Ecwid vs Shopify

Ecwid vs Shopify: A Detailed Comparison Review

When setting up an online store, two popular eCommerce platforms that often come up are Ecwid and Shopify.

 Both platforms are designed to help businesses sell online but cater to slightly different needs.

This review of Ecwid vs Shopify will examine each platform’s differences, strengths, and weaknesses to help you decide which is right for your business.

Final Verdict: Shopify is a better all-around platform if you are looking to grow in the future. Ecwid is good if you are on a budget and just looking to start.

 1. Overview: Ecwid vs Shopify

 Shopify is a powerful, all-in-one eCommerce platform designed to help businesses build and run their entire stores from scratch. It handles everything from inventory to payment processing.

 Ecwid, on the other hand, is a plugin that allows you to add a shopping cart to an existing website. It integrates seamlessly with other platforms like WordPress, Wix, or even social media profiles, enabling you to sell without migrating to a dedicated eCommerce site.

Key takeaway: Shopify is a full-service solution for building an online store, while Ecwid works best if you already have a website and want to add eCommerce functionality.

 2. Pricing

Shopify Pros:

 More comprehensive features in higher-tier plans.

 Includes advanced reporting and customer management tools.

Ecwid Pros:

 Offers a Free Plan for smaller businesses or those testing the waters.

 More affordable for small to medium-sized businesses needing basic eCommerce features.

 Winner: Ecwid for budget-conscious businesses. Shopify provides better value for larger stores or those needing extensive features.

 3. Ease of Use

Shopify is known for its user-friendly interface. Even if you’re not tech-savvy, you can create a store quickly using its drag-and-drop editor. Numerous templates are available, so no coding is required.

Ecwid is equally easy to use but works differently since it integrates with an existing site. If you’re familiar with platforms like WordPress or Wix, embedding Ecwid’s store is seamless and straightforward.

Shopify Pros:

 Designed as a one-stop shop for eCommerce.

 It is very intuitive for beginners, with extensive customization options.

Ecwid Pros:

 Integrates with various platforms without disrupting your existing site.

 A simple setup with minimal changes is needed on your website.

 Winner: Tie. Shopify for an all-in-one solution; Ecwid for easy integration with an existing website.

 4. Design & Customization

 Shopify Design Options

Shopify offers over 70+ professionally designed themes (both free and premium). Customization is easy with Shopify’s theme editor, and advanced users can edit the code for more control.

 Ecwid Design Options

Ecwid’s store design is more basic than Shopify’s. While it provides some customization options and integrates well with the design of your current website, it doesn’t have nearly as many themes or flexibility.

 Shopify Pros:

 Large selection of modern, professional themes.

 It is highly customizable, even for those with coding knowledge.

 Ecwid Pros:

 It matches the style of your existing website, so there is no need to start from scratch.

 Winner: Shopify for its flexibility and design choices.

 5. Features and Integrations

Shopify is packed with built-in features such as abandoned cart recovery, multiple payment gateways, and detailed analytics.

Its App Store offers over 4,000 third-party apps, ranging from accounting tools to social media marketing integrations.

Ecwid focuses on integrating with other platforms rather than offering all features in-house.

However, Ecwid supports features like multichannel selling (e.g., Facebook, Instagram), and it has apps for various needs, though its app library is smaller.

Shopify Pros:

 Built-in SEO features, payment options, and analytics.

 Access to thousands of third-party apps for customization.

Ecwid Pros:

 Excellent for multichannel selling.

 Works seamlessly with existing platforms like WordPress.

 Winner: Shopify for feature richness and app integrations, though Ecwid shines in multichannel selling.

 6. SEO and Marketing

Both platforms offer strong SEO and marketing tools, but Shopify excels in built-in features, while Ecwid provides solid marketing capabilities through third-party integrations.

Shopify offers excellent tools for SEO, email marketing, and social media ads. You can use Shopify’s built-in blog feature, implement discount codes, and integrate with Google Shopping.

Ecwid offers SEO tools but mainly relies on the SEO capabilities of the site it’s embedded in. However, it does offer automated abandoned cart emails, integrations with Google Ads, and other marketing options through apps.

 Winner: Shopify takes the lead here due to its built-in SEO and marketing suite.

 7. Payment Gateways and Transaction Fees

Both Shopify and Ecwid offer multiple payment gateways, but Shopify stands out for its seamless integration with its own Shopify Payments (no transaction fees if used).

 Shopify offers over 100 payment gateways but charges a transaction fee unless you use Shopify Payments.

 Ecwid offers fewer payment gateways but doesn’t charge transaction fees on its plans.

 Winner: Ecwid for offering a no-fee setup across all payment gateways, but Shopify is great for those using Shopify Payments.

 8. Customer Support

 Shopify offers 24/7 support via live chat, phone, and email. It also has an extensive help center and community forum.

 Ecwid Offers live chat and email support on its paid plans, but there is no 24/7 phone support unless you’re on the Unlimited plan.

 Winner: Shopify for its robust and around-the-clock support options.

 Key Ecommerce Features

 Shopify

1. Unlimited Products: Shopify allows you to add an unlimited number of products, including physical, digital, and service-based items.

2. Abandoned Cart Recovery: This feature automatically emails customers who leave items in their cart, prompting them to complete their purchase.

3. Multiple Payment Gateways: Shopify supports over 100 payment gateways globally, including PayPal, Stripe, and Shopify Payments.

4. Mobile Optimized Checkout: Shopify ensures your store is fully responsive, providing a smooth checkout experience on mobile devices.

