Shopify vs Volusion: Which is Better for Your Online Store?

In this article, we’ll unravel the key differences between Shopify and Volusion to help you pick the perfect e-commerce platform for your business.

Key Takeaways

• Shopify provides a comprehensive ecommerce platform with a wide range of features and a vast app store, making it ideal for businesses aiming to scale swiftly and seamlessly.
• Volusion offers unique data-driven tools and detailed analytics, catering primarily to entrepreneurs who prioritize customer insights and data interpretation.

Volusion vs Shopify: The key difference

Volusion

Volusion’s primary strengths lies in its diverse payment options. This is particularly advantageous for companies operating in regions with varying payment preferences. By offering multiple payment gateways, Volusion ensures that customers can complete transactions using their preferred methods, enhancing user convenience and potentially boosting conversion rates. Another strong focus of Volusion is customer insights and analytics.

Shopify

Shopify stands as a prominent figurehead in e-commerce platforms. It is widely acclaimed for its user-friendly interface, extensive customizable templates, and a vast app store that empowers businesses with many additional functionalities. This makes Shopify an excellent choice for companies seeking an all-rounded platform.

Volusion vs Shopify: Pros and Cons

Shopify

Pros:

• Comprehensive E-commerce Builder: Widely regarded as one of the best, Shopify offers an all-encompassing solution for online sellers.
• Extensive App Store: Enhance and customize your store using various available apps.
• Round-the-Clock Support: No matter the time, Shopify’s service is ready to assist with its 24/7 availability.

Cons:

• Monthly Costs: As you integrate more apps, the monthly expenses can gradually climb.
• Additional Transaction Fees: Opting for payment gateways outside of Shopify’s default incurs extra fees.

Volusion

Pros:

• Diverse Payment Options: Volusion sets itself apart by supporting various payment gateways. Whether it’s credit cards, PayPal, or other methods, Volusion ensures that your customers have convenient payment options.
• Robust Analytics Tools: Data is critical in the fast-paced world of e-commerce. Volusion understands this and provides its users with powerful analytics tools. This enables businesses to track crucial metrics, understand customer behavior, and make informed decisions to optimize their operations.
• Mobile Management Convenience: In a world where mobile devices dominate online interactions, having a robust mobile app is a game-changer. Volusion offers that, allowing business owners to manage their stores seamlessly on the go and stay connected and in control of their operations at all times.

Cons:

• Digital Product Restrictions: Volusion falls short in one notable aspect: it doesn’t support the sale of digital goods. This limitation can be a significant drawback for businesses primarily dealing in digital products or services, potentially leading them to explore alternative platforms that better cater to their needs.
• Absence of a Blog Feature: Volusion lacks an integrated blog feature. This absence can challenge content-driven firms, as blogs are instrumental in driving organic traffic, establishing authority, and engaging with customers on a deeper level.
• Lack of Specific Focus: Unlike some e-commerce platforms specializing in particular niches, Volusion positions itself as a generalist. While this can be advantageous for businesses with diverse product offerings, it may lack the specialized features or tailored support that niche-specific platforms provide.

Volusion vs Shopify: In-depth Comparison

Pricing

Subscription fees:

Shopify

Shopify offers various pricing plans that cater different types of businesses. They are:

• The Basic Plan: It costs $39 every month. It’s for those who are just beginning and need the essentials to get their online store up and running.
• The Shopify Plan: It costs $105 every month. It’s like a step up from the basic plan. It gives you more tools to help grow your business.
• The Advanced Plan: If you’re running a big operation, this plan is for you. It’s priced at $399 every month. It’s like having all the special tools in the toolbox for a big job.

As you go up the plans, it’s like climbing a ladder. You get to see more and do more. With Shopify, as you choose a higher plan, you unlock even more cool features to help run your online shop.

If you’re new to selling things online, Shopify has a special surprise for you. They give you a whole 3 days to try it out for free. No money needed! After that, for the first 3 months, it’s just $1. That’s like the cost of a small candy bar. This special deal is to help new business owners get started without spending too much.

