When people decide to make their business online, the daunting challenge for them can be choosing the right eCommerce store because there are plenty of options available there. Among all, Shopify and Shopware are the most popular ones. The interesting thing is that they both will seem just perfect for your needs when you will have a basic overview of them but they actually are not. Today, let us tell you the difference between Shopify and Shopware and which one would be better for you.
What is Shopify?
Shopify is a digital E-Commerce platform that allows you to set up your own online store and expand your business. You don’t need any coding or other special skills to open your online store in Shopify. In just a few steps that are provided on the site, you will be able to open your store. You will have full control of everything related to your store like sales, orders, transactions, shipping, return, and just everything.
The platform has thousands of professional themes and templates. You can pick any of your choices and design the look of your store as well. Meant for medium and small start-up businesses, Shopify is a cloud-based modular Canadian platform, which was launched in 2004 for the first time. However, the first fully operating project was released in 2006. On this platform, you can manage your multiple sale channels like social media, marketplaces, mobile, and shops.
Recommended for you: 10 Best Ways to Optimize Your eCommerce Shop.
What is Shopware?
Like Shopify, Shopware is also an e-commerce platform that helps you empower your business online and expand it to new heights. It is also an E-Commerce solution that helps business owners to create, manage, analyze, and grow their businesses online. The unique thing about Shopware is that it can be installed on-premises as well as in cloud e-commerce stores.
Moreover, Shopware is a full-fledged tool system that is required for an E-Commerce store. Given this fact, it is suitable not just for small stores but also for large companies. Designed with open-source technology, it is completely customizable and lets you create your online store in just moments. Developed in Germany in 2004, Shopware has an easy user interface and it ensures high performance regardless of the business scale.
Here, let’s have a complete overview of the features of Shopify and Shopware and you yourself find out which one would be better for you.
Features of Shopify
Shopify is designed with a number of incredible features that make it so desirable among online business owners. Some of its mind-blowing features are:
1. Shopify POS
Shopify offers a remarkable POS (point of sale) system, which allows users a dashboard that syncs sales records like in-store and online purchases. With the help of this application, you can customize your store, manage orders, view purchase history, and even offer new discounts as well as vouchers to your customers. Not just that, it is built in with an analytic system that will help you have a deep insight into your marketing strategy.
2. SEO tools
Another good feature of Shopify is its SEO tools which not only make your work easy but also improve the ranking of your site on the search engine ensuring you more public exposure. You can explore each and every tool of Shopify and maximize the productivity of your online store.
3. Third-party app integrations
If the on-site tools of Shopify don’t seem enough, you can integrate any third-party application on the site and simplify your operation. Shopify allows full flexibility to integrate any third party or application as long as it is compatible with it.
4. Offers drop shipping functionality
Dropshipping is a term that means buying products from a third party when you don’t have and then delivering them to your customers. So, you can enjoy the dropshipping feature as well in Shopify. Through this E-Commerce platform, you can approach thousands of wholesale suppliers from not your country but worldwide and make the products available to your customers whatever they are looking for.
5. Shopify analytics
The best feature of Shopify is that it offers you a bundle of analytics tools that makes your on-site analysis much easier and deeper. In just a single glance, you will be able to see your customers’ activities, your marketing outcome, sales, total purchase, demography of visitors, product analytics, website performances, live view, and just everything.
6. Has abandoned cart reminder feature
Another great feature that you would love about Shopify is that it is designed with abandoned cart reminders. This means, it will automatically remind users, who have added products to the cart but never made a purchase. You can automate this with well-written mail and enjoy the feature.
Features of Shopware
Life Shopify, Shopware is loaded with a bunch of awesome features as well. Have a look at the prominent features of Shopware.
1. Product management system
E-Commerce stores are all about product management in a precise way and this is where Shopware pleases its customers. It allows you, as a business owner, to customize the look of your store and categorize the products the way you want. Given this fact, you can set your products in a way that customers can have an overview of many products in less time.
