Sellfy vs Shopify are both online store builders. Shopify is a big player in the eCommerce industry with over 1 million businesses worldwide and has all the tools to start, manage and grow an online store. Sellfy is a simple eCommerce solution for selling digital products like ebooks, courses and software. It makes setting up a professional online store and selling digital goods easy.
In this post BSS Commerce Shopify will compare these two platforms based on user-friendliness, pricing, features, sales channels, scalability and more. So you can decide which one is good for your eCommerce business.
Now, let’s get started!
Contents
- 1 Sellfy vs Shopify – Getting Started
- 2 Sellfy vs Shopify: A Comprehensive Comparison
- 3 Sellfy vs Shopify – Which eCommerce Platform Should You Choose?
- 4 FAQs – Sellfy vs Shopify
Sellfy vs Shopify – Getting Started
This comprehension comparison table will showcase key differences between Sellfy vs Shopify, based on definition, rating, and target audience for each platform:
| Criteria | Sellfy | Shopify |
| Definition |
Sellfy is an eCommerce for creators of digital products. It lets you market and sell digital products, ebooks, music, videos and many other formats to your audience. It has customization options, marketing features and payment processing to help you monetise your digital products. |
Shopify is an ecommerce for all types of businesses, from small startups to big enterprises. It lets you create and manage your online store and sell both physical and digital products. The platform has customizable storefronts, secure payment processing, inventory management and many third party integrations for a full ecommerce experience. |
| Rating on G2 | 3.9/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Target audience | Authors, graphic designers, comic creators, music producers, and filmmakers. | Dropshippers and enterprises of various scales, primarily small to medium-sized businesses. |
Pros and Cons of Sellfy
Sellfy homepage:
Pros:
- Sell anything: Sellfy lets you sell all sorts of products. Digital products, physical products, subscriptions, video streams and more.
- Easy to use: Sellfy is simple. Everything is explained in plain English. You can start selling in minutes.
- Embed: You can share your products on social media in 2 clicks. Makes it easier for customers to find and buy your digital products.
- Print on demand merchandise: No need to spend money on merchandise you may not sell. Sellfy will print merchandise for you and ship it to your customer. Great for startups.
- Promotional tools: New entrepreneurs struggle to set up promotions for their online store. But with Sellfy you can set one up in under a minute once you get the hang of it.
- Affiliate marketing made easy: Sellfy allows you to launch an affiliate program natively inside the app. The UX is amazing.
Cons:
- The customization options are restricted: Unlike modern website builder platforms, the ability to personalize your website is limited. You can only modify a few elements. Nevertheless, this simplicity contributes to a more efficient and user-friendly experience.
- Currently, there are only six integrations available, which may not suffice for advanced users.
Pros and Cons of Shopify
Shopify homepage:
Pros:
- Easy to use: no tech skills required to set up and run an online store
- Full features: inventory management, payment processing, marketing tools
- Customizable themes: beautiful themes to make your store look pro
- App store: thousands of apps to extend your store from SEO to social media
- Security: Shopify handles security updates and compliance for you
- Customer Support: 24/7 support via chat, email, phone
>> Read more: How to Add Social Media to Shopify: Easy Guide
Cons:
- Cost: expensive, especially when you add in app and theme costs
- Transaction Fees: if you don’t use Shopify Payments you’ll incur extra fees
- Limited Customization: while customizable, can be restrictive compared to open source
- Complexity for Large Stores: managing a big inventory can get complicated and may require extra apps
- SEO Limitations: Some users find Shopify’s SEO capabilities to be less flexible compared to other platforms
>> Read more: Shopify SEO Checklist: Optimize Your Store
Similarities and Differences of Sellfy vs Shopify
Similarities
Both Sellfy and Shopify are hosted solutions, requiring users to pay a recurring subscription fee, either monthly or annually, to operate and maintain their online stores. Each platform is designed to be user-friendly, making it accessible for those new to eCommerce.
Differences
Shopify stands out as the premier eCommerce platform, thanks to its impressive suite of built-in features, smooth POS integration, and a vast App Store. If your goal is to establish an online store with future growth in mind, Shopify is the recommended choice.
On the other hand, while it may not be as widely recognized, Sellfy is gaining traction among digital creators and small businesses that primarily sell digital products.