So, if you’re just stepping into selling things online, Shopify makes it easy and budget-friendly for you to enter the online market.

Volusion:

When it comes to the cost of setting up an online store with Volusion, here’s a simple breakdown of their monthly pricing:

• The Personal Plan: This one’s like the starter pack. It costs $35 every month. It’s perfect for individuals or small businesses who are just getting started with their online store.
• The Professional Plan: This plan is a bit fancier. It’s like having more tools in your toolkit. It costs $79 a month. This is for those looking for a bit more than the basics.
• The Business Plan: If you’re running a more extensive operation, this plan is for you. It’s priced at $299 every month. It’s like having all the special tools for a bigger job.
• The Prime Plan: This one’s a bit different. Instead of having a fixed price, it’s based on GMV, which stands for Gross Merchandise Volume. It’s about how much stuff you’re selling. So, the price depends on how much business you’re doing.

Now, let’s say you’re unsure about diving in right away. No worries! Volusion has a little treat for you. They offer a 14-day free trial for you to get a sneak peek before you decide if it’s the right fit for you.

Transaction fees

Shopify

If you choose to use payment options other than Shopify’s built-in one, you’ll be subject to transaction fees on every sale. The percentage you’re charged depends on your chosen subscription:

• Basic Shopify: Online card rates stand at 2.9% plus 30¢; for in-person card transactions, it’s 2.7%. For all non-Shopify payments, there’s an additional 2.0% fee.
• Shopify: Online transactions cost you 2.6% plus 30¢, and in-person ones are 2.5%. If you’re using other payment providers, there’s a 1.0% added fee.
• Advanced Shopify: Here, both online and in-person rates are 2.4% plus 30¢. For non-Shopify payment providers, it’s an extra 0.5%.

However, there’s a silver lining: using Shopify’s own payment solution, Shopify Payments, will free you from these transaction fees. This way, you can keep a larger chunk of your earnings.

Volusion:

If you opt for the Volusion Payments, powered by Stripe, you’ll have a smooth sailing because you won’t incur any transaction fees.

However, if you decide to navigate with a different supported payment method, you should factor in some Gateway Maintenance Fees.

• For the Personal Plans, there’s a 1.25% fee for every transaction.
• For the Professional Plans, this fee is reduced to 0.65%.
• With the Business Plans, it goes down even further to 0.35%.
• As for the Prime Plans, the fee structure is a tad different; it’s customized based on the terms agreed upon with Volusion.

And of course, you’ll still have to pay for credit card rates, which vary depending on the credit card provider you choose.

Additional fees

Shopify

On top of the above, Shopify may tag extra charges depending on the tools and services you opt for. This could be third-party app integration costs, premiums for specific themes, or charges for add-ons like advanced data insights or shipping label services.

So, if you’re keen on keeping your budget in check, be sure to dive deep into the pricing fine print and get familiar with any extra expenses tied to your chosen features.

Volusion

While Volusion’s pricing might seem straightforward at first glance, there are some hidden costs that can catch you by surprise.

Some of the extra charges to keep an eye out for include automatic plan upgrades when certain criteria are met, purchasing SSL certificates to ensure your website’s security, registering your domain name, and fees related to credit card processing for every transaction.

The Verdict

When it comes to pricing, Shopify is the winner.

Reason? It offers more value with its special introductory rates and the potential to avoid transaction fees using Shopify Payments, making it the more cost-effective choice for many businesses.

Sales Features

Volusion

Pros

Cons

Advanced Analytics: Volusion offers powerful tools for understanding what's happening in your online store. Its search term analysis is particularly noteworthy, which helps you see the exact words and phrases customers use when searching on Google. Customer Search Insight: It lets you know what customers search for on Google. This is like having a unique window into their thoughts, helping you understand their interests. Mobile App Convenience: Volusion has a mobile app, like having a mini-version of your store on your phone. It empowers you to manage your online business even when you're away from your computer.

