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Shopware Mar 02, 2021

The Place of Shopware on the Modern E-Commerce Software Landscape

Jane Vyshnova

Jane Vyshnova

CEO

Author

The Place of Shopware on the Modern E-Commerce Software Landscape

Content

  1. Comparison Between E-Commerce System
  2. Conclusion

Shopware is one of the leading ecommerce platforms in Germany that was established more than 18 years ago. Today, the company has its sights on the UK market as well. The number of its users is continually growing and the platform’s expansion in Europe is underway.

With an extensive partner network, Shopware is a PHP-based ecommerce application that offers abundant features and a developer-friendly interface. It manages more than 40,000 live websites with a market share of 4.70%. Its modular architecture facilitates the quick launch of businesses, while the scalable and customizable platform provides the flexibility needed for the adaptation of a business to specific requirements.

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Shopware is intended mainly for uncomplicated sales platforms, start-up businesses, and small to medium companies. Its rapid growth, however, makes the platform a significant player that can influence the ecommerce market.

The main benefits of the software include:

Drawbacks:

However, to obtain the optimal solution for a specific business, an owner should consider the advantage and disadvantage lists of this and other ecommerce platforms.

Comparison Between E-Commerce System

Ecommerce software is the technology that runs and maintains all the processes in an online store, from managing assortment to calculating taxes and completing orders. Just like the entire ecommerce market, the segment of ecommerce software applications is thriving. In 2018, the estimated value of the segment was about 5.1 billion U.S. dollars, and by 2023 it is forecast to reach approximately 6.3 billion U.S. dollars.

The proper ecommerce platform can help your business to set up an online store that satisfies your needs. The modern market offers a vast variety of ecommerce platform packages, so, on the one hand, developing an online store can be a breeze. However, all the information you need to study in this regard can make the choice challenging. This article compares some of the biggest players in the modern ecommerce software market and also some of the new-breed solutions that are expanding fast.

Market Share of Leading E-Commerce Software Platforms and Technologies Worldwide, April 2020

Market Share of Leading E-Commerce Software Platforms and Technologies Worldwide, April 2020.
Source: Influxive Technologies

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According to the statistics, WooCommerce was the leading ecommerce software platform in 2020, gaining a market share of 28.24 percent. The second and third positions were occupied by Squarespace Online Stores and Shopify, with shares of 17.69 and 10.98 percent respectively. There are, however, a number of recently established brands, like Spryker and Sylius, which haven’t yet acquired great market shares but have earned recognition and trust within narrow communities thanks to their features and innovation.

Like in many other industries, there is no single recipe that would suit all. An optimum ecommerce software solution for your business should be entirely based on your specific requirements. The main factors to consider before obtaining the ultimate platform for your business include the following:

Shopware vs Woocommerce

WooCommerce is the market giant, being in fact a WordPress ecommerce plugin. Available for free, it is packed with features and perfectly integrated into your self-hosted WordPress website, turning it into an entirely functional ecommerce website. The software platform can be customized with more than 400 extensions to comply with specific needs.

WooCommerce’s pros:

WooCommerce’s cons:

Shopware

WooCommerce

A software shop where you can create a professional online shop.

A freely available ecommerce plugin that implements ecommerce facilities in your WordPress website.

Offers free models.

Offers free models.

More features including CRM, multi-channel marketing, and multi-store operation.

Better usage coverage in more websites categories including computers electronics and technology, food and drink, health, and more.

The abundance of ready-made solutions and integrations with 3rd party tools.

Leading in 167 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, and Germany.

Shopware vs Prestashop

PrestaShop is an open source, feature-rich ecommerce platform. It enables a user to set up a store in the cloud or through self-hosting. The software is written in PHP, is highly customizable, supports all the major payment services, is translated into a variety of languages, localized for many countries, and is fully responsive.

PrestaShop pros:

PrestaShop cons:

Shopware

PrestaShop

Uncomplicated sales platforms, start-up businesses, and small to medium companies.