>> Explore more related topics:
Sellfy vs Shopify: A Comprehensive Comparison
Choosing the right ecommerce platform can be a daunting task for businesses of all sizes. Sellfy and Shopify are two popular options that cater to different needs. This comparison table will delve into the key elements of each platform to help you determine which one is the best fit for your online store:
| Criteria | Sellfy | Shopify |
| What Can You Sell | Digital products, physical items, subscriptions, video streaming services, ebooks, music and various other formats. | Shopify is remarkably versatile, allowing you to sell a wide range of products and services, such as physical products, digital products and services. |
| Pricing and Plans | Sellfy has 3 pricing plans:
Sellfy does not impose any transaction fees across all three of its plans, which is advantageous. Additionally, you can request a complete refund within 30 days of your upgrade. |
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| Highlight Features for Online Stores | Sellfy offers features for immediate delivery of digital products, customizable online stores, and smooth integration with social media for direct sales. | Shopify offers inventory management capabilities, support for product variations, a wide selection of customizable storefront designs, and more advanced features. |
| Design Functionalities & Customization | Offers basic store templates with limited customization features designed for users without technical expertise. | Dedicated provides a wide range of customization possibilities through themes and advanced editing options in CSS and HTML, specifically tailored for B2B operations. |
| Shipping and Delivery | Sellfy’s Estimated Delivery Time (EDT) forecasts when you might receive an order.
Estimated Fulfillment Time + Estimated Shipping Time = EDT. (the fulfillment of orders takes between 2 to 5 business days) |
With Shopify, online businesses can choose from various delivery options like shipping, local delivery, and in-store pickup, and set up different shipping rates based on factors like location, order value, or weight. |
| Payment Methods | PayPal and Stripe | Shopify supports over 100 payment gateways. |
| Plugins and Integrations | Selffy does not offer an app store. To integrate apps, it is necessary to use an integration platform such as Zapier, which functions as an integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS). | In contrast, Shopify App Store boasts more than 8,000 apps, with new additions being made on a daily basis. |
| Security |
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| Customer Support | Sellfy provides limited support options, offering only email assistance with varying response times, and does not include live chat or phone support. |
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What Can You Sell
Sellfy
Sellfy lets you sell digital products, physical items, subscriptions, video streaming services. It also has a built in print-on-demand module so you can offer print-on-demand (POD) products to your customers without any external apps.
Shopify
Shopify lets you sell digital products, physical goods, subscriptions, memberships, videos. It also lets you connect your physical stores with Shopify POS. Shopify doesn’t have native print-on-demand (POD) functionality but you can integrate with third party services like Printful and Printify to achieve this.
Quick Verdict: Both Sellfy and Shopify are suitable options for online selling. However, if you operate a large business with a physical retail presence, Shopify is the better choice.
Pricing and Plans
Sellfy
Sellfy provides a pricing structure that is typically more economical, with plans tailored to sales volume. The platform features various options, including 14 days free trials and reasonably priced monthly subscriptions. Its clear pricing model enables users to adjust their subscription in accordance with their business expansion.
In particular, Sellfy has three pricing plans:
- Starter plan: $29 USD per month
- Business plan: $79 USD per month
- Premium plan: $159 USD per month
Sellfy does not impose any transaction fees across all three of its plans, which is advantageous. On the other hand, you can request a complete refund within 30 days of your upgrade.
Shopify
Shopify is more expensive than Sellfy but has more features. Be aware that Shopify plans come with transaction fees unless you use Shopify Payments which will add to the cost.
Shopify has more plans to suit different business sizes: Basic, Shopify and Advanced. If you pay annually the cost of Shopify is $19 to $299 per month – paying yearly will save you 25%.
- Shopify Starter ($5 USD per month)
- Basic ($25 USD per month) – Best for solo entrepreneurs (Most Popular)
Card rates starting at – 2% 3rd-party payment providers - Shopify ($65 USD per month) – Best for small teams
Card rates starting at – 1% 3rd-party payment providers - Advanced ($399 USD per month) – Best for large-scale businesses
Card rates starting at – 0.6% 3rd-party payment providers - Shopify Plus (from $2,300 USD per month on a 3-year term) – For more complex businesses
Card rates – Competitive rates for high-volume merchants - Enterprise (custom pricing) – For the titans of business
Shopify doesn’t have a free plan but has a 3 day free trial. Although this is not enough to test all the tools and features, you can take advantage of Shopify’s introductory offer and start your first month for $1.
Plus third party transaction fees apply if you don’t use Shopify Payments:
- 2% for Basic Plan
- 1% for Shopify Plan
- 0.6% for Advanced Plan
- Credit card rates begin at 2.5% + 30¢ USD per online transaction.
