# Switch from Shopify to Fanful: migration guide

A practical migration checklist for creators evaluating Fanful as a Shopify alternative.

## Migration posture

Do not turn off Shopify until products, customer consent, fulfillment, and revenue reporting have a tested replacement path. Fanful should usually begin as the fan relationship layer around the store, then absorb simpler creator-commerce flows as they prove out.

## Migration stages

### 1. Inventory the current stack
List what Shopify currently owns before changing any live fan-facing path.

- Separate true commerce data from creator-context data: products, variants, orders, customers, email consent, content, events, memberships, and analytics.
- Decide which products still need Shopify-grade fulfillment and which products can live inside a simpler creator shop.

### 2. Map fan jobs into Fanful
Decide which jobs should become native Fanful surfaces and which should remain linked or temporarily external.

- Creators who need store, media, membership, community, lessons, live, and a branded fan home in one place.
- Separate content, commerce, membership, community, lesson, live, email, and analytics needs so each one has an owner.

### 3. Run in parallel before cutover
Keep the source platform live while the Fanful destination is checked by humans and agents.

- Map every non-store fan journey that currently exits to another tool, including newsletter, membership, lessons, community, and media access.
- Keep Shopify in place until Fanful can import enough product and customer context to avoid disrupting paid buyers.

## Data map

| Source data | Fanful destination | Handling note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Products, variants, collections, and images | Creator shop catalog | Start with top-selling products and simple variants before complex fulfillment. |
| Customers, emails, tags, and consent | Fan profiles and email segments | Preserve consent source and keep imported fans distinct from active members. |
| Orders, refunds, and fulfillment state | Commerce history and support context | Keep Shopify authoritative until Fanful has a verified order-history importer. |
| Store pages, policies, and campaigns | Public pages and offers | Move creator-specific story and offers first; keep legal policies reviewed manually. |

## Cutover checks

- The Fanful comparison page for Shopify still describes the tradeoff honestly.
- Every migrated fan path has a fallback link to the old platform during the transition.
- Paid access, export rights, and email consent are documented before any audience import.
- The markdown guide mirrors the browser guide so agents can audit the migration plan.

## Related pages

- [Fanful vs Shopify](/compare/shopify-alternative.md)
- [Fanful compare hub](/compare.md)
- [Fanful roadmap](https://fanful.net/roadmap)

## Source links

- [Shopify products](https://www.shopify.com/products)
- [Sell merch on Spotify](https://www.shopify.com/sell-on-spotify)
- [Shopify POS features](https://www.shopify.com/pos/feature-sheet)