Key takeaways
- This is the Shopify page builders compared matrix: PageFly, Replo, GemPages, Shogun, Instant, and Fudge side by side on the criteria that actually decide which one fits your store.
- The split that matters most is code output. PageFly, Replo, GemPages, and Shogun render pages through an app/JavaScript layer your pages depend on. Instant and Fudge write code into your theme.
- Fudge is the only one of the six that is an AI agent generating native theme code from a prompt, rather than a drag-and-drop editor you operate by hand.
- Pricing, App Store ratings, and AI features differ widely. Use the matrix to shortlist, then read the per-builder notes for the trade-offs.
If you have been searching variations of Shopify page builders compared, you have probably opened a dozen tabs and still cannot tell these tools apart. They all show polished templates and promise higher conversions. The real differences are underneath: how they output code, what happens when you uninstall, how they price, and whether they use AI.
This is a single head-to-head matrix for PageFly, Replo, GemPages, Shogun, Instant, and Fudge. For ranked recommendations by use case, see our best Shopify page builders guide. This page is the comparison grid.
Quick verdict
- PageFly - the most established drag-and-drop builder, deepest community and app ecosystem.
- Replo - built for agencies and design teams that think in Figma and Webflow.
- GemPages - the biggest template library, with image-to-layout AI.
- Shogun - drag-and-drop plus built-in analytics, A/B testing, and personalization.
- Instant - the drag-and-drop builder that publishes native Liquid (with its own branding on the page).
- Fudge - the AI agent that generates native theme code you own from a prompt, across pages, edits, quizzes, and campaigns.
Why you can trust us
We have been in the Shopify space for over four years and have worked with hundreds of stores. Across that time we have run dozens of migrations between these exact tools, so we have seen what breaks at uninstall and what each editor is actually like to live in day to day.
We also built Fudge, an AI page builder with a 5.0 rating on the Shopify App Store and Built for Shopify status. We are biased toward our own product, and we will say so plainly. But every claim about a competitor below is sourced from their App Store listing or pricing page, and we have kept the numbers in ranges where sources disagree rather than overstate them.
How to read this page: start with the big matrix to shortlist two or three tools. Then read the short write-up for each to understand the trade-off behind the row.
Shopify page builders compared: the full matrix
One grid, six builders, the criteria that decide the choice. Pricing and ratings move, so treat exact figures as a snapshot from mid-2026 and verify on each App Store listing before you commit.
| Criteria | PageFly | Replo | GemPages | Shogun | Instant | Fudge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Drag-and-drop builder | Designer-grade builder | Template-rich builder | Builder + analytics | Native-code builder | AI storefront agent |
| Builder model | Grid drag-and-drop | Figma/Webflow-style canvas | Drag-and-drop | Drag-and-drop | Drag-and-drop + Figma import | Prompt + inline editor |
| Code output | App JS render layer | App JS render layer | App JS render layer | App JS render layer | Native Liquid | Native Liquid/CSS/JS |
| Survives uninstall | No | No | No | No | Yes (with Instant branding) | Yes (clean, no branding) |
| Page speed impact | Adds JS weight | Adds JS weight | Adds JS weight | Adds JS weight | No render layer | No render layer |
| AI features | AI copy/image assist | AI generation + Figma AI | Image/URL-to-layout AI | AI Section Builder | AI page assist | Full AI agent (prompt-to-page) |
| Scope | Pages | Pages + A/B + analytics | Pages + upsells | Pages + analytics + A/B | Pages + sections | Pages, edits, quizzes, bundles, campaigns |
| App Store rating | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.7-4.8 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Free plan | Yes (1 page) | No | Yes (1 page) | No (trial only) | Yes (1 page) | Free trial |
| Starting paid price | ~$24/mo | ~$99-119/mo | ~$29/mo | ~$39/mo | ~$39/mo | Free trial, then paid |
| Best for | Hands-on visual control | Agencies and design teams | Template variety | Data-driven teams | Figma-to-Shopify teams | Moving fast with owned code |
The single most important row is code output. It cascades into the two rows below it: page speed and what happens at uninstall. Four of these six render your pages through an app layer. Two write code into your theme.
The split that defines the category: app layer vs native code
Before the per-builder notes, it helps to understand the one architectural fork that everything else hangs off.
App-layer builders (PageFly, Replo, GemPages, Shogun) render your pages through their own JavaScript. The visual result looks great, but the page is being assembled in the browser by the app’s code. That has two consequences. First, it adds weight to every page load1. Second, the pages depend on the app: uninstall it, stop paying, or hit an outage, and the pages stop rendering.
