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E-Commerce · head to head

Ecwid vs Swell Commerce

Ecwid logo

Ecwid

E-Commerce

Sell anywhere ecommerce platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Swell Commerce logo

Swell Commerce

E-Commerce

Headless ecommerce for modern brands

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Ecwid has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Ecwid the $5 a month Starter plan caps the catalogue at 10 products; Swell Commerce each plan carries an annual revenue ceiling, and exceeding it is charged as a percentage of the excess: 2 percent on Starter down to 0.4 percent on Unlimited
  • They diverge on capability: Ecwid covers Omnichannel selling, Swell Commerce covers Headless architecture.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ecwid and Swell Commerce actually diverge.

Attributes where Ecwid and Swell Commerce differ
AttributeEcwidSwell Commerce
Starting priceFree$29/month
Free tierYesNo
Founded20092019

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (E-Commerce).

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 Ecwid

  • Omnichannel selling
  • Product catalog
  • Payment processing
  • Email marketing
  • Analytics
  • Mobile app
  • API access

Only in Swell Commerce

  • Headless architecture
  • GraphQL & REST APIs
  • Subscription commerce
  • Multi-currency support
  • Custom checkout
  • Webhook integrations
  • Developer-friendly SDK

Both cover

  • Inventory management

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Ecwid

  • E-commerce store setup with no transaction fees charged by Ecwidnot Swell Commerce
  • Multi-channel selling across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterestnot Swell Commerce
  • Automated email marketing with abandoned cart recovery campaignsnot Swell Commerce
  • Inventory management and order tracking across all sales channelsnot Swell Commerce
  • AI-powered product photo background removal and enhancementnot Swell Commerce

Swell Commerce

  • Running a headless commerce backend with APIs for a custom storefrontnot Ecwid
  • Selling subscription products alongside one off purchasesnot Ecwid
  • Operating multi currency stores from one commerce backendnot Ecwid

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Ecwid

  • The $5 a month Starter plan caps the catalogue at 10 products
  • Staff accounts start at the Business plan, and are limited to 2 until the Unlimited plan
  • Abandoned cart recovery requires the Business plan at $65 a month
  • In person selling through POS integration is Unlimited only, at $149 a month
  • The Venture plan at $35 a month still caps products at 100

Swell Commerce

  • Each plan carries an annual revenue ceiling, and exceeding it is charged as a percentage of the excess: 2 percent on Starter down to 0.4 percent on Unlimited
  • Starter at $29 a month allows 2 admin users and includes only 100,000 API requests and 1GB of storage per month
  • Additional API requests cost $5 per 100,000 and extra storage $5 per GB
  • Role based permissions and developer support are restricted to the Unlimited plan at $2,250 a month
  • Advanced reports and priced currencies require the Standard plan or higher
  • Published prices are the billed yearly rates, so monthly billing costs more

Pricing, plan by plan

Ecwid

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 10 products
    • Basic storefront
    • Standard payment methods
  • Unlimited$99.08/month
    • Unlimited products
    • Advanced features
    • Priority support

Swell Commerce

$29/month
  • Starter$29/month
    • Up to $50K annual revenue
    • Basic reports
    • Up to 5 admin users
  • Basic$79/month
    • Up to $250K annual revenue
    • Most popular plan
    • Basic reports
  • Standard$299/month
    • Up to $1M annual revenue
    • Advanced reports
    • Up to 15 admin users
  • Unlimited$2250/month
    • Up to $5M annual revenue
    • Unlimited scalability and granular control
    • Unlimited admin users

Which should you pick?

Choose Ecwid if

  • You need omnichannel selling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want product catalog.
Ecwid review

Choose Swell Commerce if

  • You need headless architecture.
  • You also want graphql & rest apis.
Swell Commerce review

Questions people ask

Is Ecwid or Swell Commerce better?
Neither clearly leads. Ecwid starts at Free and Swell Commerce at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ecwid or Swell Commerce?
Ecwid has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Ecwid and $29/month for Swell Commerce.
Does Ecwid or Swell Commerce run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Ecwid for free?
Yes. Ecwid has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Swell Commerce starts at $29/month.
What is Ecwid best used for?
Ecwid is most often used for e-commerce store setup with no transaction fees charged by ecwid, multi-channel selling across instagram, facebook, tiktok, and pinterest, automated email marketing with abandoned cart recovery campaigns, inventory management and order tracking across all sales channels. Of those, e-commerce store setup with no transaction fees charged by ecwid and multi-channel selling across instagram, facebook, tiktok, and pinterest are not what Swell Commerce is typically brought in for.
What can Ecwid do that Swell Commerce cannot?
Ecwid covers Omnichannel selling, Product catalog, Payment processing, Email marketing. Swell Commerce covers Headless architecture, GraphQL & REST APIs, Subscription commerce, Multi-currency support. Both handle Inventory management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Ecwid: Does Ecwid charge transaction fees?

Ecwid states on its site: no transaction fees. However, pricing tiers and their specific features are not disclosed on the vendor's public pages.

Source
Swell Commerce: How much does Swell Commerce cost?

Swell offers four tiers starting at $29 per month for Starter and going up to $2,250 per month for Unlimited. Annual billing provides a 25% discount compared to monthly billing. All prices are in USD.

Source
Ecwid: Is there a free version of Ecwid?

Ecwid offers a free tier to launch a store and start selling. Specific upgrade tiers and costs are not listed on the vendor's website.

Source
Swell Commerce: What are Swell's revenue tier overages?

Each plan includes a revenue ceiling based on 12-month trailing sales. Starter allows up to $50K with 2% overage, Basic allows $250K with 1.5% overage, Standard allows $1M with 1% overage, and Unlimited allows $5M with 0.4% overage. Custom plans are available for merchants exceeding $10M annually.

Source
Ecwid: How much does Ecwid cost?

Ecwid does not publish pricing details on its website. The vendor directs users to contact sales or view pricing, but specific rates are not displayed publicly.

Source
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