Small and medium-sized businesses, retailers.

Offers free models.

Offers free models.

More features including data security, kitting, promotions management, reviews management, and templates.

Higher market share.

The abundance of ready-made solutions and integrations with 3rd party tools.

Available through a web browser and can be installed and customized without developer support.

Shopware vs Oxid

OXID eSales is an ecommerce software that provides a vast scope of functions, simple expandability, and numerous additional features. The ecommerce solution is primarily targeted at small and middle-sized businesses.

Oxid pros:

Oxid cons:

Shopware

Oxid

Uncomplicated sales platforms, start-up businesses, and small to medium companies.

Suitable for any online seller who wishes to offer a medium to large product inventory and already has some experience in ecommerce.

Offers free models.

Offers free models.

More training options and more features, such as catalog management, multi-store management, email marketing, SEO management, and more

Multilingual shop features can be integrated in a free version.

Higher market share.

Easy adaptation of country-specific details.

Shopware vs Shopify

Shopify is definitely one of the ecommerce world giants. The platform was set up in 2006 and managed to build customers’ trust in a short time. Tens of thousands of online retailers are powered by Shopify. The most sound names in the customer list include General Electric, Tesla Motors, Encyclopaedia Britannica, and more. Feature-rich and easy to manage, the platform, however, has certain flaws and limitations.

Shopify pros:

Shopify cons:

Shopware

Shopify

A software shop where you can create a professional online shop.

Shopify is an all-in-one ecommerce platform with an integrated toolkit for website creation, hosting, and payment platform.

Offers free models.

Available at a cost.

More features including data security, kitting, promotions management, reviews management, templates.

Larger market share.

An abundance of ready-made solutions and integrations with 3rd party tools.

A vast range of functions, extensive customization options.

Shopware vs Gambio

Founded in 2004, Gambio boasts a good track record in the ecommerce market. The company specializes in ecommerce software for small to enterprise-level businesses. The software solution is offered as an independent open source project, but only together with a paid support package.

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Gambio pros:

Gambio cons:

Shopware

Gambio

A software shop where you can create a professional online shop.

Gambio is the flexible shopping cart solution that is being used for the online stores of more than 25,000 companies.

Offers free models.

Offered with the paid package.

More features including CRM, email marketing, kitting, loyalty program, and templates; and more integration options.

All-in-one ecommerce solution popular within a similar range of countries and categories as Shopware.

Larger market share.

Automatic and regular updates through Gambio Cloud.

Shopware vs OpenCart

OpenCart is an open-source ecommerce platform distributed for free. Although not the most popular software, it offers a full range of functions and is easy to install, configure, and administer. To gain the maximum benefits from this platform, however, you should utilize premium elements that are available at a cost.

OpenCart pros

OpenCart cons

Shopware

Opencart

A software shop where you can create a professional online shop.

Open-source shopping cart solution.

Offers free models.

Offers free models.

More training options.

Allows for multiple integrations.

Larger market share.

Thousands of available templates and add-ons.

Shopware vs Spryker

Established in 2014, Spryker represents a new breed of ecommerce software developed in response to evolving business requirements and altering customer needs. Aside from offering a fast ecommerce store, the Spryker approach provides a unique, personalized experience based on customer needs, without sacrificing speed thanks to the platform architecture and the way information is handled.

Spryker pros:

Spryker cons:

Shopware

Spryker

Uncomplicated sales platforms, start-up businesses, and small to medium companies.

E-Commerce system for rapidly growing companies. It is a suitable framework for mid-level and enterprise, B2B and B2C.

Offers free models.

An open code is available for free.

More ecommerce features including inventory management, kitting, SEO management, and templates.

Offers serious customer support and educational resources.

Shopware vs Sylius

Sylius is a modern ecommerce software excellently suitable for running a highly personalized online store. While offering vast functionalities, the platform is easy to install and performs fast. One of the most advanced technologies on the modern market, it allows for creating a highly custom and scalable website.

