Store systems comparison: 10 well-known webshop providers in test

Online stores have become increasingly important in recent years and store sales are often no longer sufficient to run a profitable business. As a result, operating a web store, at least as a second sales option, is becoming increasingly important for smaller retailers as well.

However, running a successful online store is not easy. The difficulty already starts with the choice of the store system, as typical basic functions are often no longer sufficient. The requirements for a store system also vary greatly - depending on the business model, industry and your experience in online retailing.

To make your search a little easier and to give you an overview of your options, we have compared the most important online store providers in this article.

What is an online store system?

A store system is a software that allows entrepreneurs to sell their products and services online and create their own online store. It usually forms a modularly expandable basic framework that can be extended with apps, plugins or modules. Such online store software typically includes the following features: a database of product information, an administrative database, a presentation system, a payment gateway, a web tracking system and other tools. Common pre-built store systems include Shopify and Shopify Plus.

Advantages of store systems

If you run an online store and want to build an online business by selling items, you should take a look at the different web store providers. Most of the online store solutions offer similar features like:

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

• Themes & Templates

• Product and customer data maintenance

• Onpage optimization

• B2B and B2C possibilities

• Various interfaces to third party providers

• Support by phone or e-mail

• Practical drag-and-drop editors

• Functions for marketing and data analysis

• Clear backend for order management, shipping and accounting

• SSL encryption and functions for legal security (e.g. cookie banner)

Online store software comparison: Which store software suits you?

Basically, a distinction is made between four different types of online store systems, which we would like to discuss in more detail below:

1. SaaS solutions (rental store systems)

A "Software as a Service" (SaaS) model offers a modular e-commerce system. With this out-of-the-box solution, you can quickly and easily create your own store. You can choose from various designs for this purpose. The operation and subsequent management are intuitive and can be customized yourself at any time. Many providers of SaaS solutions provide free trial periods or demo versions.

Suitable for: A rental store system is advantageous for e-commerce beginners, as such a store can be set up quickly and is ready to sell immediately. In addition, you usually pay only a relatively small fee per month.

Example of a SaaS solution: Shopify.

2. Open Source Solutions

Kostenlos verfügbare Shopsysteme werden als Open-Source-Software bezeichnet. Frei zugängliche Shopsystem-Softwares unterscheiden sich zum einen in Eignung und Anforderungen für den deutschen und internationalen Markt. Zum anderen sind sie für verschiedene Zielgruppen unterschiedlich gut geeignet, je nach möglichen Schnittstellen, der Verfügbarkeit von Plugins oder Add-ons sowie der Benutzerfreundlichkeit.

Geeignet für: Open-Source-Shopsysteme sind eher für technisch versierte Shopbetreiber zu empfehlen, da sie selbst eingerichtet werden müssen. Dies bringt jedoch den Vorteil mit sich, dass Open-Source-Lösungen häufig auch stark an die eigenen Bedürfnisse angepasst werden können.

Beispiel einer Open-Source-Lösung: PrestaShop.

3. Open source solutions

With so-called on-premise solutions, software licenses are purchased for the store system itself, which means that the software can be adapted to your own needs and those of your customers. You buy or rent the software for a certain period of time and run it either in your own data center or on servers rented by you. The service provider only provides the software. Agencies often support the implementation so that the software can be optimally adapted to the company.

Suitable for: Such a "complete e-commerce solution" is the best choice for demanding users who have the necessary time and resources for the technical implementation as well as the administration of the software.

Example of an on-premise solution: CosmoShop.

4. Webshop plugin solutions

For an existing website based on e.g. WordPress, an online store can be created with the help of plugins. So, in this case, an additional software component adds a webshop to the homepage without the need for a separate solution.

With this mostly free variant, it is important that you meet the requirements of your target market. The easy installation and integration of an existing website is contrasted by the limited functionality, which requires the purchase of additional extensions.

Suitable for: E-commerce plugins are more suitable for store beginners. However, they are not recommended for larger stores.

Example of a webshop plugin solution: WooCommerce.

Choosing a provider: Which store system suits you?

Before you start looking for a web store provider that suits your needs, you should consider what your e-commerce business model should look like, how much you are willing to invest and which features you absolutely cannot do without. To help you create this so-called requirements profile, we have compiled a list of questions you can ask yourself to find out your individual needs:

• How much can and do I want to spend?

•  Do I want to create my store myself or work with an agency for this?

• How big does my online store need to be and how big should it possibly become in the future?

