Shopify vs Shift4Shop: Can this affordable platform beat the giant?

Shopify has long dominated the eCommerce space, celebrated for its robust features, user-friendly interface, and scalability. However, Shift4Shop offers a more affordable alternative with a comprehensive set of tools and features that could potentially rival this giant.

In this Shopify vs Shift4Shop comparison, Nextsky will explore the strengths and weaknesses of both platforms, examining whether this budget-friendly option can truly stand toe-to-toe with the industry leader.

Shopify vs Shift4Shop: Which one should you choose?

Shopify is the staple when it comes to eCommerce platforms. It has extensive eCommerce tools, sales tools, marketing tools to accommodate even the biggest stores, and more. Its theme collection is large but you will need a special touch if you really want to make your website look truly unique.

Shift4Shop (formerly 3dcart) has a robust inventory system, useful sales features, and affordability, but it has one significant drawback: it can be quite challenging to use. Overall, Shift4Shop is ideal for users seeking an affordable platform with a powerful backend, who don't mind facing occasional technical difficulties. 

Shopify is for you if:

• You need a comprehensive eCommerce solution with advanced inventory management, multiple payment gateways, and detailed analytics. 
• You want to scale exceptionally and anticipate the growth of the company right from the beginning.
• You need to sell on multiple channels including social media and marketplaces like Amazon and eBay.
• You require multilingual and multi-currency support. Shopify’s built-in features make it easy to sell in multiple languages and currencies, facilitating international expansion.

Shift4Shop is for you if:

• You are looking for something more affordable than Shopify.
• You need a platform with a strong inventory management system.

Overall, Shopify takes the win over Shift4Shop in most aspects. Shift4Shop has a powerful backend but it is quite difficult to use. It has a free plan, but you need to reach $500 to be qualified for it. Finally, the platform is clunky, and there are occasional bugs.

Shopify vs Shift4Shop: Quick comparison

Shopify or Shift4Shop: Detailed Comparison

Pricing & Cost - Shopify wins

Shift4Shop has four monthly pricing plans:

• Basic Store $29 per month
• Plus Store $79 per month
• Pro Store $229 per month
• End-to-End Commerce (Free)

Shopify offers 4 monthly pricing plans:

• Basic Shopify $29 per month
• Shopify $79 per month
• Advanced Shopify $299 per month
• Shopify Plus 2300 per month

The biggest advantage Shift4Shop has in terms of pricing is its End-to-End Commerce free plan. However, this plan is only available for US-based stores. You have to use Shift4Shop’s credit card processing system and you need to make at least $500 in sales.

Other than that, Shopify offers many more tools at your disposal with prices that are only slightly more expensive. Shopify provides extensive support and more advanced eCommerce features in higher-tier plans. Shift4Shop also offers comprehensive features, but some users may find it less user-friendly compared to Shopify. For that, Spotify is the better option in this department.

Ease of Use - Shopify wins

Shift4Shop struggles in this area. Although it offers a robust inventory system, its complexity makes it challenging to use. Participants in our study criticized its inconsistent fonts and color scheme, the absence of an 'undo' button, and the lack of keyboard shortcuts, all contributing to a less streamlined experience.

Conversely, Shopify performed better in the ease of use area. Shopify maintains consistent typography, includes an 'undo' button, and offers plenty of keyboard shortcuts. Additionally, it features easily identifiable icons for all its tools, making it a more user-friendly option for building and managing an online store.

Themes & Design - Shopify wins

Shift4Shop offers over 100 free templates, with premium options costing between $99 and $199. While many of these designs are slick and on-brand, some lack basic features like navigation menus that scroll down with you, and there is no mobile editor, which limits on-the-go creativity.

In contrast, Shopify provides a smaller selection of themes, with 10 free themes and over 50 premium options ranging from $140 to $180. Despite having fewer choices, Shopify’s themes boast a sleeker design and include industry-specific features that save time and effort on storefront design.

Furthermore, you can hire a third-party developer to create a Shopify website with unlimited customizability.

Sales Features - Shopify wins

Shift4Shop does offer some strong features such as a powerful backend, built-in integration with companies like FedEx and UPS, plus tools for SEO optimization.

Still, Shopify has everything Shift4Shop can offer and more, including unlimited products, a built-in abandoned cart, and thousands of third-party apps. Shopify is just an all-around platform when it comes to sales.

