Choose the best eCommerce platform for your business: Comparison between Shopify Plus and Salesforce commerce cloud.

Making the right decision when choosing an eCommerce platform can be a challenge for big brand owners. In a competitive market like this, it's important to find an option that fits the needs of your business. Therefore, in this blog post we are going to compare two of the largest platforms focused on large companies: Shopify Plus and Salesforce commerce cloud.

By comparing these two platforms, we will evaluate their strengths and weaknesses to determine which is best suited for your business. Both offer advanced features for large businesses, but they focus on different aspects and have different functionalities. Here you will find a detailed comparison to help you make an informed decision.

Easy to use

Shopify Plus, known for its user-friendly interface and ease of setup. It is designed to allow businesses to quickly launch and manage an online store. Shopify has established itself as a pioneer in the world of eCommerce, thanks to its easy-to-use interface and minimal technical complexities. You don't need to deal with intricate coding knowledge, as even those without programming experience can easily set up a basic Shopify store. Additionally, Shopify Plus offers a dedicated launch engineer to guide businesses through the onboarding process, providing personalized support and ensuring a smooth transition to the platform.

Salesforce Commerce Cloud generally requires more technical expertise and time to set up due to its greater customization options.

Salesforce Commerce Cloud's extensive feature set may not perfectly meet brands' exact needs. The platform follows a structured framework, making extensive customizations more complex and requiring specialized skills. If your business has very specific requirements, you may need to explore external solutions or use third-party applications to achieve the level of customization you are looking for.

Personalization

Shopify Plus allows you to create unique and personalized shopping experiences. The platform offers access to Shopify's Liquid templating language, allowing businesses to make deep customizations to their pages and checkout processes. The recent launch of one-page checkout further positions Shopify Plus as one of the best eCommerce platforms for conversion. One-page checkout has demonstrated a four-times faster checkout experience and a significant increase in conversion rate. Recent launches like AI-generated content, custom metafields, and native product bundles show how much Shopify is investing in innovation and customization capabilities for your eCommerce.

Salesforce Commerce Cloud, while the platform offers many customization features, may not meet all of your specific needs. If you're looking for extensive customizations, keep in mind that they may be more complex and require specialized skills. If your business has very specific requirements, you may need to consider external solutions or use third-party applications to achieve the customization you want. Explore all possibilities to provide the best experience to your customers.

Scalability and business opportunities

Shopify Plus is a platform designed to scale with your business. It offers a balance between ease of use and scalability, allowing it to be used in fast-growing companies. Its ability to automatically scale resources and manage peak demand ensures optimal performance even during peak sales seasons. Shopify Plus adapts perfectly to your growth because it is capable of handling high peaks of traffic and transaction volumes, which provides stability and security for big brands.

Additionally, Shopify launches Commerce Components, which provides more capabilities on the Shopify Plus platform that suit enterprise-level businesses. By acquiring the Remix framework, Shopify has taken some serious steps to grow Shopify Hydrogen, the functionality that enables headless eCommerce . Both show that Shopify is a platform that can be used by eCommerce brands of any size. Its new features

Salesforce Commerce Cloud offers high scalability and is often chosen by large enterprises that need a platform capable of handling significant growth, and is designed to meet the needs of large-scale enterprises and established businesses. Like Shopify Plus, it offers a wide range of advanced business features, including complex pricing and discount structures, multi-store capabilities, and support for multiple languages ​​and currencies. However, this level of sophistication makes it an attractive option for companies with extensive and complex requirements.

Omnichannel capabilities

Another notable feature of Shopify Plus is its omnichannel capabilities. With the platform's native integrations, brands can effortlessly sell on social media platforms like Youtube, marketplaces, and other sales channels. You can also integrate Shopify POS , its own point of sale software and hardware. Additionally, Shopify Plus offers localized storefronts, allowing brands to create region-specific experiences tailored to different markets. The platform's built-in multi-currency support and international payment gateways simplify cross-border transactions.