Sylius pros:

Sylius cons:

Shopware

Sylius

Ideal for simple sales platforms, start-ups, and small to medium businesses.

Suitable for large companies in need of dedicated solutions as well as ecommerce beginners who plan to expand in the future.

The Community edition is free.

The Standard version is free.

More features: loyalty program, returns management, and SEO management.

Larger market share.

Shopware vs Magento

Magento was conceived as an on-premise, open-source solution chosen by businesses that have already seriously invested in IT or development teams. Magento 2 (Magento Commerce Cloud or Magento Enterprise Cloud Edition) was introduced in more recent years as a cloud, open-source solution.

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The platform is rich in features and boasts huge potential. Founded in 2007, Magento is one of the most popular software in the ecommerce industry with more than 200,000 live websites on board. Recognized and trusted internationally, the brand boasts such brilliant customers as Coca-Cola, Nike, Ford, and more. For years, Magento has been mostly chosen by large-sized businesses.

Magento pros:

Magento cons:

Shopware

Magento

Designed for small and medium businesses in the retail industry.

Designed primarily for larger businesses in the retail industry.

The Community edition is free.

Magento Open Source is free.

Greater user experience and more features.

Larger market share.

Both Shopware vs Magento, the developers are trying their best to provide the optimal website building abilities. While Shopware is leading in German-speaking countries, Magento is more internationally recognized. Generously packed with features, Magento is not as easy to use as Shopware. However, Magento 2 has brought significant changes at the desk.

When weighing Shopware vs Magento 2, one must consider a number of improvements in the latter. They include the more transparent installation process and frontend activities; enhanced overall user experience; modernized and simplified navigation in the admin panel; and higher SEO-friendliness.

On the other hand, Shopware is not standing still either. Shopware 5 vs Magento 2 is more advanced in terms of upgrades and updates. Furthermore, the platform offers broader marketing features, is better optimized for SEO, provides richer content management opportunities, and offers a greater user experience with the mobile version. However, it is less flexible than Magento if a complex multi-store solution is required.

Furthermore, Shopware 6 vs Magento 2 reveals some more potential risks to the world’s ecommerce software giant. Thus, Shopware 6 offers a simple and intuitive user interface that makes the platform easier to handle for everyone. Faster performance, lesser cost, and excellent SEO optimization also add to the list of Shopware advantages.

We are proud to have a solid and successful experience with both platforms. For example, our vast portfolio includes the development of Maxpay, a payment module that is now available for all Magento users. Another sound case is the migration service from Magento 1 to Magento 2 that we provided for a leading forklift dealer.

Conclusion

Shopware is a fast-growing store-building platform
Source: Shopware.com

To sum up, Shopware is a fast-growing store-building platform that is confidently becoming one of the major players in the industry. Currently more popular in German-speaking countries, Shopware is likely to expand to the rest of the world in the near future. By certain characteristics, it can beat even such giants as Magento. In the Magento vs Shopware competition, Shopware has already been deemed a reasonable alternative as a less complex and less expensive solution.

However, for customers in search of ideal ecommerce software, the most crucial question is what their business needs. The right choice is dictated primarily by a match between the required features and the price. Shopware is relatively inexpensive, offers simple and intuitive solutions, is marketing-friendly, and provides a superior range of features that outreach many of its competitors. It is best suitable for startups and small to medium enterprises. Reasonable cost and time of development and implementation add to the list of Shopware benefits.

Along with dynamic changes in the world of ecommerce, any seller needs to keep pace with it to comply with customer expectations and make the business thrive. Throughout your business’s lifecycle, your needs may alter, posing greater demands to the platform. Whether you are launching a startup or trying to enhance your existing business, we bring our huge experience with the main players in the modern ecommerce software market at your service. Our professional approach and expertise aim to make complex things easier for you and more efficient for your company. Contact us with your project idea to receive a consultation or a project estimate.

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