Weebly vs Shopify: A Comparison Guide

Weebly is a website builder that allows users to create both eCommerce and non-Commerce sites. Conversely, Shopify is a highly specialized eCommerce platform. Learning about the pricing plans, features, themes, and the advantages of each platform can help users compare options and decide whether Weebly or Shopify is a better fit for their needs. 

Main Difference Between Weebly And Shopify

The main difference between Weebly and Shopify is that Weebly is better suited to stores that sell fewer products or websites that showcase portfolios while Shopify is better for larger eCommerce stores. 

Plans And Pricing 

In terms of pricing, Weebly offers a free plan with no eCommerce features, while Shopify has no free option beyond the trial period. 

WeeblyShopify
1. Free - $0 Not Ad-freeFree SSL certificateSEO tools500MB storageNo eCommerce features
2. Connect - $5 per monthNot ad-free No site search500MB storageDomain connectionFree SSL certificate Sell up to 10 productsUnlimited storageAdvanced statistics
3. Pro - $12 per month Free domain providedSite searchSell up to 25 productsAd-freeVideo playerPassword Protected pages3% transaction fee
4. Business - $25 per monthFree domain providedSell unlimited productsProduct reviewsAutomatic tax calculatorShipping discount and couponsCan’t accept gift cards 
5. Business Plus - $38 per month Free domain providedEmail marketing Abandoned cart recoveryEmail marketing featuresReal-time shipping rates 


1. Shopify Basic – $29 per month Unlimited products 2 staff accounts24/7 supportUp to 4 inventory locationsDiscount codesFree SSL certificateAbandoned cart recoveryGift cardsNo reports133 currencies 
2. Shopify  – $79 per month Unlimited products5 staff accounts24/7 supportUp to 5 inventory locationsStandard reportsUp to 88% shipping discount133 currenciesInternational domains
3. Shopify Advanced  – $299 per month Unlimited products15 staff accounts24/7 supportUp to 8 inventory locationsAdvanced reportsUp to 88% shipping discount133 currenciesInternational domains and variant pricing

Overall, for Weebly vs. Shopify in terms of pricing Weebly offers more affordable eCommerce plans but has stricter product limits. Therefore, Shopify may be a better choice for sellers who want fewer limitations. 

Ease Of Use

For those who are new to creating a website, an effective user interface can simplify matters. 

WeeblyShopify
Weebly’s website builder is extremely easy to use with a drag and drop functionality. It is also relatively easy to manage your website through the marketing and e-commerce dashboards.
Shopify might initially be more complex to set up since it has plenty of features but they provide plenty of tutorials and instructions to help you get started. Their drag and drop editor is also simple to use. 

Overall, Weebly might be a better choice for beginners who want to get started ASAP but Shopify also offers ease of use for those willing to spend more time working on their website. 

Themes And Functionality

Having a visually pleasing theme can make your eCommerce store or portfolio more attractive to users. 

WeeblyShopify
Weebly offers around 50 free templates for users to choose from in addition to third-party templates that range in cost from $20-50. The templates are simple but easily customizable for different needs. Shopify has around 9 free themes and 65 paid themes that are all designed for eCommerce stores. Some also offer blog integration.  

For those looking for free themes, Weebly offers a more extensive selection of themes than Shopify. However, Shopify has a very nice selection of paid themes. 

Product Presentation And Features

When it comes to selling products, ensuring that your goods and services can be displayed effectively is key. 

WeeblyShopify
With Square Online, Weebly provides key eCommerce features for users including curbside pickup and text alerts, in addition to integration with Square POS systems.  Shopify has plenty of features including dropshipping, customizable checkout pages, advanced inventory, and abandoned cart recovery even on its cheapest plan. 

Overall, Shopify has a wider range of eCommerce features compared to Weebly but Weebly has all the basics covered.  

Payment Options

Offering a wider variety of payment options can attract more buyers to your store. 

Payment OptionsWeeblyShopify
StripeYesYes
PayPalYesYes
SquareYesYes
Shopify PaymentsNoYes
Offline PaymentsNo, unless you have a Square POS systemYes
Multiple Currencies NoYes, if you use a plug-in 

When it comes to Weebly vs Shopify for payment options, Shopify wins due to its greater variety.

Point Of Sale Capabilities

For retail stores, offering flexible POS solutions can make it more convenient for customers to pay.  

