Webflow and Shopify: A Comprehensive Comparison Guide

Webflow and Shopify are two popular platforms that can help you create a stunning online store. Webflow is a website builder that allows you to design, build, and launch custom websites without needing to write code.

Shopify, on the other hand, is an e-commerce platform that provides a range of tools and features to help you manage your online store. With Shopify, you can easily set up an online store, add products, and start selling.

Webflow is ideal for businesses that want more control over their website's design and functionality. Its drag-and-drop editor and robust design system make it easy to create custom websites that stand out from the crowd.

Shopify, however, is geared towards e-commerce businesses that need a streamlined and user-friendly platform to manage their online store. Its intuitive interface and robust features make it a great choice for businesses of all sizes.

Webflow offers a visual editor that syncs web design and development, giving you full creative freedom.

You can customize every single element on the page, from the layout to the colors and fonts, to create a unique online presence.

Webflow also includes a branded checkout page, customizable shopping cart and emails, and integrations with third-party analytics tools.

In contrast, Shopify is a no-code tool that's specifically designed for ecommerce.

Shopify offers 73 themes created by professional designers, shipping fulfillments, and no transaction fees on every plan.

You can also automate shipping and tax rate calculation, sell and ship in more than 175 countries, and take advantage of a wide array of payment options.

Here's a comparison of some of the key features of Webflow and Shopify:

Both tools are no-code, making it easy to master them on your own and start selling online.

Webflow offers a wide range of e-commerce functionality, including a visual editor that syncs web design and development, customizability of every single element on the page, and integrations with third-party analytics tools.

You can also use Webflow's custom product pages, advanced SEO features, and branded checkout page to create a unique shopping experience for your customers. Webflow's content management system allows you to manage your products and content in one place.

Shopify, on the other hand, is a dedicated e-commerce platform that offers features like shipping fulfillments, no transaction fees on every plan, and a wide array of payment options. It also allows you to automate shipping and tax rate calculation, and sell and ship in more than 175 countries.

Here are some of the key e-commerce features offered by Webflow and Shopify:

Shopify's POS functionality is very comprehensive, available to users on all pricing plans, including the $5 per month 'Starter' one. It's a great tool for selling products in the 'real world,' processing payments, and issuing receipts through card readers linked to a mobile device.

You can order POS hardware online directly from Shopify if you live in one of the following countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, United Kingdom, or United States.

Shopify merchants outside of these countries can still purchase this hardware, but will need to find an authorized reseller to do so. Alternatively, US-based merchants can rent POS hardware from Shopify, which is a nice option to have, particularly if you only need to use POS hardware a few times a year.

However, accessing the full range of Shopify POS functionalities requires investing in a 'Shopify POS Pro' add-on, which is quite expensive: $89 per month for each location. This fee is waived for merchants on the Shopify Plus plan, as 'POS Pro' is included in their subscription.

The 'POS Pro' add-on unlocks a wide range of POS features, including:

Unfortunately, Webflow does not currently offer any integrated POS sale features, but you can build a custom integration via Webflow's API or use a syncing service like Zapier or Make.

Product options allow you to tailor your products to different customer preferences, making your store more appealing to a wider audience. This can include attributes like shape, size, or color.

You can create up to three product options in Shopify, giving you the flexibility to offer a variety of choices to your customers. Webflow, on the other hand, limits you to three option sets, which is a more restrictive approach.

Shopify gives you the freedom to create up to 100 product variants, which is a significant advantage over Webflow's 50 variant limit. This means you can offer a wider range of options to your customers, increasing the chances of making a sale.

Third-party apps like Infinite Product Options and Globo Product Options can be purchased to increase the limits on product options and variants in Shopify. This can be especially useful if you need to offer a large number of options to your customers.

Shopify has announced plans to increase the product variant limit to 2,000 in 2025, giving merchants even more flexibility to offer a wide range of options to their customers. This will be a significant advantage for merchants who need to offer a large number of variants.

