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Comparison

Story Theme vs Debutify: which Shopify theme to pick in 2026?

Debutify made its name as the free starter theme on Shopify. Today, its sales features unlock by subscription. How does it compare with Story Theme? Features, reviews, support and price: the complete comparison.

  • 15/15sales features included, against 14/15 for Debutify
  • ≈ €30less in apps every month compared with Debutify
  • FR & ENsupport and documentation from the team that builds the theme

Information collected on 26 September 2026 from each publisher's website, the Shopify Theme Store and Trustpilot. Report inaccurate information

Our verdict

Debutify covers many features, but you pay to unlock them, install another app for reviews, and make do with English support on another continent’s office hours. Story Theme gives everything from the first plan, reviews included, with a team that answers and Story Studio for your creatives. At a comparable price, the support makes the difference.

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The essentials at a glance

Story ThemeDebutify
ModelSubscriptionFree + paid options
PriceFrom €14/month (yearly) · €19.99/month (monthly)Free plan; paid from $15.60/month (yearly)
Trial7-day free trial, no commitment3 days on paid plans
Published reviews4.7/5 from 65 reviews (Trustpilot)4.4/5 from 9,618 reviews (Trustpilot)
SupportIn French and English, by the team that builds the themeTickets in English, weekdays (Indian hours), none on the free plan
UpdatesContinuous, included in the subscription, public roadmapAbout once a month (8.17 on 27/07/2026)
Sections and blocks45 sections · 109 blocks62 sections
Advertised features211 documented145 widgets and sections advertised

What is included without an app

The fifteen features merchants most often end up paying an app for. For Debutify as for us, only what the theme does on its own.

Story ThemeDebutify
Cart upsell and cross-sellIncludedIncluded
Bundles and quantity breaksIncludedIncluded
Product reviewsIncludedApp needed
Countdown timerIncludedIncluded
Free shipping barIncludedIncluded
Sticky add to cartIncludedIncluded
Free gift in cartIncludedIncluded
Before / after sliderIncludedIncluded
Stories and UGC videosIncludedIncluded
WishlistIncludedIncluded
Mega menuIncludedIncluded
Delivery estimateIncludedIncluded
Newsletter pop-upIncludedIncluded
Order tracking pageIncludedIncluded
AI tools (visuals, copy)IncludedIncluded
Included without apps15 / 1514 / 15

The cost of the extra apps

To fill the 1 missing feature in Debutify, expect around €30 a month in apps, on top of the theme.

  • Product reviews≈ €30

Ballpark figure: the usual price of the most installed app for each function. The same estimates as on our home page.

The simplest way to compare is still to see Story Theme on your own products.

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Debutify and Story Theme: two different approaches

Debutify has become a suite of tools. The theme is still free with 26 widgets, but most conversion features (cart upsell, quantity breaks, wishlist, order tracking) are reserved for paid plans, from $15.60 a month billed yearly. Product reviews go through a separate app, Debutify Reviews, and support runs on English tickets, on weekdays, on Indian office hours.

Story Theme starts from a simple observation: a store that sells needs the same tools, whatever its niche. Bundles, upsells, reviews, countdowns, free gifts, order tracking… Rather than leaving them to apps, we wrote them into the theme, and we keep adding more with every update. You build your store with the mouse, in the Shopify editor, with 45 sections and 109 blocks designed to convert.

Features: 15 out of 15 against 14 out of 15 for Debutify

Of the fifteen sales features we checked, Debutify includes 14. For 1 others you need an app. Story Theme includes all fifteen, without installing anything.

And those fifteen are only a sample: Story Theme has 211 features documented one by one, from bundles with variants to the before / after slider, from product stories to the free gift bar. Each one is designed for a precise step of the buying journey, from the home page to the cart.

Conversion and speed: fewer apps, fewer scripts

Every app added to fill a gap in Debutify loads its own script on every page. A reviews app, a bundles module, a countdown: three more scripts, three third-party servers to wait for, and as many tenths of a second lost at the moment the visitor decides to stay or leave.

