Shopware 5 vs 6: Comparing Features and Benefits

Electronic commerce has been gaining tremendous momentum over the past 10 years. It is hard to imagine the life of a modern person without shopping on the Internet. This saves consumers' time and effort, and the seller avoids unnecessary expenses for arranging the offline shop. However, certain online stores are more successful than others. Often this is due to the features of the commerce platform itself. To ensure the convenience and attractiveness of e-shops, such solutions like Shopware were created. And today we are going to discuss the specifics of Shopware 5 vs 6.

Shopware 5

Shopware is designed to provide wide capabilities for e-commerce. Shopware AG has been steadily developing the product for over 18 years. The main office of the company is in the city of Sheppingen, Germany.

Shopware 5 themes

The program has a large repository of various modules and unique themes. About 80,000 users decided to develop their online store using Shopware. Among their customers are such famous brands as Aston Martin, M&M’s, Discovery Channel EU, Philips, and others.

Shopware 5 templates

The characteristic of the software is that it is quite simple to master. Shopware 5 template system allows changing the store pages' visual appearance quickly and improving the quality of service. Your customer will be able to make the desired purchase quickly, remaining satisfied with the process of goods selection.

Most notable Shopware 5 features

The developers claim that with a correct set of Shopware 5 plugins, you can greatly increase the amount of emotional purchases. At the same time, customers can get vivid impressions of products. This brings results - according to the t3n magazine survey of 2016, Shopware ranks the most popular among e-commerce platforms in Germany.

Shopware 5 vs 6: Benefits of the Platform

Image Source: www.similartech.com

Intuitive and easy to use interface

Shopware 5 backend is well structured, while its interface is intuitive and optimized for easy use. It is possible to customize Shopware 5 footer to notify customers about current discounts and promotions. The main aspects of trading in this platform are carefully thought out. This saves time and allows the user to focus on more complex tasks.

Convenient personalization: Shopware 5 template system, Shopware 5 themes

Templates and themes allow the user to create a unique and beautifully designed store. Moreover, changes and adjustments to UI do not affect the code and the program continues to perform all actions correctly.

High-tech capabilities and Shopware 5 API system

The architecture of the platform supports HTTP/2 server pushing, HTML minification, SVG format, PHP 7.3, MySQL, and ElasticSearch.

Fast implementation

Shopware quickly and efficiently resumes store operations after the biggest changes. And in modern markets speed is often critical.

Developed a filtering system

Shopware 5 filter system allows choosing from a variety of existing and create new sortings to improve user experience as you see fit.

Open source code

Platform users are given complete freedom of action and can create various additional configuration options and code modules to make the store more convenient.

Convenient subshop hosting

Shopware 5 hosting allows customers to publish their shops immediately without the need to burden themselves with technical details. Moreover, you can use virtual URLs to provide various store versions.

Shopware 6 requirements

• Linux OS with Apache 2.2+ web server;
• Cron;
• MySQL 5.5+;
• PHP 5.6.4 (or latter);
• Minimum 4 GB of free hard disk space.

Read more: How to Grow Shopware

Shopware 5 installation does not take much time and is quite simple. The program has 4 editions: 

• Community edition, 
• Professional edition, 
• Professional Plus, 
• Shopware Enterprise. 

The choice of a specific edition depends on the individual requirements of the user. For example, Community edition employs a standard set of approaches to e-commerce.

Shopware Professional is more suitable for implementing a unique brand and services. Professional Plus helps you customize your deployments with 12 premium plugins. In turn, Enterprise version has a high selection of capabilities tailored for large online projects. The developers also supplied the detailed Shopware 5 tutorial.

Innovations
in Shopware 6

When creating the Shopware 6 roadmap, developers spent a lot of thought and effort to make the platform even more suitable for high-quality work in e-commerce. Since Shopware 6 release date, customers got a more complex but better manageable program. The developers have been working on this product for a long time and consider it a worthy answer to modern challenges in the field of information technology.

The first stable Shopware 6 release was launched on January 14, 2020. During this time, many companies have already been able to assess the strengths of the project and notice Shopware 5 vs 6 differences.

Related article: Why use Shopware for your online business?

The major advantages of Shopware 6

1. Augmented admin panel

When comparing Shopware 5 vs 6, management in the latter has become more intuitive, but more minimalistic, thanks to the Vue framework used for frontend. Many processes have become more accessible due to fast control element search mechanics.

2. Simplicity of filling a store with quality content

Using a unique graphical interface, you can develop an original design even without knowledge of programming languages. And it does not matter what type of product and in what amounts you put up for sale.

3. Shopware 6 SEO: all new tools

Your customers will appreciate the convenience of usage, when opening the site at any kind of device. Writing relevant content is simplified due to Shopware 6 SEO features. Thanks to the new Shopping Experience solution, each page of an online store is regulated and adapted to modern needs more easily and quickly. Also, unlike Shopware 5 SEO capabilities, the new version allows adapting to ever-changing search engine requirements much faster.

4. Options to assist in finding new sales channels

Additional program options can help to increase the brand awareness, as well as pick up new types of product promotion. There is an opportunity to open new ways to attract potential buyers, such as social networks or joint trading platforms. There are tons of other resources where people from your target audience meet and communicate. Thus, you can not only promote the brand but also improve customer loyalty. The difference is especially notable when matching Shopware 5 vs Shopware 6.

Image Source: www.freepik.com

5. Capabilities to connect with international markets

Due to extended multilingual support functions available to Shopware 6 developer, your store can serve foreign users. For example, you can specify prices in foreign currencies, work with the legislative framework of other countries (if it is necessary to sell a certain group of goods), and select the appropriate channels for finding customers.