WeeblyShopify
Weebly uses Square’s POS system for offline transactions. Hardware is free unless you want advanced options and there are no monthly fees. Transaction fees vary per plan. The Shopify POS system allows you to use free hardware with the lite plan although you need to pay for advanced features. The the app enables you to send digital receipts and track sales statistics. Shopify transaction fees vary per plan. 

Overall, the point of sale capabilities between Weebly and Shopify are comparable. 

Sales Channels

The number of sales channels you offer can also increase your number of sales. 

ChannelsWeeblyShopify
Customized Buy Button 
Yes, through third-party app No
FacebookNoYes
InstagramNoYes
MessengerNoNo

Overall, the clear winner for Shopify vs Weebly for sales channels is Shopify since Weebly doesn’t offer many options.

Customer Accounts And Checkout Options

Customer accounts can save payment information and speed up the checkout process for future purchases. 

WeeblyShopify
Weebly allows the creation of customer accounts to securely save payment information, view order history, and more. Shopify provides similar features to Weebly enables users to create an account after making a purchase if they used an email account. 

Overall, it is a tie for Weebly and Shopify for customer accounts and the checkout process. 

Shipping Costs And Carrier Integration

Shipping Costs + Carrier IntegrationWeeblyShopify
Free shippingYesYes
Flat rateYesYes
Weight-based rateYesYes
Shipping rules availabilityYesYes
Print & buy labelsYesYes
Real-time shippingYes, through Weebly Performance plan onlyYes, through Advanced plan only 
Dropshipping carriersYes, only through third-party apps Yes via Amazon fulfillment, Rakuten, Shipwire, and Oberlo via app 

Overall, shipping options for eCommerce stores are essential and Shopify has the edge over Weebly, especially if you need dropshipping. 

Tax Settings

Taxes can be complicated to figure out depending on where your shoppers are from. 

WeeblyShopify
For Weebly, automatic tax calculations require a Business plan or better. In addition, those outside the United States and Canada, require manual tax creation.Shopify supports automatic tax rates for Canada, the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. 

Overall, Shopify has better automatic tax features compared to Weebly. 

Multilingual Capabilities

Shoppers around the world can benefit from multi-language options.

WeeblyShopify
Weebly offers multilanguage support without any apps and through third-party apps including Multilanguage, and LocalizeInternetShopify translates up to 20 language versions no matter what plan you use but it costs around $20 a month for translations through a third-party app. 

Overall, Weebly and Shopify both provide good multi-language support. 

SSL

SSL security comes with every Weebly plan and Shopify plan, so both options provide great security. 

SEO

Shopify has the basic SEO features you need to improve your search engine rankings for your store. Weebly also offers the ability to optimize headers and footers for every page along with meta descriptions and keywords. Overall, both SEO services are equally equally beneficial for each platform. 

Speed

A fast loading speed can help prevent frustration for your customers. 

WeeblyShopify
On average, Weebly takes between 1 and 4 seconds to load on desktop but 4 to 12 seconds on mobile. On average, Shopify takes between 1 to 4 seconds to load on desktop and around 4 seconds on mobile. 

Overall, Shopify has faster mobile loading speeds compared to Weebly. 

Market Place/App Store

Apps can help you customize your website even more. 

WeeblyShopify
Weebly has over 350 free and paid apps for websites for eCommerce, communication, marketing, social, and more site tools. Shopify provides almost 6000 paid and free eCommerce apps

Thus, Shopify has a larger number of apps for users compared to Shopify at this point. 

Support

To establish a reliable customer relationship, it is important to provide good customer service.

WeeblyShopify
Weebly has a help center with tutorials and articles, a community forum, and even a YouTube channel. Shopify offers 24/7 email, live chat, and phone in addition to a help center. 

Both have good support, although Weebly doesn’t offer phone support on the two cheapest plans.

Frequently Asked Questions

When deciding between Weebly or Shopify, here are some questions asked by users. 

Is Weebly eCommerce good?

Weebly eCommerce is a good choice for smaller businesses on a budget, but it has its limitations for those with larger eCommerce stores.

Is it free to sell on Weebly?

No, you will need to pay at least $5 monthly for the Connect annual plan in order to use Weebly’s eCommerce features.

Does Weebly host domains?

Yes. You can transfer your existing domain name to the Weebly platform. 

Overall Verdict

In conclusion, when it comes to Weebly vs Shopify, Weebly is a good website to use for blogs, portfolios, and those looking for a drag-and-drop builder. If you have more than 10 products you want to sell and want greater customization, Shopify may be a better choice for an eCommerce business. 
Read on to learn more about choosing the best website builder for your needs on Page Kits today!

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