Drupal vs Shift4shop: guide for 2024

Final verdict

Drupal and Shift4shop both offer unique strengths, making them suitable for different types of users and needs.

Drupal (Overall Grade: 6.4/10)

is a powerful open-source CMS known for its flexibility and extensibility. It is ideal for developers and users who need a highly customizable platform for building complex websites and applications. Drupal excels in design functionalities, offering a vast array of templates and modules. However, it has a steep learning curve and requires more technical expertise, making it less suitable for beginners. When comparing Drupal vs Shift4shop, Drupal stands out for its extensive customization options and robust content management capabilities.
Shift4shop (Overall Grade: 6.4/10)

is an eCommerce platform designed to facilitate online business operations with ease. It offers a variety of professional, customizable templates and comprehensive eCommerce features, including payment processing and inventory management. Shift4shop is more user-friendly than Drupal, making it a better choice for users who prioritize ease of use and quick setup. In the Drupal vs Shift4shop comparison, Shift4shop is ideal for businesses looking for a straightforward, feature-rich eCommerce solution without the need for extensive customization.

	Overall grade: 6.4	Overall grade: 6.4
Design functionalities & templates	7.8	7.5
Ease of use	5.4	7.0
Ecommerce	7.5	7.6
Website Editors	7.5	7.2
Product testing options	7.1	5.0
Price	5.7	6.7
Hosting quality	0	7.8
Website speed optimization	6.4	6.3
Plugins and integrations	8.6	7.3
Marketing features	8.0	8.0
Customer support	6.7	7.9
Security	8.3	8.9
AI capabilities	7.5	0
User Management	9.1	7.9

Best for ecommerce

7.5

7.6

Verdict

: Drupal and Shift4shop both offer robust ecommerce solutions, but they cater to different needs. Drupal is highly customizable and flexible, making it suitable for complex ecommerce sites, while Shift4shop provides a comprehensive suite of built-in ecommerce features, ideal for straightforward online store setups.

Drupal

: With a score of 7.5, Drupal excels in flexibility and customization through its modular architecture. It offers extensive ecommerce features such as shopping cart and checkout processes, payment gateway integration, and detailed reporting and analytics. However, it has a steep learning curve and may require extensive customization to meet specific ecommerce needs.
Shift4shop

: Scoring 7.6, Shift4shop is a dedicated ecommerce platform that provides a robust website builder, advanced product management tools, and integrated payment processing. It supports over 200 payment gateways and offers features like abandoned cart recovery and inventory management. While it has limited customization options compared to Drupal, it is easier to set up and use for standard ecommerce operations.

Best for informational & business websites

7.5

7.2

Verdict

: Drupal is the better choice for creating highly customizable and complex informational websites, while Shift4shop is more user-friendly and better suited for users who need a straightforward platform with robust support.

Drupal

: Drupal excels in flexibility and customization, making it ideal for complex informational websites. Its extensive range of modules and themes allows for a high degree of personalization. However, it has a steep learning curve, which might be challenging for beginners. Drupal’s open-source nature also means that hosting quality can vary depending on the provider.
Shift4shop

: Shift4shop offers a more user-friendly experience with a focus on ecommerce, but it also supports informational websites. It provides managed cloud hosting with a 99.9% uptime guarantee, making it a reliable choice. While it may not offer the same level of customization as Drupal, it is easier to use and comes with comprehensive customer support.

Detailed comparison

7.8

7.5

🏆

Winner: Drupal.

If you’re looking for a platform that offers more creative control, a wide array of design features, and a vast array of templates and designs, Drupal is the preferred choice.

Drupal, as a highly flexible and powerful content management system, offers a vast array of templates and designs to cater to virtually any website need. With thousands of themes available, users can choose from minimalist designs, industry-specific layouts, and highly customizable multipurpose themes. These templates are designed to be responsive, ensuring that websites look great on any device. Moreover, the Drupal community continuously contributes new designs and templates, expanding the options for users to keep their websites modern and engaging.