• How much experience do I have in online commerce?

• Is the store system designed for B2B or rather B2C trade?

• Which functions are particularly important to me?

• Do I want to have the option of multichannel sales?

• Which payment options do I want to offer in any case?

• Which merchandise management system do I want to use?

• Should my store be multilingual and would I perhaps like to internationalize at some point?

• Which service providers and interfaces would be available to me for this online store solution?

• What marketing do I want to implement?

You can use this list of questions to select your store system and check off which of your needs are met and which are not for each solution. In the end, you'll be able to decide quite easily which e-commerce platform meets your requirements the most.

Store systems comparison 2023: The 10 best store systems at a glance

In our online store comparison, we now take a closer look at 5 of the most well-known web store providers. In particular, we want to look at the features as well as the advantages and disadvantages and find out for which retailer which online store provider is best suited.

1. Shopify

If you have already read other articles about a store system comparison, you will have noticed that Shopify is predominantly rated very well. This is not by chance, because the e-commerce system shines in many relevant points. Among the biggest advantages of Shopify are its ease of use and flexibility. The store system offers its own app store with over 6,000 apps, which can be used to easily adapt the online store to one's own needs. Although Shopify offers so many customization options and numerous functions, no programming knowledge or other in-depth technical skills are required to use it. This is probably also the reason why almost 4 million Shopify websites are already live in 2022. This large community is always on hand to offer advice and support to newcomers. However, Shopify merchants can also contact support around the clock if they have any questions.

Shopify-Funktionen

• Store hosting

• Domain registration 

• Shopify Pay

• Numerous themes

• Resumption of canceled purchases

• Large app store

• Extensive online payment gateway (Shopify Payments)

• Blog

• Various tools for marketing

• Reports and analytics

• Multichannel sales

• Discount codes & coupon codes

Example of a product page in the Shopify store system, SEO-relevant data can also be stored here.

Shopify prices

At Shopify, online merchants have the option of using a 14-day trial period, after which rates start at 5 euros per month. After that, they can opt for one of the following price plans:

• Shopify Starter: 5 € / Monat

• Shopify Basic: 27 € / Monat

• Shopify: 79 € / Monat

• Shopify Fortgeschrittene: 289 € / Monat

Suitable for: Shopify is the right solution for online retailers who want a lot of features but don't have the resources to program them themselves. A big advantage is that the store system can grow with you, allowing you to easily connect brick-and-mortar retail and the web store. Moreover, you can offer services and digital products in your Shopify store in addition to classic physical products.

Shopify Plus as an enterprise solution

In addition, Shopify offers companies looking to scale quickly an attractive alternative to the basic plans with Shopify Plus. The benefits of the enterprise commerce platform are:

• a personal support manager

• the possibility to create up to 10 different stores (international stores)

• unlimited number of employee accounts

• 11,000 check-outs per minute

• personalized customer experience with Shopify Scripts

• Easy automations with Shopify Flow

• Use of Shopify Launchpad to automatically turn on and off website elements at different times

• Customizable checkout

• Lower transaction costs (0.25% instead of 0.5% to 2.0%)

All in all, Shopify Plus is a platform for large online retailers. The enterprise commerce platform offers more features for better scalability, more flexibility, and better customer service.

Large online stores like Shape Republic rely on Shopify Plus to offer custom features like bundle options.

2. Jimdo

A Jimdo store is also up and running after just a few minutes. Unlike Shopify, however, the products here are limited to 100 pieces.

Jimdo Features

• Many templates

• Social media marketing

• SEO

• In the Business & VIP package there is a discount function

Jimdo Prices

With Jimdo you can choose from 3 different price packages:

• Basic: 15€ / month

  Business: 19 € / month 

  VIP: 39 € / month

Suitable for: Jimdo is a good solution for online merchants who are just starting to sell online and just need a small store with few features now and in the future.

3. Wix

While Wix is known for its website builder, it also offers a solution for online stores. This online store builder is called "Wix Stores", is easy to use and takes care of the store system and hosting for you.

Wix Stores Features

• Drag & drop function

• over 500 templates

• relatively large number of payment service providers

Wix Stores Prices

Wix does not offer a free trial. There are 3 different price packages:

• Business Basic: 23,80€ / Monat

• Business Unbegrenzt: 35,70€ / Monat

• Business VIP: 52,36€ / Monat

Suitable for: If you are creating your first online store and have limited technical skills and budget, Wix Stores can be a good solution for you.

