I’ve tried out two options for having an online presence: Shopify and Elementor. Both are different beasts for building websites and ecommerce stores.
Shopify is a full on solution for those who want to sell products online. It has all the tools for ecommerce.
Elementor is a WordPress page builder that can be used for any type of website.
I’ve used both so I know their strengths and use cases.
Shopify vs Elementor: Features and Downsides
Shopify’s Pros and Cons
Shopify is an ecommerce platform I like. User friendly interface for building online stores. I like the reporting tools and inventory management. Built in marketing features are a bonus.
But pricing can be high, especially with transaction fees. Some users may find some advanced features tricky to learn.
Elementor
I like Elementor’s drag and drop interface for WordPress site design. The pre built widgets save time and I like the dashboard. Elementor’s focus on speed and security is great.
The only downside I see is Elementor has no native ecommerce functionality. It’s also limited to WordPress which may not be for everyone. Marketing tools aren’t built in so you’ll need additional solutions.
Shopify vs Elementor: Features and Pricing
What is Shopify? What does it cost?
Shopify is my one stop shop for ecommerce solutions. It has all the tools to build a website and manage every aspect of an online business. I like that you can sell products across multiple channels, from your own site to social media.
Pricing is flexible. For $5 a month you can sell on social platforms with the Starter plan. If you need a full website plans start at $39 a month. 3 day free trial and your first month is $1.
Here’s a quick look at Shopify’s plans:
Keep in mind extra costs may apply for transaction fees and additional apps.
Elementor: What is it? What does it cost?
Elementor is my go to tool for customizing WordPress sites. It’s a plugin that lets you design your site without coding. I like the drag and drop interface.
The platform has multiple pricing options. If you just need WordPress hosting with a basic theme it starts at $2.99 a month. For the Elementor plugin itself you have two options:
- Essential: $49/year
- Advanced: $99/year
If you want hosting and Elementor’s builder here are your options:
- Prime: $49.99/month
- Elite: $99.99/month
These plans include features like AI design assistance and image optimization. I like that Elementor has options for different needs and budgets.
Shopify vs Elementor: Features
Shopify’s Features
Shopify is for online retailers. I like the website builder, it’s versatile and has many customizable themes. Users can create multiple pages and even a blog to have an online presence.
The platform’s strength is in commerce. It has robust checkout and payment processing on your website.
Plus it integrates with popular marketplaces and social media platforms to expand your selling reach. For brick and mortar businesses there’s even a built in point of sale system.
Marketing features are another strong point. Shopify has email marketing tools, chat functionality and options to run promotions. The platform is SEO friendly and plays nice with many third party marketing tools.
Operations is streamlined with Shopify’s tools:
- Inventory management
- Order management
- Product listings
- Shipping and fulfillment options
- Customer and employee management systems
Reporting varies by plan but I’ve seen options to track:
- Product performance
- Sales metrics
- Marketing campaign effectiveness
The app marketplace is huge with integrations for:
- Dropshipping
- Marketing enhancements
- Print-on-demand services
- Advanced website customization
- Lead generation tools
Elementor’s Core
Elementor takes a different approach, it’s focused on website customization within the WordPress ecosystem. The drag and drop builder is easy to use and gives you fine grain control over your site’s design.
I like the number of widgets and pre-designed website kits.
Hosting is included with Elementor, powered by Google’s infrastructure. This means:
- User friendly dashboard
- Staging environment to test changes
- Fast loading times
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
Elementor doesn’t have e-commerce features built in but is compatible with WooCommerce. So you can create an online store but extra costs for transactions and other services may apply.
I like the image optimization tool. It helps:
- Compress and resize images
- Convert to WebP
- Speed up page load times
- Potentially improve search engine rankings
Elementor’s AI tools are a big plus, it helps with:
- Layout creation
- Site design
- Website copy
- Container layouts
- Image creation
- Code snippets
Both have their strengths. Shopify is good for e-commerce, Elementor is good for website customization. Your choice depends on your needs and priorities.
Shopify vs Elementor
Choose Shopify
I recommend Shopify for businesses that sell across multiple channels. It’s a good choice if you need robust tools to manage inventory, taxes and scale your business.
Shopify’s app marketplace lets you customize and expand your store as your business grows.
- Good for multi-channel selling
- Strong inventory and tax management
- Highly integratable
Choose Elementor
I recommend Elementor for those who want to create beautiful WordPress websites without coding. It’s good if you want to use AI powered design tools and optimize your site for search engines. Elementor lets you build professional looking pages fast.
- User friendly WordPress design tool
- AI assisted design and content creation
- Built in SEO features
Shopify vs Elementor?
Shopify is the winner for e-commerce. It has all the tools you need for sales processing and business operations built in. As your business grows Shopify scales to meet the demand.
Elementor is good for WordPress design and SEO optimization. But it’s lacking in advanced features. For businesses that are mostly online sales Shopify’s commerce features are the way to go.