Drupal Themes

Compared to Drupal, Shift4Shop provides a selection of over 100 free eCommerce templates, catering to a wide array of design preferences and brand identities. These templates are professionally designed with an emphasis on optimizing sales, employing the latest in technology and design trends. This variety ensures that businesses can find a design that closely aligns with their brand and aesthetic requirements.

Shift4shop Themes

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5.4

7.0

🏆 Winner: Shift4shop

. With a score of 7.0, Shift4shop is more user-friendly than Drupal, which scored 5.4. While Drupal offers a high level of customization and scalability, it has a steep learning curve that may not be suitable for beginners. On the other hand, Shift4shop, while also offering a wide array of features and customization options, provides multiple support channels and educational resources to assist users in navigating its platform.

Learning Resources

🏆 Winner: Drupal

. Despite its complexity, Drupal offers a wealth of learning resources, including extensive official documentation, a vibrant community forum, and a variety of online courses and tutorials. Shift4shop also provides a wide range of learning resources, but Drupal’s resources are more comprehensive and beneficial for users looking to deepen their expertise.

Learn Drupal

Learn Shift4shop

7.5

7.6

Drupal and Shift4shop both offer robust ecommerce solutions, but they cater to different needs. Drupal, with its Drupal Commerce module, provides a flexible and customizable ecommerce solution that can be seamlessly integrated into its content management system. However, it has a steep learning curve and may require extensive customization to meet specific ecommerce needs. On the other hand, Shift4shop offers a comprehensive suite of ecommerce features, including a robust website builder, advanced product management tools, and integrated payment processing. However, it has limited customization options and add-ons.


Ecommerce themes and templates	7.8	6.5
Product page customization	8.3	7.8
Payment processing and commissions	7.5	8.4
POS capabilities	5.5	7.0
Payment gateways	7.7	9.0
Product numbers	7.0	7.5
Additional ecommerce features	8.0	7.2

Drupal ecommerce features:

Shopping Cart and Checkout Process
Payment Gateway Integration
Order Management and Invoicing
Tax Calculation and VAT Support
Shipping and Fulfillment
Promotions and Discounts
Reporting and Analytics
Security and Compliance

Shift4shop ecommerce features:

Payment Gateway integrations
Inventory management
Abandoned cart recovery
Order management

Ecommerce themes & templates

Drupal offers a wide array of eCommerce themes designed to cater to different types of online stores, from clean and simple designs to more sophisticated and feature-rich options. These themes are built with responsiveness in mind, ensuring that stores function seamlessly across various devices. On the other hand, all the templates of Shift4Shop are designed for online stores, providing a more focused approach to ecommerce design.

Product page customization

Drupal offers extensive customization possibilities for product pages through its modular architecture, allowing for detailed content types, flexible displays with Views, and theme customizations. The Drupal Commerce module enriches e-commerce functionalities, enabling tailored product management, checkout flows, and payment systems. Shift4Shop, on the other hand, offers a variety of product page customization features to enhance the online shopping experience. These include advanced product options with inventory tracking, customizable product layouts, and the ability to showcase products through images, zoom, and video.

Payment processing

Drupal supports a wide range of payment gateways through third-party modules, including popular ones like PayPal, Stripe, and Authorize.Net. While Drupal itself does not charge any commissions or transaction fees, the individual payment gateways integrated with it do have their own fee structures. Shift4Shop supports over 200 payment gateways, including major providers such as PayPal, Visa, and Stripe, offering a broad range of options for global markets without charging additional transaction fees from the platform itself. However, merchants may incur standard fees from their chosen payment providers.

7.5

7.2

🏆

Winner: Drupal

. Drupal, with a score of 7.5, offers a wide range of features tailored for content creation and management. It supports rich text editing, enabling users to format text, insert links, images, and media, as well as create tables and lists with ease. The editor is highly customizable, allowing administrators to configure toolbars and options according to the needs of their site. Furthermore, it integrates seamlessly with Drupal’s content management system, supporting features like automatic content saving, version control, and access control, making it a powerful tool for building and managing diverse web content.

Drupal editor

Shift4Shop’s editor, scoring 7.2, offers a comprehensive website builder with a focus on e-commerce, enabling the creation of various types of websites with an array of templates and customization options including a drag-and-drop editor. It integrates advanced features for product management, payment processing, and SEO optimization, alongside marketing tools for social media and email campaigns. Security measures and customer support options are in place, although reviews on support quality vary.