In Story Theme, these features are written into the theme itself. Nothing to load from a third-party server, code loaded only when the section is displayed, images automatically served in the right format and size. And a mobile version designed first, because that is where most of your sales happen.

Getting started, support and updates

For Debutify, support comes down to this: tickets in English, weekdays (Indian hours), none on the free plan. As for updates: about once a month (8.17 on 27/07/2026).

With Story Theme, the team that builds the theme supports you, with no time limit. The documentation covers every section, videos walk through building a complete store, and updates are included in the subscription: a new version installs from your member area with its update tool, and the roadmap is public.

More than a theme: the whole ecosystem around it

Choosing Debutify means choosing a theme. Choosing Story Theme also gives you everything around it: Story Studio, the AI workspace that generates your ad creatives, store copy and product images from your catalogue; an automatic weekly analysis of your store (SEO, image weight, installed theme); Optimage to lighten your images and Colorify to check your contrasts.

The theme is translated into 31 languages and compatible with Shopify Markets: selling internationally does not mean starting over.

Real cost: Debutify or Story Theme over a year

Debutify: free plan; paid from $15.60/month (yearly). Add around €360 a year in apps to fill the missing features, not counting the time spent installing, configuring and making them work together.

Story Theme: €168 a year for one store (€14 a month billed yearly), €336 for three stores, and unlimited stores on the Business plan, built for agencies. Updates, support and every feature are included, with no commitment and a seven-day free trial to judge for yourself.

Why brands choose Story Theme

  • You want bundles, upsells, reviews and countdowns without stacking apps.
  • You want support and documentation in French and English, from the team that writes the theme.
  • You want continuous updates, included in the subscription.
  • You want Story Studio to produce your ad creatives and store copy.

When Debutify may be enough

  • You want to start on a free plan.
  • English support, on weekdays and Indian hours, suits you.
  • You plan to unlock widgets as you go.

What Debutify does well

  • A free plan, with 26 widgets and sections.
  • 145 widgets and sections claimed, including cart upsell, quantity breaks, wishlist and order tracking.
  • AI store generator included in paid plans.
  • 4.4/5 from over 9,600 Trustpilot reviews.

Where Debutify stops

  • Most conversion features are reserved for paid plans.
  • Product reviews come from a separate app (Debutify Reviews).
  • Support in English, on weekdays, on Indian hours; no support on the free plan.
  • Not on the Shopify Theme Store.

Story Theme or Debutify: your questions

Which Shopify theme is best: Debutify or Story Theme?

For a store that wants to sell without stacking apps, Story Theme: it includes all fifteen sales features in our comparison, against 14 for Debutify.

Debutify keeps its strengths, detailed above. But as soon as you need bundles, upsells, reviews or countdowns, every gap is paid for in apps, subscriptions and loading speed.

How much does Debutify cost?

Free plan; paid from $15.60/month (yearly).

Compare with Story Theme: from €14 a month billed yearly, with updates, support and every feature included.

Can I switch from Debutify to Story Theme without losing my products?

Yes. A theme does not touch your products, orders or customers: they belong to your Shopify account.

Story Theme installs next to Debutify. You compose in draft while your store keeps running, and you publish when you like the result. What does not carry over are the old theme's layout settings.

What happens to my current apps?

They keep working: Story Theme is a standard Shopify theme.

The ones that duplicate the theme (reviews, bundles, countdowns, cart drawer…) simply become unnecessary. You cancel them at your own pace, and your monthly bill drops accordingly.

Do I need to code to use Story Theme?

No. Everything is built in the Shopify editor, with the mouse.

The documentation and videos cover every section, and support answers as soon as you get stuck on a setting.

Can I try Story Theme before deciding?

Yes, for seven days, free and with no commitment.

A theme on trial does not replace the published one: you compare on your own store, with your own products, before deciding.

Compare on your own store.

Seven days to install Story Theme next to your current theme, compose, and judge for yourself.

Try Story Theme for 7 daysFree, no commitment