2. Ensures an easy checkout process
The best thing you would love about Shopware is that it ensures a hassle-free and easy checkout process. Unlike many eCommerce stores, Shopware is designed with a structured shopping basket, which allows it to generate invoices as well as cancellations automatically.
3. Has a user-friendly interface
Despite being open-source, Shopware is designed with a straightforward user interface. You have options to choose from various templates and give your store a unique look. Furthermore, it also allows you to manage and produce good quality content, as it has an integrated content management system.
4. Has a number of marketing tools
Your online business store can never flourish without the use of marketing tools, and this is where Shopware becomes a favorite of many online business owners because it offers a bundle of marketing tools. With their help, you can’t only create strategies to generate more leads but also create vouchers, sales promotions, and discount codes.
5. Loaded with SEO tools
It’s not just the marketing tools that make Shopware different from its competitors, but it is designed with a number of SEO tools as well. Given this fact, you don’t need to do anything to improve the SEO of your online store. Just use its tools and your content will automatically be SEO-optimized.
6. Designed with the latest technology
Another thing that makes Shopware stand out from the crowd is the fact that it is designed with cutting-edge technology. All the processes are carried out via API on this platform. Furthermore, it is also designed with Symfony full-stack, SSL protection, and cookie consent tool. Given this fact, the platform ensures full data protection while preventing spam by CAPTCHA.
7. Expandability
While using Shopware, you can expand its features and functionality as much as you want because it offers you as many as 3500 apps and themes to choose from. Just use them in the right way and they will definitely boost the productivity of your business while minimizing your workload.
You may like: 14 Things to Consider When Choosing a Payment Gateway for Your eCommerce Store.
Major differences between Shopify and Shopware
So, you already know the main features of each of these E-Commerce store services. Now, let us tell you the major differences between Shopify and Shopware so that you can decide which would be a better choice for you.
- Shopify has a huge theme collection, which allows you to set up your online business tour according to your own design. However, in Shopware, you might not have much variety in themes, but there are still enough themes to offer your store an appealing look.
- If you want a simple E-Commerce platform with no complex features Shopify is a better choice. However, if you want to enjoy the latest technology, Shopware would win the race here.
- In terms of safety and security, Shopware would be a step ahead of its competitors because it is designed with the latest technology and ensures to keep your data is safe always.
- Shopware pleases the users with the umpteen number of tools and plugins available in its store. On the other hand, you might not have many options in Shopify.
- If you hate slow websites, then you would definitely love Shopware because it is known for its speed and optimization. Shopify is also speedy and SEO-optimized but Shopware is probably a step ahead of it.
- Shopify has been on the market for quite a long time, so it is available in almost every country. In fact, it is available in 190 countries. On the other hand, Shopware is relatively new and offers its services only in certain parts of the world.
Pros and cons of Shopify
We have already talked about the features of Shopify and Shopware as well as the key differences between them. Now, let us tell you the pros and cons of each of these e-commerce platforms.
No doubt Shopify is designed with lots of features to impress users and has a number of pros but there are some cons too. To understand them all, read below.
Pros of Shopify
- Shopify has a huge theme collection, which makes it a ready-to-use E-Commerce platform. Simply, pick your favorite theme and you are all set to go.
- With a number of tools built-in, Shopify is extremely easy to use and allows easy operation. You can use this platform even without any prior technical knowledge.
- Shopify has a number of features that simplify its operation and makes your work easier. The prominent features of this platform include custom logos, easy social media integration, custom domain, adding unlimited products, and much more.
- Shopify is known for its simplicity and no complex interface. Designed with drag-and-drop type boxes, the platform is incredibly easy to use.
- If you are using Shopify, you don’t need to worry about SEO because it creates SEO-optimized content only.
- Shopify is an international E-Commerce platform and it has a big community. Given this fact, it is available in 190 countries.
- Another Pro of Shopify is that it supports different categories of business. This means the nature of your business does not matter for this platform. Whether you are a retailer, a wholesaler, a digital product seller, or a drop shipper, you can yield the maximum benefits from this platform.