Quick Verdict: It’s clear Sellfy has more affordable pricing. The extra transaction fees on top of the monthly Shopify subscription can be expensive. If the other features tick your boxes, Sellfy is the way to go if pricing is your top priority.
Highlight Features for Online Stores
Sellfy
Sellfy is dedicated to serving digital product creators. The platform is designed for ease of use, emphasizing a straightforward experience. It offers features for immediate delivery of digital products, customizable online stores, and smooth integration with social media for direct sales. Sellfy excels in simplifying the sales process for digital goods, making it a preferred option for artists, authors, and creators.
Shopify
Shopify is an eCommerce platform for all types of businesses from small startups to big corporations. It has all the eCommerce features for physical and digital products.
Shopify is particularly noted for its strong inventory management capabilities, support for product variations, and a wide selection of customizable storefront designs. The platform’s inherent flexibility allows it to accommodate different business models, making it an all-encompassing solution for varied requirements.
Quick Verdict: For those whose main objective is to sell digital products and prioritize ease of use, Sellfy could be the ideal solution. Conversely, if you intend to offer both physical and digital products and require a wide range of eCommerce functionalities, Shopify stands out as the more adaptable choice.
Design Functionalities & Customization
Sellfy
Sellfy offers a variety of design templates available in its theme store, which can be accessed through the Store Customizer. Users have the opportunity to preview these themes prior to implementing them on their websites. The platform enables customization of storefronts using fundamental design templates along with user-friendly controls for modifying colors, fonts, and layouts.
Currently, Sellfy presents six pre-designed Sellfy store themes: Basic, Lumiére, Noir, Savant, Idée, Mode. These themes are designed to accommodate diverse aesthetic tastes and can be published to activate on a user’s website following selection and customization.
Shopify
Besides, Shopify distinguishes itself through its extensive customization options. Users can select from a diverse array of professionally crafted themes and tailor them to align with their brand identity.
The templates provided by Shopify are both elegant and professional, making them particularly suitable for eCommerce websites. They present a refined appearance with an emphasis on online retail. Also, the platform facilitates advanced customizations via its comprehensive app ecosystem and provides access to the underlying HTML and CSS.
Quick Verdict: For those who prefer a straightforward and user-friendly storefront, Sellfy is an excellent option. However, if you require extensive customization of your shop through personalized themes, Shopify would be the more suitable choice.
Shipping and Delivery
Sellfy
Sellfy’s Estimated Delivery Time (EDT) is when you can expect to receive your order. This is calculated by adding the fulfillment time and shipping time:
Estimated Fulfillment Time + Estimated Shipping Time = EDT.
Typically, fulfillment usually takes 2-5 business days. This takes into account the current volume of orders and available production capacity. Shipping times are based on historical shipping data for your location or sales region.
EDT is an estimate and not a guarantee. Your order may be delayed due to: design file issues, product stock shortages or shipping delays which can include failed delivery attempts or service interruptions.
If your order hasn’t arrived by EDT please allow a few more days for delivery. If it still hasn’t arrived you can contact Sellfy at support@sellfy.com. Sellfy will check on the status of your order and guide you on what to do next.
Shopify
Shopify shipping and delivery is a full featured toolset for order fulfillment for online stores. It integrates with major carriers to offer discounted shipping rates, merchants can buy and print shipping labels from their Shopify admin. Businesses can choose from different delivery options like shipping, local delivery and in-store pickup and set up different shipping rates based on location, order value or weight.
Quick Verdict: Shopify wins hands down on shipping and delivery. If shipping and delivery is important to your business, Shopify’s features and integrations are the way to go. Sellfy might be enough for very basic shipping but for most businesses Shopify will give you a big edge.
Payment Methods
Sellfy
Sellfy offers two main payment gateways, Stripe and PayPal, which provide a range of payment options such as credit and debit cards, as well as localized payment methods available in Europe. The platform does not impose transaction fees beyond the subscription fee, although standard fees from payment processors are applicable.
While Sellfy excels in enabling online sales through its product management and marketing features, it does not specifically indicate support for Point of Sale (POS) functionalities, suggesting a concentration on eCommerce rather than in-person retail transactions.
Shopify
Unlike Sellfy, Shopify has payment processing with standard fees of 2.9% + 30¢ per online transaction on their basic plans and reduced rates on their premium plans. But there are extra fees when using other payment gateways.
