Want to know wins — Shopify vs. Ecwid?
Shopify is known for its scalability, while Ecwid offers users a more simplified solution. This blog gives you a more detailed comparison to see which solution suits your business more effectively.
A Detailed Comparison Between Ecwid vs Shopify
| Feature | Shopify | Ecwid |
| Ease of Use | Intuitive drag-and-drop builder with a guided setup | Easy integration into existing sites |
| Pricing & Fees | Starts at $39/month, transaction fees apply | Free plan available, paid plans start at $121/month |
| SEO Tools | Advanced SEO tools, custom URLs, built-in sitemaps | Basic SEO with limited customization |
| Templates & Themes | Over 100 customizable themes | Limited free themes, premium options available |
| Apps & Integration | 6000+ apps in the Shopify App Store | Fewer integrations, around 300 apps |
| Payment Gateways | 100+ gateways, lower fees with Shopify Payments | 50+ gateways, higher fees on paid plans |
| Inventory Management | Advanced management tools, bulk product import | Basic inventory tools, good for small stores |
| Customer Support | 24/7 live chat, phone, and email | Email and live chat, phone on premium plans |
Shopify vs. Ecwid: In-Depth Comparison
Both these solutions differ with unique features that present their own advantages and limitations. Let’s take a glance at the different points regarding Ecwid and Shopify.
Ecwid vs. Shopify: Ease of Use
Shopify is designed with ease of use in mind. It provides an intuitive drag-and-drop interface to allow you to adjust your shop in the most convenient way possible.
Moreover, the onboarding process is easy and step-by-step.
The bottom line for Ecwid is that it is user-friendly, too, but works a little differently.
One ideal use of Ecwid is when you are integrating it with an existing site. So, if you already have a website and want to add eCommerce functionality, this would be the perfect solution.
If you need to start an online store from scratch, Shopify will probably be a better fit for this.
Ecwid vs. Shopify: Pricing & Fees
For most eCommerce store owners, pricing is a pretty crucial factor.
Shopify offers three built-in packages: Basic, Shopify, and Advanced Shopify, which range from $29 to $299 per month. Transactions on Shopify are also charged with fees unless you opt for Shopify Payments.
Shopify is indeed pricey; however, its features are so comprehensive that justify the price for most people.
On the other hand, Ecwid offers a freemium plan, which lets you have your basic online store for free. If you want to utilize the advanced features, Ecwid’s plans Venture, Business, and Unlimited start at $21 and go as high as $89 monthly.
Unlike Shopify, Ecwid doesn’t have extra fees for transactions. It is economic therefore for the price-conscious.
Ecwid vs. Shopify: SEO Friendliness
SEO is a means to an end in driving traffic into your online store, and Shopify and Ecwid alike provide tools you can use to optimize your site for the search engines.
Shopify has the advantage here: it provides rapid page speeds, is mobile friendly, and has the ability to change meta tags, URLs, and alt text for pictures. Not to mention it has an App Store full of additional SEO tools that will further enhance your store’s visibility.
Further, Ecwid also supports robust SEO functionality, especially if the site you integrate it into is already search-engine optimized. However, Ecwid fails when it comes to the full complement of URLs and advanced SEO settings compared to Shopify.
Ecwid vs. Shopify: Templates & Themes
Shopify and Ecwid provide adjustable templates and themes to get your store looking great.
Shopify provides countless professional themes, both free and paid, that you can use to tailor it according to your brand.
Unlike Shopify, Ecwid has only a few theme options. It integrates your website design as part of its function so the theme is mainly what your website had to start with.
Ecwid has some tools to customize, but this application has fewer free themes compared to Shopify. Therefore, if you want your store to look different and more professional, you might opt for Shopify instead.
Ecwid vs. Shopify: Apps & Integration
One of the greatest differences between Shopify and Ecwid is that the former has a massive and comprehensive app store.
Offering thousands of third-party apps, Shopify enhances your store’s functions, whether you’re in need of marketing, payment solutions, or inventory management apps. Shopify’s app ecosystem enables users to add features with absolute ease, thanks to their business needs.
While Ecwid has many integrations, its app store is nowhere near as comprehensive as that available for Shopify. Ecwid primarily caters to core eCommerce functionality rather than providing a suite of third-party integrations.
Ecwid vs. Shopify: Payment Gateways
Out of these two e-commerce tools, both Ecwid and Shopify have flexible options for their payment gateways.
Shopify itself has more than 100 payment gateways; from PayPal to Stripe, major providers include its own Shopify Payments, which can be integrated straightforwardly and lead to a cut in fees associated with a transaction.
Ecwid also supports more than one payment gateway such as PayPal, Stripe, and Square.
Ecwid doesn’t charge you for the transaction fees irrespective of the payment provider that you choose to use, and this is convenient because minimizing costs is what small businesses require.
Ecwid vs. Shopify: Inventory Management
Shopify has the most robust inventory management system that helps you keep tabs on the levels of stock, sends alerts when the stock hits a low threshold, and manages inventory in multiple places.
Hence, those in medium-to-large businesses have a strong propensity towards applying the functionality so offered by Shopify.
Ecwid also boasts stable inventory management features, but fewer in comparison to Shopify. Ecwid’s simple inventory tools perform well in small stores that do not require multifaceted inventory tracking. However, advanced inventory management and their bulk editing and multi-location features make Shopify the perfect alternative if your business requires such features.
Ecwid vs. Shopify: Customer Support
Both have some good customer support, and their differences arise in some aspects.
Shopify provides 24/7 live chat, email, and phone assistance while also hosting an extended knowledge base and community forum. Shopfiy’s customer support is rather reliable and responsive in general, which might turn out very important when dealing with technical problems.
Ecwid offers customer support through live chat, email, and phone. The type of help you can expect depends on the plan you take.
The higher-end plans get priority service, while the free plan limits you to whatever options they have. Ecwid’s knowledge base is vast; however, for people who need constant support, it will be better to go with Shopify’s round-the-clock service.
How to Choose Between Shopify vs Ecwid?
So, which is better: Ecwid or Shopify?
The choice really depends on your business size and goals. If you’re looking to build an eCommerce store from scratch, Shopify is the go-to platform with its robust features and user-friendly design.
On the other hand, if you already have a website and just want to add eCommerce capabilities, Ecwid is a cheaper, lightweight solution.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Ecwid and Shopify?
Ecwid is an ecommerce solution that helps integrate into an existing website to enable the selling of products online. Shopify is a proper ecommerce platform that allows users to build and manage a fully-fledged, standalone online store.
Is Ecwid cheaper than Shopify?
Of course, it has a free plan and fewer plans that are priced lower than the basic Shopify plan priced at $39 per month. Shopify also offers more advanced features in the lowest-tier plan.
What are the downsides of Ecwid?
A few of the cons of Ecwid include fewer app integrations, fewer thematic customization options for your store than you have with other eCommerce platforms like Shopify, and basic tools to handle SEO.
Ecwid vs Shopify – Which is the Better Ecommerce Platform?
So, is Ecwid or Shopify better? Both platforms have their strengths, but Shopify is a more powerful, all-in-one eCommerce solution for growing businesses.
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