Ecwid vs. Shopify: Differences, pros and cons in 2024

Businesses looking to sell products and services online need a website builder that provides the necessary tools for creating a beautiful site as well as powerful e-commerce functionality. Ecwid and Shopify are two providers that fit the bill, though each does have its strengths and weaknesses.

We’ve evaluated both these companies in depth, looking at their pricing, web editor features, e-commerce functionality, blogging tools, SEO and marketing tools, security and mobile apps to help you determine if either provider could be the right fit for your business. When it comes to Ecwid vs. Shopify, the web editors, e-commerce features and blogging tools are where we found the most significant distinctions.

Ecwid vs. Shopify: Quick overview

As you consider whether one of these providers is right for you, think about the items here that are most important. If the budget is tight, ask yourself what that range is. If you sell online only, in a brick-and-mortar store or through both methods, e-commerce functionality is going to be paramount. Let your highest priorities guide your decision.

Pricing and value

Verdict: Ecwid

For users looking to set up a functional online shop, Ecwid is more affordable across all its plan tiers, and it offers a free version with some good starting features.

Shopify, however, does offer a great deal despite its higher price tag. If you are looking to have unlimited products on your site, for example, you can get that with Shopify’s Basic plan. With Ecwid, you’ll have to pay for its highest-tier Unlimited plan to sell unlimited products. 

If you have a smaller online operation or are supplementing a brick-and-mortar store, Ecwid may be a great option. If, however, you are primarily an online seller with high transaction volumes and a need for diverse payment options, Shopify’s features will likely be worth the higher price tag.

Ecwid pricing and value

Ecwid offers four plan options, including its Free plan. The free plan allows users to build a shop, advertise on social media and check out with Apple Pay. The biggest downside to the free plan is that it limits you to five products. If you want to expand with more products, you’ll need to upgrade to one of the paid options:

• Venture: Starting at $19 per month, Venture expands your shop to 100 products and enables you to sell on Instagram and Facebook. It also adds features like automatic tax calculation, inventory tracking and advanced SEO tools.
• Business: The mid-tier Business plan starts at $39 per month and comes with 2,500 products, two staff accounts, the ability to sell subscriptions and adds phone support.
• Unlimited: With a $99 per month price tag, the Unlimited plan gives users full access to Ecwid’s suite of features and tools. Unlimited products, selling with a branded mobile app, unlimited staff accounts and priority support all come with this option.

Ecwid’s pricing is certainly lower than Shopify’s, but the provider does lack some of its competitor’s features, like built-in payment processing and advanced shipping features.

Shopify pricing and value

Shopify offers four core plan tiers, though it does not offer a free option. Its plans are:

• Basic: Starting at $39 per month, users can get started with a fully customizable online store selling unlimited products. You will also get access to all of Shopify’s tax features, sales channels and marketing automations.
• Shopify: At $105 per month, the mid-tier plan is a significant price jump but adds up to five staff accounts, shipping insurance and lower payment processing rates.
• Advanced: The Advanced plan starts at $399 per month and offers the lowest payment processing rates, up to 15 staff accounts, enhanced 24/7 chat support and third-party calculated shipping rates.
• Plus: The Plus plan is for more complicated businesses, with pricing starting at $2,300 per month when you pay three years at a time. It offers 200 inventory locations, unlimited staff accounts, 200 POS Pro locations and custom reports and analytics.

Shopify also offers a few other plan types that may be a good fit for specific uses, including:

• Starter: For $5 per month, this plan allows users to create a simple online store and sell through social media.
• Retail: Starting at $89 per month, the Retail plan adds in-person selling tools along with enhanced staff management, inventory tools and loyalty features.
• Enterprise commerce: For enterprises, Shopify can customize a plan to fit the needs of large organizations.

Web editor

Verdict: Shopify

Both providers offer the foundational tools businesses need to get their websites up and running, like a range of templates, drag-and-drop editors and the ability to add catalogs of products and images. Shopify has the edge, however, with its sleek designs and advanced tools like Shopify Magic, its AI tool.

Ecwid web editor

Ecwid estimates you can set up a brand new website in under 30 minutes with its web editor tools. Users can begin by selecting a template from a range of options, many of which are customized for specific industries, from apparel and art to electronics and food.

Once you select a template, Ecwid’s Instant Site will help you build out your pages. Instant Site is a code-free web builder, and with it, you can add content blocks and new pages, including About pages, customer reviews and contact pages. You can also customize your SEO settings, set up e-commerce features and functions, translate your site and customize your design. You can also translate your site into multiple languages.

