Do you want to skip the read and get right to my winner? Shopify the Winner within this Weebly vs Shopify eCommerce comparison platform test.
Introduction to our Weebly vs Shopify Comparison:
Nowadays, you don't have to be a coding expert or computer science graduate to be able to build a website. There are numerous software and online platforms, Weebly vs Shopify, and others, that help makes the process easier. Weebly and Shopify are two platforms usually involved in the debate on which is better for eCommerce purposes.
In this article, let's explore this rivalry. Hopefully, when you're finished reading, you can resolve for yourself the question of what platform has the upper hand in eCommerce – Weebly or Shopify?
Overview: Which is better for eCommerce?
There are several website building platforms online, but what makes the likes of Weebly Shopify one of the best in the biz is their beginner-friendly interfaces. Before we nitpick at each of these platforms and settle the Weebly eCommerce vs Shopify debate, let's talk about what they are and how they intend to help you.
Weebly:
Launched in 2006, Weebly began as a DIY website building platform that was targeted towards small businesses and entrepreneurs who wanted to expand their online presence. They took it a step further by updating to an easier-to-use drag-and-drop interface that made it even more popular with online stores.
Shopify;
Shopify, on the other hand, started earlier in the game in 2004. Today it has more than 800,000 online partners with an estimated $100 billion sales. It's a well-known eCommerce platform that prides itself as one of the most user-friendly website building platforms that provide all-around support for online stores.
Ease of use:
When considering Weebly or Shopify, ease of use should be one of your deciding factors. You'll be able to make the most out of the platform if you're comfortable with it cater to your preferences.
Weebly:
No coding know-how? No problem! When you're torn between Weebly vs Shopify, the former is sure to be a more comfortable tool for you if you can't write code. Its drag and drop system is child's play for anyone who has an eye for design.
There are numerous templates for you to choose from and customize. If you want full creative control over your website and have a bit of knowledge on HTML/CSS, then you'd be able to use Weebly to the fullest.
Shopify;
Despite Shopify specializing in eCommerce, they offer a wide range of customizable templates. You have the creative freedom to change various settings on these templates. However, unlike Weebly, if you want to rearrange the preset elements, you have to use the CSS/HTML editor.
Winner – Weebly! within this ‘Ease of Use' Weebly vs Shopify comparison.
Features and Flexibility:
Which builder offers the best features – Weebly or Shopify?
Out-of-the-box:
When comparing Weebly vs Shopify functionality, Weebly holds endless design possibilities that you can quickly customize with their drag-and-drop feature. Primarily a website building platform, it has various tools that can help you build-up and maintain your eCommerce store. With Shopify being primarily an eCommerce platform, it has more in-house features that make maintaining and improving an e-commerce online store without the hassle.
Weebly vs Shopify Themes and templates:
Design is a great criterion to compare Weebly Shopify. On one hand, if you use Weebly, templates are minimal and well-designed. It can help you polish your online store and make it mobile-ready. There are more than 70 design templates to choose from.
On the other hand, Shopify is designed to help you expand your online presence. The platform has unique and professional themes perfect for any product you want to feature. There are more than 60 mobile-responsive templates for you to choose from. Also, there is an additional 10 themes available for free.
Weebly vs Shopify 3rd Party Apps and Plugins:
Third-party apps – which offer better choices in Weebly vs Shopify? You can choose from over 300 apps from Weebly’s app store. This platform has 50 free apps to choose from and a plethora of premium options. Shopify, too, has hundreds of premium and free 3rd-party apps you can incorporate to your websites.
Weebly vs Shopify Hosting, Back-up, and Migration:
Let's talk Weebly Shopify in terms of hosting. It's possible to migrate your Weebly website to a different hosting. However, there are limitations that you should check with your new hosting. The drag-and-drop feature may be compromised when migrating. Weebly provides cheaper hosting and custom domains.
Shopify has free hostings through Debian Linus Servers that are OpenBSD firewall -protected. Migrating to Shopify from a different host is hassle-free. All you need to do is upload a CSV file and you’re done. Automated backups are not built into the system however and users need to save their stores’ information into *.csv files in which case you’re going to be better off with a third-party app to help you out like Rewind.
Winner – Shopify! within this ‘Features and Flexibility' Weebly or Shopify comparison.
Weebly eCommerce vs Shopify Tools:
E-commerce tools are essential for any entrepreneur who wants to entice page visitors to do business – so let's review the Weebly ecommerce vs Shopify comparison. Depending on what call to action you have in mind, either Weebly or Shopify gives you dozens of options. It's important to know what advantages Weebly eCommerce vs Shopify can offer. Here's a glimpse.
Weebly:
Weebly offers a less comprehensive set of tools. If your business plan includes a broader selection of products in the future, you might have trouble using Weebly.
Preferably for a smaller business, Weebly has mobile-ready eCommerce tools available for all their plan holders. The mobile shopping cart helps visitors purchase and checkout using either their iPhones or Android devices. Mobile Ready also includes filtered queries, coupon codes, product searches, and payment gateway options.
Coupon Builder lets you manage and create coupons by quantity, date, and code, either by a percentage of the customers' purchase or dollar-based.
Abandoned Cart Recovery can help you encourage customers to continue their purchase by sending an automatic email. As an added incentive, you can even include a coupon on the email.
Shopify;
As an eCommerce platform, Shopify has an edge in a Weebly vs Shopify head-to-head. Whether you're a big business with thousands of products or an up-and-coming brand, Shopify helps you sell unlimited products hassle-free. To broaden your reach, you can use Shopify to sell on various social media sites like Facebook and Instagram.
Shopify also has Abandoned Cart Recovery, Coupon builders, and other helpful eCommerce tools. At times, however, the number of devices you can use can be overwhelming.
