Ecwid vs Shopify

June 26, 2023 | Author: Sandeep Sharma
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Ecwid
E-commerce SaaS service that offers the performance and flexibility you need, with none of the hassles you don't. Works with your existing site, takes less than 5 minutes to set up. Web, Facebook and mobile devices
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Shopify
Simple, Beautiful, and Flexible End-to-End E-Commerce Solution. Simply choose a stylish ecommerce website design, easily customize your online store, add products, and you're pretty much ready to accept payments. Whether you already have products, are looking to sell digital goods or are interested in drop shipping — Shopify has a complete solution for you.
Ecwid and Shopify are both popular e-commerce platforms that allow businesses to create online stores and sell products. However, they have some key differences:

1. Integration: Ecwid is known for its seamless integration with existing websites or social media platforms. It offers a widget-based approach, enabling businesses to add an online store to their website or Facebook page without needing to migrate their entire site. Shopify, on the other hand, provides a complete e-commerce solution with its own website builder and hosting.

2. Customization and Design: Shopify offers a wide range of professionally designed templates and themes, allowing businesses to create visually appealing and customizable online stores. It provides more extensive design options and flexibility in terms of storefront customization. Ecwid, while offering some design customization options, is more focused on providing a seamless integration with existing website design and layout, making it suitable for businesses looking for a simple and quick setup.

3. Pricing: Ecwid offers a free plan for businesses with a limited number of products, making it an attractive option for small businesses or those with a small product catalog. As businesses grow or require more advanced features, Ecwid offers premium plans with additional functionality. Shopify, on the other hand, has a tiered pricing structure that includes different plans based on the business's needs, including features like abandoned cart recovery, gift cards, and advanced analytics.

4. App Integrations: Both Ecwid and Shopify have a wide range of app integrations to enhance the functionality of the online stores. However, Shopify has a larger app marketplace with a broader selection of integrations, including marketing, analytics, inventory management, and more. This gives Shopify users more flexibility to expand their store's capabilities and integrate with other third-party tools.

5. Target Audience: Ecwid is often a preferred choice for small businesses, individual entrepreneurs, or businesses looking to add an online store to their existing website. Its easy integration and flexibility make it suitable for various industries and sizes. Shopify, on the other hand, caters to businesses of all sizes, from small to enterprise-level, and provides more robust features and scalability options for growing businesses.

See also: Top 10 Online Store Builders
Ecwid vs Shopify in our news:

2021. Lightspeed buys Ecwid for $500M



Lightspeed is continuing its acquisition streak by adding two more companies to its portfolio. The Canadian point-of-sale software provider has acquired the e-commerce platform Ecwid for $500 million and NuOrder, a B2B ordering platform catering to wholesalers, brands, and retailers, for $425 million. Ecwid has established itself over the years as a prominent partner of Facebook, assisting small businesses in creating commerce experiences on the social media platform. It has expanded its services to support merchants using platforms such as Square, Wix, Instagram, and Google, sometimes in competition with, but also potentially integrating with, other e-commerce backends like Shopify.


2021. Google partners with Shopify on online shopping expansion



Google has recently announced a strategic partnership with Shopify, enabling over 1.7 million merchants on the e-commerce platform to effectively reach consumers through various Google services, including Google Search. This integration empowers merchants to effortlessly sign up and have their products featured across Google's extensive network, encompassing over 1 billion daily "shopping journeys" on platforms such as Search, Maps, Images, Lens, and YouTube. The collaboration comes as a response to Amazon's heightened investment in its advertising business, posing a potential challenge to Google's core ads business. In light of these developments, Google has made a series of updates to Google Shopping, ensuring its competitiveness in the evolving e-commerce landscape.


2021. Shopify expands its payment option, Shop Pay, to its merchants on Facebook and Instagram



Shopify and Facebook have joined forces to extend the availability of their payment option, Shop Pay, to all Shopify merchants selling on both Facebook and Instagram. This marks the first time that Shop Pay will be accessible beyond Shopify's own platform, signifying a significant expansion of the e-commerce platform's payment technology. Initially, Shop Pay will be introduced to Shopify merchants using Instagram's checkout feature in the United States, followed by its rollout on Facebook in the subsequent weeks. Prior to this launch, Facebook's platform has been widely favored among Shopify merchants as a prominent sales and marketing channel.


2020. Web store building startup Ecwid raises $42M



Ecwid, a startup specializing in e-commerce tools, has successfully raised $42 million. The company offers direct sales of its e-commerce solutions and also partners with platforms like Square and Wix, enabling businesses to create their own e-commerce experiences on websites, apps, and various online channels such as Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, and Google. Ecwid belongs to a group of e-commerce companies, including Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce, which have capitalized on the growth of online shopping in the past decade. These platforms have played a crucial role in helping small and medium-sized brick-and-mortar businesses transition into the digital economy. Notably, Ecwid's pricing structure emphasizes accessibility, with a starting option that allows shopping on a website featuring 10 or fewer products available for free.


