Softwr

E-Commerce · head to head

Shopkeep vs Shopware

Shopkeep logo

Shopkeep

E-Commerce

Cloud-based POS for small businesses

From
$89/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Shopware logo

Shopware

E-Commerce

Explore the open-source commerce platform, backed by our global community

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Shopware has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Shopkeep all plans require 24/7 phone and chat support; no tiered support options; Shopware rise tier starts at 600 euro per month and Evolve at 2,400 euro per month, both excluding VAT, so pricing is published in euros only and not converted for other regions
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Shopkeep and Shopware actually diverge.

Attributes where Shopkeep and Shopware differ
AttributeShopkeepShopware
Starting price$89/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsiPad, WebWeb
Founded2008Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Shopkeep

  • Point of sale
  • Payment processing
  • Inventory management
  • Customer profiles
  • Sales analytics
  • Employee management
  • Mobile POS
  • Reporting

Only in Shopware

Nothing recorded that Shopkeep does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Shopkeep

No use cases recorded yet. See the Shopkeep review.

Shopware

  • Managing unlimited sales channels across online, POS, marketplacesnot Shopkeep
  • Setting customer-specific pricing for B2B customersnot Shopkeep
  • Automating complex workflows with Flow Builder without codingnot Shopkeep
  • Segmenting customers automatically with behavioral tagsnot Shopkeep
  • Managing multi-language, multi-currency, multi-tax for global expansionnot Shopkeep

Where each one falls short

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

Shopkeep

  • All plans require 24/7 phone and chat support; no tiered support options
  • Prices vary by business type and industry with additional service fees possible
  • Extra locations and registers incur additional charges beyond base plan cost

Shopware

  • Rise tier starts at 600 euro per month and Evolve at 2,400 euro per month, both excluding VAT, so pricing is published in euros only and not converted for other regions
  • Beyond, the top tier with digital sales rooms, multi-inventory and customer-specific pricing, is custom priced and requires contacting sales
  • The Shopware Intelligence+ AI add-on is billed separately at 29 euro per month on Community Edition or 19 euro per month on paid tiers, on top of the plan price

Pricing, plan by plan

Shopkeep

$89/month
  • Basic$89/month
    • Retail POS platform
    • 1 register included
    • Integrated Payments 1.5%
  • Core$149/month
    • All Basic features
    • Advanced management tools
    • Business growth support
  • Plus$289/month
    • All Core features
    • Advanced customization
    • Established retail operations support

Shopware

Free
  • Community EditionFree
    • free open-source platform
    • global developer community access
    • Shopware Intelligence+ add-on at 29/month
  • Rise$600/month
    • subscription model
    • Shopware Intelligence+ add-on at 19/month
  • Evolve$2400/month
    • subscription model
    • Shopware Intelligence+ add-on at 19/month
  • Beyond$null/custom
    • custom pricing
    • contact sales required

Which should you pick?

Choose Shopkeep if

  • You need point of sale.
  • You work on iPad, Web.
  • You also want payment processing.
Shopkeep review

Choose Shopware if

  • You want to start without paying.
Shopware review

Questions people ask

Is Shopkeep or Shopware better?
Neither clearly leads. Shopkeep starts at $89/month and Shopware at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Shopkeep or Shopware?
Shopware has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $89/month for Shopkeep and Free for Shopware.
Does Shopkeep or Shopware run on more platforms?
Shopkeep runs on iPad, Web. Shopware runs on Web.
Can I use Shopware for free?
Yes. Shopware has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Shopkeep starts at $89/month.
What can Shopkeep do that Shopware cannot?
Shopkeep covers Point of sale, Payment processing, Inventory management, Customer profiles.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Shopkeep: What is included in the Lightspeed Retail Basic plan at $89 per month?

The Basic plan includes 1 register, retail POS platform, integrated payments at 1.5% card-present rate, inventory management, Lightspeed Wholesale access, NuORDER Catalog with 5 million+ products, built-in eCommerce, loyalty programs, and 24/7 support.

Source
Shopware: How much does Shopware cost?

Shopware offers Community Edition free (open-source), Rise at 600/month, Evolve at 2,400/month (all in EUR), and Beyond at custom pricing requiring sales contact.

Source
Shopkeep: How much can I save by paying annually instead of monthly?

Shopkeep (Lightspeed Retail) offers up to 18% discount when paying annually instead of month-to-month. All three plans (Basic, Core, Plus) qualify for this annual discount.

Source
Shopware: What is the difference between Shopware Community and Rise editions?

Shopware Community Edition is a free open-source platform with global developer community access. Rise is a subscription tier starting at 600/month (EUR) with included features and support.

Source
Shopkeep: What additional costs should I budget beyond the monthly subscription?

Beyond the monthly plan cost, extra locations require additional charges, extra registers incur per-register fees, and hardware (terminals, scanners, iPad devices) have separate costs. Integrated payment processing charges 1.5% per transaction.

Source
Shopware: What add-on services does Shopware offer?

Shopware offers Shopware Intelligence+ at 29/month (Community Edition) or 19/month (Rise, Evolve, and Beyond tiers). Shopware Nexus is in a free introductory phase through September 1, 2026.

Source
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