Shopify Payments is Shopify’s own payment processing solution that allows merchants to accept credit card payments directly on their platform without third party payment integrations. This simplifies the payment process, reduces transaction costs and financial management.
Quick Verdict: Both have instant payout. If you are comfortable with PayPal and Stripe either will do. But if you need a payment processor for a specific niche or country, Shopify would be the way to go.
Plugins and Integrations
Regardless of the strength of your eCommerce platform, the assistance of applications is essential for integrating customized features into your online store. Therefore, the availability of apps and integrations will also be a criterion for comparing Sellfy vs Shopify.
Sellfy
Sellfy lacks an app store, and to connect your Sellfy store with third-party applications, one must utilize a connector such as Zapier. The expenses related to these integrations differ, with certain fundamental features possibly offered at no cost, while more sophisticated functionalities may have varying pricing structures based on the particular third-party services utilized.
Shopify
Shopify significantly surpasses Sellfy in terms of functionality. The Shopify App Store boasts more than 8,000 applications across various categories, including product discovery and upselling.
Security
Sellfy
Sellfy has some security features like PDF stamping and download attempts limits for digital products but acknowledges that total piracy erasure is impossible in the digital world. It uses secure payment processors like Stripe and PayPal, generates unique download links for each transaction and provides tools for users to manage disputes. But overall security rating is lower than Shopify so its security might not be as strong.
Shopify
Shopify has many security protocols in place which includes secure infrastructure, encryption, access restrictions, data privacy laws, data minimization, user empowerment and transparency, two factor authentication, regular audits and an incident response team. All of this means high security for both merchants and customers.
Quick Verdict: Shopify generally offers a higher level of security than Sellfy. While both platforms implement security measures, Shopify’s larger infrastructure and resources allow it to invest more heavily in security features and protocols.
Customer Support
Sellfy
Sellfy provides customer support via email and chat. Although the platform is designed to assist users, the speed of responses can differ depending on the chosen plan.
Shopify
Shopify platform provides strong customer support that is accessible 24/7 through live chat, email, and phone. Also, Shopify features an extensive help center that includes guides, FAQs, and tutorials covering a variety of subjects, from initial setup to marketing strategies. Customers on higher-tier plans benefit from priority support, which guarantees enhanced service for businesses with greater needs.
Quick Verdict: Shopify defeats Selly in customer support. The support system offered by Shopify is more extensive and user-friendly, positioning it as a better option compared to Sellfy, which caters to merchants who prefer a more hands-off approach to support.
Sellfy vs Shopify – Which eCommerce Platform Should You Choose?
Sellfy and Shopify are both robust eCommerce platforms that facilitate online sales through hosted storefronts; however, they differ significantly in their offerings.
Opt for Sellfy if:
- You require a hosted storefront that is straightforward, effective, and easy to oversee.
- You lack a physical retail location.
- You do not require extensive customizations.
- You are proficient in utilizing Zapier for integrations.
- You prefer to avoid transaction fees.
Opt for Shopify if:
- You seek a highly powerful, comprehensive, and versatile eCommerce platform.
- You desire a store builder that is highly customizable and expandable.
- You possess a physical retail presence.
- You need payment gateways beyond PayPal and Stripe, particularly for a local audience or niche market.
- You are willing to incur additional fees for extra features that you may use.
Finally, don’t forget to check out our BSS Commerce Shopify blog for more interesting eCommerce tutorials, tips, and tricks. In addition, if you are in need of a dependable Shopify website development service for your online store, please contact us for further information.
FAQs – Sellfy vs Shopify
1. Can I sell digital products on Shopify or Sellfy?
Sellfy is better for digital products and subscription services. Shopify is better for stores that sell physical products.
2. Can I have multiple users on Shopify and Sellfy?
Shopify has a more advanced user management system where you can add multiple roles with different access levels. Sellfy doesn’t allow you to add multiple users or staff members to one account which may limit its functionality for bigger teams or companies.
3. Are there differences in hosting quality between Shopify and Sellfy?
Shopify has a proprietary cloud-based hosting service with 99.99% uptime guarantee and global data centers which is perfect for high traffic online stores and ensures great hosting quality. Sellfy also has hosting but lacks the same level of transparency and guarantee as Shopify.
4. How do Sellfy vs Shopify handle security?
Shopify has more security protocols, secure infrastructure, encryption and data privacy compliance. Sellfy has basic security measures which may not be as robust as Shopify especially for eCommerce platforms that handles sensitive customer data.
