Software · head to head
3dcart vs Shopify
3dcart
Software
All-in-one ecommerce platform for online retailers
- From
- $19/month
- Rated
- -
Shopify
Software
The most trusted ecommerce platform to start, grow, and scale your business
- From
- $29/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: 3dcart limited scalability compared to enterprise e-commerce platforms; Shopify using any payment provider other than Shopify Payments adds a transaction fee on top of the card rate, at 2% on Basic falling to 0.2% on Plus
- They diverge on capability: 3dcart covers Store builder, Shopify covers Hosted ecommerce platform.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which 3dcart and Shopify actually diverge.
Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in 3dcart
- Store builder
- Unlimited products
- Shopping cart
- Email marketing
- SEO optimization
- Mobile responsive
Only in Shopify
- Hosted ecommerce platform
- Order tracking
- Marketing automation
- Apps and integrations
- Multi-channel selling
- SSL certificate
Both cover
- Payment processing
- Inventory management
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
3dcart
No use cases recorded yet. See the 3dcart review.
Shopify
- Running a hosted ecommerce store with payments and fulfilmentnot 3dcart
- Selling across online, in person and social channels from one cataloguenot 3dcart
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
3dcart
- Limited scalability compared to enterprise e-commerce platforms
- Payment processing tied to Shift4 Payments after acquisition
- Fewer advanced marketing and analytics features than competitors
Shopify
- Using any payment provider other than Shopify Payments adds a transaction fee on top of the card rate, at 2% on Basic falling to 0.2% on Plus
- That fee makes the cheapest plan the most expensive place to use an outside processor, which is the opposite of how plans usually work
- Card rates also improve with the plan, from 2.9% on Basic to 2.7% on Advanced
- Amex is charged at a higher rate than other cards on every plan below Plus
- Plus starts at $2,300 a month
- The advertised lower monthly prices require paying a year up front
Pricing, plan by plan
3dcart
$19/month- Starter$19/month
- Unlimited products
- Basic templates
- Email support
Shopify
$29/month- Starter$5/month
- Buy Button & Sales Channel
- Abandoned checkout recovery
- Basic reporting
- Basic$29/month
- Online store
- Up to 2 staff accounts
- Basic reports
- Standard$79/month
- Professional reports
- Gift cards
- Up to 15 staff accounts
Which should you pick?
Questions people ask
- Is 3dcart or Shopify better?
- Neither clearly leads. 3dcart starts at $19/month and Shopify at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, 3dcart or Shopify?
- 3dcart starts at $19/month and Shopify at $29/month.
- Does 3dcart or Shopify run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- What can 3dcart do that Shopify cannot?
- 3dcart covers Store builder, Unlimited products, Shopping cart, Email marketing. Shopify covers Hosted ecommerce platform, Order tracking, Marketing automation, Apps and integrations. Both handle Payment processing, Inventory management.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
3dcart: What is the starting price for 3dcart?
3dcart (now Shift4Shop) starts at $19/month with no setup fees, transaction fees, or hidden fees.
Source3dcart: Does 3dcart include hosting?
Yes. 3dcart includes web hosting, domain support, and built-in website building tools with no separate hosting costs.
Source3dcart: What happened to 3dcart?
Shift4 Payments acquired 3dcart in November 2020. The platform is now operated under the name Shift4Shop but maintains the same core functionality and pricing.
Source3dcart: Does 3dcart offer free templates?
Yes. 3dcart provides dozens of professionally designed, industry-specific templates that are mobile-friendly, SEO optimized, and highly customizable.
Source3dcart: What payment methods does 3dcart support?
3dcart integrates with multiple payment gateways including Shift4 Payments, Stripe, PayPal, and other major payment processors.
Source