There are over 70 payment methods you can accept, including credit cards and Paypal with different currencies. Shopify also has top-notch analytics that helps you understand your customer better. Hence, with respect to superior features in Weebly or Shopify, Shopify wins.
Winner – Shopify! within this ‘e-Commerce Tools ‘ Weebly eCommerce vs Shopify comparison.
SEO and Mobility:
In the world of online selling, your presence in the highly saturated market is partly dictated by your site's ranking. This is where SEO in Weebly Shopify comes in handy; they help you reach your target audience by taking advantage of the search engines algorithm. Whether you go with Weebly or Shopify, they both have mobile-friendly themes and settings that ensure quick Page Speeds.
Weebly automatically enhances all its websites to be SEO-friendly. There are several SEO options that you can use to make your page rank higher.
Meanwhile, Shopify offers an intensive array of SEO tools in its app store that cater to your preferences and needs.
Winner – DRAW! within this ‘SEO & Mobility' Weebly vs Shopify comparison.
Support and Resources:
No matter how perfect a platform may seem, there are instances where you will need help or a push in the right direction. Customer support should also be a factor in choosing Weebly eCommerce vs Shopify. Which has better support – Weebly or Shopify?
Weebly:
Since Weebly has an easy-to-use interface, the need for customer support is rare. Shopify beats Weebly in terms of service level. If you'd need phone support, you would have to upgrade to either a Pro or Busines Plan.
You can reach Weebly's phone support team from 6 am to 9 pm on weekdays and weekends.
Shopify;
Shopify has set a high standard in customer service by providing LiveChat, email, Twitter, and 24/7 phone support. Their support is available for all paid plan holders.
Therefore, clearly, for customer support, Shopify wins the Weebly vs Shopify comparison.
Winner – Shopify! within this ‘Support and Resources' Weebly vs Squarespace comparison.
Shopify vs Weebly Pricing:
When it comes to running a business, cost-effectiveness is a significant issue when comparing Weebly Shopify. However, you must consider whether you're willing to purchase a cheaper plan with fewer tools or a more expensive one with comprehensive functionality.
Weebly:
There are two sets of plans; one set is for websites;
The prices determine what tools and add-ons you'll have access to once you've signed up. The free plan is only available for websites.
The higher-tier plans include a free domain name and Google Ad credits.
While the other is for online stores;
For the online stores, the plans include a free domain, Google Ad credits, and for the Business Plus, you also have email marketing.
Weebly terms of service page states a 30-day money back guarantee is applicable to all paid subscriptions. Therefore, users who aren't happy with the service can receive a full refund if they cancel their account within 30 days of activation or within 30 days of the service contract renewal.
Shopify;
As stated on their terms of service page, the platform offers a 14-day free trial, letting you wade through Shopify first before committing.
For paid subscriptions, there are three plans to choose from;
Most of the features for these plans are the same. They differ only in the number of staff accounts allowed. Basic Shopify allows two staff accounts, Shopify has up to 5 staff accounts, while Advanced Shopify has a maximum of 15 staff accounts.
Winner – Shopify! within this ‘Pricing' Weebly vs Shopify comparison.
Weebly Shopify Comparison Winner:
Whilst both platforms are excellent choices for your online eCommerce presence, we have used and studied both platforms thoroughly and find a Shopify the Winner within this Weebly eCommerce vs Shopify comparison platform test.
Conclusion and Recommendation to our Weebly vs Shopify Comparison:
So which of these builders triumphs in this Weebly vs Shopify comparison?
What is Weebly best used for?
As a website building platform, Weebly overtakes Shopify in terms of ease of use and accessibility. However, if you want more creative freedom to rearrange the presets and adjust the settings, you'll have to pick up a few coding tricks for the CSS/HTML.
What is Shopify best used for?
Shopify, on the other hand, is undeniably a better eCommerce platform. With an overwhelming number of tools that will surely help any business grow, Shopify can also satisfy your creative needs with numerous templates and themes for your online store.
Weebly Shopify Alternatives:
Remember; everyone's needs are different so what we have found the better between Weebly or Shopify, may not be the best option for you. So please do your own research based on your businesses needs. Here's a list of the best Weebly eCommerce vs Shopify alternatives to create a an online store:
| Rank | eCommerce Website Builders | Our View |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shopify (and Shopify Plus) | Best All-In-One eCommerce solution |
| 2 | Squarespace | Best for Design & Creatives |
| 3 | Webflow | Best for advanced design tools |
| 4 | Square Online | Best for Value |
| 5 | WooCommerce (with Nexcess) | Best eCommerce for Wordpress Users |
| 6 | Wix | Good for general use |
| 7 | Big Cartel | Best for very simple sites |
| 8 | Ecwid | Best eCommerce for existing websites |
| 9 | Volusion | Best for advanced analytics |
Weebly vs Shopify Final Word:
Wrapping up, from an eCommerce perspective, when comparing Weebly ecommerce vs Shopify, Shopify is the ultimate winner. You can take creative control of your online store, but you also have more options on tools and themes that you can use to optimise your site. Shopify may have a learning curve, but in the end, you'll reap the fruits of your labour.
For those who are still undecided, a final important note when considering Weebly or Shopify, Shopify offers a 14-day free trial period. It would do no harm whatsoever to take advantage of such an offer and test-drive each to see which fits your business model most appropriately. Two weeks should be ample time for you to test-drive each platform in order to decide as to which suits your needs best.
That’s all for now:
Did this guide help you decide on which builder is right for you – Weebly eCommerce vs Shopify? We certainly hope so. As more and more tools like Weebly Shopify boost your eCommerce projects, clarity and information help a lot. Thanks for reading our Weebly ecommerce vs Shopify comparison.
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