Selling digital products can be a breeze with the right e-commerce platform. Shopify and Webflow both allow you to sell digital products like eBooks, videos, courses, and music.

Shopify makes it easy to upload digital products of up to 5GB in size to your storefront, which can be sold as standalone digital products or added to physical products as part of a bundle. This is thanks to the free 'Digital Downloads' app.

You can also host digital products on Shopify's servers, whereas Webflow requires you to upload them to a cloud storage service like Dropbox or Google Drive first. This extra step can be a hassle.

Shopify's 'Digital Downloads' app also handles VAT MOSS tax calculations for EU customers, which is a huge time-saver for store owners.

Dropshipping is a business model where you sell products without handling their manufacturing, purchasing, storage, or delivery. You forward orders to a supplier, who then ships the products directly to your customers, charging you a fee for doing so.

There are 604 dropshipping apps available for Shopify, including well-known services like DSers (AliExpress), Spocket, Modalyst, and Zendrop.

Connecting a Webflow site to a dropshipping service is technically possible, but it's a fiddly process that requires sourcing your product supplier outside of Webflow and using a syncing tool like Zapier to get these products into your store.

Shopify is significantly better than Webflow for setting up a dropshipping business, thanks to its huge range of dropshipping and print on demand apps.

International Selling is a crucial aspect of e-commerce functionality, allowing businesses to expand their customer base globally. This can be achieved through features like shipping rate calculation, which can help businesses estimate costs and provide accurate shipping quotes to customers.

The global e-commerce market is expected to reach $6.5 trillion by 2023, with international sales playing a significant role in this growth. This trend is driven by the increasing demand for online shopping and the need for businesses to adapt to a global market.

To successfully sell internationally, businesses need to consider factors like language and currency support, which can be facilitated through e-commerce platforms that offer these features. For instance, Shopify offers support for over 100 languages and multiple currencies, making it an attractive option for businesses looking to expand globally.

Shipping and payment options are also crucial for international sales, with features like PayPal and credit card support allowing businesses to cater to a wider range of customers. In addition, some e-commerce platforms offer integrated shipping solutions that can help businesses streamline their logistics and reduce costs.

Abandoned cart features are a crucial aspect of any e-commerce platform, and both Shopify and Webflow have their own approaches to handling this issue.

Shopify includes a built-in abandoned cart saving tool with most of its plans, except for the $5 Starter plan.

The tool automatically sends emails to customers who left their cart behind, usually with an incentive to complete their purchase.

Webflow, on the other hand, doesn't have a built-in abandoned cart tool, and users need to pay for a third-party integration to access this functionality.

If you're using Webflow, a popular choice for an abandoned cart tool is the $20 per month solution from Monto.

Shopify's cart saver gives you the option to add conditions and actions to each step of the recovery process, making it easy to create a customized abandoned cart workflow.

This flexibility is a key advantage of Shopify's abandoned cart feature.

Here are the three scenarios where Shopify's cart saver can be triggered:

Managing user accounts is crucial for any online store. Shopify limits the number of users you can add to your account, depending on your subscription.

The 'Shopify' plan gives you five extra users, while the 'Advanced' plan allows for 15 extra users. On the 'Shopify Plus' plan, there's no limit to the number of users you can add.

Shopify's POS service, however, offers an unlimited number of floor staff access through the 'POS Pro' option.

Webflow's entry-level ecommerce plan lets three users access your account, which is more generous than Shopify's entry-level plan.

SEO is a crucial aspect of any e-commerce platform. Advanced SEO features are available on Webflow, allowing you to optimize your online store for search engines.

Webflow's SEO features are designed to help you rank higher in search engine results. With its advanced features, you can improve your website's visibility and drive more traffic to your store.

Webflow's SEO features are a key differentiator for businesses looking to stand out online. Whether you're just starting out or looking to boost your existing store, Webflow's SEO capabilities can help you achieve your goals.

Here are some of the SEO features available on Webflow:

Analytics is a crucial aspect of any e-commerce platform. Shopify offers a comprehensive range of reports that give you a clear picture of your sales and customer behavior.