- Having multiple payment processors, Shopify allows you to accept payments through many options including third-party platforms.
- Since Shopify is very user-friendly and has an easy user interface, your business is bound to grow on this platform.
Cons of Shopify
- Since Shopify is an international E-Commerce platform, it is relatively expensive, especially for new users. From the price of its premium tools to the monthly fees, everything can be on the higher side.
- Shopify has a limited number of designs to offer as compared to other ECommerce stores. So, sometimes it becomes difficult for business owners to give an eye-catching look to their stores.
- Another con of Shopify is that it is not easy to exit from this platform. Just in case you decide to leave Shopify and want to try some other E-Commerce platform, the process is not going to be easy and effortless.
Recommended for you: How to Optimize WooCommerce Product Images for SEO?
Pros and Cons of Shopware
Shopware has a number of features that will help your business grow and flourish. However, there are some disadvantages as well. So, have a look at the pros and cons of Shopware.
Pros of Shopware
- Shopware is a completely customizable system. You can customize your store according to your choice and make it appealing to users.
- Known for its efficiency, this e-commerce platform runs easily and effortlessly. Even small businesses with limited resources will be able to yield maximum benefits from this platform.
- Shopware wins the race when it comes to safety and security because it is designed with the latest security measures which ensure to keep your data is safe in every situation.
- As compared to other E-Commerce platforms, the price of Shopware is really moderate and it is relatively affordable, especially for new business owners who are just starting out the business.
- Shopware offers incredible support. You can reach them at any time for any problems. They will assist you in possibly the best way.
- You will get a huge collection of tools and plugins in Shopware. In fact, you can get almost every plugin that is required to set up and run a shop online.
- Supported by cloud servers, Shopware is super speedy and offers SEO-optimized content.
- Designed with the latest and initiative technology, Shopware does not offer only an easy interface to your users but also effortless back-end management to you.
Cons of Shopware
- The free edition of this E-Commerce platform has limited features that can be sufficient enough for new business owners. However, if you have a large business, you would need to go for premium features and the price might seem expensive.
- You might not like the fact that you need to pay additional charges to enjoy social media functions on Shopware. The accessibility of all social media features is not included in the free version.
- Another drawback of Shopware is that it mainly focuses on the German market since it is a German E-Commerce platform and has not expanded itself worldwide yet.
Shopify vs Shopware: which one is better?
“Who will reign supreme when it comes to managing your online store? Shopify or Shopware? It is obviously the one which provides the most balance between your own requirements and their deliverability.” – as quoted beautifully by Igor Iemelianov, the CEO & founder of IT Delight, in one of his recent interviews.
Well, it’s not like you can simply pick the one without considering their features and all other things. They both have incredible features to serve your needs and they both are best at their own services. Here, the important thing you should keep in mind is that no tool is ever made with the purpose of being one-size-fits-all. This means different tools are designed for different needs.
So, you need to first figure out your requirements and then see which will suit better to your needs. Both of these e-commerce platform services have their own pros and cons. You need to go through every single feature and analyze what they have to offer you. Then decide which will serve your needs better.
Can Shopify and Shopware both be used for any kind of online business store?
Yes, of course. They can be. However, Shopify is known to be versatile and serves better for all types of business needs. Nevertheless, Shopware does its job remarkably too.
Shopify or Shopware, which one is better if I use only the free version?
For this particular purpose, you can go with Shopify which has enough features in the free version to meet the needs of small business owners.
Shopware also offers incredible features in the free version, but they can be limited sometimes and can’t live up to your expectations.
You may also like: How to Optimize Your WooCommerce Store for Maximum Traffic and SEO?
Conclusion
It is really hard to pick one between Shopify and Shopware because they both have incredible features to offer to their users. This is why be sure to carefully go through each and every single feature of both services and then pick the right one for you.
Web developer and SEO specialist with 20+ years of experience in open-source web development, digital marketing, and search engine optimization. He is also the moderator of this blog "RS Web Solutions (RSWEBSOLS)".