5. Inventory Management: Shopify offers advanced inventory tracking, including low-stock alerts and multiple inventory locations.

6. Built-in SEO: Shopify includes customizable meta tags, product descriptions, and URL structures to improve search engine rankings.

7. Shipping and Fulfillment: Shopify supports real-time carrier shipping rates, in-house fulfillment, and third-party logistics (3PL) integrations.

8. Multichannel Selling: Sell through various channels, including Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, eBay, and Pinterest, directly from your Shopify dashboard.

9. Shopify POS: Shopify’s pentosane system allows you to sync your online and physical retail stores, making it an excellent option for brick-and-mortar businesses.

 Ecwid

1. Free Plan: Ecwid’s free plan allows small businesses to sell up to 10 products with essential features, making it a cost-effective choice for smaller stores.

2. Product Embedding: Easily embed products on your existing website, WordPress, or social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

3. Multichannel Selling: Like Shopify, Ecwid supports selling on Facebook, Instagram, and other social platforms, but with a focus on embedding and integrations.

4. Unlimited Storage and Bandwidth: All Ecwid plans include unlimited bandwidth and storage, so you won’t be charged based on the size of your store or traffic.

5. Mobile Management: Ecwid offers a mobile app for managing your store, products, and orders on the go.

6. Automated Marketing: Ecwid offers automated emails for abandoned carts and discount coupons, helping you reengage customers with minimal effort.

7. SEO and Social Media Tools: Ecwid supports basic SEO settings like custom URLs, meta tags, and automatic sitemaps, as well as integrations with Google Shopping.

8. Digital Goods: Ecwid supports the sale of digital products, allowing for instant downloads after purchase.

9. POS Integration: While not as robust as Shopify, Ecwid offers POS integrations with platforms like Square and Clover.

 FAQ: Ecwid vs Shopify

 1. Which platform is better for beginners?

 Shopify’s drag-and-drop store builder is designed for beginners, making it easy for anyone without coding experience to set up a store.

 However, if you already have a website and want to add eCommerce functionality, Ecwid is the simplest option for embedding a store without rebuilding everything.

 2. Can I use Shopify or Ecwid for free?

 Shopify offers a 3-day free trial, but after that, all plans require a monthly fee starting at $39.

On the other hand, Ecwid offers a free plan that allows you to sell up to 10 products, making it an excellent option for tiny businesses or those looking to test the platform before committing.

 3. Which platform offers more customization?

 Shopify offers more customization options, especially with its vast selection of themes and access to HTML/CSS for advanced customizations.

Ecwid is more limited in design flexibility since it integrates with your existing website’s design.

 4. Do Shopify or Ecwid have transaction fees?

 If you don’t use Shopify Payments, Shopify charges transaction fees (ranging from 2.0% to 0.5%) on all plans.

If you use Shopify Payments, there are no transaction fees.

Ecwid doesn’t charge transaction fees, but depending on your payment gateway, you may still have to pay standard credit card processing fees.

 5. Can I sell on social media platforms with Shopify and Ecwid?

 Both Shopify and Ecwid support multichannel selling.

You can sell directly through platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and even marketplaces like Amazon and eBay.

 Shopify provides a more comprehensive multichannel selling experience, especially for larger businesses, while Ecwid focuses on embedding stores into social profiles.

 6. Which platform is better for scaling a business?

 Shopify is the better choice for businesses looking to scale.

 With advanced features like analytics, customer segmentation, POS integration, and its large app ecosystem, it is built for growth.

Ecwid is suitable for small—to medium-sized businesses, but it may not offer the same scalability as Shopify for huge stores.

 7. Is there a limit to the number of products I can sell?

 Shopify allows you to sell unlimited products on all its paid plans.

Ecwid offers product limits depending on the plan: 10 products on the free plan, 100 products on the Venture plan, 2,500 products on the Business plan, and unlimited products on the Unlimited plan.

 8. Do both platforms support POS systems?

 Shopify offers its POS system, which syncs seamlessly between online and physical stores.

Ecwid doesn’t have its own POS system, but it integrates with third-party POS providers like Square, Clover, and Vend, making it a good option for small businesses.

 9. Which platform offers better customer support?

 Shopify offers 24/7 customer support via live chat, email, and phone. It also has a vast knowledge base, forums, and video tutorials.

Ecwid offers live chat and email support on its paid plans, with priority support on the Unlimited plan. However, it lacks phone support unless you are on the highest plan.

 10. Which platform is better for SEO?

 Shopify has robust built-in SEO tools, allowing you to customize meta titles, descriptions, URLs, and even blog posts to improve your ranking.

Ecwid has SEO settings, but since it’s embedded into an existing site, much of its SEO potential depends on the platform it’s integrated with (e.g., WordPress or Wix).

 Shopify is a stronger contender if SEO is a top priority.

Final Comparison and Thoughts

Ecwid and Shopify offer fantastic eCommerce capabilities, but they serve different businesses.

 Choose Shopify if you’re looking to build a full-fledged online store from scratch with all the bells and whistles.

 It’s a comprehensive platform with scalable features, especially for larger businesses or those looking to expand quickly.

 Choose Ecwid if you already have a website or a small business and want to add eCommerce functionality without rebuilding your entire site.

Its free plan and ease of integration make it an excellent choice for small businesses or those on a tight budget.

Regardless of your platform of choice, both are solid, reliable options for launching or growing your eCommerce business.

Read our review on the best ecommerce platforms