | Rise: SAR 99/mo or 990/yr | Basic: $27/mo or $19/mo yearly |
| Growing | Pro: SAR 299/mo or 2,990/yr | Growth: SAR 299/mo or 2,990/yr | Grow: $72/mo or $54/mo yearly |
| Advanced | Special: custom | Professional: custom | Advanced: $399/mo or $299/mo yearly |
| Fee on card and BNPL sales | None | None | 2% / 1% / 0.6% |
Salla and Zid charge no commission. You only pay the payment gateway's fee on each order.
Shopify is different in Saudi Arabia. Its own gateway, Shopify Payments, doesn't work there. So you connect a local gateway, and Shopify adds its third-party fee on top of the gateway's charge.
Worked example: a Saudi store selling SAR 50,000 a month
Let's price a store doing SAR 50,000 a month in card and Apple Pay orders. It pays yearly, and it uses the same local card rate on every platform, so gateway fees cancel out.
| Monthly cost (ex-VAT) | Salla Plus | Zid Rise | Shopify Basic | Shopify Grow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subscription (yearly plan, per month) | SAR 82.50 | SAR 82.50 | SAR 71.25 | SAR 202.50 |
| Shopify third-party fee | – | – | SAR 1,000 (2%) | SAR 500 (1%) |
| ZATCA invoicing app | Included | Included | SAR 100–300 | SAR 100–300 |
| Platform cost per month | SAR 82.50 | SAR 82.50 | ~SAR 1,170–1,370 | ~SAR 800–1,000 |
That's a big gap. On these numbers, Shopify costs about SAR 8,600–15,500 more a year.
Two things shrink it:
- Cash on delivery. Shopify charges no fee on COD orders, so a COD-heavy store pays less.
- Upgrading. Grow beats Basic once you sell more than about SAR 13,000 a month by card, because the fee halves.
A Saudi consultant who modelled a full first year at this sales level found the same gap. Including payment fees, apps and setup, he put Shopify Basic at about SAR 35,000, against about SAR 19,000 for Salla Pro or Zid.
Every plan and add-on is broken down in our guides to Salla pricing, Zid pricing and Zid Payments fees and Shopify pricing in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
2. Payments: Salla and Zid in Saudi, Shopify in the UAE
Saudi shoppers mostly pay with a mada debit card, often tapped through Apple Pay. Your platform has to make that easy.
Salla and Zid do. Mada, Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay and STC Pay switch on from the dashboard once your documents are approved.
| Salla | Zid | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How you take cards in KSA | Salla Pay or a linked gateway | Zid Payments or a linked gateway | Local gateway app (Tap, HyperPay, Geidea and others) |
| mada fee (typical) | About 1.75% + SAR 1 (seller-reported) | From 1% + SAR 1 (official, Growth plan) | Gateway rate, plus Shopify's fee |
| Visa / Mastercard fee | About 2.2% + SAR 1 (seller-reported) | 2.3% or 3.3% + SAR 1 by card type | Gateway rate, plus Shopify's fee |
| Payouts | Through your gateway contract | Every 2–3 days | Gateway's schedule |
| Cash on delivery | Built in | Built in | Built in, no Shopify fee |
| Shopify Payments | – | – | UAE only (2.9% + AED 1 on Basic) |
Shopify can take every one of these payments too. It just takes more steps. You sign a contract with a Saudi-licensed gateway, install its Shopify app and test mada inside Apple Pay.
In the UAE, the picture flips. Shopify Payments works there, so a UAE store gets Visa, Mastercard and Apple Pay with no extra fee and no gateway contract.
BNPL (buy now, pay later) works on all three. Tabby and Tamara are built into Salla and Zid, and both have official Shopify apps.
Need a gateway shortlist? See the best Shopify payment gateways in Saudi Arabia.
3. Arabic and the shopper experience: Salla and Zid
Salla and Zid are Arabic-first. The dashboard, storefront, checkout, invoices and customer messages all work in Arabic and right-to-left (RTL) without setup.
Shopify supports Arabic storefronts, but you build it yourself:
- Theme. You need an RTL-ready (right-to-left) theme. Preview it with Arabic switched on before you buy.
- Translation. Shopify's free Translate & Adapt app auto-translates into Arabic. Have a native speaker edit the result.
- Checkout. Arabic isn't one of the languages Shopify pre-translates at checkout, so you translate those strings by hand.
- Support. Shopify's own support and help docs are mainly in English.
None of this is hard. It just takes a few days, or a few thousand riyals with an agency.
