When they’re starting out, very few businesses immediately jump to creating their own eCommerce website from scratch. Even well-established companies shy away from this task as it can be challenging to run an entire online store on your own. Instead, most online businesses turn to platforms like Shopify that make the whole process easier.

Shopify started out as a platform created out of frustration. The founders, Tobias and Scott, were dissatisfied with the lack of snowboarding equipment available online. Now Shopify is a household name hosting thousands of international brands online. Established in 2006, Shopify is now virtually synonymous with eCommerce.

Overview of the most essential Shopify statistics

If you want to know more about Shopify’s fascinating success, take a deeper look at these 15 mind-blowing stats and facts.

1. Shopify has over 1.7 million merchants.

Considering just how easy it is to make a Shopify online store, it’s no surprise that many merchants opt to use the platform. However, this number is still quite shocking. Over 1.7 million merchants worldwide choose Shopify as their go-to eCommerce platform. While platforms like Amazon boast significantly more users, Shopify remains highly competitive.

2. There are at least 800,000 active stores on Shopify.

Merchants using Shopify can have multiple accounts and up to two stores per account, making it difficult to gauge the exact number of unique stores powered by Shopify. Also, new merchants join the platform daily, and some old ones abandon their stores, so the number constantly varies. With this in mind, it’s estimated that Shopify powers at least 800,000 unique stores.