Choosing the right platform to build your online store can feel like navigating a maze.
Webflow and Shopify are two giants in the world of ecommerce website builders each with its own strengths and weaknesses.
It’s like choosing between a trusty reliable friend who knows exactly what you need versus a cool creative friend who pushes you to think outside the box.
Let’s dive deep into the details of Webflow vs Shopify in 2024 to help you decide which builder aligns better with your needs.
Pricing: Finding the Sweet Spot for Your Budget
The first thing you need to consider when picking a platform is how much it costs.
This is crucial.
You could have the fanciest tool in the world but if it’s too pricey it’s useless right?
Webflow’s Pricing Plans: A Three-Tier System
Webflow offers three ecommerce plans: Standard Plus and Advanced.
The Standard plan starts at $29 per month while the Advanced plan with its most robust features comes in at $212 per month.
While the price difference is significant each plan offers similar ecommerce functionality.
The main differentiators are the number of products you can sell and your annual sales volume.
- Standard Plan: You’re limited to selling 500 products and making $50000 in sales annually. You also have a maximum of three staff accounts and incur a 2% transaction fee. You won’t have access to unbranded emails either.
- Plus Plan: This plan supports 1000 products and allows sales up to $200000 annually. You get 10 staff accounts eliminating the 2% transaction fee and gain access to unbranded emails.
- Advanced Plan: The top-tier plan removes the sales limit meaning you can scale your business without restrictions. You can list up to 3000 products and get 15 staff accounts eliminating the transaction fee and providing access to unbranded emails.
Shopify’s Pricing Plans: A Spectrum of Options
Shopify’s plans also start at $29 per month and range up to $299 per month for the most expensive option.
Unlike Webflow Shopify doesn’t offer a free plan but they provide a 14-day free trial.
Shopify’s basic plan while good for smaller stores starting out does have some limitations.
- Basic Shopify: No store reports limited to two staff accounts and restricted global capabilities. You also don’t get access to discounted shipping rates with companies like DHL UPS or USPS.
- Shopify: Includes store reports five staff accounts access to discounted shipping rates and allows you to go global.
- Advanced Shopify: Features advanced reports 15 staff accounts the ability to customize the checkout and provides real-time carrier shipping rates.
Shopify stands out because it offers over 100 payment gateways regardless of your plan.
If you opt for Shopify Payments their own payment gateway you bypass transaction fees.
However if you choose another payment gateway you’ll pay a 0.5-2% per transaction fee with the cheapest plan incurring the highest fees.
Ease of Use: Getting Started with Your Online Store
Launching a new online store is exciting but dealing with a complex platform can quickly dampen your enthusiasm.
That’s why user-friendliness is a key factor.
Shopify: Simple and Streamlined
Shopify has a reputation for being incredibly user-friendly and they live up to that reputation.
They offer a welcoming onboarding checklist that walks you through the essentials of setting up your online store.
This is incredibly helpful in navigating their dashboard and familiarizing yourself with the platform.
Shopify uses two editors one for the front-end and one for the back-end.
The front-end editor uses a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) interface.
This means you can drag-and-drop elements and make changes to themes colors fonts and images in real time.
It feels intuitive and smooth like playing a game.
The back-end dashboard allows you to manage your products create collections design discounts and manage inventory shipping and taxes.
Once you grasp the two-editor system Shopify becomes surprisingly easy to use.
Webflow: More for Designers and Developers
Webflow in contrast is a bit more complex.
Often described as a hybrid between a website builder and a CMS its editor and dashboard are geared towards web designers and developers.
This is why it can feel overwhelming for beginners.
However Webflow tries to mitigate this by offering a five-minute tutorial that guides you through their essential tools.
It’s a good introduction but you’ll definitely need to dedicate more time to mastering the platform.
Webflow is not ideal for beginners or casual sellers who want a quick and easy setup.
Ready to ditch the guesswork and choose the perfect platform for your online store? 🔥 Let’s get you started with Shopify! 🚀
Ready to ditch the guesswork and choose the perfect platform for your online store? 🔥 Let’s get you started with Shopify! 🚀
It requires a significant time investment and while creative enthusiasts will appreciate the granular design control there are easier ways to start selling online if this isn’t a priority.
Design and Themes: Making Your Store Stand Out
Visual appeal is crucial for grabbing customers’ attention and keeping them engaged.
Both Webflow and Shopify offer a wide array of templates to help you create a visually stunning online store.
Webflow: A Design Lover’s Dream
Webflow boasts a library of over 500 templates many dedicated to ecommerce.
Their web design background is evident in the sleek and polished designs.
You’ll rarely find a template that falls below professional standards.
They offer both paid and free themes with premium templates ranging from $24 to $129. But fear not there are many high-quality free themes as well.
Webflow’s editor allows for extensive customization making it easy to personalize your theme and break free from the cookie-cutter look.