Mobile editor/app

🏆

Winner: None

. Both Drupal and Shift4shop do not offer dedicated mobile editor apps, which can be a significant limitation for users who need to make on-the-go adjustments to their websites.

Drupal, being an open-source CMS, relies heavily on its web-based editor and the extensive range of modules available for customization. While it excels in flexibility and extensibility, the lack of a mobile editor app means users must rely on desktop or laptop devices for content management and site updates.

Shift4shop, an eCommerce-focused platform, also lacks a dedicated mobile editor app. This absence can be a drawback for business owners who need to manage their online stores from mobile devices. Although Shift4shop provides a comprehensive set of features for eCommerce, the inability to edit the site via a mobile app can hinder the efficiency of managing the store on the go.

In summary, the lack of mobile editor apps for both Drupal and Shift4shop means neither platform stands out in this aspect, making it a tie in terms of mobile editing capabilities.

7.1

5.0

Overall Result

:

Drupal Wins

. Drupal scores 7.1 in product testing options, while Shift4shop scores 5.0. Drupal, being an open-source CMS, offers a free version but no trial version or premium features testing. Shift4shop, on the other hand, provides a free version for US customers and allows testing of all features within its free plan. However, it does not offer a trial version or a money-back guarantee.


Free Plan	Yes (open-source software)	Yes, only for US customers
Trial Duration	No	No
Testing Premium Features	No	All the features within its free plan

5.7

6.7

Shift4shop offers a free plan with essential features and a paid plan that supports other payment processors, while Drupal is a free open-source CMS, but users need to purchase a domain, web hosting, and website builder subscriptions separately.

	Offerings	Offerings
Free	No offering at this amount.	Free Plan ($0/month): Requires minimum $500/month processed payments with their Shift4shop payment with 2.90% + 30 Cents transaction fees. Unlimited Products, SEO & Marketing Tools, Unlimited Staff Users, Integrated Blog, Unlimited Bandwidth, 24/7 Customer Support, No Revenue Caps, API Access, Secure Online Payments. This plan allows to manage only 1 website and there is no limitation of number of pages offered.
$0+	No offering at this amount.	Paid Plan ($29/month): All features of the free plan with support for other payment processors such as PayPal. This plan allows to manage only 1 website and there is no limitation of number of pages offered. Value for Price: 8.5

In some cases companies have different prices based on various components like a
location. As a result in rare cases the prices displayed here can differ from the ones you see on their
websites.

7.8

🏆

Winner: Shift4shop

Shift4shop offers managed cloud hosting with unlimited bandwidth and storage, daily backups, and a 99.9% uptime guarantee. Drupal, being an open-source CMS, does not provide hosting services directly, hence its hosting quality score is 0. Users of Drupal have to rely on third-party hosting providers, which can vary in quality and reliability.


Do they offer hosting?	No	Yes
Data Centers:	Depends on hosting provider	Not disclosed
Type of hosting:	Depends on hosting provider	Managed Cloud Hosting
Uptime:	Depends on hosting provider	99.9%
Uptime Guarantee:	Depends on hosting provider	99.9%

6.4

6.3

🏆 Winner: Drupal

Both Drupal and Shift4shop prioritize website performance and page speed, but Drupal’s open-source nature and extensive customization options give it a slight edge in website speed optimization.


Focus	Customization, Flexibility	CDN, Code Minification, Image optimization
Performance Tools	Extensive guides and tutorials	CDN, Code Minification, Image optimization
Key Strategies	Users can optimize almost all aspects	CDN, Code Minification, Image optimization, Caching
Load Times	Varies depending on optimization and website complexity	Varies depending on optimization
Page Speed Scores Range	Varies depending on optimization and website complexity	Varies depending on optimization
Core Web Vitals Improvement	Depends on users	No information provided

Drupal, an open-source CMS, is known for its flexibility and extensibility, allowing users to optimize almost all aspects of their website. It provides a wide range of modules and themes that can be used to customize the appearance and behavior of a website. However, the load times and PageSpeed scores vary depending on the optimization and website complexity. The Core Web Vital improvements also depend on the users.

