Shopify vs Volusion

If you are trying to figure out the best place to host your store, two of the main sites you are likely considering are Shopify and Volusion. Both are strong alternatives to Etsy, and at first glance, appear to be strong contenders with each other as well. Both sites have their pros and cons, but which comes out on top as the best cart provider? Let’s check it out.

Pros of Volusion

• Volusion offers a large selection of paid and free themes. These themes are modern-looking and are great for customizing your store.
• Volusion charges no transaction fees—but there is a caveat (more on that below).
• You can get 24/7 support on Volusion.
• There are more than 80 apps you can use to enhance your store.
• Volusion is more cost-effective than Shopify.

Cons of Volusion

• While Volusion offers many paid and free themes, only a small percentage of their designs are mobile-responsive. Many of their paid fees also cost more than $50 (some of them substantially more).
• Even though Volusion doesn’t charge transaction fees, they charge you for any excess bandwidth outside your plan. There is no way to see how much you are using, so you may get a nasty surprise at the end of the month. This lack of transparency is quite daunting.

Pros of Shopify

• Shopify offers an even larger selection of sleek, modern themes than Volusion. They are all mobile responsive! Both free and paid themes are available; the paid themes are much less expensive.
• There are more than 1,000 apps to choose from to enhance your store.
• You get 24/7 support.
• Even though you pay transaction fees on Shopify, you get unlimited bandwidth. So there are no hidden charges. Everything is fair, predictable, and transparent. You will never be surprised by your bill. Plus if you now use Shopify's merchant "Shopify Payments" they will waive all extra transaction fees!

Cons of Shopify

• The only real drawback is that Shopify costs a bit more than Volusion each month. If you are a high-bandwidth shop owner, however, you might actually save money going through Shopify.

Volusion does offer a lot to tempt store owners, including lower monthly costs. But where they go right, Shopify tends to outdo them. Both sites offer great themes, but Shopify offers more of them. Both sites offer apps, but Shopify offers more of them. You get excellent customer service from either site. On Volusion, though, you never know exactly what your bill is going to be if you get a lot of traffic on your shop. With Shopify, there is no uncertainty—your expenses each month are measured at a flat rate. You won’t be punished for using bandwidth.

With so many apps and themes and options for customization, some customers do find Shopify a bit overwhelming at first. If you’re looking for a hand, you can get in touch with us as Shopify experts to help you get set up or make the switch from your current cart today!