Native-code builders (Instant and Fudge) write real Shopify Liquid into your theme. There is no render layer in front of the customer, so there is no added rendering overhead, and the pages survive uninstall because they are part of your theme files. The one caveat with Instant is that its published pages carry visible Instant branding, and that branding stays in front of your customers even after you remove the app. Fudge leaves clean code with no attribution of any kind.
Fudge sits one step further out. The other five are editors you operate by hand. Fudge is an AI agent: it reads your theme, products, apps, and ad creatives, then writes the page for you from a prompt. You give up pixel-by-pixel manual placement in exchange for speed and the ability to build things that are not in any block library, like a product quiz or a bundle builder with tiered pricing.
For the long-form version of this trade-off, see our AI vs drag-and-drop page builder breakdown.
Per-builder notes
Each builder earns its place for a different reason. Here is the honest one-paragraph version of each, including where it beats Fudge.
PageFly - the most established drag-and-drop builder
PageFly is the most-reviewed page builder on the App Store, sitting at a 4.9 rating across roughly 5,700 reviews and carrying a Built for Shopify badge. If you have used Wix or Squarespace, its grid-based editor will feel familiar, and its free plan unlocks the full feature set on a single page. It also has the deepest integration ecosystem of any builder here.
Standout strength: maturity and community. Years of templates, docs, and 24/7 live chat on every plan.
Main limitation: pages render through PageFly’s JavaScript layer, so they add weight and stop rendering if you uninstall. Paid plans start around $24/month.
For the head-to-head, see Fudge AI vs PageFly.
Replo - built for agencies and design teams
Replo targets agencies and brands with dedicated design resources. Its interface borrows from Figma and Webflow, with component libraries, built-in A/B testing, and page-level revenue analytics. It holds a 4.9 rating on the App Store and added AI generation alongside a Figma import workflow.
Standout strength: a designer-grade canvas with analytics and testing built in, suited to teams running many pages.
Main limitation: the most expensive option here, with paid plans commonly starting around $99-119/month and climbing for unlimited pages. No free plan, and like the other app-layer tools, pages depend on Replo to stay live.
For the head-to-head, see Fudge AI vs Replo.
GemPages - the biggest template library
GemPages leads on template selection, with 400+ CRO-focused templates across industries and a 4.9 rating spanning several thousand reviews. Its image-to-layout AI can turn a screenshot or a reference URL into an editable page, and it bundles post-purchase upsells.
Standout strength: template variety and built-in funnel tools, plus one of the more useful AI starting points among the drag-and-drop set.
Main limitation: advanced features like A/B testing sit on higher tiers, and pages render through GemPages’ layer. Plans run Build (~$29/month), Optimize ($59/month), and Enterprise ($199/month), with a free 1-page tier.
For the head-to-head, see Fudge AI vs GemPages.
Shogun - drag-and-drop with a data layer
Shogun targets established stores that want analytics next to their pages. It tracks page-level click-through, conversion, and bounce rates, and has expanded into A/B testing, personalization (Smart Pages), and an AI Section Builder. It carries a rating in the 4.7-4.8 range.
Standout strength: analytics, testing, and personalization built into the builder rather than bolted on with external tools.
Main limitation: no free plan (trial only), and the full suite gets expensive fast. Build starts around $39/month, with the analytics and testing tiers stepping up well beyond that. Pages render through Shogun’s layer.
For the head-to-head, see Fudge AI vs Shogun.
Instant - native code from a drag-and-drop editor
Instant is the one traditional drag-and-drop builder that publishes real Shopify Liquid, so its pages live in your theme and can be edited in the standard Theme Editor afterward. It carries a 5.0 rating and a strong Figma-to-Shopify workflow via its plugin, which design teams like.
Standout strength: native code output plus a polished Figma import, rare among drag-and-drop tools.
Main limitation: its published pages carry visible Instant branding that stays in front of customers even after uninstall, and lower tiers cap the number of sections. Paid plans start around $39/month with a free 1-page tier.
For the head-to-head, see Fudge AI vs Instant.
Fudge - the AI agent that owns the code
Fudge is the outlier on this list because it is not a drag-and-drop editor at all. It is an AI agent for your Shopify store that reads your theme, products, installed apps, and ad creatives, then writes native Liquid, CSS, and JavaScript directly into your theme. There is no render layer, so there is no added page weight, and if you uninstall, your pages stay exactly as they are with no branding attached. It holds a 5.0 rating and Built for Shopify status.
Standout strength: scope and ownership. Beyond landing pages, Fudge builds quizzes, bundle pages, comparison tables, FAQ sections with schema markup, and full campaign launches - and it edits your existing pages too. All from a prompt, all as code you own.
Main limitation: you do not get pixel-by-pixel manual placement. If you want to drag every element into position by hand, a traditional builder gives you more granular control.