2018. Shopify now allows to fulfill orders directly from your phone



The Shopify app for iOS and Android has introduced a new feature that enables users to purchase and print shipping labels directly from their mobile devices. With this functionality, you have the convenience of creating and printing labels instantly or saving them for future printing. Additionally, you can efficiently manage your entire shipping workflow from the convenience of your palm. The app provides full access to all the features available in Shopify Shipping, including access to discounted rates with supported carriers such as UPS, DHL Express, USPS, and Canada Post, all within the Shopify app itself. This update empowers you to handle your shipping needs seamlessly and efficiently while on the go.


2017. Shopify adds new shareable discount links



To enhance your holiday shopping experience, Shopify has introduced a convenient new feature that enables you to attract eager deal-seekers to your store. With Shareable Discount Links, you can direct customers to your homepage while automatically applying a discount code to their shopping carts. These links eliminate the hassle of searching for or entering a code, providing customers with an enticing invitation that can be shared via email, Facebook, or other social media platforms.


2017. Shopify Mobile adds Discounts, Product Collections, Live View, and More



During the Black Friday Cyber Monday event last year, a greater number of Shopify merchants accessed their accounts through mobile devices compared to desktop computers. This trend has prompted the developers to prioritize the inclusion of essential features required for your success during the #BFCMWin on your smartphones and tablets. Now, you have the capability to create, customize, and manage discounts directly from your mobile devices. Additionally, one of the noteworthy new additions is the availability of Product Collections, which significantly aids your customers in swiftly finding their desired items. With the Shopify app on mobile, you can effortlessly set up and modify Product Collections. Moreover, the Live View feature on mobile enables you to monitor your store's performance in real-time, proving to be particularly advantageous during high-traffic periods such as the BFCM weekend.


2017. Shopify integrates with UPS



UPS is now available as a fresh choice in Shopify Shipping, enabling Shopify merchants based in the United States to provide an exceptional delivery experience akin to that of large-scale retailers. By utilizing UPS in conjunction with Shopify Shipping, you can take advantage of competitive rates with discounts of up to 52% off the standard rates, perfectly timed for the holiday season. Regardless of the size of your business, you now have the ability to access UPS' shipping options with guaranteed delivery dates at rates that lead the industry. Additionally, UPS extends exclusive discounted rates to Shopify merchants, particularly for heavier packages. During the holiday period, Shopify will cover any peak surcharges on UPS Ground shipments.


2017. Shopify introduced real-time visitors monitoring



Shopify has introduced an exciting feature that empowers store owners to monitor the live activity taking place in their online stores. With Live View, you now have the ability to track the real-time performance of your store conveniently from your mobile device. This innovative feature allows you to stay updated on the number of current visitors on your site and their geographical locations. You can witness the conversion of visitors into customers and celebrate sales as they occur. Additionally, you can monitor key metrics such as daily total visits, orders, and sales. Stay informed about the progress of your purchase funnel as visitors add items to their carts, initiate the checkout process, and successfully complete purchases. Live View also enables you to observe the number of pages being viewed at any given moment.


2017. Shopify integrates with eBay



Shopify and eBay have joined forces to grant you access to eBay's vast customer base, comprising over 171 million buyers. This exciting new sales channel is now available for your use. Just like Shopify's existing partnerships with Amazon, Facebook, and other leading selling platforms, the new eBay sales channel seamlessly integrates with your Shopify store. If you are a U.S.-based merchant selling in USD, you can effortlessly list and sell your products on eBay while conveniently managing fulfillment and inventory processes through Shopify. Adding new products to your Shopify store allows for automatic syncing of product information to the eBay sales channel, creating eBay listings without the need for manual data entry. This streamlined approach not only saves you time but also enables you to effectively manage your entire product catalog for your online store, retail establishment, eBay listings, and all other sales channels, all from a single, centralized location.

Author: Sandeep Sharma
Sandeep is a marketing expert with a wealth of knowledge in various domains: customer relationship management, social media management, advertising, search engine optimization, website building, Sandeep has established himself as a multifaceted professional. He honed his skills while working at Salesforce and Hubspot, where he gained invaluable insights into the industry. Now, as the proud owner of a small advertising consulting agency, Sandeep continues to provide innovative and effective strategies to businesses, helping them thrive in the competitive landscape of digital marketing. You can contact Sandeep via email sandeep@liventerprise.com