While you choose a single overarching design for your Webflow theme you can select various layouts for additional pages.
You can also start from scratch though this is recommended only for experienced designers and developers.
Shopify: Professional Themes with Limited Customization
Shopify also offers a variety of themes although their design prowess doesn’t quite match Webflow’s.
Like Webflow they offer free and paid themes with the paid ones costing up to $180. The paid themes offer a wider range of features which is essential for growing businesses.
Shopify’s templates are consistently professional and contemporary but they are more limited in customization.
While Webflow allows you to completely bend a theme to your will Shopify’s customization options are tied to the specific template you choose.
Webflow shines in the design department but it’s important to note that once you choose a template you can’t switch it later.
While extensive customization options allow for near-complete control it’s a lot of work.
Shopify on the other hand makes it easy to switch between templates.
Ecommerce Features: Selling Your Products with Confidence
If you’re building an online store your ecommerce features are at the heart of it all.
Both Webflow and Shopify offer a variety of tools for selling but let’s delve deeper into each platform’s capabilities.
Webflow: Limited Product and Sales Volume
Webflow has some limitations when it comes to product and sales volume depending on your pricing plan.
- Standard Plan: Allows up to 500 products and sales of $50000 annually.
- Plus Plan: Supports 1000 products and sales up to $200000 annually.
- Advanced Plan: No sales limit but you can list up to 3000 products.
These restrictions might not be a problem initially but as your store grows they could become frustrating.
However Webflow’s inventory management is surprisingly comprehensive.
It includes inventory tracking automatically updating product levels as you sell items.
You can also set low-quantity and out-of-stock warnings and add product variants.
Shopify: Powerful Inventory Management and Shipping
Shopify reigns supreme when it comes to inventory management.
It offers the most powerful system we’ve tested allowing you to set different prices for variants tag products and allow customers to browse by collection size color and more.
Shopify simplifies the shipping process by letting you buy and print your own shipping labels directly within the platform.
You can easily calculate shipping costs set locations and adjust prices based on weight or destination.
Shopify goes above and beyond to make this complex aspect of selling easier.
Webflow on the other hand offers more limited shipping functionality.
While you can manually configure rates if you want Shopify’s level of features you’ll need to integrate with a third-party app like Shippo.
Abandoned Cart Recovery: Reclaiming Lost Sales
Abandoned cart recovery is a powerful tool for increasing sales by reminding customers about items they left in their carts.
Shopify excels in this area offering built-in abandoned cart recovery features.
This means you don’t need additional apps or integrations.
Webflow unfortunately doesn’t offer built-in abandoned cart recovery.
You’ll need to use third-party integrations which usually come with extra costs on top of your monthly subscription.
Social Media Integration: Expanding Your Reach
Social media is a powerful tool for driving traffic to your store and connecting with customers.
Both platforms offer integration with social media platforms but their capabilities vary.
Shopify has an extensive app store allowing you to connect with various social media channels and expand your reach.
This includes Snapchat Ads Pinterest “Pin It” buttons and multimedia apps like Video Crockpot for creating product videos.
Webflow doesn’t offer a dedicated app store.
This is likely because it’s aimed at more tech-savvy users with the skills to code their own integrations.
If you need to add third-party functionality you’ll have to use a platform like Zapier.
Staff Accounts: Collaborating Seamlessly
Collaborating with a team is essential for managing a growing business.
Both Webflow and Shopify offer staff accounts but their limits and pricing differ.
Shopify’s Basic plan limits you to two staff accounts while Shopify and Advanced Shopify offer five and 15 staff accounts respectively.
Webflow’s Standard plan allows three staff accounts while Plus and Advanced offer 10 and 15 accounts respectively.
To unlock these higher account limits you’ll need to invest in the more expensive plans.
Payment Gateways: Securing Transactions
Customers need to feel confident that their transactions are secure.
Both platforms offer a variety of payment gateways but their features and fees differ.
Shopify: Wide Range of Gateways with Fee-Free Option
Shopify has partnered with over 100 different payment gateways including popular names like PayPal and Amazon Pay.
They also have their own payment gateway Shopify Payments which eliminates transaction fees.
This is like having a VIP pass to your own concert bypassing the entry fee.
If you don’t use Shopify Payments you’ll pay transaction and commission fees.
Webflow: Limited Options with Plan-Specific Fees
Webflow has a more limited selection of gateways: Stripe Apple Pay and PayPal.
The Standard plan incurs a 2% transaction fee but this drops to 0% for the Plus and Advanced plans.
SEO and Marketing Tools: Driving Traffic and Sales
SEO and marketing tools are crucial for attracting customers to your store.
Both platforms offer some capabilities in these areas but their features and effectiveness vary.
