Launch an e-commerce store

Tools that power the Launch an e-commerce store stack

• Shopify — E-commerce platform

  All-in-one hosted store with product catalog, cart, and checkout built in

  See all stacks using Shopify

• Stripe — Payment processing

  Accept credit cards, Apple Pay, and 135+ currencies with developer-friendly APIs

  See all stacks using Stripe

• Snipcart — Add-on cart

  Drop a shopping cart onto any existing website without rebuilding it

  See all stacks using Snipcart

• Medusa — Headless commerce

  Open-source commerce engine you self-host and customize completely

  See all stacks using Medusa

Setup guide

1. Shopify: Choose the hosted Shopify path or one of the custom-store alternatives below. In Shopify, add a sample product, delivery settings and the required store policies. Configure Shopify Payments if your country and business are eligible, otherwise choose a supported payment provider. Verify checkout in the provider’s test mode before accepting live orders. (Read official instructions)
2. Stripe: Use Stripe only where the chosen commerce platform supports that integration. Shopify regions with Shopify Payments generally do not expose Stripe as a separate provider. For a supported custom-store integration, keep secret keys on the server, configure payment webhooks and fulfillment, and use test-mode credentials and test cards. Never submit a test card to live checkout. (Open Stripe instructions)
3. Snipcart: As an alternative to Shopify, add Snipcart to your own storefront, configure products and a supported payment gateway, and verify inventory, shipping, taxes and order notifications. Use its test environment first. Account for both Snipcart fees, including its low-volume minimum, and payment-gateway fees before switching to live sales. (Read official instructions)
4. Medusa: For a self-hosted alternative, follow the current Medusa installation guide for your chosen version and configure its payment provider using that version’s module configuration. Deploy the backend and storefront, keep credentials server-side, and test checkout, webhook fulfillment and refunds in a sandbox. Hosting and maintenance are additional responsibilities. (Read official instructions)

   Check: The chosen platform records a sandbox order once, delivers the expected confirmation, and handles its test refund without a live-card charge.