Shopify comes with a variety of reports, including sales reports, customer reports, marketing reports, search data reports, finance reports, and abandoned cart reports. These reports are available on all plans, but to make the most of them, you'll need to be on the 'Advanced' Shopify plan.

To get started with analytics in Webflow, you'll need to set up Google Analytics on your site. This will give you access to key metrics on traffic and conversions. However, Webflow ecommerce users will need to enable 'ecommerce tracking' in Google Analytics for Webflow to automatically track ecommerce events.

Here are some of the reports you can expect to see in Shopify:

Shopify's reporting features are a major advantage over Webflow, especially for ecommerce users who need to track sales and customer behavior.

Connecting Shopify and Webflow is a straightforward process that can be completed in no time with a Zapier template.

You can integrate everything from basic data entry to end-to-end processes with Zapier, which has 7,000 integrations to unify your tools within a connected system.

To get started, you can quickly connect Shopify to Webflow with a Zapier template. This will unlock the power of automation and improve your team's efficiency and impact.

Here are some business-critical workflows that people automate with Zapier, including integrating crucial parts of your business:

Site backup is a crucial aspect of maintaining a website, and Webflow has a significant edge over Shopify in this regard. Webflow automatically backs up your site every few minutes, so you never have to worry about losing your work due to lost connections or computer crashes.

Shopify, on the other hand, doesn't offer a native way to backup your store. This means you'll need to export important store data to a CSV file or buy a third-party app to take care of backups, which can add extra costs.

One such third-party app is 'Rewind Backups', which is available in the Shopify App Store. However, even with this app, duplicating a site in Shopify can be a laborious process that requires careful compiling of CSV files and image URLs.

In contrast, duplicating a site in Webflow is a seamless process that copies all ecommerce products, pages, blog articles, and code customizations to the new duplicate site.

To set up your first integration, you can quickly connect Shopify to Webflow with a Zapier template. Zapier offers 7,000 integrations, making it easy to unify your tools within a connected system.

Shopify's app store has over 13,000 different apps, making it a massive collection of tools to help you manage your store. You can find the right app for your needs with well-designed search, filtering, and side-by-side comparison features.

You can also use Webflow's 'Plugins and Integrations Library' and 'Webflow Apps Marketplace' to find compatible software integrations. However, Webflow's app offering pales in comparison with Shopify's app store.

To connect Shopify and Webflow, you can use a Zapier template or an app like Shopyflow and Looop. These apps can take care of the full integration for you, including creating CMS fields in Webflow and adding required scripts.

Here are some steps to set up your first integration:

Importing and exporting data is a crucial aspect of setting up and managing your online store. Both Shopify and Webflow allow you to import product data using a CSV file, but with different limits. Shopify has a 15MB file size limit, while Webflow has a 4MB limit.

Shopify also has a higher limit for the quantity of products you can import, allowing up to 50,000 products. Webflow's limits vary depending on your plan, with the most expensive plan allowing up to 15,000 products and the entry-level plan limited to 500 products.

Exporting products from both platforms is also done via CSV file, but again with different limits. Shopify has a more generous limit, allowing you to export up to 50,000 products at a time. Webflow, on the other hand, has a more restrictive limit, but it's not specified in the article.

One thing to note is that Webflow offers more flexibility when it comes to exporting other types of content, such as blog posts and dynamic content. It allows you to transfer data between all your Webflow projects and gives you more options for exporting static content.

Here's a comparison of the import and export limits for Shopify and Webflow:

Keep in mind that these limits may change, and it's always a good idea to check the documentation for the most up-to-date information.

Handling URL redirects is a crucial step in ensuring a smooth transition to Shopify. You'll want to make a list of URLs that will change when you move to Shopify, typically including product pages, collections, and informational pages.

To set up URL redirects, go to your Shopify admin, then to 'Online Store' and 'Navigation'. Click on 'View URL Redirects' and then 'Create URL redirect'. Enter the old URL in the 'Redirect from' field and the new Shopify URL in the 'Redirect to' field.

