Shopify is a standalone e-commerce platform with 99.99% uptime and serves 4.6M+ merchants globally, while Ecwid is an embeddable shopping cart solution designed to add selling capabilities to existing websites. Shopify offers deeper features and ecosystem integration, whereas Ecwid prioritizes simplicity and integration with non-e-commerce sites.
Ecwid vs Shopify — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Cloud-based embeddable shopping cart for adding sales to existing websites and social media.
Leading standalone SaaS e-commerce platform powering 4.6M+ online stores globally.
Platform Type. Monthly Starting Price. Built-in Payment Gateways. App Marketplace Size. Merchant Count. Free Plan Availability. Best For
Choose Shopify if you want a comprehensive, all-in-one e-commerce platform with extensive app ecosystem, professional templates, and dedicated merchant support—ideal for businesses prioritizing growth and scale. Choose Ecwid if you already have a website or blog and want an affordable, lightweight way to add selling capabilities without rebuilding your entire online presence.
Ecwid: Free | Shopify: $5 (Starter Plan)
Ecwid: $12.50 (Venture) | Shopify: $105 (Shopify Plan)
Ecwid: Not available | Shopify: $2,300+ (Shopify Plus)
Ecwid: 5-15 minutes | Shopify: 30-60 minutes
Ecwid: 5 | Shopify: None (paid plans only)
Ecwid: Built-in responsive design | Shopify: Mobile-optimized by default
Ecwid: Free (or $99.08 for Unlimited plan) | Shopify: $39 (Shopify Basic)
Ecwid: 8.5% on Ecwid Free plan | Shopify: N/A - no free plan
Ecwid: ~200 apps available | Shopify: 8,000+ apps in App Store
Ecwid: 50+ payment providers | Shopify: 100+ payment gateways
Ecwid: 1.5M+ merchants | Shopify: 4.6M+ merchants
Ecwid: 99.9% (industry standard) | Shopify: 99.99%
Ecwid: 45+ templates | Shopify: 100+ free + premium designs
Ecwid: Email and chat support (business hours) | Shopify: 24/7 phone, email, and chat
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: 2.0% (third-party gateways) / 0% (Shopify Payments)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: Fully Managed SaaS
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: Native AI-driven commerce agents built-in
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: Phone, Email & Chat
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: Yes ($2,300+/month)
Typical Seller Monthly Revenue Threshold
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: $5,000+ (lower barrier)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: 0% (on Shopify Payments)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: Advanced (Liquid code access)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: ~300 (optimized for sales)
Base Monthly Subscription (Starter Plan)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: Included in subscription
Monthly Active Buyers (Marketplace Access)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: Self-driven traffic
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: Zero (must generate own traffic)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: 5 days (with traffic setup)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: 100% direct access to customer emails and data
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: Unlimited products
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: Moderate; app-dependent for advanced needs
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: Good GraphQL API; limited headless options
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: $0-20M GMV (optimal fit)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: Low; point-and-click setup
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: 2.9% + $0.30 (Shopify Payments)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: $100-150 (optional)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: ~30% of all online stores
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: $5 (Starter plan minimum)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: 10+ (online store, POS, social, marketplace, B2B, wholesale)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: Unlimited with advanced sync
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: $5-39 (all-inclusive)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: Hosting, SSL, domain, support included
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: Separate subscriptions required
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: $2,300+ (Shopify Plus enterprise)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: Ongoing regular updates
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: 6 (Liquid templating limits)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: Shopify manages all compliance
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: Unlimited (pricing tier independent)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: $468 + transaction fees ($2,900)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: 2.9-5% (payment processing only; plan fees absorb transaction costs)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: 0 (seller-dependent traffic)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: 6,800 verified apps
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: 1-2 hours to launch
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: Theme/app API limited (Liquid template language)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: Level 1 (fully managed)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: No (requires apps)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: Limited (basic automation)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: Full REST & GraphQL APIs
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: 100+ sales channels (Amazon, Facebook, TikTok, eBay, etc.)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: Included in all plans
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: Built-in tools with limitations on code-level access
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: Possible but complex; vendor lock-in concerns exist
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: 0% (Shopify Payments)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: $468 (plan) + $0 (fees)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: Must drive own traffic
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: 100% - you own all customer records
Profit Margin Retention (Example: $100 sale)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: $71 (after $29 monthly allocation)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: Unlimited - custom domain, full HTML/CSS
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: 2-4 hours (24/7 chat)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: 2.9% + 30¢ (Shopify Payments)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: 6-8 native, 120+ via apps
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: 2 requests/second (standard)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: 0.3-0.7 (2-5 days)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: 6 (limited to Liquid)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: 2 (minimal technical knowledge)
Ecwid: N/A | Shopify: 100+ (Shopify Plus)
Ecwid vs Shopify — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Ecwid vs Shopify. Contains 144 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Ecwid vs Shopify — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Ecwid vs Shopify.
Can I use Ecwid if I already have a website?
Yes, that's Ecwid's primary use case. You can embed Ecwid's shopping cart into WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Weebly, or any custom HTML website without rebuilding your site. Shopify requires you to either host your entire store on their platform or use third-party integrations like Buy Button to embed products.
Which platform is cheaper for a small business with low monthly sales?
Ecwid is significantly cheaper for startups. Ecwid offers a free plan with 8.5% transaction fees, meaning you can launch with zero monthly cost. Shopify's cheapest plan costs $39/month plus 2.0% + 30¢ per transaction. However, once you scale to high transaction volume, Shopify's percentage-based model becomes more cost-effective.
Can I sell on multiple channels (Facebook, Instagram, Amazon) with both platforms?
Both support multi-channel selling, but Ecwid excels here. Ecwid syncs inventory across Instagram, Facebook, Amazon, eBay, Google Shopping, and your website from one dashboard. Shopify requires paid sales channel apps for Facebook and Instagram, though it has native integrations with major marketplaces.
Which platform has better mobile shopping experience?
Shopify offers superior mobile UX out-of-the-box with 100+ professionally designed, mobile-first templates tested across devices. Ecwid's mobile experience is functional but less polished and depends partly on your hosting platform's mobile responsiveness. For mobile-first stores, Shopify has the advantage.
Is it easy to migrate from Ecwid to Shopify later?
Migration is possible but requires manual data transfer. Neither platform offers automated migration tools. You'll need to export products, customers, and orders from Ecwid and import them into Shopify using CSV files or third-party apps (costing $50-300+). Plan for 5-20 hours of work depending on store complexity.
Platform Type: Ecwid has Embeddable shopping cart (add-on to existing sites), while Shopify has Standalone e-commerce platform.
Monthly Starting Price: Ecwid has $99.08 USD (Free plan available with limitations), while Shopify has $39 USD (Shopify Basic).
Built-in Payment Gateways: Ecwid has 50+ payment providers supported, while Shopify has 100+ payment gateways integrated.
App Marketplace Size: Ecwid has ~200 third-party apps, while Shopify has 8,000+ apps in Shopify App Store.
Merchant Count: Ecwid has 1.5M+ active merchants, while Shopify has 4.6M+ active merchants.
Free Plan Availability: Ecwid has Yes (with transaction fees ~8.5%), while Shopify has No free plan (14-day trial only).
Best For: Ecwid has Adding e-commerce to existing blogs/websites, while Shopify has Building dedicated online stores from scratch.