Related article: Shopware 6 - How to Extend It with Plugins

6. Advanced business opportunities

Developers have added the option Rule Builder, which provides an opportunity to adjust the individual rules and policies of the online store. This will help you find an approach to unusual business groups. Define the formulas for the formation of the final price of the goods, choose individual fees, and set the delivery costs. Every detail is within your reach, without the need to code anything additionally.

Differences between Shopware 5 and 6

The developers claim that the new version was rebuilt from scratch using the most modern technologies to make Shopware 6 as ideal for e-commerce as possible.

Shopware 5 vs 6 review+: Shopware 5 REST API made obsolete

A demanding look allows identifying significant differences in both technical details and user experience. Shopware 6 features an all-new Symfony-based kernel, which has a notably higher level of performance. API-first approach assumes that integration capabilities of the previous version were greatly enhanced and improved. The Community editions are distributed based on MIT license. Additionally, the 6th version has much better integration capabilities, which makes it more practical.

Shopware 6 roadmap: admin panel

Another among notable Shopware 5 vs 6 features is the new administrative panel. It was built from the ground up using Vue.js framework which in the near future is going to replace React and Angular in the segment of small to medium size web apps due to its convenience and simplicity of the created infrastructure.

Shopware 6 roadmap: Webpack

It is also worth noting that Shopware 6 is supplied with a Webpack builder. This static asset generator has gained notable popularity among technology giants such as Airbnb, Adobe and Slack in recent years.

Shopware 5 vs 6 features comparison chart

Shopware 5 vs 6 differences: general impression

If we talk about Shopware 5 vs 6 comparison's general impression, the latter version in many respects surpasses the previous one. Most of the core features have been enhanced or reworked. Apparently, the developers did a lot of work on the bugs and removed many flaws. The main convenience of the new version is that interaction with potential customers has become easier.

Business Benefits of Shopware 6

When compared to competition, Shopware 6 is on a completely different level. This product is a fresh technical platform for promoting online sales. Creators and community developers did a lot of work on a Shopware 6 plugin development to make the system flexible and simple. Aimed to answer the challenges of modern e-commerce, the program has a number of options that predict your steps for business development. Now, you can build strong relationships with clients, regardless of their location. The development of the system and its add-ons is ongoing, new tools and functions appear regularly.

Image Source: www.freepik.com

If you decide to develop your store, design the perfect user experience, and prioritize to the high-quality service, then Shopware 6 can become your ideal instrument. The previous version has proven itself worthy enough but one needs to keep up with the times to stay competitive and conquer new areas of e-commerce.

Does It Make Sense to Migrate? When and why is It Necessary?

Shopware 5 developer company guarantees that the program would remain the great online business solution for several years to come. Despite the release of cutting-edge Shopware 6, the previous version would not be deprecated. Regular releases of Shopware 5 updates will occur until mid-2021. Security updates and important fixes will be released until mid-2023. So there’s still a lot of time to reflect, prioritize and determine the plan of actions.

Read also: Step-by-step Guide on Shopware Migration

In any case, the transition to a new system will be quite a simple process. After reading the above points, the choice of Shopware 5 vs Shopware 6 should be clear and reasonable. Betting on a newer version, the company can win in terms of development. After all, the new product has a number of advantages, which are difficult to argue. It can speed up and simplify a number of processes, and thus increase productivity.

Shopware 5 vs 6 performance

When comparing Shopware 5 vs 6 performance, the latter is faster in many areas. Both versions are quite strong technically. Still, if you are interested in the effective work of the store, ensuring stable communication with customers, convenience and ease of learning, then you should opt for the more advanced Shopware 6.

Shopware 5 vs Shopware 6: Migration

Due to technical differences between the systems, Shopware 6 migration is not possible with a single key press. However, the developers designed a new version with their users in mind. Thus, the transfer process will not take much time and effort. This migration to Shopware 6 roadmap can be divided into three stages: preparation, migration itself, and finalization.

Read also: Dinarys review on Shopware platform

Shopware 5 update: preparing

The first step is to clarify the existing data and check the prerequisites. Check, if your existing system responds to Shopware 6 requirements. Does the license agreement of a respective edition accommodate your local legislation? Do you have everything needed for installation ready?

Shopware 5 update: migrating

When the instance of the new version is set up along Shopware 5, the fun begins - transferring your existing data. The process is designed in such a way that you have time to manage the data in the test installation and familiarize yourself with the Shopware 6 documentation. In the “Migration process” section, you can find out how your information is transferred, and in the “Upgrade guide” section, additional settings can be tuned.

Shopware 5 update: user interface

Due to technical distinctions, it is not possible to transfer the interface templates between Shopware 5 vs 6. You would have to set your shop's appearance manually using Shopware 6 template system.

Shopware 5 update: finalizing

At the final stage, you can start managing a new online store. You will be provided with all the necessary information about the required settings for the Shopware account. You will have the opportunity to try the new functionality of the program in test mode.

Conclusion

Finally, if you have an online store based on Shopware 5 and want to migrate to a newer version but have no time or resources required to transfer, and the above described Shopware 5 upgrade guide seems excessively complicated to you, we can provide a helping hand. Our experts have vast experience with a wide variety of e-commerce solutions, including Shopware development services. We can:

• Create high quality web store from scratch for you of any kind and complexity upon your requirements;
• Provide a more comprehensive counsel on what to choose when comparing Shopware 5 vs Shopware 6
• Conduct a Shopware 5 demo or Shopware 6 demo to illustrate how your future store would look and feel;
• Prepare and conduct the technical audit of your existing solution and make propositions for its betterment;
• Complete all work related to upgrading or migrating your existing solution.

Contact us today and request a quote!