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E-Commerce · head to head

Swell Commerce vs Wix eCommerce

Swell Commerce logo

Swell Commerce

E-Commerce

Headless ecommerce for modern brands

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Wix eCommerce logo

Wix eCommerce

E-Commerce

Hosted website builder with a store module, using drag-and-drop layout rather than themes you can swap

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Wix eCommerce has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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; Wix eCommerce a template cannot be changed once the site is built, because the layout is the site rather than a skin over content, so a redesign later means rebuilding every page instead of switching theme.
  • They diverge on capability: Swell Commerce covers Headless architecture, Wix eCommerce covers Drag-and-drop editor.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Swell Commerce and Wix eCommerce actually diverge.

Attributes where Swell Commerce and Wix eCommerce differ
AttributeSwell CommerceWix eCommerce
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android
Founded20192006

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 Swell Commerce

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

Only in Wix eCommerce

  • Drag-and-drop editor
  • Business plans with no commission
  • Wix Payments and third party gateways
  • Product catalogue and variants
  • Abandoned cart recovery
  • App Market
  • Velo
  • Wix Studio

What people use each for

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

Swell Commerce

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

Wix eCommerce

  • A small business that wants a designed site and a shop without hiring a developernot Swell Commerce
  • A studio or service business selling a handful of products alongside a content-led sitenot Swell Commerce
  • A single-operator shop where visual control matters more than catalogue or fulfilment depthnot Swell Commerce
  • A quick launch where the priority is being live this month rather than being portable in five yearsnot Swell Commerce

Where each one falls short

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

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

Wix eCommerce

  • A template cannot be changed once the site is built, because the layout is the site rather than a skin over content, so a redesign later means rebuilding every page instead of switching theme.
  • There is no site export, so leaving Wix means recreating pages, layout and navigation on the new platform and building the URL redirect map by hand, and merchants who discover this after cutover lose their search traffic while they work it out.
  • Velo code and installed apps only run inside Wix, so every hour of custom work and every app configuration is written off entirely if you migrate, which grows the switching cost the longer the site succeeds.
  • App Market add-ons carry their own monthly subscriptions, and a store running several of them for reviews, subscriptions, shipping rules and marketing can spend more each month on apps than on the Wix plan itself, which is a normal configuration rather than an unusual one.
  • Multi-currency, multi-region and tax handling are thinner than on platforms built for cross-border selling, so a merchant who starts selling into new territories tends to hit that ceiling before any other, and the fix is a replatform rather than a setting.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Wix eCommerce

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Wix eCommerce review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Swell Commerce if

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

Choose Wix eCommerce if

  • You need drag-and-drop editor.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want business plans with no commission.

Questions people ask

Is Swell Commerce or Wix eCommerce better?
Neither clearly leads. Swell Commerce starts at $29/month and Wix eCommerce at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Swell Commerce or Wix eCommerce?
Wix eCommerce has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Swell Commerce and Free for Wix eCommerce.
Does Swell Commerce or Wix eCommerce run on more platforms?
Swell Commerce runs on Web. Wix eCommerce runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Wix eCommerce for free?
Yes. Wix eCommerce has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Swell Commerce starts at $29/month.
What is Swell Commerce best used for?
Swell Commerce is most often used for running a headless commerce backend with apis for a custom storefront, selling subscription products alongside one off purchases, operating multi currency stores from one commerce backend. Of those, running a headless commerce backend with apis for a custom storefront and selling subscription products alongside one off purchases are not what Wix eCommerce is typically brought in for.
What can Swell Commerce do that Wix eCommerce cannot?
Swell Commerce covers Headless architecture, GraphQL & REST APIs, Subscription commerce, Multi-currency support. Wix eCommerce covers Drag-and-drop editor, Business plans with no commission, Wix Payments and third party gateways, Product catalogue and variants.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Wix eCommerce: Does Wix take a cut of my sales?

Not on paid Business plans. You still pay card processing fees to Wix Payments or to whichever supported gateway you use, so compare the processing rate rather than assuming zero cost.

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
Wix eCommerce: Can I change my template later?

No. The layout is the site rather than a swappable theme, so redesigning means rebuilding the pages. Treat the initial design decision as long-lived.

Wix eCommerce: Is Wix bad for SEO?

That criticism is largely out of date. Pages are server rendered and the SEO controls are adequate. The real search risk is migration, since there is no export and the redirect map has to be built manually.

Wix eCommerce: Can I export my site if I outgrow it?

Products and orders export as CSV. The site itself does not. Budget a full rebuild plus a redirect map if you move.

Wix eCommerce: Where do most merchants hit the ceiling?

Multi-currency and multi-region selling, and catalogue complexity. Both are thinner here than on platforms designed for cross-border trade.

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