Our guide to Arabic Shopify themes lists the ones that handle RTL well.
4. Shipping and COD: Salla
All three connect to the big Saudi couriers. Salla has the widest choice.
- Salla links to 200+ shipping partners, including Aramex, SMSA, J&T, Naqel and DHL, with discounted labels and COD collection.
- Zid runs Zid Ship with negotiated rates from Aramex, SMSA, J&T and Naqel, and label printing on every plan.
- Shopify relies on carrier apps or a 3PL. Live courier rates at checkout need the Advanced plan, or Grow with an add-on.
COD (cash on delivery) is built into all three. It's still a big share of orders for new brands, so add an OTP step to cut fake orders. Our cash on delivery guide shows how.
5. Apps, design and customisation: Shopify
Shopify wins this one easily.
It has more than 8,000 apps, the best themes on the market and full code access through Liquid and its APIs. If you want custom bundles, subscriptions, a headless storefront or tight ERP links, Shopify gets you there fastest.
Salla has the richest local app store, with hundreds of apps built for Saudi needs. Zid has fewer apps but an open API and webhooks, which developers like for ERP and B2B integrations.
Customisation on both Saudi platforms is moderate. CSS and code edits unlock on the SAR 299 plans.
Want to weigh WooCommerce and other builders too? Our ecommerce platforms hub covers them all.
6. Selling beyond Saudi Arabia: Shopify
Want to sell to the UAE, Kuwait, Europe and the US from one store? Shopify Markets is built for it.
It handles currencies, languages and a separate web address for each country, all from one dashboard.
The catch? Shoppers are charged in their own currency only with Shopify Payments. A Saudi store on a local gateway charges everyone in riyals.
Salla and Zid can ship across the GCC, and Zid operates in several Gulf countries plus Egypt. But their multi-market tools are far simpler than Shopify's.
Planning a multi-country store? Our Shopify Markets guide shows the setup.
7. In-store and B2B selling: Zid
Zid is the strongest of the three for businesses with physical shops.
Zid Cashier runs your tills and shares stock with your online store across branches. Agencies also rate Zid's B2B tools as the best of the local platforms, with customer-specific prices, quotes and credit terms.
Salla has its own POS, Salla Point, and handles up to five branches on Pro. Shopify POS is excellent too, and suits brands that already run Shopify online.
Running shops as well as a website? Our Zid review covers Zid Cashier in more depth.
8. Getting started and support: Salla
Salla is the quickest way to a live store. Many sellers launch within a day or two.
That scale matters. Salla's size means more Arabic tutorials, more agencies and more freelancers who know it well.
Salla offers Arabic support around the clock, and Zid adds live chat from its Rise plan. Shopify's support runs 24/7 in English, and Arabic help comes mainly from partner agencies.
Paperwork is similar everywhere. In Saudi Arabia you'll need a CR (commercial registration, your business licence) or a freelance document, plus a Saudi bank account for payouts.
Not sure which one fits? Compare the freelance document and CR.
Pros and cons of each platform
- Free plan and the cheapest serious yearly plan
- Arabic-first everywhere, including notifications
- Saudi payments, BNPL, carriers and ZATCA built in
- Biggest local ecosystem of apps, themes and agencies
- Fastest launch
- Weaker for selling outside the GCC
- Code customisation only on Pro and above
- App subscriptions can stack up
- More limited data export if you move later
- Pricier through the iPhone app
- SAR 99 a month with no yearly commitment
- Best POS and multi-branch stock of the three
- Strongest local B2B tools
- Published Zid Payments rates and payouts every 2–3 days
- Links to Amazon, Trendyol and Jahez
- Smaller app and theme store than Salla
- Fewer agencies and freelancers
- Tax settings and CSS only from the Growth plan
- GCC-focused multi-market tools
- 8,000+ apps and the best themes
- Shopify Markets for multi-country selling
- Shopify Payments with no extra fee in the UAE
- Full code access, APIs and headless options
- Easy data export and a huge global partner pool
- Extra 0.6–2% fee on card and BNPL orders in Saudi Arabia
- Arabic needs an RTL theme and manual checkout translation
- ZATCA invoicing needs a paid app
- English-first support
- Longer setup for a Saudi store
Which should you choose?
Here's my simple rule for a new Gulf store.
Selling mainly in Saudi Arabia? Start on Salla. Pick Zid instead if you have physical shops, sell B2B or want to pay month to month.
Based in the UAE, or selling in several countries? Start on Shopify. You'll get the best tools, and in the UAE you skip the extra fee.