Shift4shop, on the other hand, is an eCommerce platform that uses strategies like CDN, code minification, image optimization, and caching for speed optimization. Like Drupal, the load times and PageSpeed scores for Shift4shop also vary depending on the optimization. However, Shift4shop does not provide any information on their Core Web Vital improvements.

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8.6

7.3

🏆 Winner: Drupal.

With a score of 8.6, Drupal leads the way with its extensive range of modules and seamless integrations. It’s a powerhouse for adding functionalities that scale with your business. Shift4shop, with a score of 7.3, offers a variety of plugins too, but Drupal’s breadth and depth, especially for complex websites, give it the upper hand.

It is however worth mentioning that there are more free modules available for Drupal compared to Shift4shop.

Drupal Applications

Drupal modules

Shift4shop Applications

Shift4shop integrations

8.0

🏆

Overall Winner: Tie

. Both Drupal and Shift4shop offer a comprehensive set of marketing features, but their implementation and functionality differ due to their platform types. Drupal relies on modules for extending its functionality, while Shift4shop has many of these features built-in.


SEO Tools	Yes, with SEO modules such as Yoast SEO	Yes
Email Marketing	Yes, but with third-party extensions, such as MailChimp	Yes
Blogging	Yes	Yes
Social Media Integration	Yes	Yes
Analytics and Reporting	Yes, basic built-in features, and Google Analytics integrations through modules	Yes
Ads and Promotions	Yes, but with third-party extensions	Yes

6.7

7.9

🏆 Winner: Shift4shop

. In the Drupal vs Shift4shop comparison, Shift4shop takes the lead with a higher customer support score of 7.9 compared to Drupal’s 6.7. Shift4shop offers 24/7/365 support through various channels, including US chat support, phone support, and a dedicated eCommerce support team, ensuring that users can get assistance at any time.

Drupal, on the other hand, provides a comprehensive range of support options, including community support through forums and documentation on Drupal.org, and professional 24/7 support services via providers like Drupal Connect. While Drupal’s support system is robust, it relies heavily on community and third-party providers, which may not be as immediate or consistent as Shift4shop’s dedicated support team.

8.3

8.9

🏆

Winner: Shift4shop

. Shift4shop takes the lead in security with a score of 8.9, offering robust features like free SSL certificates, PCI compliance, DDoS defense, and advanced fraud protection. It also emphasizes compliance with privacy laws and provides tools for businesses to ensure their websites are accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Drupal, with a security score of 8.3, also provides strong security measures. It emphasizes regular updates, robust configuration options, and built-in mechanisms for preventing common web vulnerabilities. However, being an open-source platform, the security of a Drupal site heavily depends on how well it is configured and maintained by the user or developer.

7.5


AI Builder	No AI Builder	No AI Builder
AI Ecommerce features	Chatbots, content creation, marketing automation, and cognitive services	No AI Ecommerce features
AI content generation	AI Connect, OpenAI and ChatGPT integrations for content generation and SEO optimization	No AI content generation features
Additional AI features	AI-based search enhancements, content personalization, automated content moderation, language translation, content localization, and accessibility improvements	No additional AI features

🏆 Winner: Drupal

. Drupal, with a score of 7.5, offers a range of AI capabilities integrated into its platform, enhancing the user experience and streamlining operations. These features include chatbots, automated content generation, marketing automation, and cognitive services. On the other hand, Shift4shop does not have any AI capabilities.

9.1

7.9

🏆 Winner: Drupal

. Drupal’s flexible permission and role system allows for an unlimited number of users to manage and edit a website, only constrained by server capacity and practical management considerations. Administrators can create various roles, such as “Editor” or “Administrator”, each with customized permissions. There’s no inherent limit in Drupal on the number of users with administrative or editing capabilities, enabling extensive collaboration and content management possibilities.

On the other hand, Shift4Shop allows for multiple users to manage and edit a website, with the number of staff user slots varying by plan. Additional users can be added as needed through the purchase of extra Staff User seats at $10 per user per month. This system is designed to accommodate business growth by enabling the distribution of website management tasks among staff members with customizable roles and permissions.

