Shopify vs Webflow: Founders, CEOs and History
Shopify was founded in 2006 by Tobias Lütke, Daniel Weinand, Scott Lake and is led by Tobi Lütke. Webflow was founded in 2013 by Vlad Magdalin, Sergie Magdalin, Bryant Chou and is led by Linda Tong.
Company facts
Founders
Shopify
Tobias Lütke
Tobias Lütke co-founded Shopify after building the Snowdevil snowboard store in Ruby on Rails in 2004. He has led Shopify as CEO since 2008 and holds a founder share that gives him about 40% of total voting power.
Daniel Weinand
Daniel Weinand co-founded Shopify and served as Chief Design Officer and later Chief Culture Officer, shaping the early storefront themes and user interface.
Scott Lake
Scott Lake co-founded Snowdevil and Shopify and served as Shopify's first CEO until 2008, when Lütke took over. He later founded other ventures.
Webflow
Vlad Magdalin
Vlad Magdalin co-founded Webflow in 2013 and was its CEO until June 2024, leading it through Y Combinator and its funding rounds up to the 2022 Series C at a $4 billion valuation. He then handed the CEO role to Linda Tong and became Chief Innovation Officer.
Sergie Magdalin
Sergie Magdalin co-founded Webflow in 2013 and brought the designer's perspective to the product. He remained part of the company's leadership at the time of the 2024 CEO transition.
Bryant Chou
Bryant Chou co-founded Webflow in 2013 and served as its chief technology officer, leading early engineering of the platform. He was still named among the co-founders working with the leadership team at the 2024 CEO transition.
CEOs and their tenures
Shopify
- Daniel Weinand2006–2019
Co-Founder
Designed Shopify's initial core user interface and design system, establishing the clean and intuitive visual framework that empowered millions of merchants to build online stores.
Source - Tobias Lütke2008–present
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Co-founder, original engineer and CEO since 2008, Lütke has guided Shopify from a snowboard-store codebase to a platform with $11.56 billion of 2025 revenue.
Source - Harley Finkelstein2020–present
President
Joined in 2010 and became President in 2020; leads commercial operations, partnerships and public communication.
Source - Jeff Hoffmeister2022–present
Chief Financial Officer
Former Morgan Stanley banker who joined as CFO in 2022 and oversaw the return to double-digit free cash flow margins.
Source
Webflow
- Vlad Magdalin2013–2024
Co-Founder; CEO (2013-2024), now Chief Innovation Officer
Co-founded Webflow and led it as CEO through Y Combinator and its funding rounds to a $4 billion valuation before handing over the role in June 2024.
Source - Linda Tong2024–present
Chief Executive Officer
Joined as COO in 2022 and later served as President and COO; named CEO in June 2024. Previously held roles at AppDynamics, the NFL, Tapjoy and Google.
Source
Timeline: Shopify and Webflow side by side
2004Shopify
Snowdevil Snowboard Store Engineered
Tobias Lütke builds a custom Ruby on Rails shopping platform to sell snowboards online after rejecting clunky legacy e-commerce tools.
2006Shopify
Commercial Launch of Shopify
Lütke, Lake, and Weinand officially launch Shopify in Ottawa, offering subscription-based storefronts to small business entrepreneurs.
2009Shopify
Shopify API & App Store Ecosystem
Shopify introduces its developer API and App Store, sparking a large global developer ecosystem that builds thousands of custom merchant extensions.
2013Shopify
Launch of Shopify Payments
Shopify launches integrated payment processing, capturing a lucrative percentage fee on global Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV).
2013Webflow
Webflow launches
Launched in August 2013 and graduated from Y Combinator.
2014Webflow
$1.5M seed round
Seed funding from Khosla Ventures, Tim Draper and others.
2015Shopify
Dual TSX and NYSE Initial Public Offering
Shopify completes its dual IPO in Toronto and New York under ticker SHOP, raising $131 million to fuel international merchant expansion.
2017Shopify
Shop Pay Accelerated Checkout Introduced
Shopify releases Shop Pay, providing accelerated one-click checkout conversion across millions of storefronts and merchant apps.
2019Webflow
$72M Series A
Led by Accel.
2021Webflow
$140M Series B
Valued Webflow at $2.1 billion.
2022Webflow
$120M Series C
Led by Y Combinator Continuity at a $4 billion valuation; Linda Tong joins as COO.
2023Shopify
Divestiture of Logistics Arm Deliverr
Shopify divests its capital-intensive fulfillment network to Flexport, shedding heavy logistics overhead and refocusing on high-margin software and enterprise retail.
2024Webflow
Intellimize, new CEO, GreenSock
Acquired Intellimize in April, named Linda Tong CEO in June, and acquired GreenSock in October.
2025Shopify
Surpassing $11.55 Billion in Annual Revenue
Shopify reports $11.556 billion in revenues, $1.231 billion in net income, and transfers its primary US stock listing to Nasdaq under ticker SHOP.
2026Shopify
Q2 2026 Growth Accelerates
Shopify reports 34% revenue growth and $115.6 billion of GMV for Q2 2026, after authorizing a $2 billion share buyback in February.
2026Webflow
Vidoso.ai and Source by Webflow
Acquired Vidoso.ai in March and unveiled Source by Webflow at Webflow Conf in September.
Acquisitions
Shopify
- Deliverr2022$2.1B
- Handshake2019Undisclosed
- 6 River Systems2019$450M
- Boltmade2016Undisclosed
- Kit CRM2016Undisclosed
- Tiny Hearts2016Undisclosed
Webflow
- Vidoso.ai2026Undisclosed
- Intellimize2024Undisclosed
- GreenSock2024Undisclosed
Questions about Shopify vs Webflow
Who is the CEO of Shopify Inc. and Webflow, Inc.?
Shopify Inc. is led by Tobi Lütke and Webflow, Inc. is led by Linda Tong. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Shopify Inc. founded vs Webflow, Inc.?
Shopify Inc. was founded in 2006 — 7 years before Webflow, Inc., which was founded in 2013. Shopify Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Webflow, Inc..
How many employees does Shopify Inc. have compared to Webflow, Inc.?
Shopify Inc. employs approximately 7,600 people. A verified employee count for Webflow, Inc. is not currently available.
Where are Shopify Inc. and Webflow, Inc. headquartered?
Shopify Inc. is headquartered in Canada and Webflow, Inc. is headquartered in United States. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Shopify Inc. and Webflow, Inc.?
Shopify Inc. was founded by Tobias Lütke, Daniel Weinand, Scott Lake. Webflow, Inc. was founded by Vlad Magdalin, Sergie Magdalin, Bryant Chou.
Which company has a longer operating history — Shopify Inc. or Webflow, Inc.?
Shopify Inc. has been operating for approximately 20 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Webflow, Inc. has been in operation for around 13 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Shopify vs Webflow overview