Still torn? Answer seven quick questions and get a recommendation for your store:
Which platform should you sell on?
7 quick questions. We score Shopify, Salla, Zid, WooCommerce, Amazon and noon for your situation.
Question 1 of 7
Where is your business based?
Where your company or trade licence is registered.
Scores are an editorial estimate based on published pricing and features as of October 2026 (noon details partly unverified); confirm with each provider before committing.
Then test before you commit:
- 1
List your markets for the next two years
Saudi only, the GCC, or global? This one answer settles most cases.
- 2
Estimate your sales and payment mix
Split your orders into card, BNPL and COD. Shopify's fee only applies to card and BNPL orders in KSA.
- 3
Add up a full year
Subscription, gateway fees, Shopify's fee if it applies, apps, theme and setup help.
- 4
Check your must-haves
Arabic checkout, ZATCA invoicing, POS, B2B pricing and your preferred courier.
- 5
Build a test store on your top two
All three offer a free plan or trial. Add five products, place a test order with mada and see which feels right.
Here's the good news. This choice isn't forever. Plenty of brands launch on Salla or Zid, prove their products in Saudi Arabia, then move to Shopify when they expand.
Notes for Saudi SMEs
- Start local. Salla or Zid gets you selling in days, with mada, Apple Pay and ZATCA invoicing handled for you.
- Subscribe on the web. Salla's prices are about 30% higher in the iPhone app.
- Pay yearly if you're sure. The SAR 990 plans give you two months free on both.
- Get your e-invoicing right. Salla and Zid issue ZATCA-ready invoices, so turn them on once you're VAT-registered. Our ZATCA e-invoicing guide explains the deadlines.
Notes for UAE-based stores
- Shopify is the natural fit. Shopify Payments works for UAE mainland and free-zone companies, with Apple Pay switched on automatically.
- Selling into Saudi Arabia too? With Shopify Payments and Markets, Saudi shoppers can see and pay in SAR, with a 2% conversion fee.
- Plan for in-store cards. Shopify Payments in the UAE doesn't take in-person card payments, so Shopify POS needs a separate terminal.
- Mada needs a Saudi gateway. UAE Shopify Payments charges mada cards as Visa or Mastercard, so add a Saudi entity and gateway once KSA grows.
Our guide to Shopify in the UAE walks through setup.
Notes for foreign brands (US, UK, EU)
Go with Shopify. Salla and Zid are built around Saudi companies, Saudi ID checks and Saudi bank accounts.
Add a Gulf market to your existing Shopify store, translate it into Arabic and test the checkout in RTL. Before you sell into Saudi Arabia, plan for customs, VAT and product rules such as SABER (Saudi Arabia's product certification system).
Shopify's step-by-step for the region is in our Shopify GCC setup guide.
Notes for Chinese sellers
- Shopify first. Its admin and documentation work well from China, and Markets lets one store sell to many countries.
- Salla and Zid need a Saudi entity. Consider them once you have a Saudi company or local partner.
- Use social traffic. TikTok ads and creators drive a lot of Gulf store traffic, and Salla has an official TikTok integration.
Notes for brands planning to switch later
- Moving is normal. Products, customers and orders transfer from Salla or Zid to Shopify. Themes, apps and gateways get rebuilt.
- Protect your SEO. Redirect every old product and category URL to its new page, one to one.
- Plan the timing. A standard store takes about 2–4 weeks. Avoid moving right before Ramadan or White Friday.
The full playbook is in our Salla to Shopify migration guide.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Thousands of Saudi stores run on Shopify. You connect a local gateway such as Tap, HyperPay or Geidea for mada and Apple Pay, and Shopify adds its third-party fee on card and BNPL orders. Cash on delivery orders carry no Shopify fee.
Sources & further reading
- Shopify pricing (Saudi Arabia) — Shopify
- Shopify pricing (UAE) — Shopify
- Shopify Payments supported countries — Shopify Help Center
- Zid pricing — Zid
- Zid Payments — Zid
- Salla prices 2026 (plans and fees) — RankX SEO
- Salla acquires Paylink (65,000+ active stores, SAR 45bn+ sales) — WorldEF
- State of Salla and Zid in 2026; Shopify stores in Saudi Arabia — Store Leads
- Best ecommerce platform Saudi Arabia 2026 — Husain Alhaboubi
This guide is for general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and fees change — always confirm with the official source or a licensed advisor.
Maya is MiddleEastEcom's lead guide and editor. She researches GCC marketplaces, payments and regulations and turns them into practical playbooks for sellers.
Meet Maya