Ready to ditch the guesswork and choose the perfect platform for your online store? 🔥 Let’s get you started with Shopify! 🚀
Shopify: Comprehensive SEO Tools with App Support
Shopify offers a solid foundation of SEO tools including best practice tips for product uploads.
However they lack keyword support.
But in true Shopify fashion you can find numerous apps that fill this gap such as Smart SEO and SEO Manager.
Keep in mind that these usually come with additional costs.
Shopify also seamlessly integrates with Google Analytics giving you access to detailed data.
However they lack blog-specific analytics making Webflow a better option for businesses focused on blogging.
Webflow: Limited Inbuilt Analytics with App and Integration Options
Webflow’s built-in analytics are quite basic offering little beyond visitor counts.
For more detailed insights you’ll need to connect your store to Google Analytics.
Webflow’s social media integrations are also limited.
They offer around 13 integrations including EmbedSocial EmbedStories and Twitter Share.
To unlock additional features you’ll need to download or integrate various apps.
Webflow doesn’t have an app store so you’ll have to rely on third-party platforms like Zapier.
Blogging Capabilities: Sharing Your Story and Building Authority
Blogging is an effective way to engage with your audience establish authority and drive traffic to your store.
Both platforms offer blogging features but their functionalities differ significantly.
Webflow: Powerful Blogging for Tech-Savvy Users
Webflow excels in blogging thanks to its CMS-like features.
You can click and edit directly on the page and add elements directly into the code.
However this requires some technical knowledge.
Shopify: Basic Blogging with App Support
Shopify’s built-in blogging features are more basic.
You can create blog posts but you lack the same level of customization and control found in Webflow.
However you can enhance Shopify’s blogging capabilities with apps.
Performance and Security: Ensuring a Safe and Reliable Experience
Performance and security are paramount for online stores.
You want to ensure a smooth and secure experience for your customers.
Webflow and Shopify: Strong Security and Performance Standards
Both Webflow and Shopify meet the PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) compliance requirements meaning they have the necessary measures in place to protect customer data particularly credit and debit card information.
Both platforms also offer SSL Security (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates encrypting sensitive data and safeguarding it from hackers.
They handle backups and updates eliminating the need for you to manage security updates.
However it’s still recommended to perform manual backups regularly as an added precaution.
Migration: Moving Your Store if Needed
Sometimes you might need to switch platforms.
Maybe you’ve outgrown your current builder or you’re not satisfied.
It’s important to consider how easy it is to move your data.
Shopify: Multiple Options for Data Transfer
If you’re moving to Shopify you have multiple options for data transfer.
- Manual Transfer: You can manually copy and paste content or upload it via a CSV file. However this method only allows for customer details and products not entire pages.
- Third-Party Apps: Apps like Store Importer can automate the process.
- Shopify Experts: Hire a Shopify expert to handle the migration but this can be costly.
Webflow: Limited Migration Options
Webflow’s migration process is more complex.
Like Shopify you’ll need to use CSV files which only transfer products.
You’ll have to recreate your store’s design in the Webflow editor which can be time-consuming.
Support: Getting Help When You Need It
When you’re new to a platform or encounter problems you need reliable support.
Both platforms offer support but their methods and responsiveness differ.
Shopify: Comprehensive Support Across Multiple Channels
Shopify offers excellent support across multiple channels:
- Live Chat: Get real-time assistance for quick questions.
- Email: Send detailed questions for a thorough response.
- Phone: Reach out directly for immediate support.
- Knowledge Base: Access a vast library of articles and tutorials.
- Community Forums: Connect with other Shopify users and share knowledge.
Webflow: Limited Support with Strong Documentation
Webflow’s support options are more limited.
They offer email support with a response time of 24-48 hours.
While there is a phone number it’s not easily accessible.
However Webflow’s help center Webflow University is a valuable resource.
It offers a wealth of tutorials and courses making it an excellent starting point for beginners.
Their active community forums also provide a platform for seeking assistance and exchanging knowledge.
Final Verdict: Which Platform Wins?
Both Webflow and Shopify are excellent ecommerce website builders offering a diverse range of tools and features.
However Shopify emerges as the winner in most categories.
Here’s a quick recap of their strengths:
Shopify:
- User-friendly
- Powerful ecommerce features
- Comprehensive support
- Extensive app store
- Wide range of payment gateways
- Good SEO tools
Webflow:
- Excellent design and customization capabilities
- Strong blogging features
- Active community forums
- Free plan (limited functionality)
While Shopify takes the crown overall it’s not necessarily the best choice for everyone.
If you prioritize design have technical expertise and are comfortable with a learning curve Webflow could be a great fit.
But if you’re looking for an easy-to-use feature-rich platform with excellent support Shopify is the clear winner.
If you’re still unsure start with Shopify.
It’s purpose-built for ecommerce and its extensive features will give you ample room to explore your business and decide what kind of store you want to build.