You'll need to repeat this process for each URL that has changed. This might take some time, but it's worth it to ensure a seamless experience for your customers.

After setting up the redirects, test them to ensure they're working correctly. This will prevent customers from landing on error pages and help maintain your SEO rankings.

Customization and design are key aspects of creating a successful online store. There are two options for designing your Shopify storefront: choosing a free or paid theme from the Shopify theme store, or converting a Webflow theme manually using exported files from Webflow (HTML, CSS, JS).

Shopify's theme editor allows for customization of colors, fonts, layouts, and other design elements, but coding is necessary for more extensive customization. You can also use Shopify's Liquid, HTML, and CSS access for deeper customization.

With over 3 million websites using Shopify, it's clear that their focus is on building a highly functional online store, but this limits design flexibility. Even with coding knowledge, Shopify's coding language Liquid and lack of control over third-party code and scripts can be restrictive.

Here are some key differences between Shopify and Webflow in terms of customization and design:

The quality of templates available for both platforms is high, with professionally designed themes offering plenty of interesting ways to display content. Webflow's themes may be stronger for creative and service sectors, while Shopify's themes are better suited for ecommerce sites.

Webflow gives you access to a much larger number of templates than Shopify, with over 2,000 templates in total, compared to Shopify's 215.

You can browse all the Shopify themes, free and paid, here.

Of these, 52 are free, and 1,900+ involve a one-off fee of between $29 and $149 in Webflow, while Shopify offers 13 free templates and 202 paid-for ones.

Webflow's paid templates range in price from $29 to $149, but only 100 of them have a specific ecommerce focus, and these are all paid-for templates.

Shopify's paid templates, on the other hand, are all specifically designed for ecommerce and range in price from $140 to $450.

You can choose a free or paid theme from the Shopify theme store, but coding ability is necessary for extensive customization.

Shopify offers two options for designing your storefront: choosing a theme from the store or converting a Webflow theme manually. The latter method requires more technical knowledge.

Customizing your Shopify theme involves selecting a theme that fits your brand, using the theme editor to alter design elements, and coding for deeper customization.

Shopify's theme editor provides a good starting point for customization, but coding skills are required for more advanced changes.

With Webflow, you have total control over your site's layout and design settings, including configuring how it displays on different screen sizes.

Webflow's designer is more flexible than Shopify's, allowing for more complex animations and interactive website experiences.

Shopify's animation features are more basic, requiring coding skills for more complex effects.

You can switch between Shopify themes easily, but this may require contacting Webflow's support team for a transfer of your plan.

Here's a comparison of how Shopify and Webflow handle code editing:

Both platforms offer high-quality templates, but Webflow's themes are stronger for creative and service sectors, while Shopify's themes are better suited for ecommerce.

Shopify's interface for customizing the design of your store's home page and page templates is intuitive, featuring a simple drag-and-drop editor that lets you use content sections and blocks to create highly customized, attractive page layouts.

Most people can sign up for a Shopify account and start building a store straight away, thanks to Shopify's gentle learning curve.

Shopify's design interface is far removed from the user-friendly drag-and-drop approach, which makes it a much trickier task to get to grips with.

Webflow's central canvas design interface gives you a fantastic level of control over your design, but it's not ideal for new users who are looking for a simple, straightforward way to get started.

Webflow's learning curve is rather steep, and it usually takes most users a few weeks to really get the hang of the platform.

To access the Webflow design interface, you need a screen of at least 900 pixels in width, which means it generally can't be used on a lot of tablet devices.

Blogging and content is a crucial aspect of any website or online store, and both Shopify and Webflow provide built-in blogging features to help you increase organic traffic.

Both platforms make it easy to create and categorize blog content, with Webflow being more flexible on the categorization front, letting you use both tags and categories, while Shopify restricts you to tags only.

Webflow's content management system is powerful and offers many blog-specific templates, with over 100 to choose from.

