Webflow vs. Shopify: Which is better for e-commerce?

Did you know that e-commerce sales will hit $7.3 trillion in 2025? This number was just $513.60 billion in 2018. Considering the increasing sales of e-commerce businesses, now’s the time to create one for yourself. The first step of creating an ideal e-commerce business revolves around website development. 

When building e-commerce websites, Shopify and Webflow are two names that stand out from the crowd. If you are confused between these two, this blog will help you understand the primary attributes of both platforms for an informed decision. 

Webflow vs. Shopify

Both of these platforms have their perks when it comes to website development. Shopify is a dedicated e-commerce platform created specifically for retailers. On the other hand, Webflow is a relatively new website builder that helps everyone create and customize a focused webpage with ideal UX design elements. 

Both platforms have similarities in third-party tool integration, user experience, and design flexibility. But they are also different in price, versatility, and website SEO. 

You might consider Shopify to be a better fit for an e-commerce platform. However, things are a bit different. Webflow’s flexibility and premium app integration will significantly help if you want creativity and better SERP rankings. 

Webflow and Shopify: An Overview

The above brief comparison between both platforms exhibits that both pack some great features for e-commerce retailers. Before concluding the comparison and crowning of one of the platforms, it would be better to explore both of their features. So, let’s start with Webflow:

Webflow

Webflow is a versatile website builder with all the necessary features. It is not a designated e-commerce platform. However, users can incorporate third-party applications to use e-commerce features like inventory management, sales channels, revenue analysis, etc. Some of the standard features of Webflow include:

• Free plan to explore and wrap your head around its functionality
• Easy-to-use interface with multiple premium features
• Better Search engine optimization
• Inexpensive compared to Shopify
• Massive integration facilities
• Broader customizability features

Shopify:

Shopify was launched back in 2006. Since then, its primary focus has been e-commerce retailers. However, the platform unleashed its true potential in 2009 when the developers released an API platform with a dedicated app store. Now, it has 2.1 million active users each day on average. Here are some of its prominent features:

• Intuitive interface
• It lets the user edit the code
• More than 70 professional store-front themes
• Automated tax collection and no shipping hassle
• Direct integration with social media tools
• Better and advanced e-commerce compatibility without any Third-party app
• Helps you dropship the products

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Customization and Design Flexibility

Looks matter significantly when it comes to e-commerce stores. People tend to buy more from visually appealing stores. So, choosing a website builder with all the required customization tools is necessary. 

While Webflow and Shopify have professional templates for business owners, Webflow takes the crown for customization. In Shopify, you cannot customize the template without changing the code. On the contrary, Webflow lets users improve UX design elements with just a few clicks. 

E-commerce Capabilities

E-commerce features are the first thing to notice when choosing a website builder for an online store. Shopify is specifically made to assist retailers. So, it has more functionality and compatibility for e-commerce stores. 

You can sell unlimited products on this platform without stressing about restrictions. But that’s not the case with Webflow. Webflow sales are based on your tiered package. If you’ve bought their basic plan, the platform lets you sell 500 products. If the plan is standard, the number goes up to 1000, and if you buy their premium package, you can sell up to 3000 digital and physical products. 

Moreover, Shopify comes with abandoned cart recovery. It helps CMOs and marketing managers to re-engage with clients who haven’t bought products but added them to the carts. This feature does not come pre-built within Webflow. However, you can integrate third-party apps like Monto using Zapier to start using abandoned cart recovery. 

In conclusion. Even if Webflow has fewer e-commerce features, users can integrate useful apps and increase its compatibility with online digital stores. Here are some of the premium applications of Webflow:

• Astroic: Bulk product management and invoice printing

• Outseta: Build membership-paying programs. It is perfect for selling SaaS products and online courses. 

• Printful: Print-on-demand dropshipping accessibility

• Upsells and Cross-Sells: Create upsell and cross-sell offers for the brand.

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User Experience and SEO

Webflow is considered a better website builder in Webflow vs. Shopify comparison of SEO. That’s because it is a CMS-builder that boasts several search engine optimization features. Firstly, the platform keeps its code clean, which helps search engine crawlers assess the website easily. 

Moreover, Webflow has an SEO table, meta descriptions, titles, ALT texts, and URLs for better SEO. These were all natural traffic-gaining tactics for marketing managers. Both platforms allow marketing using social media integration and running Ads from the platform. 

However, you need an app in Webflow for this purpose, such as Embed Social. Shopify takes the lead in accessibility here because it gives all CMOs and marketing managers access to Pinterest and Snapchat Ads for better promotion.  

Pricing and Scalability

Both of these platforms are paid. Shopify store gives you a free 14-day trial to explore the platform. After that, your selected package starts. However, Webflow has a unique free plan that lets you explore the platform entirely and demands payment only when you decide to go live. 

The basic plan of both Webflow and Shopify is almost the same price. However, with standard and premium plans, Shopify gets expensive. Also, you must remember that Webflow allows limited product sales according to the purchased package. 

Another critical factor is the payment method. Shopify is versatile because it accepts payments from 200+ countries using Apple Pay, Paypal, Google Pay, Stripe, credit/debit cards, and Shop Pay. Webflow also accepts most of the payment gateways; however, these are currently limited compared to Shopify.  

Transitioning to Webflow

If you are an e-commerce store owner with no background knowledge of Webflow, transitioning from Shopify won’t be a piece of cake for you! That’s because some complexities are involved that need a little technical expertise. 

So, it is better to get the help of a professional for an ideal transition from Shopify to Webflow. That’s when Zanger Digital jumps in for help! Whether you need to create a new e-commerce website from scratch or transfer your old Shopify store to Webflow, we’re here to help. 

Our transition process is swift and efficient. We focus on your priorities and create a website that satisfies all your needs without hassle. 

Conclusion

In the comparison of Webflow vs. Shopify, Webflow is considered a preferred choice. While Shopify has better e-commerce compatibility, Webflow has perfect customization capabilities. Business owners would never spend hours coding on the website to change a few things. 

As for Webflow’s limitations associated with e-commerce features, you can use third-party apps for efficient online store management. If you are a Shopify owner trying to transition towards Webflow, let Zanger Digital help. 

We will ensure that your e-commerce store is always on the right track. Contact our team and get expert insights about migrating to Webflow from WordPress, Shopify, or Wix!