B2B

However, Shopify Plus is currently innovating in offering B2B solutions with a wide range of solutions to enhance the business channel between businesses. Salesforce Commerce Cloud has been supporting B2B eCommerce requirements for the longest time, with specialized B2B capabilities such as custom catalogs, account hierarchies, and buyer-specific pricing. For companies that primarily engage in wholesale or B2B sales, Commerce Cloud's B2B capabilities can be a significant advantage. However, the functionalities presented today in Shopify Plus and those to be launched show a great level compared to Salesforce.

Integration and Ecosystem

Shopify Plus offers a solid ecosystem of applications and third-party integrations that cover a wide range of functionalities that allow you to unlock functionalities that facilitate the operation of the business and adapt to the needs of each brand with continuous growth in mind.

Salesforce Commerce Cloud offers a suite of marketing, sales, services, and data features that together create a one-stop shop for managing your online business. Customer data can flow seamlessly from one function to another, which is great for streamlining operations.

Prices

Shopify Plus is generally more cost-effective, with a lower barrier to entry for mid-sized businesses. Offers transparent and competitive prices. In the competitive landscape of eCommerce platforms, Shopify Plus stands out with transparent and attractive pricing. Although the monthly subscription fee for Shopify Plus is higher than standard Shopify subscriptions, it is significantly lower and more predictable than Salesforce pricing. The simple nature of Shopify's pricing plan means you know exactly what you'll pay, with no hidden fees or complexities. This makes Shopify Plus an attractive option for merchants looking to maintain control over their budget, without sacrificing enterprise-grade functionality and support.

--> Discover the key differences between Shopify and Shopify Plus to understand how they compare and what each offers. Find everything you need to know in this article .

Salesforce Commerce Cloud tends to have higher upfront costs and may be better suited for larger businesses with substantial budgets. Additionally, it is important to note that Salesforce Commerce Cloud operates on a platform as a service (PaaS) model. While the platform provides a solid foundation, companies are responsible for obtaining their own hosting, security, and maintenance services. Managing an online store under this model can add complexity and high costs.

Integration complexity

Salesforce and Shopify Plus have in common the need for custom APIs for specific integrations, but they approach this requirement differently. Integrating into Salesforce can be complicated and often presents compatibility and data migration issues. Additionally, the quality and documentation of Salesforce APIs are considered less accessible, which may require specialized connectors and additional planning.

On the other hand, Shopify Plus focuses on providing high-quality APIs and offers extensive and up-to-date documentation for developers. This not only simplifies the custom integration process but also improves overall compatibility with different systems and applications. While proper planning and experience remain essential, Shopify's clear and comprehensive resources offer valuable support.

Release time

This parameter is very important for traders looking to make a platform change without affecting current trading activity. With Shopify Plus it is possible to make a change with a relatively quick launch thanks to other platforms, in this case, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, normally requiring more time to implement due to its higher level of customization.

Boost conversions

Using a platform that supports your business activity and whose functionalities are designed to increase the conversions and growth of your business is key to decision-making. Shopify checkout converts 36% more compared to other eCommerce platforms. Therefore, it is a platform that is constantly innovating and now, it is possible to make the checkout more customizable than ever, with new payment UI extension capabilities and surface areas. Announced in the Shopify Winter '23 issue, these updates make it easier for Shopify Plus merchants to customize their checkout in a way that's app-based, update-safe, high-converting, and works seamlessly with Shop Pay.

Management costs

We know that in online businesses, being at the forefront and meeting customer needs requires an investment in maintenance and constant updating. Therefore, it is important to take fixed costs into account when making the decision to opt for one platform or another, both financially and in the time invested. Therefore, below we break down the costs that it would mean to maintain Shopify Plus vs other eCommerce platforms.

In short, Shopify Plus is a great option for businesses looking for a balance between scalability, ease of use, boosting conversions, and a high level of customization. Salesforce Commerce Cloud is best suited for larger businesses with complex requirements and integration with other Salesforce products . Your choice should align with your company's needs, budget, and specific growth strategy. If you need personalized advice to make the best decision for your business, you can contact our experts.