However, it's worth noting that Webflow caps the number of posts you can create by plan, with the CMS plan limiting you to 2,000 posts and the Business plan allowing up to 10,000 posts.

This may cause headaches for prolific bloggers, but for most users, it shouldn't be a major issue.

Here's a comparison of the blogging features of Shopify and Webflow:

Both platforms also let you disseminate your blog content in various ways using RSS feeds, making it easy to reach a wider audience.

Email marketing is a great way to connect with your audience, and it's surprisingly easy to get started. You can send newsletters, promotions, and brand news to a mailing list, and Shopify has made it even easier with its "Shopify Email" feature.

This feature allows you to create your own email template from scratch using simple drag and drop tools, or use one of Shopify's 45+ pre-built ones. You can even send up to 10,000 emails for free, and it costs just $1 for every additional 1,000 emails.

Shopify Email also lets you program several automation options, including welcome new subscriber emails, first purchase upsell emails, customer winback emails, and browse abandonment emails. This can help you stay on top of your email marketing game without breaking the bank.

If you're using Webflow, you can connect it to most big name email marketing platforms via integrations in the Webflow integrations library. This means you can still take advantage of email marketing without having a built-in tool.

Shopify offers a free trial that lasts 3 days, allowing you to try all their plans without entering your credit card. In contrast, Webflow offers a free plan to build your site before publishing it.

Webflow's pricing tiers include Standard, Plus, and Advanced, with the Standard plan starting at $29/month (billed yearly) and adding a 2% transaction fee. Shopify's core plans are Basic, Shopify, and Advanced, with the Basic plan starting at $26/month (billed yearly) and including a wide array of features and 24/7 support.

Shopify's Advanced plan costs $313/month (billed yearly), while Webflow's Advanced plan starts at $212/month (billed yearly), and both plans offer 0% transaction fees.

Webflow offers a free plan to build your site before publishing it, while Shopify provides a 3-day free trial that doesn't require entering your credit card.

You can start building your whole site with Webflow for free, but Shopify's free trial is limited to 3 days.

Webflow's pricing tiers include Standard, Plus, and Advanced plans, with the Standard plan starting at $29/month (billed yearly) and adding a 2% transaction fee.

Shopify's pricing starts with the Basic plan at $26/month (billed yearly), which includes a wide array of features and 24/7 support.

The Advanced plan in Shopify costs $313/month (billed yearly), and the Shopify Plus plan for high-volume businesses starts at $2000/month.

To eliminate transaction fees in Webflow, you need to upgrade to the Plus plan, which starts at $74/month (billed yearly).

Shopify's Basic plan includes features like abandoned cart recovery, marketing automation, and customer segmentation, but also includes a 2% transaction fee if you opt to use the Shopify payment portal.

Webflow's Advanced plan starts at $212/month (billed yearly), offering 0% transaction fees and the ability to list 15,000 ecommerce items.

You can host an unlimited number of products with Shopify's Basic plan, but Webflow's Standard plan limits you to 500 items.

Ultimately, the choice between Webflow and Shopify comes down to your specific needs and budget, and it's essential to weigh the features and pricing of each option carefully.

When you're building a website, especially if it's for your business, you want to know that help is just a click away. Shopify's customer support is available 24/7 via email, phone, or live chat.

Shopify's support is split into three pillars: Community Forum, Help center, and Themes and API documentation for developers. This means you can get help from other users, access self-help resources, and dive into technical documentation as needed.

Webflow, on the other hand, offers email support, but you'll typically have to wait up to 2 days for a response. This can be frustrating if you're stuck and need help ASAP.

Shopify's help materials are available in 20 different languages, making it a great option if you're building a site for a global audience. Webflow's help materials, unfortunately, are only in English.

Both Shopify and Webflow have excellent online help materials that are clear, easy-to-follow, and comprehensive. However, Shopify's help pages tend to be text-only, while Webflow's video explainers, found in the excellent 'Webflow University' help portal, are a game-changer for complex topics.