Shopify for B2B SaaS

Technical Q&A

Topic summary

A user inquires whether Shopify’s marketplace can be adapted for B2B SaaS products, particularly in light of recent B2B feature updates. They ask if it’s feasible to:

  • List SaaS apps or services on the platform
  • Use Shopify as a customer-facing storefront
  • Enable direct app deployment or subscription
  • Automate activation notifications

Another participant advises against this approach, noting that:

  • Shopify is designed primarily for eCommerce, not SaaS back-office operations
  • Most features (order management, shipping, returns) would be irrelevant
  • The Online Store 2.0 templating system limits frontend customization
  • The platform is too restrictive for typical software company needs

The responder suggests a SaaS business would be better served by a CRM and payment processor instead. The question remains unresolved, with no consensus on viability.

Summarized with AI on October 27. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

Can Shopify Marketplace be used beyond just eCommerce.. specifically for SaaS products and services?
I understand that traditionally it’s used by businesses selling physical products but with the recent Shopify Summer Edition updates that include B2B features, is there now an opportunity to:
- List SaaS apps or services on Shopify?
- Use it as a front-end storefront?
-Allow customers to deploy or subscribe to the app directly?
-Trigger notifications to both us and the customer on activation?

Is this technically and strategically viable for a B2B SaaS setup?

2

Shopify is not a suitable platform for the back office of a SaaS. It’s focused on eCommerce. You won’t need most of its features, like order management, shipping, returns, etc. You’d also lose out on a lot of customizability by tying your SaaS’s frontend to Shopify’s Online Store 2.0 templating system.

Overall, Shopify is really just too restrictive a platform for what a software company would need, and it includes a lot that’s irrelevant to your use case. All you really need is probably a CRM and a payment processor.