Design and Customization Complexity: Customizing and designing your store on Volusion can be a bit tricky. It's like rearranging furniture in a room. While it offers excellent possibilities for customization, it may take some time and effort to get everything just how you want it. Absence of Built-in Blogging Feature: Volusion does not have a built-in platform for writing articles or stories related to your products or industry. This tool can be valuable for connecting with customers on a more personal level.

Shopify

Pros

Cons

Extensive App Store: Shopify offers a wide range of extra tools in its app store. It's like an extensive collection of special tools to help improve your website's performance and make it work even better for you. Seamless Social Media Integration: It easily connects with 10 different social media platforms. This means you can sell your products not only on your website but also on places like Facebook, Instagram, and more. It's like having multiple windows to showcase your products. Great for Rapid Growth: If you're looking to grow your store quickly and get bigger, Shopify is perfect for that. It provides the right tools and support to help your business expand and become even more successful.

Learning Curve: For those utterly new to e-commerce or online platforms, a learning curve can be associated with understanding and optimizing all of Shopify's sales features.

Marketing Features

Shopify

• Content Marketing: Shopify provides tools to write and share blog posts. This helps you talk to your audience and bring more people to your store.
• SEO Capabilities: Shopify helps your store appear in search results. You can change product names, descriptions, and other details to be found more easily on Google and other search engines.
• Facebook Ads: With Shopify, you can create advertisements for Facebook. You can choose which group of people see these ads to ensure they’re relevant.
• Email Marketing: Shopify has built-in templates for sending emails. You can use them to send messages to your customers about sales, new products, and more.
• Shopify Inbox: This is a chat feature. You can talk to customers visiting your store, answer their questions, and encourage them to buy.
• Shopify Forms: These are special boxes where visitors can enter their details. You can use them to collect email addresses by offering special deals or newsletters.

Volusion

• Coupon and Discount System: With Volusion, you can offer special product prices. You decide which products get discounted, how much the discount is, and for how long. Plus, you can make unique codes for these discounts.
• Gift Certificate and Store Credit System: You can give your customers special printable gift cards. Each card has a unique number, and you can track how much is left on it. When someone gets a gift card, they’ll receive an email with details and a personal message if you want.
• Affiliate Management: This lets you work with people who help promote your store. You can monitor how they’re doing, decide how much money they earn for each sale, and send them important updates.
• Email Marketing: Send emails easily with Volusion. You can send newsletters, remind people about items they left in their cart, or even share specific products through email.
• Campaign Tracking and Reporting: This tells you how well your marketing works. You can see if your advertising money is getting you more sales.
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO): This helps people find your store online. Volusion is built to be easy to find on search engines like Google. You can change settings to improve this, manage how your site appears in search results, and even create custom error messages for missing pages.

Apps & Integrations

Shopify

Shopify boasts an expansive collection of over 8,000 apps, tailor-made to upgrade your online store’s capabilities and simplify operations. Here’s a quick overview:

• Product Customization: Shopify stands out with its customization tools. Apps like Printful and Printify make personalizing products a breeze. Whether t-shirts, jewelry, or posters, customers can add their unique flair, heightening their connection to the store and potentially boosting sales.
• Shipping and Fulfillment: Seamless is the word for Shopify’s shipping solutions. By partnering with renowned shipping carriers, it offers up-to-the-minute shipping rates. Plus, connections with dropshipping outfits and fulfillment hubs ensure orders are processed efficiently and swiftly.
• Marketing and Sales: For those keen on promoting their store, Shopify doesn’t disappoint. It’s loaded with apps, from email marketing and social connectivity to affiliate systems and SEO enhancers, all aimed at magnifying your store’s online presence and drawing in more shoppers.

Volusion

Volusion offers the flexibility to blend with over 1,000 third-party apps, enhancing your online store’s capabilities. This integration ease helps fill the gaps in its native features. Whether you’re eyeing better payment methods or seeking improved customer relationship management (CRM) tools, with Volusion, you have plenty options to amplify your store’s functionality.