4. Gambio

Gambio Cloud is a store system from Germany and has the great advantage that it offers you legal security and suitable legal texts. Unfortunately, however, Gambio does not offer such an extensive app store to add additional features to your own store.

Gambio Features

• Integrated warehouse management

• Multichannel distribution

• Marketing via Newsletter

Gambio prices

Just like Shopify, Gambio also offers a 14-day free trial period. You can choose between 3 different price packages:

• Start-Up: 17,96€ / month (1 user)

• Small Business: 44,96€ / month (3 users)

• Professional: 93,72€ / month (Unlimited)

In addition, Gambio also offers a version for 149€ per year where you can take over the hosting yourself.

Suitable for: If it is important to you that your webshop provider is from Germany, but you can do without a wide range of integration options in return, then Gambio is a very good solution.

5. WooCommerce

WooCommerce is an open source store system designed for WordPress websites. This means that, like WordPress, you can customize a lot of things to suit your needs. Installation is very quick and easy, just like any other WordPress plugin.

WooCommerce Features

• More than 400 extensions

• Numerous themes

• Possibility to sell physical and digital products

WooCommerce prices

Like WordPress, WooCommerce is also a free open source software.

Suitable for: If you are tech-savvy and HTML as well as CSS are familiar terms for you, WooCommerce can be a good solution for you. However, if you just want an online store without having to worry about updates and maintenance, WooCommerce is the wrong choice.

6. Spryker

Spryker is an e-commerce platform and framework that helps businesses build and run their own digital sales channels. The store system is designed to be flexible, scalable and customizable to meet the needs of different businesses.

Spryker Features

• Modular framework

• Omnichannel capability

• Catalog management

Spryker Pricing

Spryker typically offers flexible pricing where costs can be calculated based on licenses, implementation services, support contracts, and maintenance fees. It is common for companies to receive a customized quote from Spryker.

7. Shopware

Shopware is a German open source software and a modular store system that is very popular in this country. The system is suitable for companies of any size and can be customized. However, Shopware is not recommended for e-commerce beginners, as some technical know-how should be present.

Shopware Features

• Flexible template system

• Extensive product display

• Extensive marketing tools

Shopware Prices

• Community Edition: Free of charge

• Professional-Edition: 1295€ basic fee - one time only

• Enterprise-Edition: Prices only on request

8. PrestaShop

PrestaShop is an open source platform that allows merchants to create and manage online stores. It offers users a wide range of features and extensions.

PrestaShop Features

• Numerous extensions and tools

• Flexible design

• Large community and support

PrestaShop Prices

PrestaShop offers a free basic version. Extensions, on the other hand, are subject to a fee.

9. Adobe Commerce (Magento)

Adobe Commerce, formerly known as Magento Commerce, is a powerful store system developed by Adobe. Adobe Commerce is arguably one of the world's best-known e-commerce platforms.

Adobe Commerce features

• Multichannel sales

• Scalable architecture

• Wide range of functions

• Extensive product management

Adobe Commerce pricing

• Adobe Commerce Pro: Price upon request

• Managed Services: Price on request

10. Commercetools

Commercetools is a modern, cloud-based e-commerce platform that helps companies develop flexible e-commerce solutions. The headless commerce platform relies on an API-first and microservices architecture for this purpose.

Commercetools Features

• Microservices architecture

• API-first approach

• Headless architecture

• Scalability

• Integration and extensions

Commercetools Prices

Pricing for Commercetools may vary and is only available upon request.

Conclusion

As you probably noticed yourself during our store system comparison, there is no one, best online store provider. The choice of the right store system depends on countless individual factors, so no blanket statement can be made about which webshop provider is best. The most important criteria are usually the budget and the personal business model. Especially with our test winner Shopify, you can build a low-cost and low-risk online store that offers options ranging from dropshipping to selling subscriptions. With the option of individual expandability and fail-safe cloud hosting, this will give you a sustainable online store that will set you up securely for the future.

E-commerce systems are, next to marketplaces like Amazon or eBay, the best way to build an online presence. In contrast to these, however, they offer significantly more freedom in terms of design, user experience and storytelling. In addition, most store systems have interfaces to the highest-traffic marketplaces, so having your own online store and selling on marketplaces are not mutually exclusive. When choosing your online store solution, you should always make sure that it is a comprehensive control center that combines all sales channels. It should allow you to control everything from inventory to marketing, process payments, and seamlessly access all the tools relevant to your online business.