How to choose between them
The matrix narrows it down, but here is the decision in plain terms.
Pick a native-code tool if uninstall risk or page speed worries you. That means Instant or Fudge. Both write Liquid into your theme. Choose Instant if you want a manual drag-and-drop editor and a Figma import, and you can live with its on-page branding. Choose Fudge if you want an AI agent that builds and edits the whole storefront and leaves clean, unbranded code.
Pick an app-layer tool if a specific feature outweighs the dependency. PageFly for the most mature editor and community. Replo for agency-scale design workflows. GemPages for the largest template library. Shogun for built-in analytics and A/B testing. All four are strong editors; just go in knowing your pages depend on the app.
Pick on AI if speed to publish is the priority. Several tools now bolt AI onto a manual editor (GemPages’ image-to-layout, Shogun’s Section Builder, Replo’s AI generation). Fudge is the only one built AI-first, where the prompt produces the whole page as native code rather than a draft you then assemble by hand.
For a deeper buying framework, our what is a Shopify page builder guide covers the fundamentals, and best Shopify page builder for agencies is worth a look if you run pages at scale.
Pricing at a glance
Pricing shapes differ as much as the products. Treat these as mid-2026 snapshots and verify on each listing, since several of these tools have changed pricing more than once in the past year.
| Builder | Free plan | Entry paid tier | Shape |
|---|---|---|---|
| PageFly | Yes (1 page) | ~$24/mo | Tiers scale by page slots up to ~$99/mo |
| Replo | No | ~$99-119/mo | Premium, scales toward unlimited pages |
| GemPages | Yes (1 page) | ~$29/mo | Build / Optimize / Enterprise (~$199/mo) |
| Shogun | No (trial) | ~$39/mo | Analytics and A/B on higher tiers |
| Instant | Yes (1 page) | ~$39/mo | Section caps on lower tiers |
| Fudge | Free trial | Paid after trial | Tiers scale by published pages |
The cheapest sticker price is not the cheapest real cost. With app-layer tools, the pages are only live while you keep paying. With native-code tools, the work stays in your theme even if you stop the subscription, so what you build is yours to keep.
FAQ
There is no single winner because they are built for different priorities. PageFly leads on editor maturity, Replo on agency design workflows, GemPages on templates, and Shogun on analytics. If page speed and owning your code matter most, the native-code tools (Instant and Fudge) are the strongest, with Fudge adding an AI agent that builds and edits across the whole storefront.
PageFly, Replo, GemPages, and Shogun are drag-and-drop builders that render pages through an app/JavaScript layer your pages depend on. Fudge is an AI agent that writes native Shopify Liquid into your theme from a prompt. The practical difference shows at uninstall: app-layer pages stop rendering, while Fudge pages stay because they are part of your theme.
Native-code builders avoid a JavaScript render layer, so Instant and Fudge add no rendering overhead - pages load like any theme section. PageFly, Replo, GemPages, and Shogun assemble pages with their own JavaScript, which adds weight to each page load. If Core Web Vitals are a priority, favor the native-code options.
Most now do, but at different depths. GemPages has image/URL-to-layout AI, Shogun has an AI Section Builder, and Replo and PageFly have AI assist for copy and layout. These add AI to a manual editor. Fudge is built AI-first: you describe the page and it generates the whole thing as native code, rather than producing a draft you assemble by hand.
With PageFly, Replo, GemPages, and Shogun, yes - their pages render through an app layer and stop displaying once the app is removed. Instant and Fudge write code into your theme, so pages survive uninstall. One caveat: Instant pages keep visible Instant branding after uninstall, while Fudge leaves clean code with no attribution.
By sticker price, PageFly ($24/mo) and GemPages ($29/mo) sit at the low end, with free 1-page plans. Replo is the most premium, often starting around $99-119/mo. But the real cost depends on dependency: app-layer pages only stay live while you pay, whereas native-code pages remain in your theme even after you stop.
Replo is purpose-built for agencies and design teams, with a Figma/Webflow-style canvas, component libraries, A/B testing, and per-page revenue analytics. PageFly also scales well for client work thanks to its maturity. For agencies that want owned, unbranded code per client, Fudge is worth testing since nothing depends on a render layer.
Fudge is an AI-native alternative to all five. Instead of rendering pages through an app layer, it writes native theme code from a prompt and handles more than pages - edits, quizzes, bundles, and campaigns. The clearest difference is at cancellation: Fudge pages stay in your theme, while the app-layer builders' pages stop rendering once you uninstall.
Footnotes
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Google uses Core Web Vitals as a page experience ranking signal, so added client-side JavaScript that affects load and interactivity can have SEO consequences as well as conversion ones. ↩