However you have to connect with apps through integration tools like Zapier, which is quite lots of tasks. Unlike with Shopify, you just need to connect with an app directly through Shopify App Store.

Scalability

Shopify

Shopify is known for adapting to businesses, big or small. Here’s how Shopify gears up as your business flourishes:

• Varied Plans: Shopify’s subscription plans cater to diverse needs. Pick one that fits your current stage, and when you’re ready to expand, upgrading is hassle-free to gain more features and storage.
• Expansive App Store: The App Marketplace in Shopify is vast, giving your store more power as it grows. From inventory control and marketing tricks to in-depth analytics, these apps add layers of functionality as your demands increase.
• Sturdy Servers: No worries about traffic spikes; Shopify’s servers cover you. They ensure your store stays fast and available, seamlessly handling more customers and sales.

Volusion

Volusion isn’t ideal for scaling up your business. Here’s why:

• Product Limitations: The basic package supports up to 100 products. Additionally, it doesn’t provide a bulk import/export feature for products.
• Plan Restrictions: The batch order processing is exclusive to the Business plan, which costs $299 per month.

Help and Support

Shopify

• Provides round-the-clock assistance via email, social media, phone and live chat.
• For those on their Plus Level pricing, they assign a dedicated support agent, showing their commitment to going beyond.

Volusion

• Phone support is available from Monday-Friday, 8am-7pm Central.
• Instead of email support, they prefer direct phone interactions to give a personal touch.

Security

Shopify

• Safe Hosting: Shopify uses a dependable infrastructure for hosting your online store. They use robust security tools, like firewalls and encryption, to keep your data safe and fend off any unauthorized access.
• Transaction Safety: Shopify works with trusted payment systems that meet high industry safety standards, like the PCI DSS. This ensures your customer’s payment details stay protected during checkout.
• Protecting Your Data: Regular backups of your store data are taken by Shopify. If there’s ever a hiccup, you can fall back on these backups to get your store back up and running.

Volusion:

• Data Encryption: Volusion employs AES-256 encryption for stored data and TLS v1.2 for secure online data transfers.
• Security Techniques: Volusion uses a multi-layered defense, including a web application firewall (WAF) and an intrusion prevention system (IPS). They also monitor server activities and critical file changes for any suspicious activities.
• Security Testing: Volusion continuously tests its platform against potential threats. They run penetration tests semi-annually and have a reward system for independent experts to identify and report vulnerabilities.
• Payment Safety: During transactions, Volusion ensures top-notch encryption, using redirection methods or iFrames to securely capture payment details.

Ease of Use

Shopify

Shopify stands out for its simplicity. It offers straightforward editing tools, making it user-friendly for newcomers. One notable feature is the easily accessible ‘undo’ button. The platform’s design minimizes the need to switch between the frontend and backend, streamlining the editing process.

Volusion

Volusion can feel a bit overwhelming. It divides its editing interface between the customer’s view (storefront) and the administrative side (backend). This design forces users to switch back and forth more often, which can be tedious. Moreover, it lacks helpful features like keyboard shortcuts or intuitive navigation cues, which could make the process smoother.

Themes and Templates

Shopify

Shopify has stepped up its design game with a selection of visually appealing themes.

• They offer 10+ free themes and over 150+ premium options, priced between $150-380.
• Every Shopify theme is mobile-responsive, ensuring a consistent look across all devices.
• A standout feature for Shopify is its ‘product zoom’ function and the added benefit of editing on the go with their mobile editor.

Volusion

• Volusion provides 11 free templates and 34 premium ones, each priced at $180. This means they are generally more expensive than Shopify’s themes and have less variety.
• Like Shopify, Volusion’s themes are mobile-responsive and tailored to specific industries.
• However, they don’t have themes tailored to the ‘art’ or ‘toys, books, and education’ sectors.
• It is unable to manage your site from a smartphone, reducing design flexibility.