Marketing Features - Shift4Shop wins

Marketing tools are another strong selling point of Shopify and it live up well to its reputation. Shopify offers various tools for you to optimize your store and promote your products. Features such as abandoned carts, product pages, product variants, discounts, SEO can help your store be more visible and enticing to customers. 

Shift4Shop matches Shopify in most key features, offering powerful product organization, the ability to insert multiple images and videos on product pages, and options to sell subscriptions. Both platforms facilitate easy import and export of product lists, support sales via Facebook, and allow the creation of gift cards and discounts for special offers.

However, Shift4Shop goes a step further in some areas, such as allowing the stacking of special offers and promotions, whereas Shopify limits products to one offer at a time. Additionally, Shift4Shop offers a pay-as-much-as-you-want pricing option and customer groups that enable special incentives for specific customers, providing more flexibility in promotional strategies.

Payment Gateways - It’s a tie

Both Shopify and Shift4Shop offer benefits if you use their preferred payment methods.

Shopify will spare you from additional transactional fees when you use Shopify Payments, while  Shift4Shop lets you use their premium for free (with a few more conditions). 

Shopify provides free basic POS functionality for taking payments on the go, but most advanced features are available through Shopify POS Pro, which costs an additional $89 per month. Shopify plans include several store locations, allowing for inventory synchronization across multiple sites, and they offer a range of hardware such as barcode scanners and receipt printers.

Shift4Shop integrates with POS systems from trusted partners, primarily relying on in-store iPads. Additional costs come from the chosen POS software and necessary hardware that you either rent or purchase. This setup provides flexibility but can lead to varying costs depending on the hardware and software selected.

Security - Shopify wins

Shopify’s security measures are top-notch, focusing on data privacy, secure infrastructure, encryption, and limited access. They comply with data privacy regulations, practice data minimization, and ensure user control and transparency.

Additional security measures include two-factor authentication, regular audits, and a dedicated incident response team. Shopify also ensures website security with SSL certificates that encrypt data, verify website identity, and offer SEO benefits. Free SSL certificates are provided, with options for upgrades. The built-in Web Application Firewall filters and blocks threats, and users can add third-party firewalls for extra control and security.

Shift4Shop also provides a secure platform for eCommerce businesses, emphasizing PCI compliance, daily website data backups, and advanced fraud protection. It offers tools to help businesses comply with privacy laws, such as GDPR, and uses Cloudflare for DDoS protection.

Additionally, Shift4Shop supports ADA compliance, ensuring websites are accessible to individuals with disabilities, and integrates seamlessly with payment processing solutions for enhanced security. They emphasize security with features like free SSL certificates, PCI compliance, DDoS defense, and advanced fraud protection to ensure safe online transactions. 

They support secure payment methods including digital wallets and offer a comprehensive approach to safeguard against cyber threats through layered security measures and continuous updates. However, their security score is slightly lower than Shopify’s, making Shopify the winner in this category.

Customer support - Shopify Wins

Shopify offers comprehensive customer support to complement its robust sales tools. It provides 24/7 phone and live chat support, a bespoke knowledge center, and access to a dedicated support agent on its Plus price plans, ensuring that users have the help they need whenever they need it.

On the other hand, Shift4Shop also offers 24/7, but there are times you cannot reach them through the live chat function. They don’t have email support so the only reliable option is making direct calls.

Shopify vs Shift4Shop: Which eCommerce platform should you choose?

Shopify, rated as the top e-commerce website builder, excels with a wide range of useful tools such as multiple sales channels and abandoned cart recovery, making it ideal for scaling businesses. Shopify outperforms Shift4Shop with more comprehensive customer support, better-designed themes, and significantly greater ease of use.

Shift4Shop, while offering an extensive inventory, affordability, and access to over 1,000 apps, is overall less user-friendly and was rated the 'least likely to be recommended' builder due to its complexity. Although it offers a powerful platform with many good features and deals, its usability issues can hinder customer experience.

Shopify provides advanced reporting features, which Shift4Shop lacks, and its widespread usage makes it easier to find help and resources online.

Overall, Shopify's flexibility, customization, and user-friendliness make it a better choice for most e-commerce businesses, despite the nearly identical features and costs between the two platforms.

Check out more Shopify comparison articles form Nextsky:

• Shopify vs. Printify: Which is Best for Your Online Store?

• Shopify vs. Weebly: Which Is Best for Your Business?