Shopify page builders let merchants create custom landing pages, product pages, and section layouts without writing code. Replo, GemPages, and Shogun are the three most widely used options in the Shopify ecosystem, each with a distinct approach to visual page building. This comparison covers everything you need to choose the right page builder for your Shopify store in 2026: features, pricing, performance, ease of use, template quality, and when custom development is the better path.
Why Shopify Stores Use Page Builders
Shopify's native theme editor (Online Store 2.0) provides section-based customisation, but it has limitations. You cannot create fully custom landing pages, the layout options are constrained by your theme's section library, and A/B testing page designs requires developer involvement. Page builders solve this by providing a drag-and-drop visual editor that sits on top of your Shopify theme, letting you create custom page layouts without touching Liquid code.
Common use cases include promotional landing pages for paid advertising campaigns, custom product pages with unique layouts for hero products, seasonal campaign pages for Black Friday, holiday promotions, and launches, about pages and brand story pages with rich visual layouts, and collection page customisation beyond your theme's default options.
Replo: Built for Performance-Focused Teams
Overview
Replo is a newer entrant that has gained significant traction among Shopify Plus merchants and performance marketing teams. It is built specifically for Shopify (not a multi-platform tool) and focuses on speed, developer-friendly architecture, and conversion-optimised components.
Key Features
- React-based rendering: Replo generates clean, lightweight code that loads faster than competitors. Pages are server-side rendered for optimal Core Web Vitals scores
- Component library: Pre-built conversion components including countdown timers, comparison tables, FAQ accordions, and testimonial carousels
- A/B testing: Built-in split testing lets you test page variations and measure conversion impact directly
- Figma integration: Import designs from Figma directly into Replo, reducing the design-to-build gap
- Custom code support: Add custom HTML, CSS, and JavaScript within pages for advanced customisation
- Analytics integration: Native integration with Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, and Shopify analytics
- Shopify-native: Works exclusively with Shopify, which means tighter integration with Shopify data (products, collections, metafields)
Pricing
Replo starts at $99/month for the Starter plan (basic page builder), $199/month for the Growth plan (A/B testing, analytics), and custom pricing for Enterprise. A free plan is available with limited pages and Replo branding.
Best For
Performance marketing teams running paid traffic to landing pages, Shopify Plus merchants who need fast page speeds, and teams that want A/B testing built into their page builder.
GemPages: The Feature-Rich All-Rounder
Overview
GemPages is one of the most established Shopify page builders with over 100,000 active stores. It offers a comprehensive visual editor with a massive template library and supports building virtually any page type on your Shopify store.
Key Features
- Extensive template library: 200+ professionally designed templates across landing pages, product pages, collection pages, blog pages, and more
- Drag-and-drop editor: Intuitive visual editor with 100+ elements including image galleries, video backgrounds, product grids, countdowns, and form builders
- Mobile editing: Separate mobile and desktop editing modes let you optimise layouts for each device independently
- Product page builder: Create custom product page templates that apply to specific products or product types
- Sales boosters: Built-in elements like stock counters, sales pop-ups, countdown timers, and bundle builders
- Global styles: Set brand colours, fonts, and spacing once and apply across all pages
- Multi-language support: Pages work with Shopify's native translation apps and multi-language stores
Pricing
GemPages offers a Free plan (1 published page), Build plan at $29/month (unlimited pages), Optimise plan at $59/month (A/B testing, page scheduling), and Enterprise at $199/month (priority support, unlimited everything).
Best For
Small to mid-sized Shopify stores that want a balance of features and affordability, merchants who value a large template library for quick page creation, and stores that need to build many different page types (landing, product, collection, blog).
Shogun: Enterprise-Grade Page Building
Overview
Shogun is one of the original Shopify page builders and has evolved into a full content management platform. It supports multiple ecommerce platforms (Shopify, BigCommerce, Salesforce Commerce Cloud) and positions itself as an enterprise content experience solution.
Key Features
- Visual editor: Polished drag-and-drop editor with a clean interface and strong UX for non-technical users
- Content scheduling: Schedule pages to publish and unpublish at specific dates and times, useful for promotions and seasonal campaigns
- Team collaboration: User roles and permissions, page versioning, and approval workflows for larger teams
- A/B testing: Built-in split testing with statistical significance calculations
- SEO tools: Built-in SEO analysis, meta tag management, and structured data support
- Shogun Frontend (headless): Shogun offers a headless CMS option (Shogun Frontend) for stores that want custom React-based storefronts powered by Shogun's content management
- Custom elements: Save and reuse custom sections and elements across pages
Pricing
Shogun's Build plan starts at $39/month (basic page builder), Measure at $149/month (A/B testing, content scheduling), and Advanced at $299/month (team features, custom elements). Enterprise pricing is custom. No free plan is available, but a 10-day free trial is offered.