Shopify web editor

Whether you’re an artist looking to build an online portfolio or sell art or a large business looking for a website that can accommodate unlimited product listings, Shopify can accommodate your design needs. Users can pick from themes of all types and, from there, can use Shopify’s wide assortment of community resources, tools, apps and stock photos in tandem with its no-code, drag-and-drop editor to build an attractive website.

“Shopify presents numerous advantages,” said Guillaume Drew, founder and CEO of luxury outlet Or & Zon. “It is user-friendly and provides a range of modifiable themes to fit my brand’s aesthetic.” In addition to the customization possibilities for different brands, Shopify also offers a wide range of sales channels, POS features and checkout tools to help businesses get selling quickly and without hassle.

Another feature that sets Shopify’s web editor apart is Shopify Magic, the company’s AI offering. Shopify Magic can assist with an impressive range of tasks, from photo editing to personalizing FAQs, creating product descriptions and helping with email marketing efforts.

E-commerce functionality

Verdict: Shopify

Shopify is a clear winner when it comes to e-commerce functionality. While Ecwid offers some solid e-commerce features, it can’t keep pace with Shopify’s all-in-one platform that includes its own payment processing, point-of-sale features and customizable, one-click checkout.

Ecwid e-commerce functionality

If you already have an existing website, Ecwid can be added to it so you can sell online, or you can build a new site quickly. Ecwid allows you to sell on social media and other online marketplaces like Amazon or eBay, and users can leverage Facebook and Google ads as well. Ecwid’s higher-tier plans do offer dimensional shipping rates but lack some of the additional shipping features that Shopify has, like shipping discounts and insurance.

You can integrate Lightspeed Payments, which allows users to accept payments by card, Apple Pay and Google Pay, but unlike Shopify, Ecwid does not process payments directly and will require the use of a third-party payment processor. Costs can vary quite widely across providers, so be sure to research what will be most economical for you.

Shopify e-commerce functionality

While Ecwid does not process payments directly, Shopify Payments allows users to accept credit cards online. Credit card processing fees for online transactions begin at 2.9% plus $0.30 with the Basic plan and are reduced to 2.4% plus $0.30 with the Advanced plan. Checkout with PayPal, Amazon Pay, Apple Pay and Google Pay can be activated with Shopify stores.

Shopify sets sellers up for success with a slew of e-commerce functions and features. Its checkout, Shop Pay, powers 10% of U.S. commerce. Checkout can be highly customized with app integrations, a vast range of payment options, different shipping options and even delivery estimates.

Shopify’s integrated POS system supports omnichannel selling for online and brick-and-mortar stores, staff management and inventory tracking. Terminals and card readers are available. Reporting and analytics can offer insight into customer behavior and sales patterns.

Blogging

Verdict: Shopify

Shopify offers its users all the tools they need to add a basic blog to their site. Blogs can be edited, scheduled, managed and optimized for search results. Ecwid, on the other hand, offers extremely limited options for any type of serious blogging.

Ecwid blogging

Ecwid offers its users what it calls a “mini-blog,” though this is a bit of a stretch. Essentially, you can use your descriptions on your product listings to be categorized as “blog posts.” While you can label this a “blog” and funnel product information there, it is not a blog in the traditional sense and lacks the kind of real functionality that those interested in blogging as an aspect of their business will need.

Shopify blogging

Shopify comes with a built-in blogging engine that you can add to your online store. With the available blogging tools, you can:

• Create and customize a blog on your site with its own name.
• Edit SEO-related items like meta descriptions and URLs.
• Write, edit and add tags to your posts.
• Schedule posts in advance.
• Manage comments on posts.

Users can add multiple blogs to their site, add images and also link out to external blogs if they desire.

Marketing and SEO

Verdict: Tie

Both Ecwid and Shopify offer solid marketing opportunities that include social media and advertising, as well as some automated SEO features and those you can customize yourself.

Ecwid marketing and SEO

Ecwid offers a good range of marketing and advertising features, like social media advertising, the ability to manage sales and marketing from one central hub, automated Google Shopping ads and built-in email tools that can also be coupled with integrations like Mailchimp and Marsello.

To improve SEO, Ecwid automatically generates your site’s .txt and .xml files along with ALT tags for product images. You can add your own custom meta tags, set up redirects, verify your site with Google Search Console and collect product reviews from customers.