Drupal User Roles and Access Levels:

Role	Description	Access Highlights
Editor	Users responsible for content creation, editing, and publishing.	Can create, edit, delete, and publish content; can also manage comments.
Moderator	Users focused on site moderation, including comment and user management.	Can approve or delete comments, block users, and manage reported content.
Administrator	Users with full access to all administrative features of the site.	Can change site configuration, manage all content, users, permissions, and install modules/themes.

Shift4shop User Roles and Access Levels:

Role	Description	Access Highlights
Admin	Full control over the platform, responsible for setting up and managing all aspects of the online store.	Complete access to all areas including configuration, order management, product listings, user management, and analytics.
Manager	Oversees day-to-day operations, including order processing, inventory management, and customer service.	Access to order management, inventory, reports, and limited settings for day-to-day operations. Does not have access to high-level configurations.
Sales Rep	Focuses on customer interaction, order entry, and sales tracking.	Access to customer information, order creation, and sales reporting tools. Cannot alter product listings or configurations.
Content Creator	Generates product descriptions, blog posts, and marketing material.	Access to content management systems, blog, and marketing tools. No access to order management or configurations.
Customer Service Rep	Handles customer inquiries, returns, and complaints.	Access to customer information, order status, and communication tools. Limited access to order modifications.

Additional Features


SSL Certificate
Custom Domain
Free Custom Domain Included
International Domains
Mobile Responsive
Page Speed
Website Builder Mobile App
Convert a Website To An App
Website Analytics
Multilingual Sites
Multiple Users

User Feedback

Drupal

415 reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars

Shift4shop

34 reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars

Users appreciate Drupal for its ease of use, security, and flexibility as an open-source CMS, highlighting its ability to scale and support a variety of websites and applications with modern technology tools. The community and documentation are frequently mentioned positives, providing ample support and resources. However, criticisms include a relative lack of plugins and themes compared to competitors like WordPress, the learning curve for customization without coding, and some challenges with installation and updates. The platform is praised for its robust content management capabilities, enabling users to manage content and user access efficiently. Overall, feedback underscores Drupal’s strength in creating secure, customizable, and scalable web solutions, despite some desires for more intuitive UI and easier setup.

Shift4Shop reviews present a mixed but generally positive perspective from users. They appreciate the platform’s feature-rich storefront capabilities, ease of use, and versatility in integrating various services, which facilitates online sales and efficient eCommerce management. However, critiques focus on the less intuitive user experience, occasional technical issues such as slow site loading, and the perceived degradation of customer service quality since the Shift4Shop takeover. Additionally, some users find the setup process and system architecture to be overly complex and dated. Despite these criticisms, Shift4Shop is recognized for its cost-effectiveness, support for different customer types, and the ability to solve a variety of eCommerce-related problems, benefiting users by enhancing their online sales capabilities and operational efficiency.

The making of this blog

We followed a clear, step-by-step process to write and research this article.

Our Ranking Criteria

FAQ

What are the main differences between Drupal and Shift4shop?

– **Drupal** is an open-source CMS known for its flexibility and extensive customization capabilities. It’s ideal for users who need a robust platform for complex websites and have technical expertise.

Which platform is better for ecommerce, Drupal or Shift4shop?

– While both platforms offer robust ecommerce capabilities, **Shift4shop** is specifically designed for ecommerce and provides more out-of-the-box features tailored for online stores. **Drupal**, with its customizable modules, is better suited for users who require a highly tailored ecommerce environment.

Can I build a non-ecommerce website with Shift4shop and Drupal?

– **Drupal** is extremely versatile and can be used to build any type of website, including informational, corporate, and government sites, thanks to its powerful CMS capabilities.

What are the learning resources like for Drupal and Shift4shop?

– **Drupal** offers extensive documentation, community forums, and online tutorials, making it a great choice for users who want to deepen their web development skills.

How do the security features of Drupal and Shift4shop compare?

– **Shift4shop** offers robust security features tailored for ecommerce, including PCI compliance and advanced fraud protection.