Best For
Larger teams that need collaboration features and approval workflows, merchants who want content scheduling for campaigns, and stores considering headless commerce who want a visual CMS layer.
Head-to-Head Comparison
Performance and Page Speed
Replo wins. Replo's React-based architecture produces the cleanest, lightest code. GemPages and Shogun both inject additional CSS and JavaScript that can impact page load times. For stores where Core Web Vitals and page speed are critical (especially for paid traffic landing pages), Replo delivers measurably faster pages.
Ease of Use
GemPages and Shogun tie. Both have polished, intuitive editors that non-technical users can learn quickly. Replo's editor is capable but has a steeper learning curve, particularly for users unfamiliar with component-based design systems.
Template Library
GemPages wins. With 200+ templates across every page type, GemPages has the largest and most diverse template library. Shogun offers solid templates but fewer options. Replo has a growing template library that focuses on conversion-optimised layouts rather than volume.
A/B Testing
Replo and Shogun tie. Both offer robust built-in A/B testing. GemPages also offers A/B testing on higher plans but it is a newer addition to their feature set.
Pricing Value
GemPages wins. At $29/month for unlimited pages, GemPages offers the best value for small to mid-sized stores. Replo ($99+/month) and Shogun ($39+/month) are priced higher, targeting merchants who need premium features like A/B testing and team collaboration.
Which Page Builder Should You Choose?
Choose Replo if: Page speed and performance are your top priority, you run paid traffic to landing pages and need A/B testing, you are on Shopify Plus and want enterprise-grade performance, or your team includes developers who can leverage Replo's custom code capabilities.
Choose GemPages if: You want the best balance of features and affordability, you need a large template library to build pages quickly, you are a small to mid-sized store that needs an all-in-one page builder, or you want separate mobile editing for device-specific layouts.
Choose Shogun if: You need team collaboration features with roles and approval workflows, content scheduling is important for your promotional calendar, you are evaluating headless commerce and want a CMS that supports both traditional and headless, or you use multiple ecommerce platforms (not just Shopify).
When Custom Development Is Better Than a Page Builder
Page builders are excellent for speed-to-market and non-technical teams, but they have limitations. Custom Shopify development is the better choice when you need complete control over page performance and code quality, your design requires interactions and layouts that page builders cannot replicate, you want pages that load without any third-party JavaScript overhead, you need deep integration with Shopify metafields, customer data, or custom apps, or your brand requires a completely unique experience that templates cannot deliver.
As a certified Shopify Partner, DigiXoft builds custom Shopify pages and sections that deliver the performance of hand-written code with the design freedom of unlimited customisation. Our Shopify theme development services create custom Online Store 2.0 sections that are fully editable in the Shopify theme editor, giving you visual editing without the third-party overhead.
Contact us to discuss whether a page builder or custom development is the right approach for your store.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Shopify page builder?
The best Shopify page builder depends on your priorities. Replo is best for page speed and performance marketing. GemPages offers the best value and largest template library for most stores. Shogun is best for larger teams that need collaboration features and content scheduling. All three are solid options, and the right choice depends on your store size, budget, and specific requirements.
Do Shopify page builders slow down your store?
Page builders add additional CSS and JavaScript to your storefront, which can impact page load times. The degree of impact varies: Replo has the lightest footprint due to its React-based rendering, while GemPages and Shogun add more overhead. For stores where page speed is critical (especially for Google rankings and paid traffic), consider whether a page builder's convenience outweighs its performance cost. Custom-coded pages will always be faster than page builder output.
Can I use a Shopify page builder with any theme?
Yes. Replo, GemPages, and Shogun all work with any Shopify theme, including Online Store 2.0 themes and vintage themes. The page builder creates standalone pages or replaces specific templates (product pages, collection pages) on top of your existing theme.
Is Replo better than GemPages?
Replo is better for performance-focused stores and teams running paid traffic, as it produces faster, cleaner code and includes built-in A/B testing. GemPages is better for stores that want affordability ($29/month vs $99/month), a larger template library, and an easier learning curve. Both are strong choices for different use cases.
How much do Shopify page builders cost?
GemPages starts at $29/month for unlimited pages. Shogun starts at $39/month. Replo starts at $99/month. All three offer higher tiers ($149-299/month) with additional features like A/B testing, team collaboration, and priority support. GemPages also offers a free plan with one published page.