Volusion vs Shopify: Overall Winner

When looking at Volusion and Shopify across various categories, we get a clearer view of what each platform brings to the table:

• App Integration: Volusion allows easy integration of 1,000+ third-party apps, enhancing its platform’s capabilities. Shopify, however, has an extensive app marketplace with over 8,000 integrated apps, which provides many solutions for almost any need.
• Sale Features: Shopify offers an intuitive checkout, multi-channel selling, and abandoned cart recovery. Volusion has overlapping features, but some, like bulk import/export, are tied to specific plans.
• Marketing Features: Shopify stands out with advanced SEO tools, integrated blogging, and easy social media integrations. Volusion provides essential marketing tools, though often requiring third-party solutions for more comprehensive needs.
• Scalability: Shopify is recognized for its scalability due to its varied app marketplace and adaptable plans. Volusion offers scalability but limits product listings based on subscription tiers.
• Help and Support: Shopify’s round-the-clock support, complete with dedicated agents for specific plans, sets a benchmark. Volusion focuses on providing a personal touch via direct phone contact but doesn’t match Shopify’s extensive offerings.
• Security: Both prioritize user security. Shopify provides secure hosting and robust data protection, whereas Volusion emphasizes industry-leading encryption and a multi-layered security model.
• Ease of Use: with its user-friendly interface and clear cues, Shopify offers a smoother experience than Volusion’s more complex navigation.
• Themes and Designs: Shopify has more themes at varied prices with added mobile editing functionalities. Volusion, although offering fewer and pricier themes, ensures they are mobile-responsive.

The Verdict: Shopify is the overall winner.

It delivers a more comprehensive package in terms of apps and integrations, scalability, support, and ease of use. While Volusion has unique strengths and might suit specific business needs, Shopify caters to a broader audience with a more holistic approach.

Volusion vs Shopify: Table Comparison

	Shopify	Volusion	Winner
Pricing	$39-$399 per month No transaction fees if you use Shopify Payments	$35-$299 per month No transaction fees if you use Volusion Payments	Shopify (for more value for money)
Sales Features	More comprehensive set of features for ecommerce stores	Data-driven features	Shopify
Marketing Features	Essential Marketing Features	More tracking features	Shopify
Apps and Integrations	8,000+ apps available	1,000+ third-party apps	Shopify
Scalability	Has flexible plans + Vast app marketplace + Server infrastructure	Has flexible yet limited plans + Limited app marketplace	Shopify
Help and Support	24/7 support via live chat, phone, and email + Help Center + Community Forums	Phone + Help Center + Email + Live Chat	Shopify
Security	Secure hosting; Payment security; Data protection.	Data encryption Security techniques; Security testing; Payment safety.	Volusion
Ease of Use	Easy to use for any beginners	Can be a bit overwhelming	Shopify
Themes and Designs	Wide range of professionally designed themes + More customization options	Limited theme selection and customization	Shopify

Who should use Volusion? And who should use Shopify?

Who should use Volusion?

• Data Lovers: If you’re a business owner interested in diving deep into data and customer insights, Volusion might be a good pick. It’s mainly designed for those who value analytics.
• Focused Sellers: While it lacks features like a blogging tool, Volusion shines with its unique selling tools and payment options.
• Niche Fit: If you’re looking for specific ecommerce tools and don’t mind compromising on a holistic package, Volusion can be a consideration.

Who should use Shopify?

• All-In-One Seekers: Shopify is a robust ecommerce platform packed with features that cater to a wide array of business needs, making it suitable for those looking for an all-in-one solution.
• Growth-Oriented Businesses: If your goal is to grow and scale your business seamlessly, Shopify’s comprehensive toolset and expansive app store make it an ideal choice.
• Value Seekers: For business owners aiming for a blend of rich features, ease of use, and value for money, Shopify stands out.

FAQs: Volusion Vs Shopify

Volusion vs Shopify: Conclusion

In comparing Volusion and Shopify, both platforms offer distinct ecommerce solutions, with Shopify being a more comprehensive tool, while Volusion focuses on data-driven insights.

Read more:

• Shopify vs Jumpseller: Which platform is best in 2024