Shopify marketing and SEO

Shopify’s marketing tools include email templates and campaign tools, Shopify Forms for lead capture, templates for automatic workflows and the ability to create customer segments to personalize campaigns. All of Shopify’s themes have social media linking and sharing options.

When it comes to SEO, Shopify shops have some built-in SEO features like auto-generated canonical tags, automatically generated .xml and .txt files and automatically generated title tags with your store name. Users can edit their own meta descriptions, URLs, title tags and alt texts for images.

Performance and security

Verdict: Tie

Both providers take careful measures to ensure that the performance and security of their sites are paramount.

Ecwid performance and security

Ecwid is a PCI DSS-validated Level 1 Service Provider, which is currently one of the highest international standards for data security that online stores and payment systems can be in compliance with. Data is stored with Amazon Web Services and is regularly scanned for breaches.

Because Ecwid does not handle credit card or payment information directly, that information is not stored. Ecwid sites are always run on HTTPS connections, which is an encrypted and verified protocol.

Shopify performance and security

Like Ecwid, Shopify is certified Level 1 PCI DSS compliant. Shopify employs six main security standards:

• Maintains secure networks.
• Protects cardholder data.
• Maintains a vulnerability management program.
• Implements strong access control measures.
• Regularly monitors and tests networks.
• Maintains an information security policy.

Many of Shopify’s compliance reports are available publicly, while some are made available only to those with an active Shopify account.

Mobile app

Verdict: Tie

Both providers offer mobile apps for iPhone and Android users. These apps allow users to manage their shops on the go, and they are free to download from both Shopify and Ecwid. Both apps are similarly rated in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

Ecwid mobile app

With Ecwid’s mobile app, users can upload images or scan new barcodes to add new products. Users can also manage orders and other customer requests, get notifications for low inventory and product updates, manage access control and track sales data.

Shopify mobile app

With Shopify’s mobile app, you can check in on your marketing campaigns, manage products, process orders and follow up with customers. Additionally, business owners can use the app to upload new images, handle shipping matters, track inventory and manage payments.

Final verdict

Winner: Shopify

Both providers have plenty to offer retailers who want to sell online, but Shopify is hard to beat with its huge range of features and powerful e-commerce functionality. Despite its higher price tag, Shopify’s unlimited products, excellent web editor, all-in-one payment processing and extra blogging features ultimately edge out Ecwid.

Drew explained, “For a niche brand like ours dealing with artisanal crafts, direct sourcing and ensuring cultural appreciation, Shopify has played an instrumental role in providing the needed logistical and technological support, driving our business growth.” The powerful tools and 24/7 support keep businesses online and selling with all the features they need for success. 

Who is Ecwid best for?

For businesses with a tighter budget, or those who require fewer online product listings or payment options, Ecwid remains an excellent choice. It has solid marketing features, lots to offer in the way of e-commerce functionality and affordable pricing — including a free plan.

Who is Shopify best for?

Shopify consistently makes our list of the best e-commerce platforms thanks to its all-in-one platform, sleek templates, excellent e-commerce functionality and extras like blogging features and AI tools. For larger businesses or those with higher budgets, it’s hard to beat.

If there is one major downside to Shopify, it’s the price. Its Basic plan is affordable, but its higher tiers can get very pricey very quickly. You get excellent service in exchange, but if you are a small operation or independent business, it may not be in your budget. Annual billing, however, can help you save significantly if you are willing to commit for at least a year.

Read our full Shopify review here.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Is Ecwid better than Shopify?

When it comes to pricing, Ecwid is a generally more affordable option than Shopify, especially with its free plan offering. However, there are a few areas where Ecwid is found lacking when compared to Shopify, like its e-commerce functionality and blogging features. If you are on a tighter budget, Ecwid is worth considering.

Is Shopify cheaper than Ecwid?

Shopify’s four core plans — Basic, Shopify, Advanced and Plus — are not cheaper than Ecwid, especially when you consider Ecwid’s free plan offering. However, Shopify does also offer its Starter plan for $5 per month.

This is a very limited option, but if you only want to sell products on social media, email and over messaging apps, it’ll provide some basic tools. The plan can help you set up a simple online store, accept payments with your phone and manage orders.

Does Ecwid work with Shopify?

Yes, there are ways to integrate Ecwid with Shopify, but generally speaking, this shouldn’t be necessary. Because Shopify is an all-in-one platform that can combine your online shop, POS and payment processing, there would really be no need to employ Ecwid with it.