Ecwid vs Shopify

At least once a month, a staggering 75% of consumers shop online. Online shopping allows buyers to compare prices with ease while accessing an endless array of goods and services. 

However, if you're looking to create an online store, you're probably wondering about the best e-commerce platform to use, namely, Ecwid vs Shopify. 

This helpful guide compares and contrasts Ecwid and Shopify and delivers a cost analysis so you can decide which online store works best for your needs. 

Cost

Ecwid appears to be more cost-effective than Shopify and offers a free plan. On the other hand, Shopify offers a greater value because its base store plan has unlimited products, mobile POS, and all sales channels.

When you select a lower Ecwid plan, you’ll find product limits and can only access mobile POS and all sales channels with top-tier plans. Sacrificing a few dollars a month may cost you features essential to your business. 

Breakdown of Ecwid’s Plan Costs

If you decide to use Ecwid, there are several plans to choose from. Here is a complete breakdown of what each cost, along with what's included:

• Free Plan: Included ten product listings with Instant Site
• Venture Plan: $15/month and includes 100 product listings with Instant Site, sell on Instagram and Facebook, and you can add your store to other blogs and websites 
• Business Plan: $35/month and includes 2,500 product listings with Instant Site plus everything included with the Venture Plan; sell on Amazon, mobile POS, Amazon, and more
• Unlimited Plan: $99/month and includes unlimited product listings with Instant Site plus everything included with the Business Plan; connect to other retail POS systems such as Square, Vend by Lightspeed, ad Clover (in-store sales)

If you pay annually, you can save roughly 15%.

Additional Fees

When using Ecwid, you’ll need to account for third-party fees. This includes processing credit card payments, retail POS systems, and labels for shipping.

You’ll also need to purchase a custom domain site. You’ll use this for your Ecwid Instant Site and can expect to pay roughly $15/year. 

If you add any custom integrations or apps, you’ll also incur additional expenses. 

Breakdown of Shopify’s Plan Costs

Shopify also has an assortment of plans to choose from, each with its own price point and available items. Here's what you can expect:

• Starter Plan: $5/month and comes with unlimited product listings; you can use mobile POS to sell items or use the Buy Button tool, but the online store is not included with this plan
• Basic Plan: $29/month and offers unlimited product listings so you can build an online store and sell your items on every sales channel, including mobile POS; Shopify add-ons include access to tools for business reporting and email marketing
• Shopify Plan: $79/month and includes everything in the Basic Plan but offers advanced reporting, marketing, and tools for business automation; you’ll also find reduced rates for Shopify Shipping and Shopify Payments
• Advanced Plan: $299/month and offers everything that the Shopify Plan includes, but also offers real-time shipping rates, along with tools for international sales; you’ll also benefit from Shopify’s lowest rates for Shopify Shipping and Payments. 

You can save with Shopify when you pay annually (10%) or biennially (20%).

Additional Fees

When using a Shopify store, you can expect to pay Shopify Shipping label fees and fees for every credit card payment via Shopify Payments. You can use your credit card processing machine, but Shopify will still include a transaction fee. 

Retailers have to pay another $89/month (per location) for POS Pro, and themes for advanced online store templates are at least $180. Any custom domain name you buy is another $15/year, just like with Ecwid.

Different Sales Channels

Both Shopify and Ecwid connect to different types of sales channels and authorize sales through Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Amazon, eBay, TikTok, and others. Ecwid and Shopify both support every kind of in-person sale through retail and mobile POS.

If you’re looking for an e-commerce platform that is beneficial to multichannel sellers, Shopify is your best bet. Ecwid, on the other hand, caters to sellers looking to publish a store on several websites or blogs and is perfect for multisite sales.

What About E-Commerce Features?

Shopify and Ecwid support all different kinds of e-commerce sales. This includes tangible products that ship to a specific location, products available for local pickup or delivery, and products available for digital download. With the help of add-on apps, Shopify and Ecwid both support a variety of online courses, subscriptions, and webinars, along with online payments and service bookings.

Businesses looking for an e-commerce platform with detailed product pages can use Ecwid or Shopify. Both platforms also offer item variations and photos and videos, and sellers can create store information pages, collections, and require customers to create logins to assist with automating order management.

Keep in mind that Shopify offers heartier store menus and product management compared to Ecwid. Any merchant using Shopify can organize large catalogs of products, creating collections with sub-categories. From there, they can list these collections on store menus with mobile-friendly features. 

Although Ecwid offers Instant Site for collections of products, they don’t carry over to mobile menu options.

Ecwid vs Shopify: Which Is Best?

When comparing Ecwid vs Shopify, you’ll find that both e-commerce platforms cater to the specific needs of entrepreneurs. However, the cost is one of the largest differences between the two online stores. Consider what features and website integrations your business needs, along with your budget, and select the plan —and platform—that works best for you.

Although Ecwid appears to be the cost-effective option, Shopify offers unparalleled services to entrepreneurs, helping you to grow your business in a way Ecwid cannot. 

If you're interested in Shopify, we offer a free unlimited trial.

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